PhD Research Fellow in Special Needs Education

Are you interested in assessment and development of mathematical skills and difficulties Apply now!

Applicants are invited for a three to four-year full-time position as PhD Research Fellow in SpecialNeeds Education and Inclusive Practice at the Centre for Research on Special Needs Education andInclusive Practice (SpedAims). The successful candidate will have their workplace at Department ofSpecial Needs Education Faculty of Educational Sciences at the University of Oslo.

SpedAims is a collaboration between five Norwegian institutions and is led by the Department ofSpecial Needs Education University of Oslo. The PhD position is connected to work package ABC123 a work package focusing on math and reading difficulties. The main focus of the current position ison math skills and difficulties but also the relationship between math language and reading. Animportant next step in the ABC123 work package is to further develop and validate instruments forassessing math difficulties within a response to intervention framework. These tools are intended tosupport both research and practice by providing valid reliable and practically useful ways to identifychildrens needs and evaluate the effects of special education efforts. The candidate will play animportant role in this. Also pending on the candidates background and interest it can also berelevant to focus on interventions and skill development both through collecting new data sets andusing existing data.

The successful candidate will contribute to this work by developing and validating the assessmenttools collecting and analyzing data contributing to the design of new studies.

Residence in Norway is expected during the fellowship period. PhD fellows are also encouraged tospend time abroad for instance for research stays or conferences.

More information about the research center can be found on the centers website.

The fellowship period is 3 years. A fourth year as a PhD Research Fellow may become relevant and itwill involve 25 percent of other career-promoting work. Other career-promoting work may consist ofteaching supervision and/or research assistance. This will depend on the candidates qualificationsand the needs of the institute.

The research fellow must take part in the facultys approved PhD program and is expected tocomplete the project within the set fellowship period. The main purpose of the fellowship isresearch training leading to the successful completion of a PhD degree.

For more information please see our web site.

Applicants must satisfy the requirements for admission to the facultys PhD programme. This normally includes:

• Applicants must hold a Masters degree or equivalent in Special needs education Education Psychology Assessment and measurement or other relevant fields
• A Masters degree (120 ECTS) with a minimum grade B (ECTS grading scale) or equivalent. The masters degree must include a thesis of at least 30 ECTS with a minimum grade B
• A bachelors degree with a minimum grade C (ECTS grading scale)
• For 5-year studies the average grade must be C or better for the first three years and B or better for the last two years (ECTS grading scale). The Master thesis must have been graded with a minimum grade B
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English and Norwegian (or another Scandinavian language) is a requirement

In the assessment of applications emphasis will be placed on:

• Familiarity with quantitative methodology and mathematical cognition/development

We are looking for a motivated and engaged PhD fellow with strong potential for high-quality research. Personal suitability will be emphasized and assessed based on the following qualities:

• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in an interdisciplinary research team
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Ability to give and receive constructive scientific feedback
• Structured reliable and results-oriented working style
• Good communication and collaboration skills

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 UiOs work on equality inclusion and diversity at .

We fulfill our mission most effectively when we draw upon our variety of experiences backgrounds and perspectives. We are looking for great colleaguescould 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 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.

• Exciting and meaningful research tasks as part of an ambitious project on mathematicallearning difficulties
• The opportunity to research childrens mathematical development contributing to knowledgewith real-world impact for schools and educational practice
• A friendly interdisciplinary and international research environment with dedicated colleaguesat the Department of Special Needs Education
• Enrolment in the facultys structured PhD programme with close supervision and supportthroughout the fellowship period
• A workplace with good development and career opportunities
• Salary NOK 550 800 NOK 594 000 per annum depending on qualifications in a positionas PhD Research fellow (position code 1017). From the salary 2 percent is deducted instatutory contributions to the State Pension Fund
• Attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement in addition to Oslosfamily-friendly environment with its rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities

The application must include:

• Cover letter (1 page) including statement of motivation and research interests
• A project description including progress plan (5-7 pages) and a short summary ofresearch gaps research questions the candidate regards relevant to pursue within thetopic of assessment. As the candidate will carry out research within the ABC123 part of SpedAims the project description is regarded more as documenting the candidatesability to develop research ideas prove that the candidate understands the rationale ofassessment within the response to intervention framework and apply bothmethodological and substantial skills in scientific writing rather than a concrete plan forcarrying out the research that will be carried out. Please see our guidelines
• CV (summarizing education positions and academic work)
• Copies of educational certificates (academic transcripts only). Foreign applicants mustattach an explanation of their universitys grading system
• Documentation of English proficiency (for information on required documentation seeinformation on this webpage)
• Master thesis
• A complete list of publications and academic works
• List of reference persons: 2-3 references (name relation to candidate e-mail and phone
  number)

Incomplete applications will not be assessed.

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system Jobbnorge.

When applying for the position we ask you to retrieve your education results fromVitnemå. If your education results are not available through Vitnemålsportalen we askyou to upload copies of your transcripts or grades. Please note that all documents should be inEnglish (or a Scandinavian language).

When evaluating the application emphasis will be given to the project description and theapplicants academic and personal prerequisites to carry out the project. Applicants may be called infor an interview.

Please see the guidelinesand regulations for appointments to Research Fellowships Regulations for the Act on universities and colleges chapter 3 (Norwegian) and Regulations for the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) at the University of Oslo.

No one can be appointed for more than one PhD Research Fellowship period at the University of Oslo.

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.

The appointment may be shortened/given a more limited scope within the framework of the applicable guidelines on account of any previous employment in academic positions.

The University of Oslo has an agreementfor all employees aiming to secure rights to research results etc.

The University of Oslo is Norways oldest and highest ranked educational and research institution with 27 400 students and 6 900 employees. With its broad range of academic disciplines and internationally recognised research communities UiO is an important contributor to society.

The Department of Special Needs Education is one of the three departments at The Faculty of Educational Sciences.

The department focuses on basic and applied research and education of bachelor- master- and doctoral level candidates within the field of special needs education in Norway.

The department employs over 50 scientific staff in addition to about 20 administrative employees. The department has approximately 800 students distributed between bachelor- and masters degree studies in special needs education as well as PhD-studies.