Last Date: 13th February 2024.
Job description
The University of Stavanger invites applicants for two PhD Fellowships in Risk Management and Societal Safety at the Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Safety, Economics, and Planning.
The positions are vacant from 01.08.2024 and the starting date is no later than 01.11.2024.
These are a trainee position that will give promising researchers an opportunity for academic development through a PhD education leading to a doctoral degree.
The hired candidates will be admitted to the PhD program in Science and Technology. The education includes relevant courses amounting to about six months of study, a dissertation based on independent research, participation in national and international research environments, relevant academic communication, a trial lecture and public defence. Read more about the PhD education at UiS on our website.
The appointment is for three years with research duties exclusively.
One of the positions is funded by The Research Council of Norway.
Research topic
Those hired will be associated with the research project “New geopolitics and the interaction between safety and security in petroleum risk governance (INTERSECT).” The project is financed by the Research Council of Norway, and led by NTNU Samfunnsforskning AS. The University of Stavanger and SINTEF Digital are research partners in the project. Three companies from the petroleum industry (Gassco, Vår Energi and Equinor) are business partners in the project. The aim of the project is to develop new and applied knowledge about risk governance of petroleum infrastructure in a time where vulnerability in the infrastructure may have significant consequences for energy security, and where considerable effort is directed towards securing this infrastructure.
The outset of the project is the dramatic change in the geopolitical situation in Europe caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which induced immediate concern for the security of European energy infrastructure. After the sabotage against the Nord Stream pipelines and observations of unidentifiable drones nearby Norwegian oil and gas installations at sea, it has become a goal to increase the security of the Norwegian petroleum infrastructure. Hence several international, state actors and business actors must work together to coordinate efforts to secure critical petroleum infrastructure.
Coordination and cooperation between widely different actors around common problems often proves to be challenging, due to actors’ different mandates, focus areas and professional cultures. INTERSECT explores how the institutional environment around the petroleum infrastructure cooperates, and may cooperate, on safety. INTERSECT analyses challenges and opportunities for security management between several levels of analysis: international level, national/state level, and sector and industry level. Hence the project will study the interaction and cooperation between actors at various levels, including NATO, the EU, Norwegian state institutions, supervisory authorities, and petroleum companies. The focus will be on identifying and overcoming cooperation barriers around security issues, and barriers that arise at the intersection between the disciplines of safety and security. Furthermore, INTERSECT explores the security work at the individual level, for example in companies in the industry. For the companies in the industry, the new geopolitical circumstances are significant in that they force safety-oriented companies to pay more attention to security, and new types of risk images.
The PhD candidates will be associated with the research group in social safety and security at UiS.
The candidates will also participate in the INTERSECT’s research group. It is assumed that appointed fellows will participate in the research group’s seminars, meetings, and other activities. Such participation will ensure the scholars’ professional inclusion in the project. The thesis’ must also be relevant to the project and will be included as deliverables on the project. The project is led by NTNU Samfunnsforskning AS, located in Trondheim.
The focus of the doctoral projects will be comprehensive safety and risk management at the intersection between organizations and disciplines (safety and security), and between international and public policy and business. Possible subject areas can be, but are not limited to:
- What consequences does the implementation of the Safety Act on the Norwegian Continental Shelf have for the regulatory regime in the petroleum sector?
- How problems linked to the risk picture around the petroleum infrastructure challenge the coordination, cooperation, and role – as well as the distribution of responsibilities between the petroleum sector and public authorities (both national and international).
- Assessments of the strengths and weaknesses of various risk management models (risk governance designs) around the petroleum infrastructure.
- Safety culture and intra-organisational communication, cooperation, and interaction between those responsible for safety and security (physical and cyber)
As part of the Phd project, the fellows will carry out data collection in a Norwegian and international context. This involves among other things conducting interviews as well as systematizing and analysing documents written in Norwegian and English.
Project proposal
As an applicant, you must prepare a preliminary project proposal for a doctoral project within the subject area, which explains the problem, relevance, theoretical and methodological approach. Your preliminary project proposal will be included in the application assessment.
During the first three months of the employment period, the project proposal and progress plan will be further developed in cooperation with your supervisors.
The proposal should be 2-5 pages.
