Fakultet for samfunnsvitenskap (SAM), Institutt for sosialfag

Oslo Metropolitan University is Norway's third largest university with almost 22,000 students and over 2,500 employees. We have campuses in central Oslo and at Romerike. OsloMet educates students and conducts research that contributes to the sustainability of the Norwegian welfare state and the metropolitan region.

Faculty of Social Sciences offers study programmes within archivistics, library and information science, journalism and media studies, social work, social policy and child welfare, public management and business.

The faculty has about 4200 students and nearly 280 members of staff.

The department has approximately 1250 students and 90 employees, and offers study programmes on bachelor’s, master’s and PhD level.

MSCA Fellow - The Governance of European Social Citizenship 2020

Department of Social Work, Child Welfare and Social Policy

The department   conducts high-impact research on a broad range of topics within national, European and international social policy. The research typically builds on stakeholder involvement, including civil society organizations, local and national authorities and market actors.

Call for Expression of Interest for a joint application under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship scheme

We hereby invite top-class researchers of any nationality, at any stage in their career after having obtained a PhD degree, for the study of the governance of European social citizenship to apply for a EU-funded Marie Skłodowska Curie Action Individual Fellowship (MSCA-IF-2020) to conduct research at OsloMet - Oslo Metropolitan University for a period of 2 years.

Area of research

Shifting balances in power between the supranational, national, regional and local level of governance affect how social policies to foster active social citizenship are deliberated and implemented. This raises questions not only about the legitimacy of the outcomes or output of the policies but also how the stakeholders are involved (‘throughput’). Decision-making processes in the EU have often been criticized for being in transparent, due to complex consultation processes between the EU institutions and with the member governments, and lack of accountability to the European Parliament. Social policies are increasingly negotiated in a global and multilevel governance system. The European Pillar of Social Rights provides a framework to foster active social citizenship at the EU and national level. However, it is an unanswered question how and to what extent the EU and national governments involve the social partners, civil society organisations, interest organisations and social movements in the delivery of ‘Social Europe’.

The candidates are invited to address mechanisms and processes that foster or hamper collaboration among relevant actors and stakeholders at the supranational, national, regional and/or local level. The proposals may examine one or more social policy domains. Cross-national, multilevel and comparative designs are particularly welcome.

The candidates may want to address questions such as: What are the differences and changes in the opportunities for collective self-representation for labour organisations and civil society organisations in the deliberation and implementation of social policies? What is the relationship between social citizenship rights and duties and opportunities for voice, influence and agency among welfare beneficiaries and claimants? How does structural changes in the labour market, such as digitation of the labour market, influence national industrial relations? How do we explain the diversity in capability for social movement mobilization among population groups at risk of poverty and social exclusion, e.g. disabled people, ethnic minorities or migrants, or single mothers? How can new knowledge about industrial relations, citizenship movements and/or social mobilization contribute to better understanding of the governance of social citizenship in Europe and beyond?

Successful candidates will be supervised by Professor Rune Halvorsen. is He is the scientific coordinator of the Horizon 2020 project “Closing gaps in social citizenship. New tools to foster social resilience in Europe” (EUROSHIP) 2020-2023. Halvorsen’s main interests are European and comparative welfare policy, social citizenship, citizenship movements and voice in the welfare state. Recent research projects have focused on Active Citizenship, poverty, disability, youth transitions and theorisation of structure/agency dynamics in the welfare state. For more information on Halvorsen, see his profile at Research Gate and Wordpress.

With this call for Expression of Interest, we invite researchers to submit their CV (including publication list) [KA1] and a one-page project description, that will be the basis for selecting a maximum of two candidates with whom we will collaborate for developing competitive MSCA-IF proposals. In this first phase, the cooperation will be carried out remotely, with regular communication via email and Skype, and one physical meeting, if convenient. If applicants are successful in the funding application, the work place will be in the Department of Social Work, Child Welfare and Social Policy, OsloMet main campus, located in the center of Oslo.

