Postdoctoral research fellowship on popular religion and environmental change in the Mekong delta

Job description

A Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (SKO 1352) is available at the Department of Culture, Religion, Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (IKOS), University of Oslo.

The postdoctoral position is available as part of the ERC Consolidator Grant (CoG) “Maritime Goddesses: Transnational Connections, Blue Environments, and Ritual Care in East- and Southeast Asia” (MARGO). This ERC project studies some of the most popular deities in the world and the ways in which people relate to them: Guanyin, Mazu, Benzaiten, and several other goddesses to whom people pray for protection and support. These goddesses are often associated with bodies of water (seas, oceans, rivers, and deltas). They can move, change shape, and transcend political and ontological boundaries.

This postdoctoral research fellow will, as part of the MARGO project, explore how different deities and ritual traditions have been incorporated and adapted to local cultural, political, and environmental circumstances in one of the most ethnically, religiously, and ecologically diverse regions in Asia: the Mekong Delta in southern Vietnam. Popular deities here include Guanyin, Mazu, and many other originally Chinese, Cham, and Khmer goddesses. As the Mekong Delta is experiencing dramatic social, economic, ecological, and infrastructural transformations, it is also one of the places where ritual responses to anthropogenic environmental change are at their most visible today. This postdoctoral research fellow will investigate the ritual responses to these uncertainties through in-depth ethnographic research.

Expected research output over a 3-years period is 3-4 peer-reviewed journal articles or book chapters, alternatively a monograph and a book chapter.

Applicants are required to upload/attach a research proposal (hf.uio.no) stating research questions and theoretical and methodological approaches as well as a feasible progress plan for their individual research project on maritime deities in the Mekong delta. See How to apply below.

More about the position

The position is available for a period of 3 years. There is a 10 % component of the position which is devoted to teaching and administrative duties.

The successful candidate is expected to become part of and contribute to develop the research environment of the ERC project and the department. The purpose of a postdoctoral position is for the employee to develop a research profile and competence that qualifies them to apply for an Associate Professor position. The position may also provide other competencies relevant to the postdoctoral fellow's future career.

A career plan shall be developed for the Postdoctoral Fellow, specifying the competencies the Postdoctoral Fellow should acquire. UiO is responsible for following up on the career plan and ensuring that the Postdoctoral Fellow has access to career guidance throughout the postdoctoral term.

Qualification requirements

• PhD or equivalent academic qualifications with a specialization in disciplines relevant for the project, such as Asian area studies, anthropology, study of religion in Asia etc. 
• The candidate's research project must be closely connected to the overarching ERC CoG project.
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English
• Language skills necessary for conducting ethnographic fieldwork in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. Fluency in Vietnamese is required.
• Experience with ethnographic fieldwork in Asia
• Experience in collaborating with Vietnamese academic institutions and applying for local research permits
• Personal suitability and motivation for the position

The doctoral dissertation must be submitted for final evaluation by the application deadline. Appointment is dependent on the public defense of the doctoral thesis being approved. 

In the evaluation of the applications, emphasis will be placed on:

• The research project’s scientific merit, including the applicant’s academic and personal ability to carry out the project
• Previous experience with academic publication
• The project’s relevance to the overarching ERC CoG project
• Collaborative skills

In the evaluation of the qualified candidates the full range of these criteria will be explicitly addressed and assessed. Academic quality, development, potential and breadth will be prioritised in this order.

We need different perspectives in our work 

UiO is an open and internationally oriented comprehensive university that strives to be an inclusive and diverse workplace and academic environment. You can read more about UiO’s work on equality, inclusion, and diversity at uio.no.

We fulfill our mission most effectively when we draw upon our variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives. We are looking for great colleagues—could you be the next one?

We will do our best to accommodate your needs. Relevant adjustments may include modifications to working hours, task adaptations, digital, technical, or physical adjustments, or other practical measures.

If you have an immigrant background, a disability, or CV gaps, we encourage you to indicate this in the job application portal. We always invite at least one qualified candidate from each group for an interview. In this context, disability is defined as an applicant who identifies as having a disability that requires workplace or employment-related accommodations. For more details about the requirements, please refer to the Employer portal (Norwegian).

The selections made in the job application portal are used for anonymized statistics that all state employers include in their annual reports.

More information about gender equality initiatives at UiO can be found here.

We hope you will apply for the position with us. 

We offer

• Salary in position as Postdoctoral Research Fellow, position code 1352 in salary range NOK from 595 000 – 677 000 , depending on competence and experience. From the salary, 2 percent is deducted in statutory contributions to the State Pension Fund.
• A professionally stimulating working environment
• Membership in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (spk.no), which is one of Norway's best pension schemes with beneficial mortgages and good insurance schemes.
• Attractive welfare benefits (uio.no)

How to apply

The application must include:
 

• Application letter describing your qualifications and motivation for the position
• Curriculum Vitae with a list of education, positions, teaching experience, administrative experience and other qualifying activities
• Project proposal, including a detailed progress plan for the project (3 - 5 pages, maximum 14.000 characters. See Template for project proposal (hf.uio.no)
• List of publications
• Copies of diplomas and educational certificates (PhD / MA / BA)

Do not submit other certificates, articles, and the like unless specifically requested. If further documentation is wanted for assessment, you will be asked to submit it later.

Please note that all documents must be in English or a Scandinavian language.

Application with attachments must be submitted via our recruitment system Jobbnorge. 

Short-listed candidates will be invited for an interview.

General information

The best qualified candidates will invited for interviews. 

Applicant lists can be published in accordance with Norwegian Freedom of Information Act § 25. When you apply for a position with us, your name will appear on the public applicant list. It is possible to request to be excluded from this list. You must justify why you want an exemption from publication and we will then decide whether we can grant your request. If we cannot, you will hear from us.

Please refer to Regulations for the Act on universities and colleges chapter 3 (Norwegian) and Guidelines concerning appointment to post doctoral and research posts at UiO.

The University of Oslo has a transfer agreement with all employees that is intended to secure the rights to all research results etc.