Oslo Metropolitan University is Norway's third largest university with 23,000 students and over 2,600 employees. We have campuses in central Oslo and at Romerike. OsloMet educates students and conducts research that contributes to the sustainability of the Norwegian welfare state and the metropolitan region.
The Faculty of Technology, Art and Design (TKD) offers higher education and research and development (R&D) activities within technical subjects, arts and design. The Faculty has approximately 4.000 students and 400 staff members and is situated at Pilestredet Campus in downtown Oslo and at Kjeller Campus in Viken.
The Department of Art, Design and Drama (EST) is developing rapidly and is facing exciting changes in the next few years. The department has approximately 900 students and 58 employees. We offer study programmes at bachelor's and master's level in design, arts and crafts, drama and theatre communication, art dissemination, and fashion and production. In addition, we have a new PhD program: Innovation for sustainability, and number of further education programmes and practical pedagogical programmes in design, arts and crafts and drama and theatre communication. Most of the study programmes have an element of outreach practical training as an integral part. The department has four research groups and a high level of activity in external activities. This is affiliated with the department's unit for lifelong learning
The Department of Art, Design and Drama has a vacant temporary position as a PhD Fellow in Art, Design and Drama affiliated with the project "Enlivening Urban Sites Through Multispecies Community Building: Creative Participatory Action Research in Liminal Oslo Sites”. The fellow is invited to work creatively with local communities on selected neglected or polluted sites in Oslo, aiming for multispecies community where humans and other species can thrive together. Developing a new methodology for urban community-driven transformation, the PhD project will use creative tools to establish place-based relationalities across species.
Your main duties and areas of responsibility
This project aims to transform neglected sites into urban nature benefiting human and nonhuman residents alike. The selected PhD fellow will work to stimulate lively and biodiverse environments, contribute to methodological development in a researcher community, and develop social community in the selected sites to counteract inequalities in urban demographics. The candidate will use creative participatory action research, a flexible set of arts-based participatory methods for desirable transformation through community-driven initiatives. In this project the method will be geared toward placemaking as relational activity in a living environment where the wellbeing of other species is actively considered. The PhD fellow is encouraged to consider below-ground aspects of the site and to integrate soil species into their work with the local communities, in recognition that both toxicity and biodiversity is highest below the surface. Departing from initial creative communal site exploration, generation of stories and visions of desirable change, relevant activities and outcomes might include food waste composting, urban gardening, playground or park development, speculative fictions, performances, installations or exhibitions. Activities and outcomes will be developed by the PhD fellow in collaboration with community participants. The fellow will also produce a written dissertation, either as a series of articles or a monograph. The fellow is invited to work within a hub for environmentally oriented action research involving thesis projects from the EST Master’s program in Art, Design and Drama. The project thus builds researcher community from junior levels upwards, requiring and developing collaboration skills in the PhD fellow. The position is advertised as a 3-year position with 100% research, or a 4-year position with 75% research and 25% other career-advancing work. The goal must be to complete the PhD program/degree within the decided time frame. The decision on a 3- or 4-year position will be discussed as part of the interviews in the hiring process.As a PhD Fellow at OsloMet, you have the opportunity to apply for funding for extended research stays abroad.
Qualification requirements
- Master's degree within art, drama, design or related humanities disciplines, or an interdisciplinary master’s degree in which artistic strategies, methods and practices are put to work in disciplinary contexts outside the art field (i.e. the environmental humanities, media studies, anthropology, STS, cultural geography). The degree must normally include 120 credits (ECTS). If the master’s degree includes fewer than 120 ECTS credits, the applicant must, by the application deadline, submit documentation confirming that the master’s degree qualifies for admission to doctoral studies in the country where it was awarded. All exams for the master's degree must be completed by 30 June 2026.
- An academic profile aligned with the needs of the research group and the department
- For appointment to the position, the following grade requirements normally apply:
- Minimum average grade B on subjects included in the master's degree.
- Minimum grade B on the master's thesis.
- Exceptions to the grade requirements are provided on the doctoral programme’s website (link).
