Call for Expressions of interest: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellow 2025 on consumption in the areas of economic inequality, digital everyday life, and sustainable food systems

Oslo Metropolitan University - Externally funded research project

OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University is Norway’s third largest university, with nearly 22,000 students and more than 2,200 employees. OsloMet has a dynamic and stimulating research-intensive academic environment and an attractive employment framework. OsloMet is a diverse and urban university with an international profile; its main campus is in the city centre, providing a vibrant setting in which to study, conduct research, and work.

Consumption Research Norway (SIFO) is Europe’s largest social sciences institute for consumption research, housing a researcher faculty from various backgrounds focussed on sustainable consumption, the consumer economy and technology in consumption.

Call for Expressions of Interest for a joint application under the EU Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action Postdoctoral Fellowship scheme – Call: MSCA-PF-2025

The role of consumption in society is evolving. Addressing complex consumption-related issues, such as cost of living, food security, sustainable production and consumption, and the ethics of advanced technologies, requires interdisciplinary collaboration and active stakeholder involvement. At the same time, trust in traditional institutions and consumer expertise is declining in many countries, adding new layers of complexity. Technological advancements, including artificial intelligence and digital platforms, are rapidly transforming consumption patterns as well as increasing polarisation and misinformation. To understand how individuals and societies navigate consumption in dynamic social, economic, and environmental landscapes, innovative theoretical and methodological approaches are required. As these transformations occur, the work of research institutes like SIFO becomes increasingly important. Through interdisciplinary and applied research, SIFO provides valuable insights into how consumption affects and is affected by societal changes. This knowledge is crucial for shaping policy, promoting sustainable practice and enhancing individual and collective ability to navigate the intricacies of contemporary consumption.

With this as background, Consumption Research Norway (SIFO) at OsloMet invites interested and eligible researchers of any nationality to submit a project idea for a potential application for an EU-funded Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship (call HORIZON-MSCA-PF-2025) to conduct innovative research on consumption at the institute for a period of one to two years. Eligible candidates must have a PhD successfully defended by the submission deadline (10. September 2025), a maximum of 8 years research experience after the PhD, must relocate to Norway for the fellowship, and have not resided in Norway for more than 12 months during the last three years.

Consumption Research Norway (SIFO)

Consumption Research Norway (SIFO) is a non-profit, transdisciplinary research institute at the Centre for welfare- and labour Research (SVA), OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University.

The institute’s research aims to understand the role of consumption and consumers in the society, and to provide the knowledge basis for public consumer policies. SIFO’s research is financed partly by a state budget grant, partly through project grants from Norwegian Research Council, and EU/Horizon Europe. SIFO’s researchers have backgrounds from various social science disciplines and the humanities. Several also have interdisciplinary backgrounds, for example, in engineering and psychology. SIFO is currently home to 40 academic staff, 2 postdocs, 6 PhDs, and several affiliated international professors, supported by a dedicated team of administrative staff and research assistants. We are located on OsloMet’s main campus in central Oslo.

Consumer economy has been a long-lasting research area at SIFO with consumers’ abilities to lead sustainable economic lives at its core.  Main research areas include households’ expenditures, financial wellbeing and market welfare where debt and payment problems, low-income households, consumption needs and cost of living are key issues. Over the years, our research has had a substantial impact on social and economic policies in Norway, as well as influencing political and media discourses. Central in the development of this area is SIFO’s Reference Budget for Consumer Expenditures. A novel evolution is the Solvency Project which includes a nationwide register dataset on unsecured debt and a great potential for future research. 

Technologyis also a core research area at SIFO and has been for the last 30 years. SIFO’s research explores consumer perceptions of and interactions with technology and the digitality of everyday life. Our research explores the implications of technology on consumers, their communities and participation in society. Our research features in political decision-making, most recently in the Norwegian Digitalisation strategy. SIFO’s technology research has a broad academic and methodological approach and has worked with themes such as children’s digital identity and belonging, personalisation and manipulation of advertising, gaming and social media influencing mechanisms, platform economy, and connected devices and homes are all areas of expertise within SIFO’s research portfolio.

