Reference number: PAR 2026/746

About the University and Department

The University of Gothenburg tackles society’s challenges with diverse knowledge. 58 000 students and 6800 employees make the university a large and inspiring place to work and study. Strong research and attractive study programmes attract researchers and students from around the world. With new knowledge and new perspectives, the University contributes to a better future.

The Department of Political Science is an international academic environment that welcomes students, researchers and staff from all over the world. Our research covers topics such as political institutions, elections, public opinion and democracy, international and European politics, environmental politics, corruption and political ideas. The Department of Political Science at the University of Gothenburg is ranked as the best in Sweden and one of the top 10-15 in Europe in its subject area, according to the global Shanghai ranking of academic subjects for 2024. We organize a large number of research seminars and workshops each year in the various research areas of the department. We offer education at all levels in both Swedish and English. In total, around 1,400 people study with us, and we have around 170 employees.

For more information about the Department, visit our website www.pol.gu.se.

The research project

The postdoctoral fellow will join Mistra CLEAN, a research programme examining the connections between institutional failures and environmental challenges in Sweden and beyond. The programme focuses on how institutional failures—including corruption, policy and regulatory capture, and environmental crime—emerge, how they affect environmental governance and outcomes, and how institutional resilience can be strengthened. It brings together researchers from the University of Gothenburg and the Institute for Futures Studies in a multidisciplinary research environment.

Mistra CLEAN has four main objectives: (1) to provide a comprehensive mapping of capture, corruption, and crime in Swedish environmental governance; (2) to investigate the causes and consequences of institutional failure, including through selected international comparisons; (3) to develop diagnostic tools for identifying institutional vulnerabilities and strengthening resilience in public and private organizations; and (4) to train a new generation of scholars working across disciplinary boundaries.

The postdoctoral fellow will primarily contribute to research connected to two work packages based at the University of Gothenburg. WP2 (Vulnerability analysis and corruption risks) examines where and why corruption risks arise across environmental sectors, focusing on formal and informal rules, stakeholder constellations, accountability mechanisms, and emerging vulnerabilities associated with the green transition. WP4 (Environmental impacts of institutional failure) investigates how institutional failures contribute to environmental degradation and identifies mechanisms through which these effects may be addressed. This includes not only overt corruption and environmental crime, but also institutional “grey zones”, such as lobbying, close regulator–industry relationships, and vulnerabilities transmitted through global value chains.

The position provides substantial scope for the postdoctoral fellow to develop an independent research agenda and initiate original studies within these broader themes. Research may draw on a range of methodological approaches and data sources, including quantitative and experimental methods, surveys, text analysis, interviews, administrative and organizational data, and AI-assisted approaches. Potential topics include the causes and consequences of corruption and capture, institutional vulnerabilities in the green transition, regulatory and organizational responses to environmental crime, accountability and institutional resilience, and the environmental consequences of institutional failure.

The postdoctoral fellow will join a collaborative and interdisciplinary research environment with expertise spanning political science, criminology, law, computer science, environmental economics, and philosophy. Mistra CLEAN offers strong opportunities for international publication, methodological development, and collaboration across institutions and disciplines, while providing considerable scope to build an independent research profile at the intersection of environmental governance, institutional failure, corruption, and environmental crime.

A more detailed project description is available upon request.

Subject area

Political science.

Subject area description

Political Science is the study of politics.

Duties

The employment as a postdoctoral fellow aims to provide an early opportunity to develop independence as a researcher after completing a doctoral degree and to create favourable conditions for further academic qualifications. The postdoctoral fellow is expected to focus primarily on research. Teaching may be included in the duties but may comprise no more than one-fifth of the working time.

The successful candidate will join a collaborative research team and be integrated into the research environment at the Department of Political Science, including the Centre for Environmental Political Studies (CEPS) and the Quality of Government (QoG) Institute. The position offers excellent opportunities for intellectual development, collaboration and mentoring, while providing substantial scope to build an independent research agenda and academic profile. The project also provides opportunities for international collaboration, conference participation, methodological development, and ambitious new data collection.

We thus expect the successful candidate to take an independent role in developing high-quality studies within the broader framework of the project and to contribute to publications in leading international journals.

