The Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) is initiating a large project entitled Possibilities and realities of return migration (PREMIG). As part of the project we are inviting applications for two three-year doctoral researcher positions at PRIO.

 

The two positions are devoted to studying return migration to Burundi and Iraq, respectively. Each study will draw upon fieldwork among migrants in Norway and the United Kingdom, as well as in Burundi/Iraq. The data collection will be coordinated with three other case studies. Within the scope of the project's research questions, the doctoral candidates will be able to develop their own interests and conduct independent analysis.

The candidate will be selected on the basis of his/her skills and experience, and the quality and relevance of the proposed doctoral research. Applicants must account for their qualifications in the following areas:

 

1. Academic background: Candidates must hold a two-year social-science or area studies Master’s degree and have academic experience with one or more of the following themes: international migration; migrant transnationalism; immigrant integration; post-conflict societies. A high level of general academic competence and theoretical skills is also required.

 

2. Methodological competence: Candidates should be familiar with semi-structured interviewing. Relevant fieldwork experience is an asset, including familiarity with security challenges and precautions such as those that will be required by fieldwork in Burundi and Iraq.

 

3. Language skills: English is the working language at PRIO and fluency in English is required. For the Burundi case study, knowledge of French and/or Kirundi is required. For the Iraqi case study, knowledge of Arabic and/or Kurdish is required. For both positions knowledge of Norwegian is a significant advantage, but not a requirement.

 

4. Professional skills: The doctoral researchers will share responsibility for the success of the overall project and work closely with other members of the project team. Excellent writing skills, strong IT skills, administrative experience and ability to produce results under pres-sure are important assets.

 

5. International mobility: The project requires several months of fieldwork in the United Kingdom and in Burundi/Iraq, and residence in Oslo for the remainder of the project period. Applicants must be able and willing to comply with this.

 

The PREMIG project will be led by senior researcher Jørgen Carling and located within PRIO’s Ethics Norms and Identities programme. The project is funded by the Research Council of Norway under the Welfare, Working Life and Migration (VAM) programme. It will be conducted by PRIO in collaboration with Statistics Norway, the University of Bristol (UK), the School of Oriental and African Studies (UK), and local partners in Afghanistan, Burundi, Iraq, Pakistan and Poland.

 

PRIO will be the doctoral researchers’ workplace and employer. PRIO is an independent, international and interdisciplinary research institute that combines long-term academically oriented research with short-term policy-oriented projects (www.prio.no). The institute encourages academic publishing of research results at the highest international level and has a strong publication record. PRIO is located in attractive premises in central Oslo, with a staff of about 70 people and a friendly, inclusive and professional work environment. The doctoral researchers will be part of the institute's migration team (www.prio.no/migration). These particular fellowships offer an opportunity for close teamwork on a large project which is rare in the social sciences. There will be a five-person project team at PRIO (two doctoral candidates, two researchers and a research coordinator), and close collaboration with our partners in the United Kingdom throughout the project period.

 

The PhD degree must be awarded by a university, and each doctoral researcher will be responsible for applying to, and enrolling in a compatible PhD programme at a Norwegian university. A two-year Master’s degree in the same discipline is generally required for enrolling in such programmes.

 

Candidates with an interdisciplinary Master’s degree should make enquiries about eligibility for enrolling in a relevant programme. To facilitate integration in the overall project, the dissertation should be written as a compilation of journal articles. 

 

PRIO is committed to promoting the careers of female researchers and to foster a more ethnically diverse work force at the institute. PRIO is not required to publicly announce vacancies but uses open, merit-based competitions to find the best possible candidate for each position.

 

The initial salary for a doctoral researcher without relevant seniority is step 47 in the Nor-wegian state salary system (currently NOK 377,500). The starting date for both positions is 1 February 2011.

 

Essential guidelines for applicants are available upon request from Rojan Ezzati (rojezz@prio.no). These include further details about the PREMIG project and the content of the Description of doctoral research. Other questions about the position can be directed to the same address.

 

Applications should include the following: 

 

The application should be sent by e-mail as one or more PDF files, to recruiting@prio.no. The application deadline is Monday 16 August 2010. If you have not received an e-mail confirming that we have received your application within two working days, please contact PRIO immediately.