PhD Research Fellow in Documentary Production and Ethics
Investigate documentary ethics, storytelling, and emerging technologies through practice-based artistic research.
Best for:Best for active documentary practitioners in film or audio seeking to pursue rigorous artistic research on ethics and new technologies.
Overview
The University of Stavanger invites applications for a three-year fully funded PhD position in Documentary Production and Ethics at the Faculty of Social Sciences. Affiliated with the Department of Media and Social Sciences and the Documentary and Ethics Research Group, the successful candidate will conduct artistic research combining documentary film or audio production with explicit written reflection and analysis. The project explores how contemporary technological developments, particularly artificial intelligence, challenge traditional notions of authenticity, trust, and truthfulness in fact-based storytelling. The candidate will receive structured supervision, mentoring, and professional development while working in an inclusive and collaborative academic environment.
What you'll do
- Develop and execute a doctoral-level documentary production project in film or audio as the core component of the research.
- Produce a comprehensive written reflection and analysis accompanying the artistic work to contextualize methodologies and findings.
- Investigate the impact of new technologies and artificial intelligence on documentary truthfulness, authenticity, and trust.
- Collaborate closely with assigned supervisors to refine the preliminary project proposal into a final PhD project plan within the first three months.
- Engage actively with the Documentary and Ethics Research Group and participate in academic and artistic dissemination activities.
- Complete coursework and educational requirements outlined in the PhD programme in Artistic Research.
Requirements
Degree required: Master's degree in a relevant field or documented artistic competence and production experience
Degree offered: PhD
Language: English; good oral and written communication skills required
Instruction: English
- Active documentary practitioner experience working in film or audio production
- Demonstrated ability to reflect critically on one's own artistic and production practice
- Strong conceptual and practical understanding of documentary storytelling and ethical frameworks
- Capacity to conduct independent academic and artistic research at a high international level
- Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage a demanding workload
- Must hold a master's degree or equivalent qualification providing a basis for doctoral studies
- Master's degree thesis and weighted average grade must correspond to a grade of B or better on the Norwegian scale
Funding & terms
How to apply
Deadline: 2026-11-20
Prepare a preliminary project proposal including a plan for documentary production using the provided template, along with your CV, academic transcripts, and documentary portfolio. Submit your complete application package through the official online recruitment portal.
- CV
- Preliminary project proposal
- Documentary production portfolio
- Master's thesis
- Transcripts
- Grade conversion scale if applicable
Contact
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