PhD fellow in universal design - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

The Faculty of Technology, Art and Design (TKD) offers higher education and research and development (R&D) activities within technical subjects, arts and design. The Faculty has approximately 3.000 students and 280 staff members and is located at Pilestredet Campus in downtown Oslo and Kjeller Campus in Akershus.

Read more about the Faculty here

The PhD-program at TKD has a multidisciplinary profile and offers a variety of topics within engineering science. The program is a collaborationwith Simula Metropolitan Center for Digital Engineering (SimulaMet). TKD is an important contributor to OsloMet’s Strategic goal of being a leading provider of Research and education for solving the big Challenges for society-today and in the future.

For more information about the program, please see the following website.

The Faculty of Technology, Art & Design (TKD) announces one open PhD fellowship in the area of universal design as defined in the Norwegian Equality and Anti-Discrimination Act and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities. Universal design is essential to ensure equal participation in society for all people, irrespective of functional ability, age, background, sexual orientation, etc. Universal design is also related to several of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This is an open position within this field, and we are seeking highly motivated and innovative candidates with a strong academic track record, allowing applicants to propose their own innovative research project within Universal Design which will lead to advancement of the research field, improvements of practices and contribute to a more inclusive society.

Universal design is a strategic research area at the Faculty of Technology, Art and Design and a key competence area at OsloMet. OsloMet has ongoing universal design projects within the focus areas of information and communication technology (ICT), accessibility and assistive technologies, product and/or service design, the built environment, art and culture, as well as universal design for learning (UDL) and methodologies in universal design research.

Applicants may position their research within any of the topics listed above and are required to provide a description of their chosen research project when applying for the PhD position. The requirements for the project description are listed below.

The fellowship will be for a period of three years, or alternatively, four years including 25% compulsory work (teaching and supervision activities or research administrative work). The decision on whether at 3 or 4 year position is suitable will be discussed as part of the interview process. The academic work is to result in a doctoral thesis that will be defended at OsloMet to obtain the degree PhD.

A potential main supervisor at the Faculty of Technology, Art & Design must be listed in the final application. Where possible, a co-supervisor from OsloMet or elsewhere should also be listed.

We ask that you as a candidate try to find a relevant supervisor at OsloMet. In the case that an applicant does not have knowledge of relevant supervisors, she or he can send a 200-word (maximum) description of their proposed research project by 1. August to Mari Devik (Mari.Devik@oslomet.no) with the title “Abstract PhD Fellowship in Universal design”. The abstracts will be sent to relevant supervisors so that they can contact potential candidates. This is done to support matching of applicants and potential supervisors. To the degree that no relevant supervisors exist or are available, this will be communicated to candidates that make contact.

Qualifications and terms

• Completed master’s degree (equivalent to 120 credits) with a grade B or better and with a background in an area relevant for the PhD project.
• Admission to the PhD program in Engineering Science at OsloMet is a prerequisite where the topic of the proposed project fits with the program. Please refer to the admission requirements for the PhD program. Where the topic of the proposed project is beyond the scope of the Engineering Science Program and/or the candidate does not have a Master Degree relevant to engineering science, admission to one of the other PhD programs at OsloMet is a prerequisite.
• Good written and oral communication abilities in English.

When assessing and ranking the qualified applicants, emphasis will be placed on

• The scientific quality of the project description, including originality and potential
• The relevance of the project description to the listed research areas.
• The project's feasibility within the dedicated time period
• Past scientific work (where relevant)
• Experience from previous research activities and participation in research projects.
• Experience from teaching and/or supervision at the college or university level

Desired skills

• Motivation and potential for contribution in the field of research
• Personal qualities that, among other things, show the ability to complete tasks
• Ability to work independently and in collaboration with other researchers, be innovative and creative, while at the same time showing the ability to follow rules and regulations.
• Ability to work systematically
• Capacity to work under pressure

We offer

• An exciting job opportunity at Norway’s third largest university
• Participation in the doctoral program and a research group where the project is located.
• Beneficial pension arrangements with the Norwegian State Pension Fund
• Good employee welfare arrangements

It is important for OsloMet to reflect the population of our region, and all qualified candidates are welcome to apply. We make active endeavors to develop OsloMet as an inclusive workplace and to adapt the workplace if required. You are also welcome to apply for a position with us if you have experienced periods where you have not been in work, education or training.

Expert committee and documentation requirements

Applicants will be assessed by an expert committee. In order to be considered for the position you must upload the following documents together with your online application by the final date for the application:

• application letter, CV and copies of diplomas/certificate with transcripts of records. Please note that a description of your country’s/university’s grading system must be included with the transcripts. This must be an official document with the seal of the university. Education taken abroad should preferably be recognized in advance by NOKUT, and a confirmed copy of the letter of recognition should be enclosed.
• project proposal which indicates that the project will realistically lead to a doctoral degree within a three-year period. The proposal should include: Research questions, theory and method, relevant knowledge within the research area, a schedule for the educational and research plan. The project proposal should not exceed 5 pages (excluding references) and include the name of the proposed main supervisor.
• list of publications where applicable
• names and contact details of at least 2 references
• applicants from countries where English is not the first language must present an official language test report. The following applicants are exempt from the abovementioned language requirements:
  • Applicants from EU/EEA countries
  • Applicants who have completed one year of university studies in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK or the US
  • Applicants with an International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma

The following tests qualify as such documentation: TOEFL, IELTS or Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) or Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE). Minimum scores are:

• • TOEFL: 600 (paper-based test), 92 (Internet-based test)
  • IELTS: 6.5, with no section lower than 5.5 (only Academic IELTS test is accepted)

Please apply electronically to this position by clicking on the button «Click here and apply». All the documents must be in either English or a Scandinavian language. Any translations must be authorized by government. 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.

Note also that failure to upload one or more of the above-mentioned documents will result in your application being rejected without further consideration

Contact information

For general information about the fellowships, contact Senior advisor Mari Devik, Mari.Devik@oslomet.no.

For information about processing of applications or if you have any problem uploading documents, please contact Senior advisor Mette Bjørtomt, metteb@oslomet.no.

Remuneration

Salary is set in accordance with the Norwegian State Salary Scale, position code 1017 NOK 479 600 – 504 700. By law 2% of the salary is deducted as to the Norwegian State Pension Fund.

The position adheres to the Norwegian Government’s policy that the national labour force should to the greatest possible extent reflect the diversity of the population. Therefore, we encourage qualified candidates with immigrant background or reduced functional ability to apply for this position. OsloMet is an IA (Inclusive Workplace) enterprise and operates in compliance with the Norwegian IA agreement.

According to the Norwegian Freedom of Information Act (Offentleglova) your name may be published on the public applicant list even if you have requested non-disclosure. You will in this case be contacted before your name is published.

Final date of application: 1st of October 2020

Ref. No: 20/05420

OsloMet has implemented the Charter & Code and is certified to use the http://www.hioa.no/eng/ Research-and-Development/Charter-Code-at-OsloMet-Oslo-Metropolitan-University logo by the European Commission.

OsloMet is a member of the EU Researchers in Motion network https://www.euraxess.no/