Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Social Inequality University of Oslo in Norway

The University of Oslo is offering a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Social Inequality, affiliated with CREATE, an interdisciplinary Centre of Excellence funded by the Research Council of Norway. CREATE aims to generate novel knowledge about reducing social inequality by integrating expertise from sociology, psychology, education, economics, genetics, and advanced quantitative methodologies such as psychometrics, econometrics, statistics, and biostatistics.

This postdoctoral position is part of CREATE’s research strand 1, which focuses on identifying barriers to equality in education. The goal is to disentangle the causal mechanisms that hinder equality and to understand how these mechanisms operate over time and across the life course. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to define and pursue their own research interests within the scope of Strand 1, including topics such as educational inequality, labor market inequality, marginalization and social exclusion, family formation and dynamics, and health inequality. Research into contextual drivers, such as family environments, early childhood education and care, and broader school and neighborhood settings, is also encouraged.

The position requires the use of advanced quantitative methods to draw causal inferences from non-experimental data, leveraging existing data linkages available in CREATE. These include registry data spanning several decades, large surveys with longitudinal individual-level data, school-level aggregated data, and genetic data. Applicants should have prior knowledge of quasi-experimental methods and preferably experience with large data sources, such as registry data.

Applicants must hold a PhD or equivalent in educational sciences or a related field such as sociology, psychology, economics, or statistics. Advanced quantitative skills and the ability to work with large datasets are essential. The position is full-time and temporary, with a contract of 37.5 hours per week. The application deadline is April 7, 2026.

For more information and to apply, visit the JobbNorge portal. The Faculty of Educational Sciences at the University of Oslo provides a vibrant research environment and access to extensive data resources. Contact the supervisors, Dr. Arne O. Lervag, Dr. Nina T. Borgen, or Dr. Hanne D. Zachrisson, for further details. The CREATE center offers a unique opportunity to contribute to interdisciplinary research on social inequality and its reduction.