The University of Bergen is a renowned educational and research institution, organised into seven faculties and approximately 54 institutes and academic centres. Campus is located in the centre of Bergen with university areas at Nygårdshøyden, Haukeland, Marineholmen, Møllendalsveien and Årstad.
Through robust and close interaction with the world around us – globally, nationally and locally – we shall be instrumental in building a society based on knowledge, skills and attitudes.
Do you want to take part in shaping the future?
PhD position
There is a vacancy for a PhD position at the Department Geography. The position is for afixed-term period of 4 years, of which 25% will be dedicated to teaching, supervisionand administrative tasks at the Department.
The position is funded under the strategic priority area Global Challenges. The PhD vacancy is allocated to a cross-disciplinary research program jointly undertaken by the Department of Geography (Faculty of Social Sciences), the Department of Biological Sciences (Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences), and Centre for International Health (Faculty of Medicine) at the University of Bergen, Department of Seafood, Nutrition and Environmental State at the Institute of Marine Research, Uganda National Agricultural Research Laboratories and the Department of Zoology, Entomology and Fisheries Sciences, Makerere University.
About the project/work tasks:
About the project ‘Small fish for Small Children: Dietary intake of small fish to reduce child malnutrition in Uganda’
In Africa, one out of three children suffer from hidden hunger and are stunted. Malnutrition accounts for almost half of all child deaths across Africa. This project addresses the nutritionally unique, but under-utilized small fish resources that are micro-nutrient laden, and are capable of combating the triple burden of malnutrition; undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and obesity. Small fish are the most abundant wild animal sourced food, ubiquitous in all African coastal waters, rivers and lakes. Small fish species are ecologically resilient and capable of reproducing their own biomass 5 times per year. However, their role in contributing to food and nutritional security is equivocally understood, and in Uganda strict regulations on harvesting and marketing hinder the full utilisation of small fish for human consumption to improve food security and nutrition. The purpose of this project is to study the dynamic interaction between production, distribution and innovation to investigate the preconditions for better utilization of small fish to improve children’s food security and nutrition in poor rural communities in Uganda.
This PhD project aims at examining the role of small fish in the diets of children among low-income households in northern Uganda. Further, the project will assess the potential and barriers to improving the nutrition of school meals by inclusion of small fish as a strategy to reduce child malnutrition. The PhD-project seeks to contribute knowledge that can be used to upscale the use of small fish products in school meals to combat child malnutrition in Uganda and the larger region.
Overarching research question:
To what extent and in which ways is small fish included in children’s diets in low-income households, and what are the potential and barriers for enriching school diets with small fish products?
Three research objectives each provide the focus for an article constituting the PhD-thesis:
1. To examine how economic, legislative, environmental and socio-cultural factors affect children’s fish access at home and in school, and assess the importance of small fish in their overall diet.
2. To assess the acceptance and consumption of small fish processed into low-cost products (deep fried, smoked, sundried, fermented and milled) among 6-12-year-old school-going children.
3. To examine the available models for distribution and marketing of small fish products to low-income and vulnerable groups for improved nutrition in households and school feeding programmes.
The full project description with more information about thematic focus, study location, methods, supervisory team and project affiliation can be downloaded here.
Qualifications and personal qualities:
The applicant must hold a master's degree or the equivalent in geography or other relevant social sciences, development studies, human nutrition, or global/public health.
The master's degree has to be completed by the application deadline.
The requirements are generally a grade B or better on the Master thesis and for the Master degree in total.
As an applicant you should be able to work independently, in a multicultural environment and with individuals of divergent backgrounds, have a considerable work capacity as well as an enthusiasm for research.
English fluency.
International experience is an advantage.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to the department for an interview. The interview may be conducted online.
About the PhD position:
The duration of the PhD position is 4 years, of which 25 per cent of the time comprises obligatory duties associated with research, teaching and dissemination of results. The teaching language is usually Norwegian, but some of the teaching is given in English.The employment period for the successful candidate may be reduced if he or she previously has been employed in a PhD position.
About the PhD training:As a PhD research fellow, you will take part in the PhD programme at the Faculty of Social Sciences, UiB. As this is a cross-faculty Global Challenges PhD position, the course portfolio can be adjusted to the discipline background of the successful candidate. The programme corresponds to a period of three years and leads to the PhD degree. To be eligible for admission you must have an educational background corresponding to a master’s degree with a scope of 120 ECTS credits, which builds on a bachelor’s degree with a scope of 180 ECTS credits (normally 2 + 3 years), or an integrated master’s degree with a scope of 300 ECTS credits (5 years). Master’s degrees must normally include an independent work of a minimum of 30 ECTS credits. It is expected that the topic of the master’s degree is connected to the academic field to which you are seeking admission.
We can offer:
Salary at pay grade 54 upon appointment (Code 1017) on the government salary scale (equivalent to NOK 479.600 per year). Further promotions are made according to length of service in the position.
A good and professionally challenging working environment.
Enrolment in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.
A cover letter including a brief account of your research interests, the relevance of your educational background for the project, and motivation for applying for the position.
The names and contact information of two reference persons, one of whom must be the main advisor for your master's or equivalent thesis.
Project proposal
Curriculum Vitae
Transcripts and diplomas showing completion of the bachelor's and master's degrees.
Relevant certificates/references.
A list of academic publications, if any.
Academic publications that you want to submit for assessment (include your master’s thesis or equivalent).
If you have a master's degree from an institution outside of the Nordic countries, or a 2-year discipline-based master's degree (or the equivalent) in a subject area other than the one associated with this call, you may later in the application process be asked to submit an overview of the syllabus for the degree you completed.
The application and appendices with certified translations into English or a Scandinavian language must be uploaded at Jobbnorge.
General information:
Closing date: 20th August, 2020.
The application has to be marked: 20/4456
Applications submitted without a project description or applications sent as e-mails will not be considered. Only submitted documents will be subjected to an expert assessment.
Additional information about the position is obtainable by contacting:
Head of department Peter Andersen peter.andersen@uib.no
Practical questions regarding the application procedures should be directed to Senior Officer – HR, Bodil Hægland, bodil.hagland@uib.no
Appointed research fellows will be admitted to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Social Sciences. Questions about the programme may be directed to Adviser-PhD: Hanne.Gravermoen@uib.no.
The state labour force shall reflect the diversity of Norwegian society to the greatest extent possible. People with immigrant backgrounds and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply for the position.
The University of Bergen applies the principle of public access to information when recruiting staff for academic positions.
Information about applicants may be made public even if the applicant has asked not to be named on the list of persons who have applied. The applicant must be notified if the request to be omitted is not met.
The successful applicant must comply with the guidelines that apply to the position at all times.
For further information about the recruitment process, click here.
