Oslo Metropolitan University, Externally funded research projects

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.

Call for Expression of Interest for a joint application under the EU Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action Postdoctoral Fellowship scheme – Call: MSCA-PF-2022

Work Research Institute

You will be a part of The Work Research Institute (WRI)(oslomet.no/en/about/afi) an interdisciplinary institute covering high impact research on a broad range of topics within work and organizational research. The Institute engages in research on social studies and broad thematic priorities rooted in the demands of working life are emphasized.  Ongoing projects, of relevance to this call, include research on the consequences of teleworking/working from home, cross-domain information technology us, work-nonwork boundaries, family’s everyday challenges, and the consequences of different work hour arrangements.  

We hereby invite top-class researchers of any nationality, who have a PhD degree and maximum eight years of research experience after having obtained their PhD degree, to apply for the EU-funded Marie Skłodowska Curie Action Postdoctoral Fellowship (call HORIZON-MSCA-PF-2022) to conduct research at OsloMet for a period of two years.

Area of research

The emergence of new technology has the past decades increasingly blurred the work-home boundaries, allowing people easier access to work from home, and home from work.  The sudden and obligatory transition to telework for a large part of the labor force due to Covid-19 have further blurred these boundaries and will likely have changed the ways we are working beyond the current pandemic. This unprecedented erosion of the work-home boundaries unlocks new and comprehensive challenges as the consequences remains largely unknown.

On one hand, technology-related work practices – such as working across domains offers flexibility that can potentially increase the work-home balance and thus promote health. On the other hand, blurring the lines between work and nonwork may adversely impact restitution and increase occupational stress. These contradictory perspectives make it important to understand to what extent, when and for whom new technology-related work practices are healthy and/or unhealthy.

Previous investigations are limited by the use of single-method and single-source approaches, a failure to consider both negative and positive impacts and the lack of an overarching multilevel perspective integrating individual, familial and organizational factors.

The candidates are thus invited to address novel research questions pertaining towork-nonwork boundary crossing, within technology-related work practices (e.g., teleworking/hybrid work/cross-domain technology use). The candidate may focus on specific types, forms, or outcomes of boundary crossing, specific samples (e.g., occupations, conditions, families) or investigate boundary crossing more broadly. As an interdisciplinary team, we welcome all approaches and disciplines, and the candidate is encouraged to see the topic of work-nonwork boundary crossing through their own perspective. We expect that candidates take an ambitious research approach that would have societal impact.

Successful candidates will work closely with an interdisciplinary research team investigating topics of work, family, and health trough the life span. Three mentors will be available to be matched with the candidates according to the relevance of their research topics: Research Professor Vilde Bernstrøm, (oslomet.no/en/about/employee/vilde/) Research Director at WRI, works on quantitative organizational psychology and occupational health, with particular experience from research on work hours, and organizational change; Research Prof. Wendy Nilsen, (oslomet.no/en/about/employee/niwe/) expert in occupational health psychology using longitudinal family studies and work-family interface; and Research Prof. Cathrine Egeland, (oslomet.no/en/about/employee/egca/) with expertise in qualitative studies of gender equality, diversity, time, everyday life and digitalization in the work-family interface.

With this call for Expression of Interest, we invite researchers to submit their application accompanied by CV (including publication list) and a one-page project description that will be the basis for selecting a maximum of three candidates with whom we will collaborate for developing competitive MSCA-PF proposals. The cooperation for the proposal development will be carried out remotely, with regular online communication via email and virtual meeting platforms. Applicants who are successful in getting their proposals funded by the EU, must relocate to work at the Work Research Institute, at OsloMet main campus, in the center of Oslo.

Starting Date

The EU shall inform the results on the MSCA-PF-2022 applications in February 2023. Successful applicants are expected to be available to start the fellowship project from within the two months following the announcement of results and no later than summer 2023.

Main duties of the position

The successful candidate will primarily work on the MSCA fellowship funded project, but will be integrated in the Work Research Institute, taking part in regular meetings and discussion groups. The candidate will specifically be introduced with the research teams national and international network of researchers.

