Senior Researchers in History

Norwegian University of Science and Technology - Department of Historical Sciences

The Department of Historical Sciences has a vacancy for two Senior Researchers in History

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About the Job

The Department of Historical Sciences at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology is offering two full-time 2-year senior research positions (1109), aimed at scholars having completed their doctoral dissertations. These positions are part of the project "All the names: Culture, naming practices and individual outcomes in the past", led by Professor Francisco J. Beltrán Tapia.

About the positions

The research positions will contribute to the project “All the names” by developing their own research agenda around the issues described below. The successful candidate is expected to join the department by August 1, 2026. Interested applicants may contact the project leader for more details (francisco.beltran.tapia@ntnu.no).

The immediate leader will be the Head of Department.

About the project

Gifting a baby with a personal name is a universal cultural phenomenon that is attached with a profound symbolical value. Although the pool of potential names is theoretically infinite, the range of names traditionally used has been quite limited because the choice of a specific name was bound by existing cultural practices. In historical Europe, for instance, many children were named after their close relatives or cherished religious figures. The weight of tradition therefore implied that many individuals shared the same names, a circumstance that was transmitted across generations. Parents had nonetheless the last word and the degree to which they conform to those practices speaks a great deal about their cultural identity and preferences. Indeed, the stock and variety of names expanded, slowly and unevenly, from the 18th century onwards as the importance of religious considerations and the need to transmit names within families declined in response to the underlying societal changes that Europe was undergoing. Naming practices thus reflect the cultural context underpinning a particular society, together with the values and beliefs of the parents themselves, thus offering a unique opportunity to study cultural variation, persistence and change. Likewise, given that names provide crucial insights about parental values and beliefs, they can shed light on how cultural factors may have influenced the way parents raised their children (i.e. the care they devoted to their children, the importance they attached to education, etc.).

This project therefore uses the information contained in names as expressions of parental values and beliefs, as they signal the importance that families attached to religious values, family ties, political beliefs, and gender roles, among other dimensions. Relying on individual-level information contained in parish and civil registers and population censuses (and other historical sources), the project seeks to:

• Trace the relative importance of different naming practices in Europe (circa 1750-1950).
• Analyse the dimensions that explain the variation in naming practices, not only across regions and over time, but also between families.
• Explore how culture helps shedding light on how parents raised their children and therefore shaped their individual outcomes (i.e. infant and child mortality, education, heights, marriage age, etc.).

Proposals are welcome for any European region and period. As well as the main research questions, the project description should describe both the source material and the methodology.

Duties of the position

As a senior researcher, you will be expected to:

• Carry out outstanding research within the framework described above
• Participate in the research group ALL-THE-NAMES
• Publish academic publications and popular science dissemination
• Participate in international activities such as conferences and/or workshops
• Mentoring students, helping them with their research projects, and advising on methodology and academic writing

Required selection criteria

• You must have completed a doctoral degree in history, economics or another relevant field.
• If you are in the final phase of your doctorate and can document that the thesis has been submitted or that the defense date has been confirmed, your application can be considered even if you have not defended. Documentation of the obtained doctorate must be presented before you can take up the position.
• Good written and oral English language skills.

For detailed information about what the application must contain, see below paragraph “About the application”.

The appointment is to be made in accordance with NTNUs guidelines for recruitment positions for general criteria for the position.

Preferred selection criteria

• Research proposal
• Experience working with historical sources and/or quantitative methods
• Knowledge of the study area / period of study

Personal characteristics

Working as a senior researcher requires:

• Intellectual independence and creativity
• Self-motivation and enthusiasm
• Strong attention to detail
• Flexibility and openness to adjusting the plan for the project as needed
• Capacity to work as part of a team play

Emphasis will be placed on personal qualities.

We offer

• Exciting and stimulating tasks in a strong international academic environment
• An open and inclusive working environment with committed colleagues
• An exciting job with an important social mission
• Career guidance and mentor programme as a new employee at NTNU
• Favourable terms in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund

As a senior researcher at NTNU, you will have access to employee benefits.

Salary and conditions

As a senior researcher (code 1109) you are normally paid from gross NOK  740 000,- 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 2 years.

The position is conditional on external funding (Research Council of Norway).

As an employee at NTNU, it is important to keep yourself up to date with academic and organizational changes and to adapt to them.

For the necessary professional and social interaction, it is a prerequisite that you are physically present and available 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.

Please note: the application will only be assessed on the basis of the information we have received by the application deadline. Therefore, make sure that your application clearly shows how your skills and experience meet the criteria described above. The application and all attachments must be sent electronically via Jobbnorge.no. If you are invited to an interview, you must bring certified copies of certificates and diplomas upon request.

The application must include:

• Motivation letter (maximum 2 pages)
• Project proposal containing an overall description of research question(s), source material, theoretical perspectives and methodological design (maximum 5 pages)
• CV
• Certificates, transcripts and diplomas for Bachelor's, Master's and PhD degrees
• Copy of the doctoral thesis. If you are close to submitting, you can attach a draft of the thesis.
• Electronic copies of publications or other relevant research work (if any)
• Names and contact information of three relevant referees

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. A description of the documentation required can also be found here. If you already have a statement from Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir), please attach this as well.

Joint works will be considered. If it is difficult to identify your contribution to joint work, you must attach a brief description of your participation.

If you have had leave or another break in your career, it is important that this is stated in your application so that the selection committee can take this into account and that the amount of your research may be reduced as a result.

When assessing the best qualified, we emphasize necessary qualifications such as education, experience and personal suitability, as well as the research proposal itself. Motivation for the position, ambitions and potential for research will also count when assessing the candidates. 

NTNU recognizes a wide range of academic contributions and has committed itself to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment and CoARA (responsible assessment of research and recognition of a greater breadth of academic contributions in accordance with NTNU's social mission).