Institution: University of Gothenburg Reference number: PAR 2026/497 The University of Gothenburg tackles society’s challenges with diverse knowledge. 58,000 students and 6,800 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 2025. 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: https://www.pol.gu.se The Department of Political Science at the University of Gothenburg invites applications for a Postdoctoral Fellow in Political Science, 100% full-time, for a two-year appointment with the possibility of extension. The position focuses on research in political behavior and comparative politics, with a particular focus on parenthood, health, pregnancy, and social outcomes. Research Project and Research Environment The Gothenburg Research Program on Pregnancy and Politics (PregDem) is a cross-disciplinary research program bringing together political scientists, midwives, obstetricians, and other researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Princeton University, and McGill University. Its overarching aim is to deepen understanding of how pregnancy and becoming a parent affect people’s relationship to society, work, and politics—and how political and institutional conditions, in turn, shape experiences of pregnancy, care, and early parenthood. The program also includes research on whether and how the policy preferences of pregnant people and their partners are taken up by political parties, parliaments, and public policy. PregDem is led by Professor Elin Naurin and funded by the Swedish Research Council, the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, and the University of Gothenburg. More information is available at: https://www.gu.se/en/pregdem We are looking for a postdoctoral fellow who wants to build a strong research profile in an interdisciplinary environment where questions about democracy, health, gender, parenthood, and inequality meet. The postdoctoral fellow will be affiliated with two ongoing research projects within PregDem, with established frameworks, data sources, and research questions. For researchers interested in empirical social science, the projects offer strong opportunities to work with rich data, robust research designs, and questions that reach beyond the specific substantive area. At the same time, the position offers room to shape the projects’ continued direction, develop analyses, publications, and possible sub-studies, and broaden their expertise. Project 1: Having a Child, Political Participation, and Representation In this project, we investigate how having a child affects women’s political participation and opportunities to participate in representative politics. The study uses a research design based on IVF treatment, comparing women whose IVF treatment leads to a child with otherwise similar women whose treatment does not lead to a child. Through linked Swedish register data, the project can follow outcomes such as: voter turnout, candidacy and elected office, broader labor market and career outcomes over time. The postdoctoral fellow will contribute to: developing theory and the empirical strategy, analyzing data, writing scientific articles on how having a child may shape political participation, representation, and career development. Project 2: Perinatal Health, Measurement Strategies, and Inequality in Social Outcomes In this project, we examine differences in perinatal health and care, as well as possible long-term consequences of health complications during pregnancy, childbirth, and the early period with a young child. One part of the project uses data from the Swedish Pregnancy Register and the Swedish Neonatal Care Register to develop comparable measures of: health need, care burden, complications. Another part links these measures to sources such as LISA and electoral registers to analyze: inequalities in care relative to need, possible consequences for political participation and labor market outcomes. The project offers scope for both methodological development and substantive analyses of: health, inequality, civic participation, while also contributing to theoretical development in the field. Research Group and Collaborations The postdoctoral fellow will be part of the PregDem research environment and work closely with researchers in political science, obstetrics, reproductive health, and related fields. The projects involve researchers from: University of Gothenburg, Princeton University, McGill University. These include: Elin Naurin Elias Markstedt Moa Frödin Gruneau Verena Sengpiel Maria Forslund Karolina Linden Helen Elden Tanushree Goyal (Princeton University) Dietlind Stolle (McGill University) Subject Area Political Science Subject Area Description Political science is the study of politics. Duties Employment as a postdoctoral fellow gives the employee an early opportunity to develop their independence as a researcher after completing their doctoral degree and to create the conditions for further qualifications. The person employed as a postdoctoral fellow will mainly conduct research. Teaching may be included in the duties, but for no more than one-fifth of the working time. The work will be carried out in close collaboration with the research group and may include responsibility for sub-studies. The postdoctoral fellow is expected to independently develop theoretical and empirical ideas at the intersection of: political science, health research, economics, register-based methods, research on inequality. Duties include: leading and contributing to scientific publications, developing and conducting quantitative analyses, preparing, linking, and analyzing register and survey data. This may include data from: the Swedish Pregnancy Register, the Swedish Neonatal Care Register, LISA, electoral registers, other Swedish administrative registers, previous survey studies within PregDem. The work may also include: ethics applications, documentation, measurement strategies, data preparation, project meetings, workshops, international collaborations. The position offers good opportunities for: supervision and mentoring, conference participation, methodological training, further skills development, additional data collection within the framework of the projects, where relevant. 