[Job Vacancy] Doctoral Research Fellowship in French Literature and Area Studies

Job Opportunities

Job description

A Doctoral Research Fellowship (SKO 1017) in French Literature and Area Studies is available at the Department of Literature, Area Studies and European Languages, University of Oslo.

Applicants are invited to submit a project for a doctoral dissertation in French and/or francophone literature/area studies, with a special focus either on postmemory or on translation of memory narratives from the twentieth century and/or the twenty-first century. Topics of interest may include, but are not limited to, the following: depictions – in French and/or francophone literature – of the First World War, the Spanish Civil War, the Second World War (especially the Holocaust), the decolonization period (especially the Algerian War) and/or the Rwandan genocide. The PhD fellow may choose to focus on the work of one particular author, or study several memory narratives written by different authors.

The fellow will be part of a research initiative in cultural memory studies under development at the department, with plans for major project applications and strong ties to international interdisciplinary research groups within translation studies and memory studies. The researchers in this initiative explore ethical challenges and narrative techniques related to, and prompted by, indirect mediation of cultural memory, especially memory narratives concerning conflict situations in the twentieth century. They also study the reception of such memory narratives.

Depending on the theme and approach of their project, the appointed person will also be encouraged to join one or several relevant research groups at the department (see www.hf.uio.no/ilos/english/research/groups/), as well as the thematic research area “Traveling Texts: Translation and Transnational Reception”. The doctoral fellow will be provided with a main supervisor, Associate Professor Geir Uvsløkk.

Proposals for the position should demonstrate good knowledge of the field of cultural memory studies in general, as well as familiarity with either postmemory studies or translation studies. The PhD fellow will work on his or her individual project, but will also be invited to take part in workshops, seminars and conferences organized by the main supervisor.

Expected start date: 1 September 2021

More about the position

The person appointed will be affiliated with the Faculty’s organized research training. The academic work is to result in a doctoral thesis that will be defended at the Faculty with a view to obtaining the degree of PhD. The successful candidate is expected to join the existing research milieu or network and contribute to its development. Read more about the doctoral degree.

The appointment is for a duration of 3 years. All PhD candidates who submit their doctoral dissertation for assessment with a written recommendation from their supervisor within 3 years or 3 ½ years after the start of their PhD position, will be offered, respectively, a 12 or 6 month Completion Grant.

Qualification requirements

  • A Master’s degree or equivalent in French Literature or Area Studies or in Literary Translation (French). The Master’s degree must have been obtained and the final evaluation must be available by the application deadline.
  • Fluent oral and written communication skills in English and French.
  • Personal suitability and motivation for the position.

To be eligible for admission to the doctoral programmes at the University of Oslo, applicants must, as a minimum, have completed a five-year graduation course (Master’s degree or equivalent), including a Master’s thesis of at least 30 ECTS. In special cases, the Faculty may grant admission on the basis of a one-year Master course following an assessment of the study programme’s scope and quality.

Further qualifications

In assessing the applications, special emphasis will be placed on:

  • The project’s scientific merit, research-related relevance and innovation
  • The applicant’s estimated academic and personal ability to complete the project within the time frame
  • The applicant’s ability to complete research training
  • Good collaboration skills and an ability to join interdisciplinary academic communities

Applicants who have recently graduated with excellent results may be given preference.

We offer

How to apply

The application must include:

  • Application letter describing the applicant’s qualifications and motivation for the position
  • Curriculum Vitae (with a list of education, positions, teaching experience, administrative experience and other qualifying activities, including a complete list of publications)
  • Transcript of records of your Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. Applicants with education from a foreign university must attach an explanation of their university’s grading system
  • Project description, including a detailed progress plan for the project (3 – 5 pages, see Template for project descriptions)

Please note that all documents must be in English or a Scandinavian language.

Educational certificates, master theses and the like are not to be submitted with the application, but applicants may be asked to submit such information or works later.

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system, please follow the link “apply for this job”.

Short-listed candidates will be invited for an interview.

For more details, please visit: https://www.jobbnorge.no/en/available-jobs/job/195515/doctoral-research-fellowship-in-french-literature-and-area-studies?fbclid=IwAR2zyFKhev87ZO_nZB5UCfO2ZdcwaIrgXCluiE3gCTmbSMhBF47Zhn342h8