About the position

The Faculty of Social and Health Sciences at University of Inland Norway (INN) invites applications for a PhD Research Fellowship in the field of welfare, service systems, family caregivers, and disability.

The duration of the PhD Research Fellow is 4 years, including 25 % research, teaching and supervision obligations each year in the bachelor program of social work distributed over the period of employment. Specific contributions to the bachelor program will depend on the candidate’s qualifications and preferences, in alignment with the department’s need for teaching and other student-related tasks. 

It is a requirement that the PhD research fellow qualifies for admission to the University's PhD programme in Health and Social Sciences (HELVEL). The final plan of the doctoral education program must be approved and agreed upon no later than three months after starting in the position. Applicants who already hold a PhD will not be considered.

The academic and research community supporting the doctoral program with supervision and research training comprises multiple professors and associate professors working in the relevant academic fields.
The PhD fellow will belong to the Faculty of Social and Health Sciences, the Department of Social Work and Guidance, and the research group Co-creation in Research and Service Development. The place of work is at campus Lillehammer.

About the project

We are seeking a highly motivated PhD candidate to conduct research on welfare services, with a particular focus on parents of children with disabilities and their interactions/value co-creation with the service system. More specifically, the study will examine how child coordinators affect the parents’ experiences; drivers and barriers for their collaboration; and how the child coordinator role can be improved. The research will be conducted in collaboration with two selected municipalities.

A key component of the project is the active inclusion of parents of children with disabilities as co-researchers who will contribute to the research process with their experiential knowledge. Furthermore, the PhD candidate is expected to attend the research group Co-creation in Research and Service Development and work closely with supervisors in the planning and execution of the project.

This research aims to contribute to the advancement of knowledge in social, health, and care sciences by addressing key issues at the intersection of individuals, families, and broader societal structures. Specific areas of inquiry may include: 1) Parental navigation within the service system, 2) The role of parents and child coordinators as co-creators of private and public value, 3) User participation in interdisciplinary collaboration, and 4) The role of child coordinators in mediating between policy directives and individualized family support. A relevant theoretical foundation may include co-creation, (service) system theories, theories of power, or user participation. 

For more information about the project, please contact Associate Professor Line Jenhaug; line.jenhaug@inn.no

Qualifications

It is a requirement that the PhD research fellow qualifies for admission to the University's PhD programme in Health and Welfare (HELVEL). Applicants who already hold a PhD will not be considered.

We encourage students who are currently pursuing a master's degree and who will submit their master's thesis in the summer of 2025 to apply for the position. The institution must receive the diploma obtained by the end of June 2025.

To be admitted to the doctoral program, the applicant must normally have a minimum master's degree or master's level (120 credits, §3 master's in the Norwegian system) or equivalent education within social sciences, welfare, disability, child welfare, or other relevant subject areas.

Moreover, you must have a strong academic background from your previous studies, ie. the average grade should normally be B or better from the master's program (120 credits) or equivalent education. Calculation of the average grade is based on the credits for each course and for the master's thesis. Applicants with weaker grades than what is normally required for admission must document that they will be able to complete a doctoral degree. In cases where the education has been approved with the use of the grades passed / failed, the applicant is admitted after an individual assessment. If you have education from abroad, you can contact HK-dir for approval of your education, alternatively a similar assessment will be made in connection with the application process.

Experience from social work or social care work is an advantage.

Relevant IT skills are required.

Additonally, emphasis is placed on the following attributes:

• Professional and personal prerequisites for completing the doctoral degree program within the employment period.
• The ability to work independently and demonstrate good collaborative skills.
• The ability to work in a structured manner and having a large work capacity.
• Solid theoretical interest.

Language proficiency:

• Applicants must be proficient in both written and oral English. Applicants from non-English-speaking countries must document English compentence in accordance with the Supplementary provisions for admission to the PhD program at INN. 
• Applicants must have excellent communication skills in a Scandinavian language, both oral and written. 

Evaluation of candidates for the position will be based on a total assessment of educational background, experience and personal suitability, as well as motivation and other eligibility requirements, as defined in the advertisement. In addition, the following will be emphasized: quality of the project description, documented independent research and development work or experience relevant to the project.

The position and associated tasks must be carried out in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations for government employees, including also the Act on Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology, etc. Candidates who, after assessment of the application and attachments, come into conflict with the criteria in the latter act, will not be able to take up the position at University of Inland Norway. Necessary approvals must be maintained throughout the employment relationship.

How to apply

Your application must include:

• Application letter including a brief account of the applicant's research interests and motivation for applying for the position
• Proposed project description of the study (max 5 pages, including references), outlining its academic relevance, methods, challenges and possibilities, and containing a tentative progression plan. The project description must be written in English.
• CV detailing your relevant educational background and experience (registered in Jobbnorge's form).
• Copies of academic diplomas and transcripts (A certified English translation of all educational documents is required unless the documents are in Norwegian.)
• A list of publications.
• The names and contact information for two referees.
• Any other documentation you would like us to consider.

Attachments must be uploaded as separate files. If the attachments exceed 30 MB, they must be compressed prior to upload. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that all attachments are uploaded. Documents submitted after expiry of the deadline will not be considered in the evaluation of your application.

Requirements for Project Outline: The project description should be a maximum of 5 pages, including the reference list. The page format for the project description should be A4 with 2 cm margins, 11-point font (Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman), and single line spacing. For the reference list and any figure captions, a font size of 9 may be used. The project description can be written in english. The scientific quality of the project description is a crucial factor in determining whether applicants will be invited for an interview.

We offer

• An exciting and challenging position at a developing institution
• Position is paid and placed in position code 1017, PhD candidate in the Government Salary Scale
• Membership in the Norwegian Public Service Pension, with among other things, good pension and insurance schemes.

For more information about INN University as an employer, please see here.

General information

For further details about the position, please contact The Head of Department Hanne Glemmestad; hanne.glemmestad@inn.no or Associate Professor Line Jenhaug; line.jenhaug@inn.no

INN believes that there is strength in inclusion and diversity. We desire employees with different competencies, professional combinations, life experiences and perspectives to contribute to an even better way of solving problems. We will facilitate for employees who need assitance to realise their goals. Relevant adaptations can be, for example, technical aids, adapting furniture or adjusting routines, work tasks and working hours.

If there are qualified applicants with disabilities, gaps in the CV or immigrant background, we shall call at least one applicant in each of these categories for an interview. In order to be considered as an applicant in these groups, the applicants must meet certain requirements. You can read more on this here: https://arbeidsgiver.difi.no/positivsaerbehandling.

We encourage applicants to tick in Jobbnorge if they have a disability, a gap in their CV or immigrant background. The ticks in the jobseeker portal form the basis for anonymised statistics that all state-owned enterprises report in their annual reports

Information about applicants may be made public even if the applicant has asked not to be named on the list of persons who have applied. The applicant must be notified if the request to be omitted is not met.