Job description
The University of Stavanger invites applicants for a PhD Fellowship in Psychology at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Social Studies. The position is vacant from November 15th 2025.
This is a trainee position that will give promising researchers an opportunity for academic development through a PhD education leading to a doctoral degree.
The appointment is for three years with research duties exclusively.
The hired candidate will be admitted to the PhD program in Social Sciences, Research School in Social Work and Welfare, SWEL.
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.
Research topic
In this position you will be affiliated with a project within the field of infant and child psychology under the supervision of Associate Professor Francesco Margoni (main supervisor) and Associate Professor Lilla Magyari (co-supervisor). You will work at the Stavanger Baby and Child Lab on a research project named ‘Discovering the foundations of politics in human mind’ aiming to explain how children understand the social world around them. In the project we will address the question of how and when children start to show a sensitivity to concepts like individual freedom and social equality, concepts that are fundamental for the adult social and political thinking.
Your main focus will be on infants and children (1.5 to 10 years of age), populations that have been left out of research in political psychology since its inception as a scientific enterprise. You will collect data in the lab (on infants) and outside the lab, by testing older children. What is at stake is the possibility to unveil the origins of adult political thought, explain the development of its key components, and understand where individual differences in political thinking might originate.
You will work on an highly innovative and ambitious project. However, you will also have the opportunity to contribute with your own ideas and research questions. You will gain experience in how to conduct infant and child research. Moreover, you will receive guidance in writing and publishing both empirical papers and review or meta-analysis papers.
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 and completed for the final plan for the PhD-project. A project proposal template can be found here.
The proposal must be a maximum of 3 pages.
Qualification requirements
We are looking for applicants with a strong academic background who have completed a five-year master degree (3+2) within a field relevant to the project (social sciences, broadly defined), preferably acquired recently; or who 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.
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.
Emphasis is also placed on your:
- abiltity and willingness to take initiative and contribute to the work in the lab
- motivation and potential for research within the field
- ability to work structured and execution skills
- communication skills in English
It will be an advantage if you have experience in quantitative methods within psychology, and have previously worked in a lab.
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 an International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma
- 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
- we strive to include employees at all levels in strategic decisions and promote an informal atmosphere with a flat organisational structure.
- access to Lifekeys, a digital service for the preservation of personal mental health and well-being
- 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. 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
Diversity
Diversity is a resource in the working and learning environment at UiS. When we have different backgrounds and experiences, we can approach challenges from multiple perspectives and find better solutions.
At UiS, we are committed to showing respect for each other's differences and accommodating employees with disabilities. We take into consideration your needs and your situation in various life phases.
If you find this position interesting, we encourage you to apply, regardless of gender, disability, cultural background, or whether you have been out of the workforce for a period.
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.
Contact information
More information on the position can be obtained from Associate Professor Francesco Margoni, e-mail: [email protected].
Information about the appointment procedure can be obtained from HR Advisor Christina Storm, tel: 51 83 17 53, e-mail: [email protected].
Application
To apply for this position please follow the link "Apply for this job". Your application letter, relevant education and work experience as well as language skills must be registered here. In your application letter, you must state your research interests and motivation for the position.
The following documents must be uploaded as attachments to your application:
- project proposal, a project proposal template can be found here.
- CV with a full summary of your education and experience
- references, certificates/diplomas and other documentation that you consider relevant
- Diploma Supplement or similar and a confirmed conversion scale if this is required
- documentation on competence in English if this is required
- publications or other relevant research work
Applications are evaluated based on the information available in Jobbnorge at the application deadline. You should ensure that your application shows clearly how your skills and experience meet the criteria which are set out above and that you have attached the necessary documentation.
The documentation must be available in either a Scandinavian language or in English. If the total size of the attachments exceeds 30 MB, they must be compressed before upload.
Please note that information on applicants may be published even if the applicant has requested not to be included in the official list of applicants - see Section 25 of the Freedom of Information Act. If your request is not granted, you will be notified.
UiS only considers applications and attachments registered in Jobbnorge.
General information
The engagement is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants, and the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. If your application is considered to be in conflict with the criteria in the latter legislation, it will be rejected without further assessment.
Employment as PhD Fellow is regulated in "Regulations concerning terms and conditions of employment for the posts of post-doctoral research fellow and research fellow, research assistant and resident".
Your qualifications for the position, based on documentation registered in Jobbnorge, will be assessed by an internal expert committee. Based on the committee's statement, relevant applicants will be invited to an interview before any recommendations are made. References will also be obtained for relevant candidates. More about the hiring process on our website.
The appointee will be based at the University of Stavanger, with the exception of a stay abroad at a relevant centre of research.
It is a prerequisite that you have a residence which enables you to be present at/available to the academic community during ordinary working hours.
The position has been announced in both Norwegian and English. In the case of differences of meaning between the texts, the Norwegian text takes precedence.
