Centre for Welfare and Labour Research, Norwegian Social Research NOVA

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.

Centre for Welfare and Labour Research (SVA) consists of Work Research Institute (AFI), Norwegian Social Research (NOVA), Norwegian Institute for Urban and Regional Research (NIBR), and Consumption Research Norway (SIFO).

NOVA is a research institute concentrating on studies in childhood, ageing, social policy and the welfare state. The institute is involved in a growing numer of international research projects.

MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship – Socio-spatial inequalities in uptake of cash benefits and welfare services among disabled children 

NOVA - Norwegian Social Research - Section Aging Research and Housing Studies

NOVA is one of the largest social science research institutes in Norway. The institute conducts research on different aspects of society and the welfare state, with a focus on the entire life cycle, from cradle to grave. The Section Research on Ageing focuses on the social-scientific analyses of different sides of being old and the elderly’s life situation and on the political consequences of an ageing population for the welfare state. Here the central topics are labour market, civil society and family – all equally basic prerequisites for active ageing and for maintaining a sustainable welfare state.

Call for Expression of Interest for a joint application under the EU Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship funding programme 

We hereby invite top-class researchers of any nationality, after having obtained a PhD degree and up to six years of research experience, to apply for an EU-funded Marie Skłodowska Curie Action Postdoctoral Fellowship (MSCA-PF-2021) to conduct research at OsloMet - Oslo Metropolitan University at Norwegian Social Research for a period of two years 

Area of research 

Many children with disabilities, including long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments, have complex conditions that require assistance from many types of providers from various sectors. Research shows that these families encounter challenges, such as struggling to uptake cash benefits and welfare services, that extend beyond the intense need for caregiving. This raises questions whether uptake and delivery of benefits and services by and to parents of children who are entitled to intensified care, cash benefits (basic benefits, attendance benefits), and comprehensive welfare services (e.g., support personnel, relief, and personal assistance), is unequally distributed after socioeconomic status, immigrant background, and geographic location. More knowledge about which factors ensure adequate user pathways in health and care services is crucial for developing specific and targeted policies. Further, if benefits and services fail to reach their objectives and the coordination between them is insufficient, then more knowledge about the collaboration between the family and health and care services is warranted to ensure improvement.  

For more information on relevant projects at NOVA:  

UPTAKE, BUDGET and HIRE

Tasks and responsibilities 

The candidates are invited to address factors that reinforce inequality in the uptake of cash benefits and welfare services provided by the state and the municipalities, and how health and care services may provide coherent services to families with children with disabilities, regardless of socio-spatial factors. The proposal may examine one or more of these objectives. A cross-national comparison focusing on different welfare policies, using a quantitative or qualitative design (observations, document analyses, and interviews) is particularly welcome.  

The candidates may want to address questions such as: which factors create socio-spatial inequality in uptake? How can health and care services provide adequate and efficient services to families, regardless of their resources and geographic location? How can health and care services facilitate user involvement in the provision processes?  

The successful candidate will be supervised by Senior Researcher Elisabeth Ugreninov. She has extensive research experience and is currently participating in several research projects within disability, health services and labour market discrimination of disabled people. The research team at Department of the Norwegian Social Research (NOVA) have excellent quantitative and qualitative research skills in conducting studies of children, disability, welfare policy, and immigrant integration, drawing on the fields of anthropology, economics, human geography, psychology, social policy, and sociology.  

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 Ugreninov’s national and international network on disability and work, and organization and quality of health and care services. In agreement with the candidate, he/she may also be included in the ongoing projects at NOVA (UPTAKE or BUDGET) 

Expected qualification of candidates 

Candidates must have a PhD in social policy, sociology, political science, anthropology 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 NOVA and other institutions conducting research in the field. The candidates must be eligible for a Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship (PhD successfully defended and a maximum of 8 years full-time equivalent experience in research).

We are looking for applicants who have 

  • Knowledge within disability research or the organization and quality of health and care services. 
  • 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. 

Application process 

With this call for Expression of Interest, we invite postdoctoral researchers to apply; they must submit their CV, including publications list and a one-page description of the research project idea, that together with a virtual interview will be the basis for assessing and selecting two candidates with whom we will collaborate for developing competitive MSCA-PF grant applications.  

If you would like to apply for the position you must do so electronically through our recruitment system. 

Assessment and selection of candidates 

Candidates will be pre-selected based on an internal evaluation and the availability of suitable supervision. A maximum of five candidates will be invited for a virtual interview and a maximum of two candidates will be invited to submit a proposal to the EU funded MSCA-PF programme. Candidates will be informed of the results of the pre-selection to apply by 25 March 2021. The deadline for submitting the MSCA-FP proposal is 15 September 2021. 

Selected candidates will be invited and must participate in the MSCA-FP masterclass, a two-day online workshop organized by OsloMet on the first week of May 2021, exact date to be confirmed. In this first phase, the cooperation will be carried out remotely, with regular communication via email and online meeting platforms. If applicants are successful in their MSCA grant application, the place of work will be at the OsloMet main campus, Norwegian Social Research Institute, located in the center of Oslo.

The postdoctoral position 

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

Starting Date 

The EU informs the evaluation results on the MSCA-PF-2021 applications in February 2022. Successful applicants who receive the MSCA-PF grant are expected to be available to start in their postdoctoral position at OsloMet within the following two months of the evaluation results and no later than summer of 2022 

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.  

We offer 

Initially, we offer assistance in developing competitive Marie Curie Postdoctoral 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 Senior Researcher Elisabeth Ugreninov  
  • Beneficial welfare schemes and a wide range of sports and cultural offers
  • Free Norwegian language classes to employees and their partners/spouses
  • Work-place in downtown Oslo with multiple cultural offers 
  • On-boarding assistance and other services 

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 to at EURAXESS Norway. 

Remuneration and employment 

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 2022 
  • Number of positions: 2 
  • Working hours: 37.5 hours/week 

Other information 

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

  • Karoline Aursland, R&D and External Funding Support, Karoline.Aursland@oslomet.no
  • Florissa Abreu, R&D and External Funding Support, Florissa.Abreu@Oslomet.no
  • Elisabeth Ugreninov, Senior Researcher, Elisabeth.Ugreninov@oslomet.no 

We only process applications sent via our electronic recruitment system and all documents must be uploaded for your application to be processed. The documents must be in English. Translations must be authorised. OsloMet performs document checks in order to give you as a candidate a proper evaluation and ensure fair competition.  

OsloMet has adhered to the principles in the DORA declaration and obliged the institution to follow the recommendations in this declaration. 

   

Deadline for application:       January 31, 2021

Ref.:     20/12121

 

Type of employment Temporary position (shorter than 10 days)
Contract type Full time
First day of employment Expected starting date 1 April 2022
Salary Annual Salary: Approx. EUR 60,000
Number of positions 1
Full-time equivalent 100%
City Oslo
County Oslo
Country Norway
Reference number 20/12121
Published 22.Dec.2020
Last application date 05.Feb.2021 11:59 PM CET

Return to job vacancies