- Written and oral proficiency in English (Language requirements for employees at OsloMet)
Admission to the PhD programme Innovation for Sustainability at the Faculty of Technology, Art and Design is a prerequisite for employment in the position. An application for admission to the PhD programme must be submitted within three months of the start date.General criteria for appointment to teaching and research positions are set out in the Regulations relating to the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges.
It will be an advantage if you
- Have a preexisting practice or background related to sustainability issues
- Have experience with participatory and qualitative and/or artistic research methods
- Can document theoretical understanding and academic writing skills, e.g. through your attached master’s thesis, relevant exam paper or published text
- Are comfortable with the prospect of methodological development and collaborative work with MA students, senior researchers and local communities
Personal qualities
- Strong ability to follow through on tasks and projects
- Motivation for the academic and research field
- Good communication and collaboration skills
- Strong analytical skills
- Ability to think innovatively and contribute to development
Emphasis will be placed on personal suitability. It is important to OsloMet to reflect the population of our region, and all qualified candidates are welcome to apply. We make active endeavors to further develop OsloMet as an inclusive workplace and to make adaptations to the workplace where required. You are also welcome to apply for a position with us if you have had periods where you have not been in employment, education or training.
We offer
- Engaging work assignments within Norway's third largest university
- Participation in research groups and a creative and inspiring academic community
- Opportunities for academic development
- Good welfare schemes and a wide range of sports and cultural offers
- Loan and pension arrangements with the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
- A workplace in the center of Oslo
The salary for the position is in accordance with the Basic Collective Agreement for state employees and OsloMets pay policy for PhD Candidate in code 1017, corresponding to 550 800 NOK per year. From the salary, 2% will be deducted in pension contributions for the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (SPK).
Application Process
If you wish to apply for the position, you must do so through our recruitment system.Please upload the following documents together by the application deadline:
- Application letter describing your motivation for the position
- CV, reference letters, and all pages of certificates/diplomas. Foreign education should be pre-approved, and a letter of approval must be attached. Information is available via the following link: Recognition of foreign education - to work in Norway | HK-dir
- If you have not completed your master’s degree at the time of application, you must upload a provisional transcript in English or a Scandinavian language from your university by the application deadline. It is desirable that you also include an overview of the courses/exams you plan to complete during spring 2026. Relevant candidates must submit an official confirmation from the educational institution by 30 June 2026 stating that all examinations for the master’s degree have been completed, including the master’s thesis. The official diploma and transcript must be submitted before taking up the position, no later than 1 October 2026. If your educational institution does not issue the official diploma by this deadline, you must submit documentation from the institution confirming that the master’s degree has been awarded by the same deadline.
- Master’s thesis
- Scientific works or a link to the full article, if relevant
- A list of publications and presentations at international seminars/conferences, if relevant
- Preferably two references with contact information
We only consider applications submitted through our electronic recruitment system, and all documents must be uploaded for your application to be considered. The documents must be in a Scandinavian language or English. Translations must be authorized, and you will be asked to present originals if you are invited for an interview. OsloMet verifies documents to give candidates a proper evaluation and ensure fair competition. Incomplete applications will not be considered.For relevant positions, OsloMet conducts background checks of applicants in cooperation with an external provider, in order to verify information contained in available documents. Background checks are always carried out with the candidate’s consent, and employment in these positions is conditional upon an approved background check. Relevant applicants will receive further information about this.
Other information
If you would like more information about the position, feel free to contact:
- Head of department Liv Klakegg Dahlin livkd@oslomet.no, +47 99717199
- Professor Nora Sørensen Vaage (supervisor) nora.vaage@oslomet.no, +47 91805143
- For administrative inquiries, please contact email: hrtkd@oslomet.no
Deadline for application: 20.05.2026Ref: 26/05905
OsloMet holds the EU certification HR Center of Excellence for Charter & Code supporting researchers in career development, mobility and employee rights.
OsloMet has signed The Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA). DORA recognizes the need to improve the ways in which the outputs of scholarly research are evaluated.
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. Candidates who are seen to be in conflict with the criteria in the latter law will not be considered for the position.
