Postdoc position at the Department of Political Science - Befattningen är under tillsättning eller redan tillsatt, och det är inte längre möjligt att lämna in en ansökan

The Department of Political Science offers a postdoc position. The position is a full-time employment for two years, placed at the Department of Political Science at Umeå University. Starting date October 1 2021 or by agreement. 
 
The employment 
 
The position is a full-time employment on a fixed term of two years and includes own research with at least 80% of full-time. Teaching at the undergraduate and advanced level can amount to a maximum of 20% of full-time. You will be placed at the Department of Political Science in Umeå and are expected to contribute to the research environment at the department and within the profile area your research focuses on. 
 
Our subjects concern many of the most crucial issues of human life: war, peace, politics, power, democracy, equality, gender equality, leadership, freedom and justice, why it is important for us to actively participate in public dialogue and contribute to research based knowledge in debates and political decision-making. The research is preferably, but not exclusively, focused on five profile areas. As a postdoc you will conduct your research with a focus on one of the five profile areas presented below: 
 

• Representative Democracy – institutions and political parties in Sweden, Europe and the EU Read more about the profile area here
• Peace and Conflict Studies  Read more about the profile area here
• Municipalities, Regions and Public Sector Activities  Read more about the profile area here
• Environment and natural resource politics Read more about the profile area here
• Educational leadership Read more about the profile area here

The research and the stated profile area you plan to conduct your research within must be described in a research plan (see below under Application). For more information about the research at the department, see here and for teaching assignments, see here.
 

Eligibility 
 
Eligible to be employed as a postdoctoral researcher is a person who, at the end of the application day at the latest, has completed a doctoral degree or a foreign degree considered comparable to a doctoral degree. 
 
For this position, applicants must have a doctoral degree in political science or equivalent scientific competence that is considered relevant in relation to the research conducted in the profile area within which the applicant wishes to contribute. For the profile area Peace and Conflict Studies, applicants must have a doctoral degree in political science with a focus on peace and conflict studies or in the subject peace and conflict studies or equivalent. For the profile area Educational leadership, applicants must have a doctoral degree in the subject political science, pedagogy, pedagogical work, sociology or equivalent scientific competence. Those who have a foreign degree that is considered comparable to the above subjects/subject areas can also be considered eligible. 
 
Priority will be given to candidates who have completed their doctoral degree no more than three years before the end of the application closing date. A candidate who has completed their degree prior to this may be considered for the position if special circumstances exist. Special reasons refer to leave due to illness, parental leave, clinical service, positions of trust within trade unions or other similar circumstances. 
 
A requirement is proficiency in spoken and written English, good knowledge in written and spoken Swedish is a merit. 
 
Assessment criteria 
 
The most important assessment basis is the researchers’ scientific skills and the research described in the research plan. The contribution to the selected profile area is also seen as an important assessment criteria. 
 
Ability to conduct independent research and to participate in national and/or international research collaborations are also important qualifications. 
 
Teaching can be included as part of the employment and documented experience of teaching, on undergraduate and advanced levels, as well as completed pedagogical education are therefore a merit. However, because conducting independent research is the main responsibility of a postdoctoral researcher, research qualifications outweigh pedagogical and educational competence in the assessment of the applicants' qualifications. 
 
Other assessment criteria include good collaborative skills, as well as competence and suitability in general that is needed to fulfill the tasks well. 
 
Application 
 
The application must contain:

• A cover letter, summarizing your qualifications, your scientific interests and your motives for applying for the job (maximum two pages)
• CV / curriculum vitae
• A critical reflection on your own previously conducted research (max 1000 words)
• Maximum 3 scientific publications
• Certified copies of grades and diplomas
• Research plan (maximum 2500 words including references) that describes the research you plan to conduct within the framework of the employment
• Any other merits of relevance for the position (optional)  

 
Apply via our recruitment system Varbi. The deadline for applying is August 8 2021.  
 
Further information is provided by head of department Magnus Blomgren at magnus.blomgren@umu.se or Malin Eklund Wimelius, malin.wimelius@umu.se.  
 
About the Department of Political Science 
The Department of Political Science at Umeå University has about 70 employees. The department conducts undergraduate education and research in political science and peace and conflict studies. For more information, see https://www.umu.se/en/department-of-political-science/
 
We look forward to receiving your application!