1. General
The guidelines apply to appointments to recruitment positions pursuant to the Universities and University Colleges Act (uhl) and associated regulations (in Norwegian only).
Terms of employment are regulated by the Civil Service Act (sal, in Norwegian only) to the extent that no special provisions have been issued pursuant to the Universities and University Colleges Act (uhl) and associated regulations.
All individuals involved in the appointment processes are obliged to follow the Public AdministThey must not have close ties to any of the applicants or close cooperation, for example through supervision or co-publication, or any particular advantage or disadvantage from assessing them. Each individual is responsible for assessing their own impartiality and reporting circumstances that may lead to disqualification. See Nord University's guidelines on impartiality in the recruitment process.
All individuals involved in the processes for appointment, leave of absence and extension are subject to a duty of confidentiality regarding information they become aware of in connection with the case (cf. Public Administration Act § 13).
Applicants are considered parties to appointment cases and have the right of access pursuant to the regulations to the Public Administration Act (fvl. regulations, chapter 5, in Norwegian only). This means that applicants, for example, have the right to access the extended list of applicants and the ranking of nominations. They may be given access to academic assessments of their own qualifications, but not to the recommendation.
- Recruitment positions include Research Assistant, PhD Candidate, Specialist Candidate, and Postdoctoral Fellow.
- Educational competence refers to pedagogical or didactic qualifications aimed at promoting learning, including knowledge and skills related to the development and delivery of teaching and supervision at university and university college level (cf. Regulations relating to Universities and University Colleges § 3-8, se also guidelines for academic position, 10.8).
- Career-promoting activities are tasks beyond the candidate’s own research project and doctoral education that provide relevant knowledge and experience for further career development in higher education or other sectors.
- Career plan includes career goals and measures, including career-promoting activities. It supplements the plan for the doctoral project/research project and is agreed upon and followed up in the annual employee development interviews.
- Academic assessment is carried out by two internal academic staff members with professorial competence and evaluates the applicant’s academic qualifications (internal assessment).
- Recruitment group conducts interviews and reference checks of applicants.
- Appointing authority is the Board of Appointments for Academic and Research Positions (ANV).
- ID verification: Verification of a national or EU-approved ID card or passport to confirm that the individual participating in the interview is the same person who submitted the documentation and who will report to the workplace in the event of employment. A copy of the ID is retained until after the first working day.
Abbreviations:
aml – working environment act
fvl – public administration act
ldl – equality and anti-discrimination act
sal – civil service act
uhl – act relating to Universities and University colleges
uh-forskrift – regulations to the act relating to Universities and University colleges, chapter 3: Teaching and research positions, recruitment positions and tenure-track positionsHTA – main collective agreement in the civil service
MSCA – Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions postdoctoral fellowships
Personnel regulations – personnel regulations for Nord University
2. Qualification requirements and job content
The purpose of a postdoctoral position is to enable the employee to develop a research profile and competence that qualifies them to apply for a position as Associate Professor, or to acquire other relevant qualifications for the postdoctoral fellow’s further career (cf. uh-forskrift § 3-18).
A doctoral degree is required for appointment to a postdoctoral position (cf. § 3-18 of the same regulations).
2.1.1 Duration of the Fixed-Term Period
The fixed-term period for a postdoctoral appointment is three to four years. No individual may be employed in more than one postdoctoral term at the same institution (cf. uh-lov § 7-6). The fixed-term period may be extended up to the maximum duration, i.e. up to four full-time equivalents, if the scope of other career-promoting activities has significantly increased after the start of the position (cf. uh-forskrift § 3-17).
2.1.2 Career Plan and Career-Promoting Activities
A career plan must be prepared for the postdoctoral fellow, specifying the competence to be developed during the fixed-term period beyond the research project itself. The institution is responsible for ensuring follow-up of the career plan and for providing access to career guidance throughout the postdoctoral period (cf. uh-forskrift § 3-18). See Chapter 3.
If the postdoctoral fellow does not already possess educational competence that meets the requirements for an Associate Professor position, the institution must facilitate the development of such competence during the employment period (cf. uh-forskrift § 3-18). In such cases, the faculty must assign relevant teaching duties and ensure that the employee can complete the basic university pedagogical training as part of the career-promoting activities (ref. career plan).
