Doctoral Research Fellowship (SKO 1017) at the Department of Archaeology, Conservation and History at the University of Oslo.

A Doctoral Research Fellowship (SKO 1017) in the fields of the history of religion, legal history, and/or medieval art history is available at the Department of Archaeology, Conservation and History (IAKH), University of Oslo (UiO).

The University of Oslo is an open and internationally oriented comprehensive university that strives to be an inclusive and diverse workplace and academic environment.

The appointed candidate will work within the overarching goals of the POLYCHROME project.

The project investigates evolving attitudes to devotional images that have been selectively mutilated since the Reformation, and the influence of restorers on how this heritage is interpreted today.

Candidates should propose a research project that examines, in one form or another, historical sources that shed light on changing attitudes to medieval objects after the Reformation in the Scandinavian countries.

Preference will be given to independent projects devoted to one or more of these possible themes:

Pre- and post-Reformation theological positions on the offense of image-breaking.
Idolatry, heresy, and Catholic practices in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Image-worship, image-acceptance, image-rejection, and image-breaking in Scandinavian churches.
How the neglect and crumbling state of medieval churches was approached by private owners, clergy, and congregations.
Continued roles of martyr saints (Olav and Sunniva), despite the proscription of saints as intercessors.
The spectacle of punishment in post-Reformation Scandinavia.
Natural magic and Catholic practices in the post-Reformation period.
The rationality and uses of Black Books (Svartebøker).
Comparisons between documented iconoclastic acts in the Scandinavian countries and those in other locations, or at other historical moments.

Any of these topics might address issues of gender.

Any might also include observations of similarities and differences between sources and attitudes in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway.

**In assessing the project proposal (hf.uio.no), special emphasis will be placed on:**

The applicant’s project and its academic merit.
Relevance to the aims of the POLYCHROME project.
The applicant’s potential to complete the project within the 3-year timeframe.
Potential to complete research training.
Potential to contribute to a multi-disciplinary and international research network.

Qualifications and Requirements.

To be eligible for admission to the doctoral programmes at the University of Oslo, applicants must have completed a five-year course (BA and MA or equivalent), including an MA thesis of at least 30 ECTS.
In special cases, the faculty may grant admission based on a one-year Master’s course following an assessment of the study programme’s scope and quality.
Applicants who have recently graduated with excellent results may be given preference.
Master’s degree or equivalent in History of Religion, Early Modern History, History of Art, or Social Anthropology.
The applicant is required to demonstrate and document how their degree corresponds to the profile of the position.
The MA must have been obtained, and the final evaluation must be available by the application deadline.
Fluent oral and written communication skills in English. See Language requirements.
Ability to work in an international and multi-disciplinary environment.
Personal suitability and motivation for the position.

In addition to the above:

Hands-on experience with the primary sources for the proposed project.
Working knowledge of Latin and German sources (primary and secondary).
Interest in the afterlives of medieval objects in churches.
Documented collaboration skills.
Documented success of working within deadlines.

Benefits.

Salary in position as Doctoral Research Fellow, position code 1017 in salary range NOK from 550 800 to 595 800,
From the salary, 2 percent is deducted in statutory contributions to the State Pension Fund.
Membership in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund, which is one of Norway’s best pension schemes, offers beneficial mortgages and good insurance schemes.
Attractive welfare benefits.
Career development.
Exchange opportunities.
Possibilities to apply for travel funding.

How to apply.

The application, written in English, must be submitted through the recruitment system, Jobbnorge, with the following documents and attachments:

Application letter, describing qualifications and motivations for the position.
Curriculum Vitae, with education, employment history, other qualifying activities, and a complete list of publications.
Diploma(s) and transcript(s) of records, for BA and MA degrees.
Applicants with an education from a Norwegian higher educational institution can retrieve education results from Vitnemålsportalen.no.
Applicants whose results are not available through Vitnemålsportalen, including those from a foreign university, should upload copies of diplomas, transcripts, and grades.
Those from a foreign university must be accompanied by an official explanation of the grading system.
All submitted documents must be translated into English or a Scandinavian language.
Research-project proposal, including research questions, theoretical foundations, methodological approaches, and a detailed progress plan for the project. The proposal should be 3 to 5 pages (maximum 14,000 characters). See Template for project proposal (hf.uio.no).

Note:

The appointed applicant will be asked to document English-language skills before admission to the PhD programme. See English Language requirements (hf.uio.no).

Further documentation might be requested to assess the application. However, do not submit other certificates, articles, master’s theses, and the like unless specifically requested to do so.

The deadline for the applications is 22nd March 2026.

Why Choose the University of Oslo?

The University of Oslo is Norway’s oldest and highest-ranked educational and research institution, with 26 500 students and 7 200 employees.
With its broad range of academic disciplines and internationally recognised research communities, UiO is an important contributor to society.
The Department of Archaeology, conservation and History (IAKH) is comprised of three disciplines that, in different ways, study the past.
The department has internationally oriented archaeologists, the only conservation program in Norway, and the biggest group of historians in Scandinavia.
The department has close to 100 employees, including non-permanent research fellows.
The study programs span archaeology from the Stone Age to the Middle Ages, object and paintings conservation, and history from Antiquity to the present age.

Doctoral Research Fellowship (SKO 1017) at the Department of Archaeology, Conservation and History at the University of Oslo.