Tre kolleger i samtale

MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship 2025 – Migration and Mental Health

Oslo Metropolitan University is Norway's third largest university with almost 22,000 students and over 2,500 employees. We have campuses in central Oslo and at Romerike. OsloMet educates students and conducts research that contributes to the sustainability of the Norwegian welfare state and the metropolitan region.

The Faculty of Health Sciences consists of five departments and offers study programmes on all levels, including PhD. The faculty has about 6000 students and nearly 600 members of staff.

Department of Nursing and Health Promotion is located at all three campus: Kjeller, Pilestredet and Sandvika. The department has approximately 3000 students and 250 employees.

Call for Expression of Interest to develop a joint application to the EU Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action European Postdoctoral Fellowship scheme

OsloMet invites interested researchers of any nationality, fulfilling the eligibility requirements for the fellowship, to express their interest in developing an application for a two-year project at OsloMet, funded by the Marie Skłodowska Curie European Postdoctoral Fellowship 2025 (Call: HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF-01-01).

Eligibility requirements:

Migration and Minority Health Research Group

This research group at OsloMet is a multidisciplinary academic environment dedicated to migration and ethnic minority health in multicultural contexts, recognizing migration and ethnicity as key determinants of overall health. The group addresses critical topics such as mental health, nutritional challenges, equity, social inequality, and access to healthcare services at both national and global levels. Migration and ethnicity are significant drivers of health inequalities, and improving the health and well-being of these populations requires evidence-based policies and targeted interventions. By identifying and evaluating effective strategies, the group aims to enhance the health and well-being of migrant and minority populations while tackling health disparities on a broader scale. The research group is based at the Faculty of Health Sciences, the Department of Nursing and Health Promotion.

Area of research for the project proposals

Successful candidates will be supervised by Professor Dawit Shawel Abebe. He has 10 years’ experience studying the intersection of migration, ethnicity, and health within public health contexts.  For more information on Abebe, see his profile at OsloMet.

Professor Dawit Abebe’s research focuses on the mental health of children and adolescents, with particular attention to disparities influenced by migration and ethnic minority status. His work also explores health outcomes and access to healthcare services among migrant populations, addressing the unique challenges they face in achieving equitable health and well-being.

Candidates are invited to investigate the mechanisms and processes underlying how and why disparities in well-being develop among immigrant children from early childhood to adolescence and beyond. This includes examining structural factors such as socioeconomic status and systemic discrimination, as well as individual-level mechanisms like family dynamics, cultural adaptation, and resilience. The research also explores how social, cultural, and institutional systems shape well-being trajectories and the effects of acculturation stress, social support networks, and identity formation on mental health and overall outcomes.

Candidates may also focus on identifying and developing effective integration and health-promoting strategies for immigrant populations. This includes exploring interventions to reduce inequalities, improve access to social and health services, and address barriers that hinder equitable participation and well-being.

With this call for Expression of Interest, we invite researchers to submit:

  1. Application letter stating your motivation. The letter should state concisely why the proposed research project is solid, timely and innovative, why you are the best qualified person to carry it out, and also why our department is the perfect place for you to carry it out.
  2. CV (including publication list)
  3. A one-page project description (excluding references), that will be the basis for candidates with whom we will collaborate for developing competitive MSCA-PF proposals.

Starting Date of the fellowship

Evaluation results for the MSCA-PF-2025 applications are expected to be communicated by the EU Commission in February 2026. Successful applicants may start the fellowship at the earliest in April 2026, given that they can move to Norway at that time, and are expected to start no later than the end of 2026.

Expected qualification of applicants

Candidates must have a PhD in medical and health sciences, public health, sociology, psychology, or a related discipline as the minimum requirement.  We are primarily looking for experienced researchers who wish to use this period as an opportunity to further develop their research, and to develop longer term research collaborations with OsloMet and other organisations conducting research in the field.

We are looking for applicants who have

Assessment and selection of candidates

Evaluation will be based on the qualification and project idea.

Short-listed candidates will be invited for a virtual interview to select candidates who will be invited to develop the full MSCA-PF application with deadline 10.09.2025, under the supervision of Professor Dawit Abebe and with the support of the professional research administration staff at OsloMet.

Candidates will be informed of the results of the internal pre-selection and invitation to apply no later than 01.04.2025.

Original documents about your qualification must be presented if you are invited for an interview. OsloMet performs document inspections in order to give you as a candidate a proper evaluation and to ensure a fair competition. All documents that you hand in to OsloMet, including your proposal idea, will be handled in full confidentiality and in strict compliance with GDPR regulations.

Selected candidates must participate in a virtual masterclass on MSCA-PF, a two-day workshop organised by OsloMet on 28.-29. April 2025 to provide applicants with detailed information and explanation of the application template to complete their proposal in compliance with the EU Commission requirements.

Employment at OsloMet

Successful applicants who obtain a MSCA-PF grant will be offered a position at OsloMet to be hired as researchers to implement their proposed research projects, in conditions as explained below.

We offer:

OsloMet assists in developing competitive MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship proposals. To successful applicants who are awarded the MSCA-PF grant, we offer:

Remuneration:

OsloMet has implemented the Charter for researchers and been granted the HR Excellence in Research (HRS4R) by the EU Commission and is part of the EU network for mobility of Researchers EURAXESS. OsloMet International Staff Services will assist you during your relocation to Norway and practical information about can be found at our website Work at OsloMet and EURAXESS Norway. 

Contact

Address: Pilestredet 32, Oslo 0166, Norway

Last day of application

Call closes on 31st January 2025

Published: 20th December 2024

Reference number: 24/28096

OsloMet is a Charter & Code certified institution by the EU Commission holding the right to use the logo HR Excellence in Research (HRS4R). OsloMet is a member of the EURAXESS network supporting a positive work environment for researchers in motion.

OsloMet has signed The Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA). DORA recognizes the need to improve the ways in which the outputs of scholarly research are evaluated.

The engagement is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants, and the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Candidates who are seen to be in conflict with the criteria in the latter law will not be considered for the position.

Visit OsloMet at LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram