The Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Copenhagen (UCPH), Denmark, invites applications for a 2 year (24 months) postdoctoral position in democratic theory and climate change to be filled by September 1, 2021 or as soon as possible thereafter.

Job content  

The position is part of a larger research project entitled “Vital Politics: Rethinking Normativity in the Anthropocene.” The project is funded by the Independent Research Council Denmark, with Professor with special responsibilities Lars Tønder as the principal investigator.

The project examines how to include the natural environment in the justification of political norms, especially as it pertains to climate change. The project seeks to addresses this problem through a new perspective that grounds the justification of political norms within a larger concern for life itself. The project develops this perspective though a close engagement with the vitalist tradition, drawing on Canguilhem as well as thinkers such as Spinoza, Nietzsche, Bergson, and Deleuze.

The postdoc position is specifically linked to a subproject that examines how vitalism’s concern for life prompts changes in the general theory of representative democracy. The starting point is the link between vitalism and the new materialist account of agency as distributed across human and nonhuman life. Furthermore, the subproject examines how this account of distributed agency is linked to a “politics of swarming” in which multiple actors coordinate through decentralized networks of communication.

The successful candidate will become part of a vibrant and international research environment, with strengths in political theory, climate change politics, and the study of democracy. For more information about the Department of Political Science, please visit our website: https://politicalscience.ku.dk

Qualification requirements

In order to be considered for the position applicants must have research qualifications at least corresponding to what can be achieved as part of a successfully completed PhD within a relevant field. We are particularly interested in candidates with expertise in new materialism, vitalism, and democracy.

For further details about the qualification requirements for postdocs, please refer to the job structure for Academic Staff at Universities 2013: https://ufm.dk/en/legislation/prevailing-laws-and-regulations/education/files/job-structure-for-academic-staff-at-universities-2013.pdf

For further information about the position, please contact PI and Professor with special responsibilities, Lars Tønder, e-mail: lt@ifs.ku.dk.

Application

Submit the application online in Adobe PDF or Word format.

The application must be written in English and include the following enclosures:

• Application letter/cover letter (max 1 page)
• Curriculum vitae (with applicant’s e-mail & telephone number)
• Documentation of qualifications (examination certificates/PhD diploma, etc.).
• Complete and numbered list of publications. The enclosed publications must be marked with *.
• Research plan (max 4 pages), including a short description of previous research and a plan for the coming years that includes an account of how the applicant will contribute to the deliverables in the project description.
• Documentation of research dissemination, if any
• Publications. Applicants may choose a maximum of three publications for assessment. Publication dates must be clearly marked on the publication list. The publications selected must be uploaded as attachments and listed from 1 to 3.

Should any material submitted consist of work with named co-authors, or work that is otherwise the result of collective academic endeavours, the extent of the applicant’s contribution to the work must be clearly stipulated. The Faculty may ask for a signed statement from the co-authors stipulating the extent and nature of each individual’s contribution.

Only material in Danish, Norwegian, Swedish and English can be expected to be assessed.

Appointment procedure

After the application deadline, the Head of Department selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the Appointment Committee.  All applicants are notified whether their application has been accepted for assessment. The Dean subsequently appoints an expert assessment committee tasked with carrying out an assessment of the selected applicants for the specific post. Selected applicants are notified of the composition of the committee. Applicants are ultimately offered the opportunity of commenting on the part of the assessment relating to themselves before the appointment is finalized.

Further information about the application procedure is available from Pernille Lykke Paulsen (HR), e-mail: hrsc@hrsc.ku.dk. Please refer to ID number 2110765/21-2I #1. 

Salary and conditions of employment

Terms of appointment and salary will be in accordance with an agreement between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC). The salary range starts at DKK 34,622 (EUR 4,655) + a 17,1 % contribution to the pension scheme. It is possible to negotiate salary supplements on an annual basis.

The Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC) have further agreed on a protocol that makes it possible for international researchers employed by the University to achieve a pension exemption, whereby the pension contribution will be paid out as salary. For more information about the different pension schemes, please read more here: https://ism.ku.dk/salary-tax-pension/pension/

If you consider applying from abroad, you may find useful information on how it is to work in Denmark and at UCPH here: http://ism.ku.dk, http://www.nyidanmark.dk/en-us/frontpage.htm and https://www.workindenmark.dk/

UCPH wishes to encourage everyone interested in this post to apply, regardless of personal background.

The closing date for applications is June 21, 2021 23:59 [*CEST/CET]

Applications or supplementary material received thereafter will not be considered.

*(Centraleuropæisk sommertid=CEST/CET = normaltid)

Part of the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU), and among Europe’s top-ranking universities, the University of Copenhagen promotes research and teaching of the highest international standard. Rich in tradition and modern in outlook, the University gives students and staff the opportunity to cultivate their talent in an ambitious and informal environment. An effective organisation – with good working conditions and a collaborative work culture – creates the ideal framework for a successful academic career.