Food, nutrition, and food culture is another one of SIFO’s core research areas, and the institute has coordinated and participated in several food related projects both nationally, in Horizon Europe, and its preceding FPs. Our food researchers are involved in various projects within health and inclusion, culture and tradition, production and product development, market, politics, and sustainability. In addition, we study the environmental impact of different types of food consumption and the prerequisites for sustainable practices.

SIFO has three research groups, each with its own topics of interest for this call:

Consumption Policy and Economy

• Economic inequality (e.g. the effect low-income has on young people, the elderly and vulnerable consumers over time).
• Cost of living (e.g. the recent years increasing costs of housing, food, electricity and utilities and effect on households’ financial wellbeing).
• Payment problems (e.g. risk groups and vulnerable consumers, debt trajectories and outcomes, the effect debt and payment problems over time).

We are particularly interested in candidates with experience in register data analysis. 

Technology and Sustainability

• Digital everyday life of young people (e.g. social media, gaming, news, friendships, gender and sexual expressions, shopping, social activism, education, and sustainability)
• Advanced technologies (e.g. AI and algorithmic systems) as part of childhood, citizenship and consumption (e.g. surveillance, influence, and sorting)
• Platform economy and platformised consumption (including mainstream and alternative platforms, power in platform markets, material and relational arrangements, and competition)

We are particularly interested in candidates with capacity to conduct mixed-methods research.

Sustainable textile and food consumption

• Sustainable food system transitions (e.g. consumption of food, food citizenship, alternative food networks, food sector value creation, governance, and regulation)
• Food labelling, such as origin- and organic labelling systems
• Food culture, food heritage, and food history

SIFO welcomes expressions of interest from researchers whose project ideas fit within one of the research areas indicated above (see links for further information). Both quantitative and qualitative approaches would be relevant, and comparative approaches (cross-sector, cross-institutional, cross-national, or other) are welcome, but not required.

Our research groups have extensive formal and informal links with researchers in other faculties at OsloMet, other universities, industries and NGOs, both in Norway and internationally. The following are some of our recent and ongoing research projects:

WellDebt: Debt problems, illhealth and labour market marginalisation

Direct and Indirect Costs of Disabilities in Children (BUDGET)

Relinking the weak link. Building resilient digital households through interdisciplinary and multilevel exploration and intervention (ReLink)

FOOdIVERSE: Diversifying sustainable and organic food systems - OsloMet

New European Bauhaus Solutions in Food, Living Heritage, and Conviviality (CONVIVIUM)

FoodLessons: Culinary Heritage as a Resource in Developing "Food Nation Norway 2030"

Practices and policies of belonging among minority and majority children of low-income families (BELONG)

In developing your project idea, please keep in mind that MSCA evaluators will want to see why the proposed research project is solid, timely, and innovative, why you are the best qualified person to conduct the research, and why SIFO is the perfect place for you to carry it out. For the latter, the relevant expertise of the institute and supervisor will be important. If you are also able to show that Norway would be a particularly good location for doing (much of) your research, even better.

Supervisors

MSCA grantees will be supervised by one of the following experienced senior researchers at the institute:

Consumption Policy and Economy

Christian Poppe

Technology and Sustainability

Mikko Laamanen

Sustainable textile and food consumption

Atle Wehn Hegnes

Gunnar Vittersø

Virginie Amilien

Please follow the links above for further information about SIFO, our research groups, and individual staff members.

