PhD Candidate in Musicology and Interdisciplinary Ocean Studies

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NTNU is a broad-based university with a technical-scientific profile and a focus in professional education. The university is located in three cities with headquarters in Trondheim.

At NTNU, 9,000 employees and 43,000 students work to create knowledge for a better world.

You will find more information about working at NTNU and the application process here.

About the job

We seek an innovative, curiosity-driven and scientifically strong candidate with a background in musicology or ethnomusicology who wants to pursue interdisciplinary music research with an emphasis on global marine environments.

The PhD candidate will undertake independent research that connects music studies (broadly understood) to marine environmental topics. The PhD candidate will be hosted by the Department of Music and will develop a research project that sits within the university’s strategic research area NTNU Oceans. NTNU Oceans has coordinated several projects in the ‘blue arts and humanities’ with the aim of developing knowledge of the ethical, cultural, historical and narrative dimensions of the ocean.

The UN Decade for Ocean Science has placed ocean literacy high on the agenda. Ocean literacy entails understanding the full complexities of our human relationships with the blue planet on which we live. Contributions from the arts and humanities are essential to counter the widely embraced cultural understanding of the marine environment as a timeless, static place that exists separately from societal and economic structures. Research on culture may contribute to the creation of more ‘adequate imaginaries’ for Anthropocene seas. The candidate’s research project may, for example, engage in topics such as:

• Historical-musicological studies of the ocean as it is expressed in musical practice and/or musical aesthetics at various times in history.
• Ecocritical studies of contemporary ocean mediations in music and/or audiovisual forms, including film music and video game music.
• Ethnomusicological studies on music culture in coastal communities to uncover geographically situated interactions between human societies and ocean environments.

The 3-year position will be situated at the musicology section, but we also encourage cross-departmental relations with the other sections of the Department of Music (IMU). Staff at IMU are involved in a broad spectrum of research and artistic development in musicology, music technology, dance studies and performance studies. The candidate’s project may have an artistic and/or applied component.

The applicant will be pursuing her/his independent research project but is advised to collaborate within the unique environment for ocean studies in Trondheim. NTNU Oceans hosts an annual festival for public outreach and citizen engagement called Ocean Week. The applicant is expected to contribute towards this and other public-facing research efforts. The applicant is also advised to take part in courses and events offered by the Norwegian Researcher School in Environmental Humanities, NoRS-EH.

For a position as a PhD Candidate, the goal is a completed doctoral education up to an obtained doctoral degree.

Your immediate leader is Head of Department, Department of Music.

Duties of the position

The successful candidate must

• Complete an independent research project at the doctoral level.
• Complete the obligatory coursework in the PhD programme in Humanities and the Arts
• Produce a PhD thesis in monograph form or based on 3-4 peer-reviewed articles published in key international journals.
• Disseminate results at national and international venues.
• Be an active participant in the day-to-day activities at the Department of Music and at events hosted by NTNU Oceans and other relevant research groups.

Required selection criteria

• You must have a professionally relevant background in musicology, ecomusicology, ethnomusicology, or other relevant fields of music-cultural research.
• Your education must correspond to a five-year Norwegian degree program, where 120 credits are obtained at master's level
• You must have a strong academic background from your previous studies and an average grade from the master's degree program, or equivalent education, which is equal to B or better compared with NTNU's grading scale. If you do not have letter grades from previous studies, you must have an equally good academic basis. If you have a weaker grade background, you may be assessed if you can document that you are particularly suitable for a PhD education.
• Master's students can apply, but the master's degree must be obtained and documented by 15 August 2023.
• You must meet the requirements for admission to the PhD programme in Humanities and the Arts

The appointment is to be made in accordance with  Regulations concerning the degrees of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) and Philosodophiae Doctor (PhD) in artistic research national guidelines for appointment as PhD, post doctor and research assistant  

Preferred selection criteria

• Knowledge of theories and methods in ecocritical musicology
• Experience with interdisciplinary music research
• Interest in the relations between music and critical ocean studies (‘blue humanities’)

Personal characteristics

Completing a doctoral degree involves independent and goal-directed work. We are seeking candidates who:

• are curious, innovative, and creative
• have the ability to work independently
• are able to spark engagement in others and disseminate research in various public venues

Emphasis will be placed on personal and interpersonal qualities.

