[ Senior Researcher ]

The International Peace Research Institute, Oslo (PRIO) is seeking to hire an experienced researcher with expertise in the field of security studies.

PRIO was one of the first centres of peace research in the world when it was founded in 1959. Today, it is an independent, multidisciplinary  research institute with approximately 50 researchers. PRIO hosts the Centre for the Study of Civil War (CSCW), Norway's only Centre of Excellence in the social sciences. The institute is housed in attractive premises in central Oslo.

PRIO's Security Programme comprises interdisciplinary research projects focusing on the ways in which individuals, groups, states and international organizations experience and respond to a range of security challenges. While retaining traditional policy perspectives, the programme aims to develop new fields of research based on both the changing security reality and an evolving universe of theories and methodological approaches to security and insecurity. Important focal points include risk studies, biosecurity, migration, security technologies, human security, gender, political ethics, urban violence, energy security, environmental security, arms trafficking, urban violence, privatization of security forces, as well as issues related to the phenomenon of terrorism and appropriate and legitimate responses to it. PRIO's Security Programme is seeking to address this new landscape of challenges by strengthening its staff working in the area of 'new security studies'.

PRIO's Security Programme hosts both an international peer-reviewed journal, Security Dialogue (published bi-monthly by Sage), and an international book series, PRIO New Security Studies (published by Routledge).

The programme is led by J. Peter Burgess.

The successful applicant will play a key role in further developing PRIO's research within the field of security studies, and thus contribute towards setting a distinct and innovative research agenda for security studies in Europe.

Research at PRIO is funded by external grants on a project basis. Candidates must therefore be able and willing to actively develop research projects and to secure funding from national and international sources. The successful candidate will ideally develop a research profile that combines both long-term academically oriented projects and short-term policy-oriented projects. PRIO encourages publishing of research results at the highest international level.

Candidates are expected to hold a doctoral-level degree within a social or human science discipline. Highly qualified candidates without a doctorate may be considered if the requirements listed above are clearly met. Familiarity with Norwegian or another Scandinavian language is an advantage, but not a requirement. Skills in other European languages are an asset.

The deadline for applications is 1 May 2008.

For further information and to apply for this position please go to www.prio.no/vacancies