Eligibility

The eligibility criteria for employing teaching staff are set out in Chapter 4 of the Higher Education Ordinance and in the Appointment Procedure for Teaching Posts at the University of Gothenburg.

To be eligible for appointment as a postdoc, the applicant is required to have a doctoral degree, a doctoral degree in art or a foreign degree that is deemed to be equivalent to a doctoral degree. This eligibility requirement must be met before the employment decision is made.

In the first instance, those who have completed their degree no more than three years prior to the end of the application period shall be considered. Those who have completed their degree more than three years prior to the end of the application period may also be considered in the first instance if special grounds exist. Special grounds relate to leave of absence due to illness, parental leave, commissions of trust within union organisations, service within the defence services or other similar circumstances, as well as clinical service or service/assignment relevant to the subject area.

For more information regarding eligibility please visit The Appointment Procedure GU 2024/1687

Assessment criteria

Applicants must hold a PhD in political science or another field relevant to the project, no later than the date on which the appointment decision is made. We are looking for candidates with strong methodological skills and an ability to develop rigorous and creative research designs. These may include, but are not limited to, the use of surveys and experiments, registry-based data, quantitative and qualitative text analysis, and interviews. In addition, a specialization in corruption, climate and environmental politics, or related fields is considered an asset.

Applicants should have a strong interest in collaborative research and demonstrate the ambition and ability to produce high-quality research, both independently and as part of a team.

We are also interested in candidates who enjoy developing creative research designs and theoretically motivated empirical studies. An interest in acquiring new methodological skills and in working across disciplinary boundaries is highly valued. Applicants should also have the ability to work constructively and effectively within a collaborative research environment while developing their own ideas and research profile.

Applicants must have excellent written and oral proficiency in English.

To be successful in this position, you must have an eye for detail, good organizational skills and be able to solve problems. You need to have excellent communication and collaboration skills.

Great emphasis is placed on personal suitability for the position. We will make an overall assessment and the applicant who is considered to be best qualified to carry out and develop the tasks described above will be appointed to the position.

Employment

The employment is limited (temporary) for 2 years, with the possibility of extension up to 3 years 100% of full-time at the Department of Political Science. Starting date; August 2027 or as agreed.

Contact information

If you have questions regarding the employment, or details about the projects in which this position is organized, please contact Lisa Gastaldi, Lisa.Gastaldi@gu.se

If you have any questions regarding the employment procedure, please contact Helena Jensen, helena.jensen@gu.se

Unions

Union representatives at the University of Gothenburg can be found here:

https://www.gu.se/en/work-at-the-university-of-gothenburg/how-to-apply-for-a-position#collective-agreement-and-union-representatives

Application

Submit your application via the University of Gothenburg’s recruitment portal by clicking the “Apply” button. It is your responsibility to ensure that the application is complete as per the vacancy notice, and that the University receives it by the final application deadline.

We kindly ask you to write your application in English as the application may be reviewed by English-speaking staff. In the selection process, it will likely be relevant with interviews, reference taking and work tests in English.

The application should include the following:

• A letter of application (max 3 pages), outlining how your research agenda can contribute to this project. It should clearly show the ways in which the applicant meets the requirements specified above.

• A CV (including list of publications)

• One writing sample

• A list of at least three references (with contact information) from whom letters of recommendation can be solicited

Applications must be received by: 2026-11-19

Information for International Applicants

Choosing a career in a foreign country is a big step. Thus, to give you a general idea of what we and Gothenburg have to offer in terms of benefits and life in general for you and your family/spouse/partner please visit:

https://www.gu.se/en/about-the-university/welcome-services

https://www.movetogothenburg.com/

The University works actively to achieve a working environment with equal conditions, and values the qualities that diversity brings to its operations.

Salaries are set individually at the University.

In accordance with the National Archives of Sweden’s regulations, the University must archive application documents for two years after the appointment is filled. If you request that your documents are returned, they will be returned to you once the two years have passed. Otherwise, they will be destroyed.

In connection to this recruitment, we have already decided which recruitment channels we should use. We therefore decline further contact with vendors, recruitment and staffing companies.