We have a vacant 2 year research position at the Department of Social Anthropology

We invite you to send us your application for our researcher position at the Department of Social Anthropology, University of Oslo. 

The position will be part of the project “Amber Worlds: A Geological Anthropology for the Anthropocene (AMBER)”, led by Associate Professor Alessandro Rippa and funded by the European Research Council. 

The contract will commence in spring 2026, run for 2 years (see below), and the location of employment is Oslo, Norway.

More about the project

The ERC-funded project "Amber Worlds: A Geological Anthropology for the Anthropocene (AMBER)" considers the multiple and entangled worlds of amber through ethnographic research in different sites of extraction, trade, and science. 

Amber is a fossil resin with growing commercial value and scientific importance. It animates a global market, too: its extraction fuels mining economies from Myanmar to Russia, Ukraine and Mexico, and its consumptions is largely driven by demand in China and the Middle East. Following the multiple facets of this global network of commercial and scientific actors, and paying attention to the very materiality of amber, the AMBER project aims to pay closer ethnographic attention to the geological, to what often continues to be understood as inert, passive, lifeless. Amber is for us an entrypoint to study key Anthropocene dynamics and how humans relate to the Earth more broadly. 

As part of the AMBER project, a group of researchers is currently conducting long-term ethnographic research in China, Burma/Myanmar, Lebanon, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Sicily. We work with miners and traders, paleontologists and artists, as well as with local scholars and researchers. More information about the project and its manyfold activities can be found here. 

More about the position and what we expect

The successful applicant will form part of a larger research environment comprising several researchers. The researcher will carry out 6 months of fieldwork and analyse material collected in, or near, one geographical area of amber extraction, commerce, and/or scientific research. In this location (or locations), amber should offer a lens to investigate broader questions related to 1) processes of circulation and exchange; 2) extractivism and the role of geological knowledge in processes of capitalist accumulation; and 3) scientific knowledge production; hence contributing to the overall aims of the AMBER project.

The successful applicant will independently design and pursue their own research project (a 2-page research idea outline is part of the application, see below). While the position is open to studies of any amber site, preference will be given to a case-study that complements those that the AMBER team is already exploring. Of particular interest would be:

• An ethnographic focus on Baltic amber – particularly with research in Kaliningrad (Russia), where the world’s largest company for the mining and processing of amber is, or Gdansk (Poland), a major centre for amber trade and jewellery-making.
• An ethnographic focus on how amber circulates in the Middle East and the Islamic world more broadly.
• A focus on how amber appears in museums and collections, particularly from a material culture perspective.
• A focus on amber consumption, including as jewellery, souvenirs, folk medicine, art, spiritual and prestige objects.

These represent just a few potential suitable topics; applicants are welcome and encouraged to propose other ideas that speak to the project’s core concepts. 

In general, while it is not expected that the candidate has any previous experience working with amber, familiarity with the proposed fieldsite will be a crucial consideration in the evaluation of applications.

More about the position

• The appointment is a fulltime position and is for the duration of two years.
• During their appointment, the researcher will spend approximately 6 months conducting ethnographic fieldwork in their preferred fieldsite, for which they will receive adequate financial support. They will work closely with the other project researchers and will jointly pursue workshops, publications and other more creative forms of dissemination (the project seeks to develop an online exhibition and children book, among other more creative outputs). Enthusiasm for group work and commitment to shared efforts, including fieldwork and outcomes, are thus preconditions for this post.
• In the course of their appointment, the researcher will be expected to work independently towards two publications (articles in highly ranked disciplinary journals).
   

Qualification criteria 

• Applicants must hold a degree equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree in social anthropology or a closely related discipline. A solid grounding in social anthropology and familiarity with neighbouring disciplines like STS, political ecology, and material culture studies are expected.

• Applicants should have prior research experience that includes ethnographic fieldwork. A focus on extractivism and/or global circulations and scientific knowledge production will be an advantage, as will be research experience in the proposed fieldsite(s).

   

• Doctoral dissertation must be submitted for evaluation by the closing date 15th of December 2025. Appointment is dependent on the public defence of the doctoral thesis being approved.
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English. 

We need different perspectives in our work 

UiO is an open and internationally oriented comprehensive university that strives to be an inclusive and diverse workplace and academic environment. You can read more about UiO’s work on equality, inclusion, and diversity at uio.no.

We fulfill our mission most effectively when we draw upon our variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives. We are looking for great colleagues—could you be the next one?

We will do our best to accommodate your needs. Relevant adjustments may include modifications to working hours, task adaptations, digital, technical, or physical adjustments, or other practical measures.

If you have an immigrant background, a disability, or CV gaps (Norwegian), we encourage you to indicate this in the job application portal. We always invite at least one qualified candidate from each group for an interview. In this context, disability is defined as an applicant who identifies as having a disability that requires workplace or employment-related accommodations. For more details about the requirements, please refer to the Employer portal (Norwegian).

The selections made in the job application portal are used for anonymized statistics that all state employers include in their annual reports.

More information about gender equality initiatives at UiO can be found here.

We hope you will apply for the position with us. 

 Why you should choose us?

What we offer:

• A stimulating and international research environment at the University of Oslo
• A friendly and inclusive workplace allowing for a good work-life balance
• Salary according to researcher (SKO1109), payrate NOK 670 000 – 730 000 per annum depending on qualifications
• Funds for research, travel, conference participation and dissemination, books and equipment
• Access to Norway’s excellent public services and welfare schemes, including generous parental leave provisions and affordable and accessible childcare (including the university`s kindergartens)
• Norway’s capital with its rich cultural life and easy access to beautiful nature
• Practical support for international staff moving to Norway (international staff may also benefit from tax cuts in their first years)

Read more about the benefits of working in the public sector at Employer Portal.

How to apply and what your application must include

The application must include: 

• A cover letter (statement of motivation, background, and research interests, 1-2 pages)
• CV (including a complete list of education with grades, positions, pedagogical and administrative experience, publications and other qualifying activities) 
• Research plan (maximum 2 pages) outlining how the candidate envisages completing the work to be undertaken during the course of the term of appointment.
• One writing sample (a published article or a dissertation chapter, ideally)
• list of reference persons: 2 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and phone number) 
• copies of educational certificates (academic transcripts only)

Application with attachments must be submitted via our recruitment system Jobbnorge, click "Apply for the position" before December 15th, 2025.

When applying for the position, we ask you to retrieve your education results from Vitnemålsportalen.no. If your education results are not available through Vitnemålsportalen, we ask you to upload copies of your transcripts or grades. Please note that all documentation must be in English or a Scandinavian language.

General information

The best qualified candidates will invited for interviews.

Applicant lists can be published in accordance with Norwegian Freedom of Information Act § 25. When you apply for a position with us, your name will appear on the public applicant list. It is possible to request to be excluded from this list. You must justify why you want an exemption from publication and we will then decide whether we can grant your request. If we cannot, you will hear from us.

Please refer to  Rules for the use of research posts SKO 1108, 1109, 1110 and 1183 at UiO.

The University of Oslo has a transfer agreement with all employees that is intended to secure the rights to all research results etc.