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 postdoctoral fellow, the applicant must have: a doctoral degree, a doctoral degree in art, or a foreign degree deemed equivalent to a doctoral degree. This eligibility requirement must be met before the employment decision is made. In the first instance, applicants who completed their doctoral degree no more than three years prior to the end of the application period will be considered. Applicants who completed their degree earlier may also be considered where special grounds exist, including: illness, parental leave, union assignments, military service, clinical service, other relevant service or assignments. For more information regarding eligibility, see: Appointment Procedure Teaching Posts GU 2024-3252 Assessment Criteria The assessment will primarily be based on: scientific merit, the applicant’s ability to conduct and develop research within the area of the position. Particular weight will be given to: research quality, ability to work independently, potential to contribute to the projects. Required Qualifications A doctoral degree in Political Science or a relevant related subject no later than the time at which the employment decision is made. Documented research competence relevant to one or more of the research areas of the position. Good ability to independently produce high-quality scientific writing. Excellent written and oral proficiency in English. Meritorious Qualifications Experience with quantitative methods, especially causal or quasi-experimental research designs. Experience working with: register data, health quality registers, longitudinal survey data, other large-scale data sources. Experience with quantitative analysis in: Stata, R, Python. Research experience in:Scientific publications. political participation, representation, gender and politics, health inequalities, labor market outcomes, social inequality. High-quality manuscripts. Interdisciplinary collaboration. Project coordination. Responsibility for sub-studies. The work involves engaging with Swedish registers, documentation, and administrative systems. Knowledge of Swedish is not required, but the person employed should be willing to learn about the Swedish context and, where needed, develop relevant language understanding during the employment. To be successful in this position, you should: work carefully and independently, communicate well with researchers from different disciplines, contribute constructively to a research group spanning political science, obstetrics, epidemiology, and related fields. Great emphasis is placed on personal suitability, especially: collaborative ability, analytical independence, capacity to take responsibility for research tasks within joint projects. An overall assessment will be made, and the applicant considered best qualified to carry out and develop the tasks described above will be appointed. Employment The employment is a full-time position limited to two years, with the possibility of a one-year extension, and is currently placed at the Department of Political Science, University of Gothenburg. Starting date: 1 January 2027, or as agreed. For more information, see: Appointment Procedure Teaching Posts GU 2024-3252 Contact Information Elias Markstedt Email: elias.markstedt@pol.gu.se Helena Jensen (Recruitment process) Email: 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 according to the vacancy notice, it is received by the University before the application deadline. Applications should be written in English, as they may be reviewed by English-speaking staff. The application should include: a letter of application (maximum 1 page) outlining how your research background has prepared you to contribute to the projects and demonstrating how you meet the requirements, a short outline of possible research ideas relevant to the projects (maximum 2 pages, excluding references), a CV, including a list of publications, one writing sample (published article or manuscript), a list of at least three references with contact information who may be contacted for letters of recommendation. Applications must be received by: 7 September 2026 Information for International Applicants Choosing a career in a foreign country is a big step. For information about benefits and life in Gothenburg, 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 with this recruitment, the University has already decided which recruitment channels to use. Therefore, further contact with vendors, recruitment agencies, and staffing companies is declined. If you apply for this position please say you saw it on Socioloxy