Expected qualification of applicants

Candidates must have a PhD in a relevant field, such as psychology, occupational health sciences, occupational epidemiology, genders studies, sociology, philosophy.  We are primarily looking for experienced researchers wishing to use this fellowship period as an opportunity to further develop their research skills and to create longer term research collaborations with OsloMet and other organisations conducting research in the field.  Candidates must be eligible for a MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship: have a PhD successfully defended by the deadline of the MSCA-PF call (14 September 2022), a maximum of  eight years research experience after PhD, and not having worked/studied in Norway more than 12 months in the last three years.

We are looking for applicants who have

  • Knowledge of relevant topics such as work-family interface, occupational health, and gender research and strong interest in work-related research
  • A good understanding of relevant research methodological approaches
  • A good track record in research and publications
  • Commitment to develop a competitive MSCA-PF grant application
  • An open and cooperation-oriented nature, with strong abilities for independent academic work
  • Excellent command / highly proficient spoken and written English

Assessment and selection of candidates

Evaluation will be based on the qualification and project idea. Interested candidates must submit with their application the following documents:

  • CV (including research track record and list of publications)

  • A one-page description of the project idea for which a MSCA-PF grant will be applied (no pre-defined structure and excluding references).

Short-listed candidates will be invited for a virtual interview to select candidates that will be invited to develop the full MSCA-PF application with submission deadline on 14 September 2022 under the supervision of Research Prof. Vilde Bernstrøm and the mentorship of research professors Dr. Nilsen and Dr. Egeland, and with the support of the professional research administration staff at OsloMet. Candidates will be informed of the results of the internal pre-selection to apply by the end of March 2022. The deadline to apply to the MSCA-PF is 14 September 2022. Under this call announcement a maximum of five candidates will be interviewed and three candidates will be invited to write applications with the endorsement of OsloMet. 

Original documents about your qualification 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 to ensure a fair competition. Proposals will be pre-selected based on internal evaluation and the availability of suitable supervision. All documents that you hand in to OsloMet, including your proposal idea, will be handled in full confidentiality, and strictly following GDPR regulations.

Selected candidates must participate in the virtual masterclass on MSCA-PF, a two-day workshop organised by OsloMet on 20-21 April 2022 to provide applicants with detailed information and explanation of the application template to complete their proposal in compliance with the EU Commission requirements.

The postdoctoral position

Successful applicants who obtain a MSCA-PF grant will be offered a position at OsloMet to be hired as postdoctoral researchers, in conditions as explained below.

We offer:

OsloMet offers assistance in developing competitive Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship proposals. Then, to successful applicants who are awarded the MSC-PF grant, we offer:

  • Flexible working conditions
  • An inclusive and friendly work environment at Norway’s third largest and most urban university
  • Unique academic network with the possibility for the right candidate(s) to pursue his/her academic goals under the auspices of research professors Bernstrøm, Nilsen and Egeland
  • Free Norwegian language classes 
  • Working location in downtown Oslo with multiple cultural offers
  • Onboarding assistance for relocation and other services

Practical information about relocation to Oslo and living in Norway (oslomet.no/en/work)

The position adheres to the Norwegian Government’s policy that the national labour force. It is important for OsloMet to reflect the population diversity, all qualified candidates from any nationality are welcomed to apply. OsloMet is an IA (Inclusive Workplace) organisation and operates in compliance with the Norwegian IA agreement. We make our active endeavour to further develop OsloMet as an inclusive workplace and to adapt the workplace if required. If there are periods in your career when you have not been working, under education or training, you are also eligible to apply. Questions may be directed to the contact persons (per below).

Remuneration:

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

  • Type of employment: Temporary position
  • Contract type: Full time
  • Annual Salary: Approx. EUR 60,000
  • Starting day of employment: Expected starting date 1 April 2023
  • Number of positions: 1 – 2
  • Working hours: 37.5 hours/week

Other information

If you would like more information about the call, feel free to contact:

  • Vilde Bernstrøm, Research Professor/Research Director, vilde.bernstrom@oslomet.no
  • Toril Sandnes, R&I staff, torilsan@oslomet.no

Address: Oslo Metropolitan University, Pilestredet 46, Oslo 0350, Norway

Call application deadline: 31st January, 2022

Reference number: 21/12746

Type of employment Temporary position (shorter than 10 days)
Contract type Full time
First day of employment Per agreement
Salary Approx. EUR 60,000 annually
Number of positions 1
Full-time equivalent 100%
City Oslo
County Oslo
Country Norway
Reference number 21/12746
Published 16.Dec.2021
Last application date 31.Jan.2022 11:59 PM CET

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