If the employee cannot document proficiency in Norwegian, Swedish or Danish at level A2 at the time of appointment, the institution must offer free Norwegian language training with the aim of achieving at least this level of proficiency (cf. uh-forskrift § 3-18). The faculty must facilitate participation in Norwegian courses (ref. career plan), but such training does not entitle the employee to an extension of the employment period
MSCA Postdoctoral Fellows may, if agreed upon by the faculty and the candidate, be employed in a three- to four-year postdoctoral position, of which two full-time equivalent years are dedicated to the MSCA project. In such cases, the regulatory employment conditions for postdoctoral fellows apply, including basic educational competence and Norwegian language training as part of career development activities.
The MSCA contractual terms regarding academic supervision, career planning, research project, and activities that promote the research career are followed up by the relevant faculty.
Alternatively, MSCA Postdoctoral Fellows may be temporarily employed as Researcher (position code 1109) for two years. Researchers are not entitled to leave of absence or extension under the special provisions in Chapter 7.
A PhD candidate position is intended to lead to the completion of a doctoral degree and to help the candidate qualify for relevant careers in higher education and research institutions, as well as other sectors where research competence is required (cf. uh-forskrift § 3-19).
Admission to a doctoral programme, or a binding agreement for admission, is required for appointment to a PhD candidate position (cf. uh-forskrift § 3-19).
2.3.1 Duration of the fixed-term period
At least three full-time equivalents of the total fixed-term period must be dedicated to doctoral research. The position may also include other career-promoting activities (cf. uh-forskrift § 3-19).
The fixed-term period for a PhD candidate appointment is three to four years. No individual may be employed in more than one PhD candidate term at the same institution (cf. uh-lov § 7-6). The fixed-term period may be extended up to the maximum duration, i.e. up to four full-time equivalents, if the scope of other career-promoting activities has significantly increased after the start of the position (cf. uh-forskrift § 3-17).
2.3.2 Career Plan and Career-Promoting Activities
A career plan must be prepared, specifying the competence the PhD candidate is expected to develop beyond the doctoral research. The institution is responsible for ensuring follow-up of the career plan and for providing access to career guidance throughout the doctoral education (cf. uh-forskrift § 3-17). See Chapter 3.
If the employee cannot document proficiency in Norwegian, Swedish or Danish at level A2 at the time of appointment, the institution must offer free Norwegian language training with the aim of achieving at least this level of proficiency (cf. Regulations § 3-18). The faculty must facilitate participation in Norwegian courses (ref. career plan), but such training does not entitle the employee to an extension of the employment period.
A Research Assistant position is intended to provide a foundation for a further academic career through tasks that offer insight into and experience with scholarly or artistic work and methodology (cf. uh-forskrift § 3-21). The main responsibilities shall consist of academic/artistic assistance and support for professional development activities. The work may include developing a doctoral project with the aim of applying for a PhD candidate position.
To be appointed as a Research Assistant, the candidate must have completed at least one year of undergraduate studies or equivalent. Individuals who have held a PhD candidate position or have obtained a doctoral degree are not eligible for appointment as a Research Assistant (cf. uh-forskrift § 3-21).
The fixed-term period for a Research Assistant position is up to two years. No individual may be employed in more than one Research Assistant term at the same institution (cf. uh-lov § 7-6). This provision is interpreted such that the total employment period in one or more Research Assistant positions at Nord University may not exceed two full-time equivalents.
Master’s students may be offered part-time positions as Research Assistants.
For part-time positions with an average working time of less than 15 hours per week, the rules on nomination and assessment do not apply, and the job code “Student Assistant” should be used.Full-time Research Assistant positions may be offered to candidates who have completed a master’s degree, for up to two years, minus any previous months worked as a Research Assistant during their studies.
3. Career Plan and Career-Promoting Activities for PhD and Postdoctor
Following appointment, the institution is obliged to establish an individual career plan in consultation with the PhD candidate or postdoctoral fellow. This should take place as part of the initial employee development interview. The employer and the PhD candidate/postdoctoral fellow shall complete the career plan together. The career plan must specify career goals and measures to achieve these goals. Any needs for language training and educational competence shall be included in the career plan.
