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Tenure Track Position in Cultural Histories and Traditional Knowledge of Resource Use, Arctic Interactions Programme

Published date more than one year ago
Posted: more than one year ago
Company University of Oulu
Company: University of Oulu
End date April 13, 2020
Due date: April 13, 2020
Location Oulu
Location: Oulu


The University of Oulu is an international science university creating new knowledge, well-being and innovation for the future through multidisciplinary research and education. Close cooperation with research institutes, companies and the public sector has created an internationally significant research and innovation hub that has changed the world. Every day 2.6 billion people use technology developed in Oulu. In addition, the university’s location close to the Arctic offers unique conditions for a wide variety of research.


Arctic Interactions (ArcI) is a programme designed to achieve global leadership in the area of “Understanding and mitigating global change in the Arctic through fundamental studies at the interface between the natural and social sciences in the north”. These studies are aimed at weaving new discoveries and understanding into sustainable resource use, while informing those dedicated to mitigation and providing the information needed to help achieve sustainable communities throughout the North. The ArcI community in Oulu include 30 PIs linked to three research areas (www.oulu.fi/arci).


Job description

The tenure track position “Cultural histories and traditional knowledge of resource use” will strengthen the ArcI research area “Human-environmental relationship” (https://www.oulu.fi/kvantum/node/56116 ).  

The research of the tenure track position should examine cultural histories and traditional environmental knowledge of natural resource use by using past records and data mining methods to identify key cultural conceptions and practices, that are focal to local communities to adapt to changing environmental condition and affect how the environment and its resources are used and understood. The position will be based at the Unit of History, Culture and Communication, the Faculty of Humanities, University of Oulu.

The tenure track position is open to highly talented individuals who hold a doctoral degree and have excellent potential for a successful scientific career. Based on the experience and competence, the successful applicant will be placed at the level of Assistant Professor or Associate Professor. 


Salary and start-up package

The persons appointed for the ArcI tenure track positions will become a part of a major expansion of the university’s Arctic programme, supported in part by a new Academy of Finland project emphasizing interdisciplinary research in the Arctic. They are expected to develop a rigorous, nationally and internationally recognized research programme with extramural funding from agencies such as the Academy of Finland, the European Union and others.

The salary of an Assistant Professor will be based on levels 5-6, of an Associate Professor on levels 6-7 of the requirement level chart for teaching and research personnel in the salary system of Finnish universities. In addition to the basic salary, supplementary salary will be given for personal achievement and performance, the sum rising to a maximum of 50% of the basic salary level for the post. The full salary is approximately 3,500 – 4,500 euros per month for an Assistant Professor and  4,000 – 5,200 euros per month for an Associate Professor.

The successful candidate will receive also full benefits provided by the University of Oulu to all its employees, including free time corresponding to holidays and free occupational health care services. A start-up package will include funding for hiring a 2-year postdoctoral fellow and a 4-year PhD student.

Teaching responsibilities will be determined within the research unit. 


Selection Criteria and procedure

A person appointed to the tenure track position must have a doctoral degree, high-level scientific competence, and experience in leading scientific research, ability to provide high-level research-based teaching, and to supervise theses and participate in international co-operation projects in his/her field of expertise. 

Candidates will be evaluated according to their career stage taking into consideration:

  1. Their potential to establish or currently have a vigorous externally funded research programme,
  2. Highly visible scientific publications or other merits with scientific value,
  3. Demonstrated international collaboration and activeness of the applicant in the international scientific community,
  4. Demonstration of interdisciplinary research projects and capabilities,
  5. A demonstrated capacity for thinking broadly across disciplines, ability and experience in mentoring and supervising undergraduate, graduate (MSc & PhD) and postdoctoral scientists, and
  6. Teaching experience and pedagogic training, ability to produce teaching material, other merits as a teacher and teaching demonstrations.

A Recruitment Committee according to the University of Oulu Tenure Track guidelines will carry out the selection procedure. Other academic experts outside the University of Oulu will also evaluate the shortlisted candidates. Demonstrable development of skills is the prerequisite for a continuation period after the initial five-year period.

The selection criteria for each career level are detailed as follows:

Assistant Professor: The position of an Assistant Professor is available for applicants who have finished their doctoral dissertation less than ten years ago and are advancing towards a professional research career. The position of an Assistant Professor is initially a fixed-term position for five years with potential for extension after an evaluation. The selection criteria for an assistant professor are the following:

  • Research potential and merit applicable to the position to date (publications, especially internationally refereed publications; participating in acquiring external funding/funding granted; connections with the international community in the field);
  • Experience of working at different institutions including international professional experience;


Associate Professor: The position of an Associate Professor is initially a fixed-term position for five years with potential for extension after an evaluation. The selection criteria for an associate professor are the following:

  • Publications on an international level: dissemination, quality of the publication forums, references to the publications;
  • Active role in research training;
  • Acquisition of external funding;
  • Working in more than one research facility during one’s career (in most fields represented at the University of Oulu this signifies working abroad);
  • An active role in the international scientific community;
  • Acknowledgements and awards.


How to apply


Please submit your application and relevant enclosures through our online recruitment system latest on April 13, 2020. The application should be written in English and include the following documents:

  1. a letter of application with contact information, stating the career level on which the person would like to be evaluated at
  2. Curriculum vitae following the guidelines of the Finnish Advisory Board on Research Integrity: http://www.tenk.fi/en/template-researchers-curriculum-vitae
  3. a list of publications following the guidelines of the Academy of Finland (https://www.aka.fi/en/funding/apply-for-funding/az-index-of-application-guidelines/list-of-publications/) with the ten most important ones marked
  4. a brief account of research merits (max. 1 page)
  5. a brief account of teaching merits or a teaching portfolio (max. 2 pages)
  6. details regarding the acquisition of research funds (max. 2 pages)
  7. a brief research and action plan (max. 3 pages)
  8. contact details of 3 persons from whom recommendations would be available

The employment will begin in the autumn of 2020 or as agreed. A six-month trial period will be applied in the positions.


For further information:

Questions concerning the Arctic Interaction research focus and its activities, please contact  Director, Prof.  Bjørn Kløve, Faculty of Technology,  bjorn.klove(at)oulu.fi, phone: +358 (0)29 448 4510 or Dean Paula Rossi, Faculty of Humanities, paula.rossi(at)oulu.fi, phone: +358 (0)29 448 3403.

Questions concerning the application process and its schedule, please contact Research coordinator Jouko Inkeröinen, jouko.inkeroinen(at)oulu.fi, phone: +358 (0)29 448 3567 (out of office during April 6-9).


About the City of Oulu

The City of Oulu is Northern Finland’s largest and oldest city, with a population of over 200,000. Located in the Gulf of Bothnia in the Oulu River delta, the city has good access from anywhere. Oulu is a very safe and family friendly community with one of the highest qualities of life in all of Scandinavia. This modern city with a beautiful harbour and market area offers plenty of cultural activities as well as opportunities for exploring the northern nature. Open space and parks can be found all along the Oulu River and throughout the area and they are easily accessed by bike – the favourite mode of transport in Oulu. There is an entire range of outdoor and sports facilities to choose from, not forgetting Finland’s biggest spectator sport, ice hockey. Winter is a season that is highly celebrated and lit bike trails and bridges bring the city alive. As the world’s northernmost tech hub, Oulu has a highly educated and innovative workforce and the University has a strong role in the community. Oulu is a marvellous place to live, work and enjoy a vibrant academic community. Welcome to the home of science with Arctic Attitude!