Associate Professor in Science & Technology Studies: STS

Job description

One (1) permanent position is available at the TIK Centre for Technology, Innovation and Culture for an Associate Professor in Science and Technology Studies (STS). Applicants who are qualified for full professorship can be promoted after a formal review process once they have taken up their position.

The successful candidate will be expected to initiate and lead research within Science and Technology Studies (STS), to acquire external funding to research projects in this area, to supervise Ph.D. and MA candidates, to coordinate and participate in teaching, exam work and evaluation at both levels, to carry out administrative work in accordance with the needs of the Centre, as well as contribute to the on-going work of building, sustaining and leading the Centre’s research and teaching portfolio.

The associate professor will be expected to participate in developing the Centre´s STS-research group “Science, Technology and Culture”. Science and technology are studied as cultural and material practices that are shaped by society and crucial in the production of social and political reality.

It is expected that the successful candidate will participate in research and other activities that are relevant to the STS group’s academic profile (see the web page The STS group - TIK Centre for
Technology, Innovation and Culture (uio.no).

Applicants who do not have basic pedagogical competencies must acquire such within the first two years of employment. 

The master and PhD programmes are taught in Norwegian and English. Non-Norwegian/Scandinavian speaking appointees will be required to complete organized language training leading up to Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) level B2/”Bergenstest” within two years. Appointees are expected to acquire sufficient knowledge of a Scandinavian language to be able to participate actively in all aspects of departmental life within three years. Language training will be provided by the University.

Residence in the greater Oslo area is required.

Qualification requirements and assessment criteria

The successful candidate must have the following qualifications:

• Ph.D. within STS or related fields
• In-depth theoretical knowledge of and empirical work within STS; strong documented research competence within this field, particularly within the past five to seven years
• Teaching abilities are an important factor in the evaluation of candidates. Relevant pedagogical and other experience should be well documented in a teaching portfolio that addresses students’ learning, development over time, a research attitude to teaching and learning, and a collegial attitude and practice (SoTL)
• Documented ability to acquire external research funding
• Demonstrated ability to contribute to the academic community as well as society at large through research leadership, administrative responsibilities, editorial work, communication and outreach pedagogical skills.
• Personal suitability and motivation for the position.

In addition to the above, the following qualifications will be given particular weight in the assessment:

• Strong academic qualifications and academic contributions to STS where originality and innovative thinking in developing analytically and methodologically driven empirical research will be emphasized;
• Pedagogical qualifications on Ph.D. and master levels (including Ph.D.-supervision)
• Collaborative skills and documented experience with initiating joint research projects; collaboration across established academic disciplines, as well as an ability to build international networks
• Ability to contribute to the long-term development of the interdisciplinary academic and research environment athe Centre
• Leadership skills  

In the assessment of the qualified candidates, all criteria listed above will be explicitly addressed and assessed. Applicants will be evaluated based on their documented academic qualifications as well as qualifications in teaching, management and administration.

The department’s overall needs will be part of the considerations made in the hiring process.

Interviews will be part of the appointment process, along with a trial lecture.

The appointment process

A screening committee will invite a limited number of candidates (“short list”) to submit a portfolio of academic work (i.e. up to five publications) that are particularly relevant for the position. Academic texts shall therefore not be enclosed with the application. In relation to larger volumes (monographs), the selected applicants should specify particular parts of the publication for review. After first assessing the candidates’ formal documented competence in STS, the screening committee will assess candidates for the short list based on documented track record in publishing, in teaching and supervision and with regards to documented ability to acquire external research funding.

An expert committee will then assess and rank the short-listed candidates as the basis for an appointment decision by the Faculty of Social Sciences.

We offer

• Salary from NOK 667 700 to NOK 796 600, depending on qualifications in positioin as Associate Professor (position code 1011)
• Academically stimulating working environment
• Focus on working conditions for academic staff and researchers
• Good pension benefits under the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund scheme
• Good welfare benefits

How to apply

The application should include:

• Application letter: The letter should include a short description of the applicant’s academic profile, how the applicant views his/her academic orientation in relation to the core areas of the TIK Centre and its STS-research group and how the applicant will contribute to the development of TIK.
• CV (complete list of education, positions, pedagogical experience, administrative experience, project acquisition and coordination experience, and other qualifying activities)
• A complete list of publications. The applicant is requested to indicate (but not send, see below) up to five academic publications for particular consideration during the assessment process. Copies of these works must be made available on request.
• A teaching portfolio based on the principles behind Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL)
• Contact details of reference persons will form part of the appointment process. The entire breadth of qualifications will be assessed in ranking competent applicants.

Formal regulations

Please refer to the Rules for Appointments to Professorships and Associate Professorships at the University of Oslo , the Guide for Applicants and Members of the Assessment Committee and Rules for practicing the requirement for basic pedagogical competence at the University of Oslo.

Pursuant to section 25(2) of the Freedom of Information Act, information concerning the applicant may be made public, even if the applicant has requested not to appear on the list of applicants.

The University of Oslo has a transfer agreement with all employees that is intended to secure the rights to all research results etc.

Inclusion and diversity are a strength. The University of Oslo has a personnel policy objective of achieving a balanced gender composition. Furthermore, we want employees with diverse professional expertise, life experience and perspectives.

If there are qualified applicants with disabilities, employment gaps or immigrant background, we will invite at least one applicant from each of these categories to an interview.

About the University of Oslo

The University of Oslo is Norway’s oldest and highest ranked educational and research institution, with 28 000 students and 7000 employees. With its broad range of academic disciplines and internationally recognised research communities, UiO is an important contributor to society.

TIK Centre for Technology, Innovation and Culture is a cross disciplinary unit at the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Oslo. TIK is home to 40 staff members working in research, education and research communication in innovation and science and technology studies (STS). A major part of TIK’s activity is externally funded research. TIK also offers postgraduate education; a PhD-programme and two Master programmes. The Centre also hosts OSIRIS - Oslo Institute for Research on the Impact of Science.