The career plan must be followed up and updated regularly with the supervisor as part of the progress reporting (start-up, mid-term, and final seminar). The plan can also serve as a useful tool during the empoyee development interview. The career plan shall be evaluated at the end of the employment period.Other career-promoting activities refer to tasks beyond the research project and doctoral education that provide relevant knowledge and experience for further career development in higher education or research institutions, or in other sectors (cf. uh-forskrift § 3-16). These activities are not intended to include administrative work (cf. Directorate for Higher Education and Skills’ comments on the new regulations)
Examples of relevant career-promoting activities:
- Contributing to teaching, laboratory and practical instruction, supervision, and examination work within the employee’s areas of expertise
- Providing training in the use and operation of research infrastructure
- Norwegian language training, educational competence, HSE courses and similar activities necessary for conducting teaching and research
- Participating in dissemination, exhibition, and collection-related work
- Contributing to the preparation of research project proposals or the organization of academic conferences
- Participating in ongoing research projects, academic development work, consultancy, and analytical work within the academic community
- Research-based innovation or dissemination projects
- Job shadowing or collaboration with public or private sector actors
- Elected positions, representative roles, and committee work
The content and distribution of career-promoting activities during the employment period shall be determined by the employer in consultation with the PhD candidate and supervisor. The plan is updated annually with the status of completed and planned activities. The career plan is archived in a dedicated case file. A plan for career-promotion activities is only relevant for those with employment exceeding three years.
Normally, career-promoting activities for PhD candidates should be scheduled so that the final year can be dedicated entirely to doctoral research. Career-promoting activities may also be carried out after submission of the thesis and used for dissemination or innovation projects based on the research, or to gain teaching experience for a future academic career.
The scope of work is calculated according to the faculty’s standards or based on actual time spent. For original lectures, PhD candidates are credited with 50% additional time compared to the standard time for academic staff. This arrangement does not apply to PhD candidates with substantial teaching experience. Additional credit may also be granted for other particularly time-consuming tasks, based on individual assessment.
It is the employer’s responsibility to ensure that career-promoting activities do not delay progress in the doctoral education or infringe on the PhD candidate’s right to at least three full-time equivalents dedicated to doctoral research.
4. Advertisement
Recruitment positions should normally be publicly advertised and announced internally. All positions should normally be advertised internationally, at a minimum in the Nordic countries. For research assistant positions combined with studies, internal advertisement is sufficient.
Nord University aims to attract a broad and diverse pool of applicants for advertised positions. Job advertisements and qualification requirements must be formulated in a way that supports this goal, ensuring that no specific groups are excluded from applying. The advertisement must include a diversity statement in line with Nord’s Action Plan for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. The diversity statement is included as standard text in Nord’s advertisement templates.
The application deadline must be at least two weeks from the date of publication, but a longer deadline should be considered for positions requiring a project description.
The Dean is responsible for preparing the job advertisement. It must specify all requirements associated with the position. The current Nord template must be followed with regard to structure, content and salary placement. The advertisement text must be quality assured and approved by HR in Jobbnorge.
The job advertisement is formally approved by the Dean.
If no qualified applicants have come forward, or if there is a need to deviate significantly from the qualification requirements stated in the advertisement, the position must be re-advertised. The same applies if an unreasonable amount of time has passed since the position was first advertised, or if circumstances related to the position have changed significantly. Applicants must be notified of the re-advertisement.
5. Assessment of academic qualifications and personal suitability
For part-time appointments of students as Research Assistants, academic assessment and formal recommendation are not required. For all other recruitment positions, academic assessment, interview, and reference checks are mandatory.
The Dean, or a delegated authority, appoints an academic committee to screen and assess the applicants’ academic qualifications in relation to the job advertisement and the position’s qualification requirements. Normally, it is sufficient for two academic staff members at the faculty with professorial competence to provide a written statement on the applicants’ qualifications (internal assessment). For project-related positions, the project manager may participate in the assessment, provided they are impartial.
The academic committee shall prepare a report. See the designated report template for PhD and postdoctoral positions in Jobbnorge or the quality system. The report is submitted via eDialog and approved by the Dean.
