The department has internationally oriented archaeologists, the only conservation program in Norway and the biggest group of historians in Scandinavia. The department has close to 100 employees, including non-permanent research fellows. The study programs span archaeology from the Stone Age to the Middle Ages, object and paintings conservation, and history from Antiquity to the present age.
A Doctoral Research Fellowship (SKO 1017) in heritage conservation is available at the Department of Archaeology, Conservation and History, University of Oslo (UiO).
The position is part of the project POLYCHROME ‒ The Survival of Damaged Medieval Polychromed Heritage in the Nordics, which is funded by the European Research Council (Grant Agreement number 101125383). More information of the project can be found here.
The appointed candidate will work within the overarching goals of the POLYCHROME project. The project investigates evolving attitudes to devotional images that have been selectively mutilated since the Reformations, and the influence of restorers on how this heritage is interpreted today.
Candidates should propose a research project that investigates, in one form or another, histories of restoration of medieval panel paintings and polychrome sculptures from Scandinavian churches.
Preference will be given to independent projects devoted to one or more of these possible themes:
Any of these topics might include observations of similarities and differences between sources and attitudes in Denmark, Sweden and Norway.
Applicants are required to submit a project proposal (hf.uio.no), which sets out research questions, theoretical foundations, methodological approaches and a detailed progress plan. The project proposal should be 3 to 5 pages (maximum 14,000 characters). See Template for project proposal (hf.uio.no).
Proposals will be evaluated based on their relevance to POLYCHROME, feasibility and application of theoretical and practical knowledge to better understand evolving attitudes to devotional images that have been selectively mutilated since the Reformations, and the influence of restorers on how this heritage is interpreted today. Short-listed candidates will be invited to interview. Candidates with relevant experience with medieval polychromed objects and paintings will be prioritised. The candidate is expected to start no later than 1 September 2026.
The successful candidate will join a multi-disciplinary network, whose interconnected research will contribute to the candidate’s development. The candidate will be affiliated with organised research training at the Faculty of Humanities.
The academic work is to result in a doctoral dissertation that will be defended at the faculty with a view to obtaining the degree of PhD. Read more about the Doctoral degree: PhD in the Humanities (hf.uio.no).
The appointment is for a duration of 3 years. PhD candidates who, with a written recommendation from their supervisor, submit their doctoral dissertation for assessment within 3 years after the start of their PhD position will be offered a 12-month Completion Grant (hf.uio.no). Those who submit their doctoral dissertation for assessment within 3 ½ years will be offer a 6-month completion grant.
To be eligible for admission to the doctoral programmes at the University of Oslo, applicants must have completed a five-year course (BA and MA or equivalent), including an MA thesis of at least 30 ECTS. In special cases, the Faculty of Humanities may grant admission on the basis of a one-year Master course following an assessment of the study programme’s scope and quality. Applicants who have recently graduated with excellent results may be given preference.
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.
SLETT HVIS UAKTUELT: Ved stilling med 40% og lavere andel underrepresentert kjønn: We especially encourage women/men/underrepresented genders to apply.
If you have an immigrant background, a disability, or CV gaps (Norwegian), 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.
The application, written in English, must be submitted via the recruitment system, Jobbnorge, with the following documents and attachments:
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), Guidelines concerning appointment to post doctoral and research posts at UiO and Regulations for the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) at the University of Oslo.
The University of Oslo has a transfer agreement with all employees that is intended to secure the rights to all research results etc.
Read more on stilling.forskning.no