Qualification requirements
We are looking for applicants with a strong academic background who have completed a five-year Master’s degree (3+2) within Social Sciences (Political science, Sociology, European studies, etc.), Law, and/or Risk, Safety and Security Sciences, preferably acquired recently; or possess corresponding qualifications that could provide a basis for successfully completing a doctorate.
To be eligible for admission to the doctoral programmes at the University of Stavanger both the grade for your master’s thesis and the weighted average grade of your master’s degree must individually be equivalent to or better than a B grade. If you finish your education (masters degree) in the spring of 2024 you are also welcome to apply.
Applicants with an education from an institution with a different grade scale than A-F, and/or with other types of credits than sp/ECTS, must attach a confirmed conversion scale that shows how the grades can be compared with the Norwegian A-F scale and a Diploma Supplement or similar that explains the scope of the subjects that are included in the education. You can use these conversion scales to calculate your points for admission.
Applicants must have good oral and written skills in Norwegian or another Scandinavian language, preferably Norwegian.
Emphasis is also placed on your:
- interest in and knowledge of the field and thematic areas of the INTERSECT project
- experience with social science data collection and analysis
- motivation and potential for research within the field
- your professional and personal skills for completing the doctoral degree within the timeframe
- ability to work independently and in a team, be innovative and creative
- ability to work structured and handle a heavy workload
- having a good command of both oral and written English
Requirements for competence in English
A good proficiency in English is required for anyone attending the PhD program. International applicants must document this with a valid test certificate from one of the following tests:
- TOEFL – Test of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based Test (IBT). Minimum result: 90
- IELTS – International English Language Testing Service. Minimum result: 6.5
- Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) or Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) from the University of Cambridge
- PTE Academic – Pearson Test of English Academic. Minimum result: 62
The following applicants are exempt from the above requirements:
- Applicants with one year of completed university studies in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom, USA
- Applicants with a completed master’s degrees taught in English in a EU/EEA country
- Applicants who are exempt based on NOKUT’s GSU list
We offer
- a PhD education in a large, exciting and societally important organisation
- an ambitious work community which is developing rapidly. We strive to include employees at all levels in strategic decisions and promote an informal atmosphere with a flat organisational structure.
- inclusion in an exciting research project and a collaborative community of researchers
- salary in accordance with the State Salary Scale, l.pl 17.515, code 1017, NOK 532 200 gross per year with salary development according to seniority in the position. In special cases a higher salary may be considered. From the salary, 2% is deducted as a contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.
- automatic membership in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund, which provides favourable insurance- and retirement benefits
- favourable membership terms at a gym and at the SIS sports club at campus
- employment with an Inclusive Workplace organisation which is committed to reducing sick leave, increasing the proportion of employees with reduced working capacity, and increasing the number of professionally active seniors
- “Hjem-jobb-hjem” discounted public transport to and from work
- as an employee in Norway, you will have access to an optimal health service, as well as good pensions, generous maternity/paternity leave, and a competitive salary. Nursery places are guaranteed and reasonably priced
- relocation programme
- language courses: On this page you can see which language courses you may be entitled to (look up “language courses” under employment conditions)
Diversity
We consider diversity as a resource in our work and learning environment, and we are committed to respecting each other’s differences and backgrounds.
Universal design characterises physical and digital learning environments, and we strive to provide adjustments for employees with disabilities.
You are encouraged to apply regardless of gender, cultural background, disability, or if you have been without employment for a period of time.
If there are qualified applicants with disabilities, gaps in their CV, or immigrant backgrounds, we will invite at least one applicant from each of these groups for an interview. If you fall into any of these categories, feel free to indicate it when applying for the position.
Learn more about the criteria for being considered an applicant in these specific groups here.
The university aims to recruit more women within the subject area. If several applicants are considered to have equal qualifications, female applicants will be given priority.
Contact information
More information on the position and project description for the INTERSECT project can be obtained from Head of Department, Tore Markeset, tel. 51 83 21 91, e-mail: [email protected], or Professor Ole Andreas Engen, tel. 51 83 18 58, e-mail: [email protected]. If necessary, more information about the project itself can be obtained by contacting the project manager for INTERSECT, Susanne Therese Hansen, tel. 99 51 18 38, e-mail: [email protected].
Information about the appointment procedure can be obtained from Senior HR-advisor Margot A. Treen , e-mail: [email protected].
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