Dear colleagues,

I wanted to remind those of you exploring postdoctoral and pre-doctoral funding opportunities that we have a number of positions available at the Univ.s of Oulu and Tampere, Finland through the new RELATE Centre of Excellence. 

The deadline is quickly approaching--November 8!

All positions are fully funded to support full-time research for 3+ years, with international conference travel funding available, many opportunities to participate in/organize seminars and workshops, and ample opportunities to build your international network. Speaking for myself, I have found it an exceptionally supportive intellectual environment in which to start my career, and I'm happy to answer any questions about moving, living, and working here.

More about the RELATE Centre of Excellence: http://www.oulu.fi/geography/node/15990
Call for Applications: see below.

Sincerely,
Lauren
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Post-doctoral and PhD student positions are available in the Finnish Centre of Excellence (2014-2019) in Relational and Territorial Politics of Bordering, Identities, and Transnationalization (RELATE). The first funding period covers years 2013 - 2016, with the option of extension to years 2017 - 2019.

Post description - Relational and Territorial Politics of Bordering, Identities, and Transnationalization (RELATE)

The Finnish Centre of Excellence in Relational and Territorial Politics of Bordering, Identities, and Transnationalization (2014-2019) is an integrated consortium of four research groups led by Professors Anssi Paasi, Jouni Häkli, Sami Moisio and Jarkko Saarinen. The CoE brings together human geographers from the Universities of Oulu and Tampere to study theoretical and empirical themes related to contemporary bordering practices and forms of political agency. The CoE is coordinated at the Department of Geography, University of Oulu, Finland. Post-doctoral and PhD student positions are available in specific research themes both in Oulu and in Tampere. 

Detailed information on the four research themes may be found from http://www.oulu.fi/geography/node/15990. 

The Tampere research environment is described in: http://www.uta.fi/jkk/en/research/themes/sparg/index.html

The CoE's primary objective is to investigate and conceptualize the territorial and relational processes in bordering practices. We start from the fact that what has been neglected in research is how these processes are constituted by and constitutive of "boundedness" and borders. The CoE will study how we should understand borders under such conditions: how does the process of (re-)bordering occur and become materialized in the institutionalization of territorial and relational/ supraterritorial spatial configurations. The constitutive powers of borders and identities have become increasingly complex and multi-scalar and it is therefore crucial to move beyond the territorial/relational dichotomy to make sense of this complexity. Through both drawing from and developing further recent socio-spatial theorizing the CoE's central goal is to contribute to the pivotal social scientific issues of the contemporary world: globalization and the transformation of borders, global governance, and political subjectivity and agency under transnationalization.

Post doc/Coordinator (2014-2016)

The basic duty of the Post doc/Coordinator is to participate effectively in the management of the CoE, to take charge of maintaining contacts between the RELATE staff, the Scientific Advisory Board, and the network of International Resource Persons. It is also expected that the coordinator will be active in research and contributes to the academic goals and activities of the CoE. Experience in university administration and knowledge of the operation of the doctoral programs at Oulu and Tampere Universities as well as a good knowledge of Finnish language are needed. The Coordinator will be responsible for planning and organization of the RELATE seminars and other meetings together with the CoE personnel. He or she will contribute to organizing lectures and daily practicalities of visiting researchers and help in the travel arrangements of the CoE members. Doctoral degree is required as well as good organizational skills and previous experience in project management. Many of the practical activities of the CoE take place in English, so good command of spoken and written English are required. The salary will be based on the job demand level 5-6 of the salary system for teaching and research staff in use in the Finnish universities. In addition, on the basis of personal work performance up to 46.3% of the job demands level can be paid, the overall salary range being 2820,64 - 4817,98 ? per month.

Post docs and PhD posts

Several Post doc positions both in the Universities of Oulu and Tampere

Postdoctoral Researchers will be expected to devote 95% of their time to research, collaboration with other CoE members, publishing, and participation in CoE seminars, workshops, and conferences. The remaining 5% will be devoted to guest lectures, PhD supervising, and/or PhD intensive courses.

Several PhD student positions both in the Universities of Oulu and Tampere

PhD students will be expected to devote themselves full-time to their doctoral research project, which will be developed with the support of CoE members. A description of PhD admission requirements and degree requirements can be found here (Oulu) http://www.oulu.fi/uniogs/ and here (Tampere) http://www.uta.fi/english/doctoralschool/index.html.

Postdoctoral researcher and PhD student positions are open starting from the 1st of January 2014 (at earliest) and will be filled for 2-3 years, including a trial period of up to 4 months. The salary for the Postdoctoral Researcher will be based on the job demand level 5-6 of the salary system for teaching and research staff in use in use in Finnish universities. In addition, on the basis of personal work performance up to 46.3% of the job demands level can be paid, the overall salary range being 2820,64 - 4817,98 ? per month. The salary for a PhD student will be based on levels 2-4 of the demands level chart for teaching and research personnel in the salary system of Finnish universities, supplemented by personal work performance up to 46.3% of the job demands level (ranging from 1944,69 to 3558,31 ? per month).

Requirements - Enthusiastic and skillful candidates

For post-doctoral positions we are looking for candidates with a PhD degree in human geography or related social science fields. Demonstrated research experience relevant to the themes of RELATE is required.

For the PhD student positions Master level degree is required.

Applications - Closing date November 8, 2013

Applications must specify two RELATE research themes that the applicant considers most pertinent for her/his research. The application and all attachments are to be merged into a single pdf-file and sent to Registrar's office by e-mail [kirjaamo(at)oulu.fi]. In the subject field of the e-mail, please, write "RELATE CoE Application".

The following documents must be attached to the application: 
1. A brief description (max 2 pages) of research interests and how they tie up with the research theme(s) of RELATE that the applicant is targeting. 
2. Brief curriculum vitae (max four pages, excluding publications).
3. A list of publications, with up to five most important publications pertinent to RELATE highlighted (see here: http://www.aka.fi/en-GB/A/Funding-and-guidance/How-to-apply/Appendices/List-of-publications/). 
4. Two letters of recommendation (e.g. from previous supervisors).

For further information, please contact team leaders:

Professor Anssi Paasi, Director, Policing Global Flows Team Leader, Department of Geography, University of Oulu ([log in to unmask])

Professor Jouni Häkli, Vice-Director, Spatial Socialization/Subjectification Team Leader, School of Management, University of Tampere ([log in to unmask])

Professor Sami Moisio, Changing State Spaces Team leader, Department of Geography, University of Oulu ([log in to unmask])

Professor Jarkko Saarinen, Border Crossings Team Leader, Department of Geography, University of Oulu ([log in to unmask])


Lauren Martin, PhD
Postdoctoral Researcher // Tutkijatohtori
University of Oulu // Oulun Yliopisto
+358 29 448 1697 // lauren.martin (at) oulu.fi
My Oulu Webpage // My Blog