PhD fellowship

About the position

One PhD fellowship is available at the PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo. The PhD fellow will be working in the project Mental Health, Social Challenges, and Health Behaviors Among Sexual Minority Youth in Norway, funded by Stiftelsen DAM.

The project aims to gain comprehensive insights into the mental health, health behaviors, health services utilization, and social relationship factors among Norwegian sexual minority youth by using large-scale nationwide data, complemented by comprehensive data on youth in Oslo. The project is a collaboration between the PROMENTA Research Center and CENSE – the Norwegian Research Centre for Sexual Health. 

The appointment is a fulltime position for a period of three years. The employment period can be considered to be up to 4 years given addition of teaching and administrative duties (up to 25 %), depending on the competence of the successful applicant and the needs of the department.

The research fellow must take part in the Department’s approved PhD program and is expected to complete the project within the set fellowship period. The main purpose of the fellowship is research training leading to the successful completion of a PhD degree. The fellowship is planned to begin in winter/spring of 2025.

More about the project 

Despite significant progress for LGBTQ+ rights in Norway, sexual minorities continue to face considerable challenges. Negative attitudes toward LGBTQ+ individuals persist, and queer youth experience significantly higher rates of bullying, harassment, and violence compared to their heterosexual peers. International research suggests that sexual minorities often have poorer mental health, engage in riskier health behaviors, and encounter greater social challenges than heterosexual individuals. While these patterns may also apply to Norway, there is a lack of comprehensive, nationwide research on the lives of queer youth—a knowledge gap highlighted in the Norwegian government's action plan for gender and sexual diversity.

Drawing on data from over 100,000 high school students collected in 2023, 2024, and 2025, this project will identify areas where queer youth face greater challenges than their peers, analyze variations within the queer population by factors such as sexuality, gender, and other sociodemographic traits, and examine how disparities between queer and majority youth differ across municipalities and districts in Oslo. By addressing critical knowledge gaps, the project aims to inform policymakers, user organizations, and service providers in developing strategies to promote equality and improve the well-being of this vulnerable minority group, ultimately fostering a safer and more supportive environment for queer youth across Norway.

PROMENTA and CENSE 

The PROMENTA Research Center carries out interdisciplinary research on mental health and well-being in a holistic perspective – from genetics and biology to local communities and policy. We are concerned with examining determinants of good and poor mental health, understanding how social inequalities emerge, and designing and evaluating effective interventions to promote well-being. The PROMENTA Research Center with more than 50 scientific staff was established based on funding from the Research Council of Norway, and hosted by the Department of Psychology, University of Oslo (UiO). Read more about PROMENTA. 

CENSE is a newly established research center funded by a grant from the Norwegian Directorate of Health. We study sexuality in the broadest sense, exploring both the positive and negative aspects of sexual lives. CENSE aims to become an internationally acclaimed research- and teaching center and the leading knowledge provider in the field of sexual health in Norway. We aim to develop new knowledge relevant to policy, practice, and research, thereby contributing to reducing social inequalities. Read more about CENCE.

We strive to provide our candidates with opportunities to develop high-quality research competence, across disciplines, working alongside leading experts in our fields. While working for us, you will be part of a dynamic and interdisciplinary work environment, with ample opportunities for scientific and social input throughout the academic year. 

 Qualification criteria 

Required qualifications

• A Master’s degree (120 ECTS) or equivalent in psychology. 
• Grade point average of A or B on the ECTS scale in their Master’s degree. Applicants with a grade point of C may be evaluated on an individual basis.
• Previous experience with quantitative research on sexual minority groups and LGBT+-health
• Previous experience with intersectional research
• Previous experience with the programming tool R and multilevel modelling
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in Norwegian as the project requires close collaboration with Norwegian user groups and dissemination in Norwegian outlets, in addition to publications in international peer-reviewed journals
• Excellent communication and collaborative skills.
   

Preferred qualifications (not requirements, but give applicants an advantage):

• Previous experiences with publishing in international peer-reviewed journals
• Previous experience with systematic literature reviews
• Knowledge about Norwegian environments on LGBT+ research
• Knowledge about LGBT+ people’s engagement with healthcare services
• Previous experience with collaborating with user groups in the domain of LGBT+ equality
   

Personal skills 

• High ambitions and independency.
• Strong motivation to conduct psychological research on LGBT+ persons and social inequalities
• Enjoys working within an interdisciplinary team.
   

We can offer you 

• A professionally stimulating work environment and collaboration with two newly established research centers (PROMENTA and CENSE) at the Department of Psychology.
• Opportunities for extensive collaboration with our national and international collaborators.
• Oslo’s family-friendly environment with its rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities.
• Good welfare schemes.
• Opportunity of up to 1.5 hours a week of exercise during working hours.
• Membership in the Statens Pensjonskasse, which is one of Norway's best pension schemes with beneficial mortgages and good insurance schemes.
• A salary of NOK 536 200 - 596 100 per annum depending on qualifications in a position as PhD Research fellow (position code 1017). From the salary, 2 percent is deducted in statutory contributions to the State Pension Fund.

Read more about the benefits of working in the public sector at Employer Portal.

Inclusive worklife and diversity at UiO

Inclusion and diversity are a strength. The University of Oslo has a personnel policy objective of achieving a balanced gender composition. Furthermore, we want employees with diverse professional expertise, life experience and perspectives.

If there are qualified applicants with disabilities, employment gaps or immigrant background, we will invite at least one applicant from each of these categories to an interview.

We hope that you will apply for the position. 

More information about gender equality initiatives at UiO can be found here.

Application

Your application must include:

• A well written motivation letter relating to your interests and qualifications in the position (maximum 2 pages).
• Complete CV.
• Copies of academic diplomas and certificates, diplomas, transcripts and diploma supplements that are not in a Scandinavian language or English must be uploaded in the original language. An English translation of these documents must also be attached.
• Copies of any publications that the applicant wishes to be considered by the evaluation committee.
• Names and contact details for two references, one of them the supervisor of the master thesis
• In assessing the applications, special emphasis will be placed on the documented, academic qualifications, well as the candidates motivation and personal suitability.
• Interviews with the best qualified candidates will be arranged.
• It is expected that the successful candidate will be able to complete the project in the course of the period of employment.
   

Application with attachments must be submitted via our recruitment system Jobbnorge, click "Apply for the position".

When applying for the position, we ask you to retrieve your education results from Vitnemålsportalen.no. If your education results are not available through Vitnemålsportalen, we ask you to upload copies of your transcripts or grades. Please note that all documentation must be in English or a Scandinavian language.

General information

The best qualified candidates will invited for interviews. 

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 can't, you will hear from us.

Please refer to Regulations for the Act on universities and colleges chapter 3 (Norwegian),  Guidelines concerning appointment to post doctoral and research posts at UiO (Norwegian) and Regulations for the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) at the University of Oslo.

The University of Oslo has a transfer agreement with all employees that is intended to secure the rights to all research results etc.