Postdoctoral fellow in Sámi or Indigenous research - Befattningen är under tillsättning eller redan tillsatt, och det är inte längre möjligt att lämna in en ansökan

Description of the unit
Várdduo – Centre for Sámi research is a work unit at Umeå University that coordinates and initiates research in and about Sápmi, with a focus on Sámi and other Indigenous cultures, communities, history and languages. It is a meeting place for researchers and PhD students from various disciplines, whose research has points of contact with Sámi or Indigenous issues. Várdduo provides an inspiring research environment and constitutes a valuable platform for creative thought exchanges that enrich research in various ways. As a unique competence center for Sámi research in Sweden, research communication are a central part of the unit. Read more about Várdduo at: https://www.umu.se/en/vardduo-centre-for-sami-research/.

At Várdduo research is currently mainly carried out in areas such as history, land rights and land conflicts, natural resource exploitation, education and health. However, we welcome projects with other research directions.

In connection with developments in Indigenous studies internationally and from research ethical perspectives, many activities at Várdduo are characterized by collaboration with Indigenous communities and importance is placed on sharing research results with Indigenous communities.

Várdduo - Centre for Sámi research is now looking for a postdoctoral fellow to conduct research with Sámi and/or other Indigenous themes. The employment is a full-time fixed-term position for two years starting as soon as possible or according to agreement.

Job tasks
The postdoctoral fellow will conduct independent research with Sáami and/or other Indigenous themes. The research must be connected to the humanities. The outcome of the postdoctoral research will be published in the form of international scientific articles.

In addition to conducting research, the job tasks include contributing to the development of Várdduo's research environment by actively participating in seminars and other research activities as well as participating in unit-related meetings/activities. Other duties within Várdduo may for example consist of education- and research coordination, as well as collaboration with other departments and external stakeholders. Teaching may occur to an extent of maximum 20%. The job tasks may vary slightly over time depending on the needs of the unit.

Qualifications 
In order to be appointed as a postdoctoral fellow, it is required to have completed a doctoral degree, or a foreign degree deemed equivalent to a doctoral degree, within within a field relevant to the planned research project . This qualification requirement must be fulfilled no later than at the time of the employment decision. 

To be appointed under the postdoctoral agreement, priority should be given to candidates who completed their doctoral degree, according to what is stipulated in the paragraph above, no more than three years prior to the application deadline. If there are special reasons, candidates who have completed their doctoral degree prior to that may also be eligible. Special reasons include absence due to illness, parental leave, appointments of trust in trade union organizations, military service, or similar circumstances, as well as clinical practice or other forms of appointment/assignment relevant to the subject area. 

Postdoctoral fellow who are to teach or supervise must have taken relevant courses in teaching and learning in higher education.

A precondition is that the applicant has not previously been employed as a postdoctoral fellow at Umeå University for more than a year within the same or equivalent discipline.

Applicants must be able to demonstrate documented ability for independent research work and skills in writing scholarly articles and reports in Swedish and/or English. Applicants must also have good oral and written communication skills in Swedish and/or English.

Good collaboration skills and the ability to work independently as well as a solution-oriented approach are requirements for the employment.

In the assessment of the applicants, primary importance will be given to the research merits, and secondarily to the quality and feasibility of the research plan.

Additional qualifications
Previous research experiences of relevance to the planned project within Sámi research and/or other Indigenous research together with a conscious approach to research ethical issues within Indigenous research, are considered merits for the employment.

Sámi linguistic and cultural competence is also considered a merit.

Further, previous work with research questions that are rooted in and have a high degree of relevance for the Sámi community and/or other Indigenous communities is considered a merit.

Application
The application must include:

• A cover letter where the applicants include the motivation for applying for the positon and how they can contribute to the developing Sámi research/Indigenous research at Várdduo and Umeå university
• A short summary of previous research experiences (max. 2 pages) where it must be clearly stated how these expoeriences are relevant to the planned project within Sámi research/Indigenous research
• A plan for research during the postdoctoral period (max. 10 pages) in which applicants describe their planned work in the area, including a timetable and a publication plan. The plan must reflect a conscious approach to research ethical issues within Indigenous research
• A Curriculum Vitae with certified copies of diplomas and other relevant documentation
• Publication list
• Contact details for two reference persons

The application must be submitted via e-recruiting system Varbi no later than June 14, 2023.

Further information
The employment is a full-time, fixed term position for two years, starting as soon as possible or according to agreement.

The postdoctoral fellow is expected to actively contribute to developing the local research environment at Várdduo where the position is located. High physical presence in the environment is therefore a requirement.

For more information about the position contact Várdduo’s Director, Christina Storm Mienna (+46 90-786 51 71, christina.storm.mienna@umu.se) and Deputy Director Kristina Sehlin MacNeil (+46 90-786 62 97, kristina.sehlin-macneil@umu.se).

For more information about the unit, visit: https://www.umu.se/en/vardduo-centre-for-sami-research/

We are looking forward to receiving your application!