PhD Research Fellowships in Theology, Religion and Society

PhD Research Fellowships

MF Norwegian School of Theology, Religion and Society is advertising 2 PhD fellowship positions in Theology, Religion and Society

About the fellowship positions at MF

MF Norwegian School of Theology, Religion and Society has two vacant positions as PhD Research Fellows, starting on 1 September 2027.

The positions are open to projects within MF's research areas and study programmes in theology, religion and society. Applicants design their own project. In a separate attachment to the application, they must describe how the project is relevant to one or more academic communities and/or research groups at MF. This attachment is mandatory. An overview of MF's research groups is available at https://mf.no/en/research/research-groups.

The positions are fixed-term training positions. Their purpose is for the fellow to complete a doctoral degree (PhD) within the period of employment. The positions are full-time (100%) for three years, from 1 September 2027 to 31 August 2030. Alternatively, the period may be four years (until 31 August 2031), with 25% of the time spent on career-enhancing duties such as teaching, supervision or other tasks at MF. Teaching duties may require Norwegian as the working language.

The place of work is MF Norwegian School of Theology, Religion and Society in Oslo. Employment is conditional on admission to MF's PhD programme: https://mf.no/en/studies/programmes/doctoral-degree-programme. The PhD project must be carried out within this programme, and progress must be satisfactory throughout the period of employment. MF conducts a midway evaluation of all PhD projects.

The person appointed is expected to work in accordance with MF's objectives and profile as a specialized university.

Qualification requrements

To be appointed, you must have:

• A completed master's degree or equivalent in a field relevant to the project, including a master's thesis of at least 30 ECTS credits. The thesis must have been awarded a grade of B or better, or an equivalent grade for degrees obtained abroad.
• Good written and oral skills in a Scandinavian language and/or English.

We also expect you to have the following qualities, which are important for completing a PhD project:

• Motivation, good collaborative skills, creativity and independence.
• The ability to work in a goal-oriented way and to plan and complete a doctoral project within the agreed time frame.

The application must include a project description and the application form, together with a cover letter describing the project's relevance to one or more academic communities and/or research groups at MF. The project description is a draft. The project is expected to be developed further in collaboration with the supervisor after appointment.

In the assessment, emphasis will be placed on:

• the academic quality of the project description, and whether the project can be completed within the time frame
• the project's relevance to academic communities and/or research groups at MF
• the applicant's ability to complete the project, as shown by the application, the master's thesis and the interview

Applicants for the PhD Research Fellow positions will be assessed on the basis of the following documents:

• Regulations for the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) at MF Norwegian School of Theology, Religion and Society
• Regulations for appointments at MF Norwegian School of Theology, Religion and Society
• This job advertisement

A screening committee will carry out an initial review before the best-qualified applicants are assessed by an expert committee. Applications that do not meet the formal requirements set out in this advertisement may be rejected before the expert committee begins its work. Grounds for rejection may include insufficient documentation of qualifications, insufficient or irrelevant education, or an inadequate project description. An appointment committee will interview a selection of the applicants and submit its recommendation to the Rector before the appointment is made.

How to apply

Applicants must use the online application form on the Jobbnorge.no portal. The application must include:

• A short cover letter describing the project's relevance to one or more academic communities and/or research groups at MF
• A project description of 5–10 pages (see the guidelines: https://mf.no/en/studies/programmes/doctoral-degree-programme)
• A preliminary outline of the thesis
• A progress plan for the entire project period
• An overview of the project's operating costs (e.g. fieldwork, special equipment)
• A CV, including a list of publications if applicable, and diplomas and transcripts
• Two or three referees

Applications with attachments must be submitted via www.jobbnorge.no by 7 January 2027. The appointments are expected to be made by June 2027.

Applicants for the PhD Research Fellow positions will be assessed on the basis of the following documents:

• Regulations for the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) at MF Norwegian School of Theology, Religion and Society
• Regulations for appointments at MF Norwegian School of Theology, Religion and Society
• This job advertisement

Applicants do not need to have any previous affiliation with MF or to have been in contact with its academic communities. The application should show how the project fits into MF's research, not that the applicant is already part of it. All applicants are welcome to contact the Administrative Director Doctoral program with questions about the project's relevance.

Terms of employment

The starting salary for PhD Research Fellows is NOK 550,800 per year as of the date of this advertisement, with an annual increase of 3% for up to four years. Each position comes with NOK 20,000 in operating funds per research year, up to a maximum of NOK 60,000.

Being a PhD Research Fellow at MF also means that:

• You become part of an academic section and a group of PhD Research Fellows, which offer you both an academic and a social community.
• You receive academic supervision, take part in joint seminars and have a midway evaluation.
• You have career development conversations and a career plan along the way.
• You have flexible working hours and membership in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (Statens pensjonskasse), and you are covered by insurance schemes.
• You have access to fitness facilities and a company cabin in the mountains.

Read more about how the programme is organised at https://mf.no/en/Research/PhD.