PRIO invites applications for a 2-year, full-time Postdoctoral Researcher in social psychology/ psychology/ cognitive science or a closely related field for the ERC project “Rituals in combatant-to-civilian transformation” (Com2Civ), led by PI Júlia Palik. The position provides an opportunity to work at a leading international research institute, located in Norway’s capital city, Oslo, as part of a novel interdisciplinary project on the role of rituals in the reintegration process of ex-combatants. The position will involve fieldwork in Colombia and the Philippines.
About Com2Civ
Com2Civ investigates how rituals shape the social reintegration of ex-combatants, positively and negatively, after war. Com2Civ is a multidisciplinary project, drawing on insights from political science, social psychology, anthropology, and gender studies. The project develops new theory on ritual-driven socialization into combatant and civilian identities and generates novel evidence through life-history interviews, surveys, and social cartography with ex-combatants from FARC-EP (Colombia) and MILF (Philippines). Com2Civ will strive to reveal the social-psychological mechanisms involved in combatant-to-civilian transformation processes, contributing to scientific efforts aimed at understanding the individual level mechanisms of reintegration. Com2Civ results will appear in major multidisciplinary journals, advancing the field in at least four disciplines.
The core team consists of the PI (Júlia Palik whose expertise is in ex-combatant reintegration and gender studies), one postdoc (the position being announced now) whose expertise should be in social psychology/psychology or a closely related field), and a second postdoc whose expertise will be in evolutionary or cultural anthropology (Colombia-focused work), and research assistants.
The work of the postdoctoral researcher in social psychology (position announced here) will focus on the survey work package (WP3) in both field sites and contribute across the project.
Key responsibilities
- Design, pilot, and implement face-to-face surveys with ex-combatants based on life history interviews, including instrument development (e.g., verbal identity fusion scale), sampling/logistics, quality assurance, data management, and preregistration (OSF).
- Collaborate with subcontracted fieldwork partners in Colombia and the Philippines and collaborate closely with the PI and the other postdoctoral researcher.
- Design and embed a survey experiment (e.g.: ritual recall and affect induction) to test links between ritual salience and various intra and intergroup outcomes.
- Write journal articles in collaboration with the PI and other members of the team.
- Contribute to theory building and cross-method integration.
Opportunities
- Shape a novel, interdisciplinary research agenda at the intersection of political science, social psychology, anthropology, and gender studies.
- Work within a leading international research institute (PRIO, Oslo) with strong survey/fieldwork support networks and ethics/data management expertise.
- Present at international conferences and engage policy audiences (e.g., UN DDR community). Dedicated travel and dissemination resources are budgeted.
- The PI of Com2Civ is part of several leading psychology and anthropology labs and research groups in Norway, Europe, and the US. These contacts provide networking and collaboration opportunities for the successful candidate within the broader research environment focused on rituals and intra/inter-group relations.
- Com2Civ will also create conditions for the Postdoc to complete ongoing research and initiate new research agendas.
Qualifications
Required
- PhD in social psychology, psychology or a closely related field. The PhD dissertation must have been submitted before the application deadline, and the degree must have been awarded before the starting date.
- Relevant research experience focusing on rituals and/or measuring inter- and intragroup relations.
- Demonstrated expertise in survey design and analysis, including sampling, instrument development, implementation, and statistical analysis.
- Proficiency with statistical software (e.g., R, Stata, or Python) and transparent, reproducible workflows.
- Strong collaborative skills.
- Excellent written and spoken English.
Desirable
- Experience with survey experiments and affect/recall inductions.
- Field experience in Colombia and/or the Philippines; local languages (Spanish and Tagalog) are an asset.
- Previous work with an interdisciplinary team and/or work demonstrating interdisciplinarity.
- Familiarity with reintegration research (e.g., ex-combatants, veterans, prisoners), trauma-informed, ethical research with vulnerable populations.
Work conditions
Contract: 2 years, full-time. The position is research-only.
Location: The institute is located in a spacious and attractive premises in central Oslo. The work will be performed in Oslo, Norway (on-site presence required), with field travel to Colombia and the Philippines.
Postdoctoral researchers at PRIO are formally placed under the staff category of Senior Researcher. The starting salary for a Senior Researcher at PRIO is NOK 769,893 (before taxes). Employees are offered membership in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.
Additional employee benefits include a subsidized canteen, a weekly running group and various social events. Moreover, PRIO provides an excellent work environment.
Application procedure
Before applying, the candidates should read the project proposal of Com2Civ, focusing particularly on Work Package 3. To access the proposal, please contact the PI, Julia Palik on email: julpal@prio.org. Submit the following documents in English and PDF format via PRIO’s online form by 24 November, 2025.
- Application letter (1–2 pages) addressing how you meet the required and desired qualifications; describe relevant experience and your motivation to apply for this position. If you do not meet any of the required criteria, just say so.
- Short statement (1–2 pages) outlining how your expertise will contribute to Com2Civ’s WP3 and how you would address feasibility in the two sites (Colombia and the Philippines).
- One–two publications you consider your best work (single/first-authored preferred; working papers welcome). Please briefly (max. two paragraphs) explain why you consider this to be your best work and how it speaks to Com2Civ.
- CV in English, including a list of publications.
- Scans of transcripts/certificates (single PDF).
Com2Civ allows a degree of flexibility in integrating the applicant’s own ideas, provided they align with the project’s aims and ethical commitments. Therefore, the applicants are welcome, but are not required, to suggest (in Attachment 6) research ideas that could be integrated into WP3 of Com2Civ.
Assessment procedure
The interviews with selected candidates will take place in the beginning of December 2025 (in person or online). Candidates will be requested to provide the full name and contact details of three references. References will be contacted after the interview stage. The expected starting date for the position is 1 January 2026, or unless otherwise mutually agreed.
Contacts
For questions about the project, as well as requests for Com2Civ project description, should be sent to the PI, Senior Researcher Júlia Palik, julpal@prio.org For information about the recruitment process or the submission of your application, please contact Catarina Barbieri (catbar@prio.org), tel. +47 916 94 674
PRIO is an equal-opportunity employer and values staff diversity. For more information on our HR and recruitment approach, please consult our recruitment principles and careers page