The Dean, or a delegated authority, appoints a recruitment group to assess the personal suitability of the most relevant applicants. The group conducts interviews and reference checks. It normally consists of the immediate supervisor for the position, academic staff from the relevant field, and HR. Members of the academic committee may also be part of the recruitment group.
If any qualified applicants indicate that they have a disability (cf. Civil Service Regulations § 4), gaps in their CV (cf. § 4a), or a non-Western immigrant background (cf. § 4b), at least one applicant from each of these groups must be invited to an interview before a recommendation is made.
When assessing applicants for postdoctoral positions, emphasis shall be placed on documented academic qualifications, the project description (where required by the job advertisement), project quality, and personal suitability.
When assessing applicants for PhD candidate positions, emphasis shall be placed on their ability to complete the doctoral education. The assessment is primarily based on documented qualifications, the project description (where required by the job advertisement), project quality, and personal suitability.
6. Recommendation and appointment
The Dean is the recommending authority. The recommendation is based on a comprehensive assessment of the applicants’ qualifications and personal suitability in relation to the job advertisement. The assessment is based on the academic evaluation, interview, and reference checks. At least two references must be obtained for each applicant considered for recommendation.
If there are several qualified applicants, normally three candidates shall be recommended and ranked. A justification must be provided for the order of the recommended applicants.
Applicants who have been interviewed may upon request, receive information about their ranking in the recommendation and following the appointment decision, they may request access to the academic assessment of their own qualifications.
An employment contract must be signed prior to the commencement of work.
When determining the duration of the fixed-term period, the institution shall take into account the nature of the work, any time allocated to other career-promoting activities (cf. uh-forskrift § 3-16), and the available funding. The distribution between the research project/artistic development work and career-promoting activities must be specified in the employment contract. Any agreements on significant changes to the scope of career-promoting activities compared to the employment contract must be archived in the case file.
If the fixed-term period is linked to a project, the employee (PhD candidate or postdoctoral fellow) and the institution must prepare a description of the project and a realistic progress plan for its implementation. The project description and progress plan must be completed no later than three months after the employee’s start date in the position (cf. uh-forskrift § 3-16) and archived in a dedicated case file. For PhD candidates, the project description and progress plan shall be archived in the doctoral folder together with the application for admission.
The employee shall have access to academic supervision throughout the entire fixed-term period (cf. uh-forskrift § 3-16). Supervision agreements shall be archived in the case file.
If the conditions for employment are not met—for example, due to lack of admission to a doctoral programme, missing progress plan, failure to carry out or report on the project—the basis for employment ceases to exist, and the employer may consider terminating the employment contract and ending the employment relationship (cf. sal § 20, aml Chapter 15).
At the start of the employment period, it must be clarified who is responsible for providing academic supervision to the employee, in accordance with the project description and progress plan.
Both the academic supervisor and the employee are obliged to notify the employer in the event of failure to carry out the project or follow the progress plan.
A signed agreement for admission to a doctoral programme, Part A of the doctoral agreement, must be submitted no later than six months after the start of employment (cf. uh-forskrift § 3-19 regarding the requirement for “admission to a doctoral programme”).
PhD candidates are employed at the faculty where they will be admitted to the doctoral programme, normally the faculty of the main supervisor and the candidate’s daily workplace. This faculty holds the employer responsibility for the PhD candidate. Transfer to another doctoral programme cannot take place without agreement with the employer.
If the PhD candidate, by special agreement, has a workplace at another faculty or externally, the parties to the doctoral agreement must agree on how necessary equipment and operating resources will be financed and made available to the candidate.
If the employer, in special cases and upon application, wishes to appoint the candidate to a 50% part-time position or more for all or part of the period, the employment may be extended so that the doctoral education corresponds to three full-time equivalents.
In cases of direct transition from a PhD candidate position to another position, time spent on the candidate’s own doctoral work during the employment period is not counted. Leave or extensions of the fixed-term period under uh-forskrift § 3-17 are not included in the employment period. Time spent on other career-promoting activities during the fixed-term period is counted as a continuous period (cf. uh-forskrift § 3-17).
7. Leave of absence and extension of the fixed-term period
ANV decides on applications for leave of absence and extensions that are not based on entitlement, upon recommendation from the Dean.
