PhD Research Fellow in Innovation Management

Up to two 100 % positions are available at the University of Agder, School of Business and Law as a PhD Research Fellow in Innovation Management for a period of three years (36 months). This position is linked to REDI , which is an EU MSCA COFUND project. The REDI project is led by RMIT University, and the candidate chosen for this position will be a Cotutelle PhD candidate  with them.

The position will be located both at the UiA Campus Kristiansand and RMIT in Melbourne, Australia. In addition, there will be annual workshops in Barcelona, Spain.

Startup will be together with the next PhD cohort at the School of Business and Law, estimated to start up in April 2022.

The REDI (RMIT European Doctoral Innovators) program is a unique opportunity offering excellent PhD conditions, including enviable international experience, top-class research discipline and transversal skills training, as well as networking with academic and industry leaders across 60+ supporting partners and 11 countries. 

For more information about the project visit: rediprogram.eu.

There are three different research projects that the candidate can choose to pursue:

Project 1: Sustainability-oriented innovation is often challenging for firms both due to the inherent existence of many paradoxical organisational tensions, and also due to the fact that many sustainability-oriented innovations require industrial ecosystem changes. The successful candidate will conduct research to understand how firms can manage sustainability-oriented innovation that create and realise social and environmental value, in addition to economic returns. 

Project 2: The use of new digital technologies enables firms to change their business models. Researchers have recently started to acknowledge that complex business model innovations often require that many actors in the ecosystem need to change their business models in a coordinated manner. The successful candidate will conduct research to understand how such complex change processes at the ecosystem level occur and how these processes can be managed.

Project 3: University-Industry Cooperation for Fintech. Similarly to other forms of innovation, financial innovation is increasingly resulting from knowledge sourcing and sharing across organisational boundaries. Historically, financial services industries have exhibited low levels of engagement with universities. The level of complexity and sophistication of digitally-enabled financial innovation is calling for increased cooperation with the science base. This PhD project will explore the mechanisms of such university-industry cooperation.

Further information about the projects may be obtained from the supervisors for the PhD project, Professor Tor Helge Aas  and Professor Anne-Laure Mention .

Further provisions relating to the positions as PhD Research Fellows can be found in the Regulations Concerning Terms and Conditions of Employment for the post of Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Research Fellow, Research Assistant and Resident.

You need to fulfil the criteria of the REDI program at both universities (UiA and RMIT) to be recruited.

To apply for REDI, you must comply with the MSCA-COFUND general eligibility criteria. For more information: https://www.rediprogram.eu/open_vacancies/

If your application is successful, you will be required to:

Apply for a visa and a work or residence permit for Norway as soon as possible and secure this in due time for the start (https://www.udi.no/en /)

Apply for a student visa in Australia (More information: https://www.rmit.edu.au/study-with-us/international-students/apply-to-rmit-international-students/student-visas/apply-for-a-visa )

In addition to meeting the eligibility criteria for the REDI Program, you will also need to meet the admission criteria for RMIT. More information on this here: https://www.rediprogram.eu/open_vacancies/

A prerequisite for employment is that the candidate is to be admitted to UiA’s PhD programme at the School of Business and Law. More information on the admission requirements can be found in the PhD regulations at UiA  and the supplementary regulations for the School of Business and Law.

It is important that the candidate has a research proposal showing a strong academic match with the suggested supervisors Tor Helge Aas and/or Anne-Laure Mention, strong qualifications in applied research methods, and strong academic potential.

• Knowledge about theories of innovation and good qualifications in research methods are desirable
• The candidate should be able to work independently and systematically
• The candidate should have good collaborative skills and a high working capacity

• Ability to work in a goal-oriented, organised, focused and independent manner.
• Ability to handle stress and work with deadlines.
• Good teamwork skills

Personal qualities and suitability for the position will be emphasised

• Professional development in a large, exciting and socially influential organisation
• Positive, inclusive and diverse working environment
• Modern facilities and a comprehensive set of welfare offers
• Engagement with industry: the Doctoral Student will work closely with GCE NODE  (Norway). GCE NODE will consult with the Doctoral Student to define work-relevant research questions, organise short stays and visits for the candidate as part of the intersectoral doctoral training and stimulate the commercial impact of the project through technology transfer.
• The PhD candidates can apply for PhD-work related mobility funds such as conferences etc
• Membership of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund

More about working at UiA.

The position is remunerated according to the State Salary Scale, salary plan 17.515, code 1017 PhD Research Fellow, NOK 491 200 gross salary per year. A compulsory pension contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund is deducted from the pay according to current statutory provisions.

As part of the REDI project, we also offer a 1,000€ yearly travel allowance to cover flights and accommodation to participate in the annual one week workshop at RMIT Europe in Barcelona (Spain) and a 10,000€ allowance to cover flights and living expenses for up to 12 months in Australia.

UiA is an open and inclusive university. We believe that diversity enriches the workplace and makes us better. We, therefore, encourage qualified candidates to apply for the position independent of gender, age, cultural background, disability or an incomplete CV.

The successful applicant will have rights and obligations in accordance with the current regulations for the position, and organisational changes and changes in the duties and responsibilities of the position must be expected. The appointment is made by the University of Agder’s Appointments Committee for Teaching and Research Positions.

Short-listed applicants will be invited for an interview. With the applicant’s permission, UiA will also conduct a reference check before the appointment. Read more about the employment process .

In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act § 25 (2), applicants may request that they are not identified in the open list of applicants. The University, however, reserves the right to publish the names of applicants. Applicants will be advised of the University’s intention to exercise this right. 

The application and any necessary information about education and experience (including diplomas and certificates) are to be sent electronically. In order to apply to REDI, the applicant must submit two applications, one via Jobbnorge and one via the REDI portal:

The complete list of documentation that must be attached to the application can be found in the REDI announcement . The documentation must be uploaded electronically in the REDI portal. The applicant is fully responsible for submitting complete digital documentation before the closing date. All documentation must be available in a Scandinavian language or English.

Application deadline: 30.11.21

For questions about the position:

• Professor Tor Helge Aas, tel. +47 38 14 20 04 , mobile +47 990 92 927 , e-mail [email protected]

For questions about the application process:

For more information, visit: https://www.uia.no/en