We are looking for candidates who:

• hold a PhD degree in a relevant subject (e.g. sociology, ethnology, political science, social anthropology, business studies, economics etc.) at the time of the deadline for applications, 10. September 2025.
• have a good track record in research and publications and preferably some postdoctoral research experience
• have an interest in consumption research, a commitment to developing a competitive MSCA-PF application, and the necessary academic background to carry out the proposed project
• fulfill the eligibility criteria for applying for an MSCA-PF at OsloMet for the 2025 call. Eligible candidates have a PhD successfully defended by the submission deadline (10 September 2025), a maximum of 8 years research experience after the PhD, and have not worked/studied in Norway for more than 12 months during the last three years.
• are highly proficient in spoken and written English
• can comply with mobility rules and relocate to Norway. Teleworking will not be permitted.

Application and assessment process

Applicants who are successful in receiving EU funding must relocate to Oslo to work as a researcher at SIFO for the duration of the project (c. 2026–2028).

Interested candidates must submit with their application the following documents:

• Application letter stating concisely why the proposed research project is solid, timely, and innovative, why you are the best qualified person to carry it out, and also why our institute is the ideal place for you to carry it out
• CV (including research track record and list of publications)
• A short description of the project idea for an MSCA-PF application (maximum 1–2 pages).

All documents that you submit to OsloMet, including your proposal idea, will be handled in full confidentiality and in strict compliance with GDPR regulations.

Evaluation will be based on the applicant’s qualifications and project idea, including its fit with the institute’s research areas and (one of) our institute members’ research profile. Some candidates will be invited for a virtual interview. Please note that we may assess applications continuously and send some interview invitations prior to the deadline, but all applications submitted by the deadline will be assessed on equal terms. Based on the applications and interviews, a few candidates may be invited to develop a full MSCA-PF application in collaboration with SIFO.

Candidates who are invited to develop a full application will be expected to do so under the supervision of one of SIFO’s senior researchers and with the support of the professional research administration staff at OsloMet. For these candidates, participation in OsloMet’s virtual masterclass on MSCA-PF 28–29 April is obligatory. This will be a two-day workshop with detailed, tailored and necessary instruction concerning the application process and template. Further cooperation on the proposal development will be done remotely in the period from April until the deadline in mid-September 2025, with regular online communication via email and virtual meeting platforms.

Employment at OsloMet (if the MSCA-PF application is successful)

MSCA-PF-2025 decisions will be announced by the EU in February 2026. To successful applicants who are awarded the MSCA-PF grant, we will offer:

• a position at OsloMet as a researcher to implement the research project
• the possibility for the right candidate(s) to pursue his/her academic goals with guidance from an experienced supervisor
• a unique academic network at SIFO and integration in the supervisor’s national and international networks
• membership in an active research group and joint academic seminars and discussion groups
• flexible working conditions
• an inclusive and friendly working environment
• attractive premises in downtown Oslo with a wide range of cultural activities
• free Norwegian language classes
• onboarding assistance for relocation and other services

We make active endeavours to further develop OsloMet as an inclusive workplace and to make adaptations to the workplace where required. You are welcome to apply even if you have had periods where you have not been in employment, education, or training. Any offer of employment is subject to the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants, and the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology.

Remuneration:

MSCA-PF fellowships are 100% funded and include living and mobility allowances.

• Type of employment: Temporary position
• Contract type: Full-time
• Gross Annual Salary: Approx. EUR 75,000–80,000
• Starting day of employment: Flexible between April–December 2026
• Number of positions: 1–4
• Working hours: 37.5 hours/week

OsloMet has implemented the Charter & Code for researchers and been granted the HR Excellence in Research (HRS4) by the EU Commission and is part of the EU network for mobility of Researchers EURAXESS. Practical information about relocation to OsloMet can be found on OsloMet’s website, (https://www.oslomet.no/en/work/moving-to-norway), and on the website of EURAXESS Norway (euraxess.no).

Contact

Questions may be directed to the individual supervisors listed above (follow the links for contact info), or to:

• Senior research adviser Karina Wethal, karina.wethal@oslomet.no
• Senior research adviser Stian Andreassen, stian.andreassen@oslomet.no

Application deadline: 3rd of March 2025

Reference number: 25/00458