Starting Date

The EU informs the results on the MSCA-IF applications in February 2021. The candidates must be assessed as in principle eligible for a Marie Curie Individual Fellowship. Successful candidate(s) are expected to be available to start within the following two months and no later than summer 2021.

Tasks and responsibilities:

The successful candidate will primarily work on the Marie Curie funded project, but will be integrated in the Department in general, taking part in regular meetings and discussion groups; also the candidate will specifically be introduced with Prof. Halvorsen’s national and international network of researchers on social policy. In agreement with the candidate, he/she may also be included in other ongoing social policy projects [RH1] [KA2] and/or in proposal development processes.

Qualification requirements:

Candidates must have a PhD in social policy, sociology, political science, antropology or economy as the minimum requirement.  We are primarily looking for experienced researchers who wish to use this period as an opportunity to further develop their research, and to develop longer term research collaborations with OsloMet and other institutions conducting research in the field. The candidates must be eligible for a Marie Curie Individual Fellowship.

The following will be an advantage with

  • Knowledge of policy context and quality and availability of quantitative or qualitative data in the field.
  • An excellent track record in research and publications, necessary for being able to develop a competitive Marie Curie Fellowship application
  • An open and cooperation oriented nature, with strong abilities for independent academic work.

It is important for OsloMet to reflect the population of our region, and all qualified candidates are welcome to apply. We make active endeavours to further develop OsloMet as an inclusive workplace and to adapt the workplace if required. If there are periods where you have not been in work, under education or in training, you are also welcome to apply.

Expert assessment

Interested candidates should upload their CV (incl. publication list) and a one-page note describing the project for which a Marie Curie grant will be applied. Applications without a one-page proposal will not be considered

The candidate(s) selected to proceed with a full MSCA-IF application (due in September 2021) will be supported by Professor Rune Halvorsen, and by the professional research administration staff at OsloMet. Originals must be presented if you are invited for an interview. OsloMet performs document inspections in order to give you as a candidate a proper evaluation and ensure fair competition. Proposals will be pre-selected based on internal evaluation and the availability of suitable supervision. A maximum of six candidates will be invited for a skype interview and a maximum of three candidates will be invited to submit a proposal to the EU funded MSCA-IF programme. Candidates will be informed of the results of the pre-selection to apply by 25 March 2020.

Selected candidates will be invited to meet the supervisor and visit the research environment at OsloMet in the context of their participation in the MSCA-IF masterclass, a two-day workshop to further develop the proposal organised by OsloMet in the first week of May 2020.

We can offer 

Initially, we offer assistance in developing competitive Marie Curie Individual Fellowship proposals. Then, to successful applicants to the Marie Curie program, we offer;

  • An exciting opportunity at Norway’s third largest and most urban university
  • Participation in a dynamic professional environment and unique academic community
  • Flexible working conditions
  • An inclusive and friendly work environment
  • Unique academic network the possibility for the right candidate(s) to pursue his/her academic goals under the auspices of Professor Rune Halvorsen
  • Norwegian language classes to employees
  • On-boarding assistance and other services
  • Beneficial welfare schemes and a wide range of sports and cultural offers
  • Working location in downtown Oslo with multiple cultural offers

Practical information about relocation to OsloMet found here and living in Norway at EURAXESS Norway

Remuneration

The competitive fellowship opportunities are 100% funded and include living and mobility allowances.

Other information

For more information about the position, feel free to contact:   

  • Florissa Abreu, R&D and External Funding Support, Florissa.Abreu@oslomet.no
  • Rune Halvorsen, Professor, rune.halvorsen@oslomet.no

If you wish to apply for the position we only accept electronic applications. Please use the "apply" button. 

 

Deadline for applications:     January 20th, 2020

Ref.:      19/13151

 

Type of employment Temporary position (shorter than 10 days)
Contract type Full time
First day of employment By April 1st, 2021 or by no later than summer 2021
Salary approx. 60 000 euros
Number of positions 2
Full-time equivalent 100%
City Oslo
County Oslo
Country Norway
Reference number 19/13151
Published 19.Dec.2019
Last application date 20.Jan.2020 11:59 PM CET

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