PhD research fellowship in education and learning for sustainable food consumption

Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences (INN University) is home to over 14,000 students and 1,000 employees, and has campuses in Lillehammer, Hamar, Elverum, Rena, Evenstad and Blæstad.

INN University aspires to build strong and enduring academic and research environments that will spearhead regionally, nationally and internationally. We are developing a new and better institution with high academic and pedagogical quality, aiming at achieving university accreditation by 2021.

Our vision is "Stronger Together".

The Faculty of Education at Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences (INN) invites applications for a PhD research fellowship in education and learning for sustainable food consumption. The position is available from 1 August 2021for a period of three years.The place of work is Hamar.

This research is within the context of a nationally-funded research project entitled Sustainable eaters: Consumers in a sustainable Norwegian food system.

A work package of this research project is focused on “education, awareness raising and experiential learning for sustainable food consumption in a Norwegian context” and will include a research component on the achievement of learning outcomes and impacts on behaviour through differentiated learning approaches. It is expected that the PhD candidate’s work will contribute directly to this research.

The successful candidate will be admitted to the PhD programme in Teaching and Teacher Education. Doctoral projects must contribute to the PhD programme’s general aims of strengthening the knowledge base for teaching and teacher education and/or the knowledge base for the practice of the teaching profession in early childhood education, schools and other learning contexts, such as schools of music and the performing arts. Teacher education is a central field of study at Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences (INN University). The integrated teacher education programmes - for early childhood education teachers, primary and secondary school teachers, as well as specialist teachers - are the primary focus of the doctoral programme. These teacher education programmes are characterised by strong links between academic fields, didactics, pedagogy and practice as well as interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary dimensions across fields and subject areas. 

Doctoral studies are contingent on active participation in a research community. The projects of doctoral candidates must, therefore, be oriented to one of the subject areas that underpins the PhD programme, and where the PhD programme and faculty have an active research group. Projects will be linked to INN’s Centre for Collaborative Learning for Sustainable Development (CCL) and the work of INN's UNESCO Chair on Education for Sustainable Lifestyles.For a more detailed description of relevant topics in this field, please read the description below under “About the research field and content of the fellowship”.

The academic and research community supporting the doctoral programme with supervision and research training comprises a number of professors and associate professors working in the relevant academic fields. At present there are more than 40 PhD research fellows on the programme. The candidate’s project must be able to be linked to one of the faculty’s active research groups.

Candidates must qualify for admission to the university’s PhD programme in Teaching and Teacher Education (see “Eligibility requirements”) and that the doctoral education is carried out within this programme. Applicants who already hold a PhD will not be considered.

For more information on the doctoral programme, please visit https://eng.inn.no/study-opportunities/catalogue/school-kindergarten-and-pedagogy/phd-in-teaching-and-teacher-education-proff  or contact:

PhD research advisor, Sevika Stensby, tel. +47 62 59 79 25 or email: sevika.stensby@inn.no

Head of PhD Studies, Professor Lise Iversen Kulbrandstad, tel. +47 62 51 72 16 or email: lise.kulbrandstad@inn.no

For questions related to the project and project descriptions, please contact head of the Centre for Collaborative Learning for Sustainable Development (CCL) , Associate Professor Robert Didham, tel. +47 62 59 79 63 or email: robert.didham@inn.no .

Education to achieve actionable capability and sustainable behaviour change through education – a focus on experiential learning for sustainable food consumption in a Norwegian context.

The PhD research is to explore how education can strengthen the capacity for sustainable behaviour change and identify an appropriate learning approach to achieve this. A central focus will be interdisciplinary teaching programmes with the theme of sustainable development. The work will be part of a larger research project that sheds light on the interaction between sustainable food systems and the consumer in a Norwegian context. The project's focus can be interdisciplinary didactics, education for sustainable development, and/or how different pedagogical inputs affect learning outcomes, understanding, attitudes and behaviour.

The doctoral project will be linked to upper secondary school practice in Norway.

Due to the project’s orientation, knowledge of the Norwegian educational system and Norwegian language proficiency are required.

Project description

Applicants must submit a project proposal based on the description of the research field and content of the fellowship, including a proposed progress plan explaining how the research work will be carried out, as well as the theoretical and methodological framework that the applicant plans to employ. The project description, including the reference list, may not exceed 5 pages. The page format must be A4 with 2 cm margins, 11 point font (Arial, Calibri or Times New Roman) and single line spacing. For the reference list and any image text 9 point font may be used. The project description may be written in Norwegian, Danish, Swedish or English. The academic quality of the project proposal will play a major role in shortlisting candidates for interview.

To be accepted to the doctoral programme, applicants must normally have:

• Teacher education and a master’s degree (postgraduate degree) in education in one of the programme’s disciplines. 

or

• A master’s degree (postgraduate degree) in education subjects (such as a master’s in adaptive education or pedagogy) or in subject didactics with specialisation in one of the teacher education subjects included in the programme.

The applicant must have a strong academic background. For applicants with qualifications from Norwegian educational institutions, the weighted average grade should normally be a B or above. In cases where some or all of the courses taken are awarded a pass/fail grade, applicants may be admitted subject to evaluation on an individual basis.

Applicants who do not have a degree in teacher education or who have a master’s degree (postgraduate degree) in subjects other than those normally stipulated for admission to the programme may be accepted following individual assessment. The same applies to applicants whose grades do not meet the normal requirements for admission. These applicants must provide evidence that it is highly likely that they will be capable of completing doctoral studies.

Language

• Good presentation skills in both Norwegian and English, orally and in writing, is a requirement.

Assessing which candidate is best qualified for the position will be based on a total assessment of educational background, experience and personal qualities, in addition to motivation and other eligibility requirements as otherwise stated in the advertisement.

Your application and CV must be registered electronically. Click the "apply for position" button.

The application must include:

• Application letter (registered in jobbnorges form). In the application letter, please provide the topic of the project, a description of your background and your motivation for the position.
• Relevant educational background and experience (registered in jobbnorges form).

We also kindly request that you enclose the following:

Attachments must be uploaded as separate files. If the attachments in total exceed 30 MB, these must be compressed prior to upload. Documents submitted after expiry of the deadline will not be considered in the evaluation of your application.

The government workforce must, to the greatest extent possible, reflect the diversity of the population. Therefore, the university’s personnel policy aims to achieve balance in terms of age and gender, and to recruit individuals with disabilities and recruit from ethnic minority groups. The government workforce must, to the greatest extent possible, reflect the diversity of the population. Therefore, the university’s personnel policy aims to achieve balance in terms of age and gender, and to recruit individuals with disabilities and recruit from ethnic minority groups. The person appointed must abide by the instructions applicable to the position, the university’s internal administrative policies, and the laws, regulations and agreements that otherwise apply to the position at all times.

• An exciting and challenging job at a developing institution, dedicated colleagues and a supportive working environment
• The position is paid and placed in position code 1017, PhD candidate in the Government Salary Regulations
• For more information about INN University as an employer, please see here