We offer

• exciting and stimulating tasks in a strong international academic environment
• an open and inclusive work environment with dedicated colleagues
• favourable terms in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• employee benefits

Salary and conditions

As a PhD candidate (code 1017) you are normally paid from gross NOK 501 200 per annum before tax, depending on qualifications and seniority. From the salary, 2% is deducted as a contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.

The period of employment is 3 years. Planned start up is 15.08.2023
 

Appointment to a PhD position requires that you are admitted to the PhD programme in Humanities and the Arts within three months of employment, and that you participate in an organized PhD programme during the employment period.

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The engagement is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants, and the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Candidates who by assessment of the application and attachment are seen to conflict with the criteria in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment to NTNU.

After the appointment you must assume that there may be changes in the area of work.

It is a prerequisite you can be present at and accessible to the institution on a daily basis.

About the application

The application and supporting documentation to be used as the basis for the assessment must be in English.

Publications and other scientific work must follow the application. Please note that your application will be considered based solely on information submitted by the application deadline. You must therefore ensure that your application clearly demonstrates how your skills and experience fulfil the criteria specified above.

The application must include:

• CV and certificates
• Transcripts and diplomas for bachelor's and master's degrees. If you have not completed the master's degree, you must submit a confirmation that the master's thesis has been submitted.
• A copy of the master's thesis. If you recently have submitted your master's thesis, you can attach a draft of the thesis. Documentation of a completed master's degree must be presented before taking up the position.
• Project proposal and research plan
• Name and contact information of three referees
• If you have publications or other relevant research work

If all, or parts, of your education has been taken abroad, we also ask you to attach documentation of the scope and quality of your entire education, both bachelor's and master's education, in addition to other higher education. Description of the documentation required can be found here. If you already have a statement from NOKUT, please attach this as well.

We will take joint work into account. If it is difficult to identify your efforts in the joint work, you must enclose a short description of your participation.

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal and interpersonal qualities. Motivation, ambitions, and potential will also count in the assessment of the candidates.

NTNU is committed to following evaluation criteria for research quality according to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment - DORA.

General information

Working at NTNU

NTNU believes that inclusion and diversity is our strength. We want to recruit people with different competencies, educational backgrounds, life experiences and perspectives to contribute to solving our social responsibilities within education and research. We will facilitate for our employees’ needs.

NTNU is working actively to increase the number of women employed in scientific positions and has a number of resources to promote equality.

The city of Trondheim is a modern European city with a rich cultural scene. Trondheim is the innovation capital of Norway with a population of 200,000. The Norwegian welfare state, including healthcare, schools, kindergartens and overall equality, is probably the best of its kind in the world. Professional subsidized day-care for children is easily available. Furthermore, Trondheim offers great opportunities for education (including international schools) and possibilities to enjoy nature, culture and family life and has low crime rates and clean air quality.

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As an employee at NTNU, you must at all times adhere to the changes that the development in the subject entails and the organizational changes that are adopted.

A public list of applicants with name, age, job title and municipality of residence is prepared after the application deadline. If you want to reserve yourself from entry on the public applicant list, this must be justified. Assessment will be made in accordance with current legislation. You will be notified if the reservation is not accepted.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Associate Professor Tore Størvold, tlf. 41641789, e-post tore.storvold@ntnu.no. If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR Advisor Hilde Saxi Gildberg, e-mail: hilde.saxi@ntnu.no

If you think this looks interesting and in line with your qualifications, please submit your application electronically via jobbnorge.no with your CV, diplomas and certificates attached. Applications submitted elsewhere will not be considered. Upon request, you must be able to obtain certified copies of your documentation.  

Application deadline: 31.03.2023

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Department of Music

We conduct research and teach in the disciplines of dance studies, music technology, musicology, and music performance studies. We also carry out extensive artistic development work and activities. The Department of Music is one of six departments in the Faculty of Humanities.