Postdoctoral Fellow in Anthropology: Meat, Infrastructure, and Zoonotic Risk on China's Belt and Road UiT The Arctic University of Norway in Norway

This postdoctoral fellowship at UiT The Arctic University of Norway offers a unique opportunity to join the ERC-funded project "Zoonosis: Zoonotic Anthropology and Multispecies Infrastructures along China’s Belt and Road." Hosted by the Department of Social Sciences in Tromsø, the position is designed for researchers interested in the intersection of anthropology, political ecology, and public health. The project investigates how China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is reshaping multispecies relations, infrastructures, and public health landscapes across Asia and other BRI-linked regions.

The successful candidate will focus on industrial meat production, infrastructure, and zoonotic risk in Asia, with suggested field sites in Pakistan, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia. However, applicants are encouraged to propose alternative, well-justified locations that align with the project’s comparative aims. The research will examine how BRI investments transform livestock farming, transport, and food infrastructures, and how these changes affect relationships between humans, animals, and microbes. Main tasks include conducting ethnographic fieldwork, analyzing local beliefs and political economy, mapping supply chains and infrastructural ecologies (with GIS support), and engaging with veterinarians, traders, and health officials. The position also involves participation in comparative workshops, multimodal dissemination (photo, film, web), and publishing peer-reviewed articles.

Applicants must hold a PhD in Social, Cultural, or Visual Anthropology or a closely related discipline, or be in the final stages of their PhD with the thesis submitted for evaluation by the application deadline. A strong ethnographic research background and regional research experience in Asia or another BRI-linked region are required. Excellent written and spoken English is mandatory, and Nordic applicants may document proficiency with a high school diploma. Desired qualifications include relevant local language skills for fieldwork and expertise in political ecology, medical anthropology, infrastructure studies, and multispecies ethnography. The selection process emphasizes motivation, research potential, collaboration skills, and a commitment to a positive working environment.

The fellowship is for three years and includes research funding for fieldwork, travel, and dissemination, mentorship in comparative and multimodal anthropology, access to UiT’s visual anthropology and multimodal research facilities, flexible working hours, and a pension scheme through the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund. UiT is committed to promoting equality, gender balance, and diversity, and encourages applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply. The university offers a supportive environment for career development and values the quality, relevance, and significance of research work.

Applications must be submitted via Jobbnorge and include a cover letter, project proposal (max 7 pages), CV, diplomas and transcripts, documentation of English proficiency, contact information for 2-3 references, and a description of academic production. All documentation must be in a Scandinavian language or English. The application deadline is April 26, 2026. For further information, contact Dr. Richard Fraser (Principal Investigator), Stine W. Adrian (Deputy Head of Department), or Rita Johansen (Senior Advisor) at UiT. More details about working and living in Norway can be found at uit.no/staffmobility.

This position is ideal for researchers seeking to advance their careers in anthropology and related fields, with a focus on the complex interactions between infrastructure, multispecies relations, and public health in the context of global development initiatives.