The provisions of the Regulations concerning Conditions of Employment for Positions in the Civil Service (uh-forskrift) regarding leave of absence and extension apply to all employees in recruitment positions.Leave of absence and reduced working hours to which the employee in a recruitment position is entitled under statutory law or collective agreements, as well as sick leave, entitle the employee to an extension of the fixed-term period (cf. uh-forskrift § 3-17 ). Absence is counted from the first day of leave. Such applications must be submitted via eDialog and are processed by the HR Department.
Institutions may, in exceptional cases, extend the fixed-term period due to unforeseen obstacles related to the work that cannot be attributed to the employee (cf. uh-forskrift § 3-17). For PhD candidates, it is a prerequisite that the candidate will be able to complete the doctoral education within the extended period (cf. uh-forskrift § 2-3 (6)).
In exceptional cases, PhD candidates may also be granted an extension of the employment period beyond statutory and collectively agreed leave of absence, for up to three months, following prolonged absence due to personal health-related challenges. Any such extension on special grounds must be recommended by the supervisor and approved by the faculty.
The faculty is responsible for ensuring that funding is allocated to cover extraordinary costs related to extensions due to statutory and collectively agreed leave of absence, regardless of the source of funding for the position.
Employees are entitled to leave of absence and extension of the fixed-term period for central leadership roles in organizations related to their position (cf. uh-forskrift § 3-17).
Employees in recruitment positions who are elected to the University Board may, if they so wish, convert the board remuneration into funding for a paid extension of the fixed-term period.
Employees in recruitment positions who are elected members of boards, councils, extended management groups, or appointed members of committees, working groups or programme boards where no remuneration is paid, are entitled to a two-week extension of their employment period. For particularly time-consuming roles or combinations of roles, an extension beyond two weeks may be granted based on documentation. The extension must be agreed upon and funded by the level of the organization responsible for the role or committee work.
It is recommended that elected members and deputy members of elected bodies at faculty level collaborate and, if possible, divide tasks between them so that the deputy member may also receive compensation. The compensation scheme must be made known to candidates in advance. Those who need to travel to attend meetings shall be reimbursed in accordance with the Norwegian Government’s travel regulations.
Leave of absence may be granted for short-term substitute teaching or research positions, international research stays, or similar activities, provided that the absence does not delay progress in the postdoctoral project, doctoral education, or specialist training by more than six months. The employment period shall be extended accordingly (cf. uh-forskrift § 3-17).
Leave of absence that is not based on statutory or contractual entitlement is not a right and is decided by ANV on a case-by-case basis. The employee is not obligated to perform work for the faculty beyond the agreed research project and career development activities.
Leave of absence may only be granted if the supervisor deems it academically sound, a revised plan for completion of the doctoral education is in place, and the Dean finds it acceptable in terms of staffing and budget. The activities should primarily be included as part of the career development work in a revised career plan.
Institutions may extend the fixed-term period for PhD candidates and postdoctoral fellows up to the maximum duration of the position, i.e. up to four full-time equivalent years, if the scope of other career development activities has significantly increased after the start of the position (cf. uh-forskrift § 3-17).
Extension is contingent upon new funding opportunities for career development activities becoming available during the employment period.
Completed Norwegian language training and examination is credited with 10 weeks in the time accounting for career development activities.
8. Entry into force, transitional arrangements and revision
The guidelines are established by the Rector and enter into force on October 1st 2025.
New entitlements under the University and University College Regulations (2024) (uh-forskrift) related to Norwegian language, educational competence, career planning, and supervision do not apply to PhD candidates and postdoctoral fellows employed under the previous regulations (2006), unless specified in the employment contract or agreed upon with the manager.
The general provisions of the Personnel Regulations for Nord University also apply to recruitment positions where relevant. The Personnel Regulations are discussed and negotiated with the main employee organizations in accordance with the sal and the HTA.
These guidelines include excerpts from key laws and regulations. The text is not necessarily quoted verbatim, but references are provided to assist with interpretation. The Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir) will prepare guidance for Chapter 3 of the uh-forskrift.
The references are intended to facilitate administrative updates to the guidelines following minor changes in laws and agreements. Faculties shall be informed of such updates.
If changes in laws and agreements require more than a minor update to the guidelines, proposals for revision shall be discussed with the faculties and the main employee organizations.