Institution: University of Gothenburg

Reference number: PAR 2026/497

The University of Gothenburg tackles society’s challenges with diverse knowledge. 58,000 students and 6,800 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 2025.

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:

https://www.pol.gu.se

The Department of Political Science at the University of Gothenburg invites applications for a Postdoctoral Fellow in Political Science, 100% full-time, for a two-year appointment with the possibility of extension.

The position focuses on research in political behavior and comparative politics, with a particular focus on parenthood, health, pregnancy, and social outcomes.

Research Project and Research Environment

The Gothenburg Research Program on Pregnancy and Politics (PregDem) is a cross-disciplinary research program bringing together political scientists, midwives, obstetricians, and other researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Princeton University, and McGill University.

Its overarching aim is to deepen understanding of how pregnancy and becoming a parent affect people’s relationship to society, work, and politics—and how political and institutional conditions, in turn, shape experiences of pregnancy, care, and early parenthood.

The program also includes research on whether and how the policy preferences of pregnant people and their partners are taken up by political parties, parliaments, and public policy.

PregDem is led by Professor Elin Naurin and funded by the Swedish Research Council, the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, and the University of Gothenburg.

More information is available at:

https://www.gu.se/en/pregdem

We are looking for a postdoctoral fellow who wants to build a strong research profile in an interdisciplinary environment where questions about democracy, health, gender, parenthood, and inequality meet.

The postdoctoral fellow will be affiliated with two ongoing research projects within PregDem, with established frameworks, data sources, and research questions.

For researchers interested in empirical social science, the projects offer strong opportunities to work with rich data, robust research designs, and questions that reach beyond the specific substantive area.

At the same time, the position offers room to shape the projects’ continued direction, develop analyses, publications, and possible sub-studies, and broaden their expertise.

Project 1: Having a Child, Political Participation, and Representation

In this project, we investigate how having a child affects women’s political participation and opportunities to participate in representative politics.

The study uses a research design based on IVF treatment, comparing women whose IVF treatment leads to a child with otherwise similar women whose treatment does not lead to a child.

Through linked Swedish register data, the project can follow outcomes such as:

voter turnout,
candidacy and elected office,
broader labor market and career outcomes over time.

The postdoctoral fellow will contribute to:

developing theory and the empirical strategy,
analyzing data,
writing scientific articles on how having a child may shape political participation, representation, and career development.

Project 2: Perinatal Health, Measurement Strategies, and Inequality in Social Outcomes

In this project, we examine differences in perinatal health and care, as well as possible long-term consequences of health complications during pregnancy, childbirth, and the early period with a young child.

One part of the project uses data from the Swedish Pregnancy Register and the Swedish Neonatal Care Register to develop comparable measures of:

health need,
care burden,
complications.

Another part links these measures to sources such as LISA and electoral registers to analyze:

inequalities in care relative to need,
possible consequences for political participation and labor market outcomes.

The project offers scope for both methodological development and substantive analyses of:

health,
inequality,
civic participation,

while also contributing to theoretical development in the field.

Research Group and Collaborations

The postdoctoral fellow will be part of the PregDem research environment and work closely with researchers in political science, obstetrics, reproductive health, and related fields.

The projects involve researchers from:

University of Gothenburg,
Princeton University,
McGill University.

These include:

Elin Naurin
Elias Markstedt
Moa Frödin Gruneau
Verena Sengpiel
Maria Forslund
Karolina Linden
Helen Elden
Tanushree Goyal (Princeton University)
Dietlind Stolle (McGill University)

Subject Area

Political Science

Subject Area Description

Political science is the study of politics.

Duties

Employment as a postdoctoral fellow gives the employee an early opportunity to develop their independence as a researcher after completing their doctoral degree and to create the conditions for further qualifications.

The person employed as a postdoctoral fellow will mainly conduct research.

Teaching may be included in the duties, but for no more than one-fifth of the working time.

The work will be carried out in close collaboration with the research group and may include responsibility for sub-studies.

The postdoctoral fellow is expected to independently develop theoretical and empirical ideas at the intersection of:

political science,
health research,
economics,
register-based methods,
research on inequality.

Duties include:

leading and contributing to scientific publications,
developing and conducting quantitative analyses,
preparing, linking, and analyzing register and survey data.

This may include data from:

the Swedish Pregnancy Register,
the Swedish Neonatal Care Register,
LISA,
electoral registers,
other Swedish administrative registers,
previous survey studies within PregDem.

The work may also include:

ethics applications,
documentation,
measurement strategies,
data preparation,
project meetings,
workshops,
international collaborations.

The position offers good opportunities for:

supervision and mentoring,
conference participation,
methodological training,
further skills development,
additional data collection within the framework of the projects, where relevant.

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 postdoctoral fellow, the applicant must have:

a doctoral degree,
a doctoral degree in art, or
a foreign degree deemed equivalent to a doctoral degree.

This eligibility requirement must be met before the employment decision is made.

In the first instance, applicants who completed their doctoral degree no more than three years prior to the end of the application period will be considered.

Applicants who completed their degree earlier may also be considered where special grounds exist, including:

illness,
parental leave,
union assignments,
military service,
clinical service,
other relevant service or assignments.

For more information regarding eligibility, see:

Appointment Procedure Teaching Posts GU 2024-3252

Assessment Criteria

The assessment will primarily be based on:

scientific merit,
the applicant’s ability to conduct and develop research within the area of the position.

Particular weight will be given to:

research quality,
ability to work independently,
potential to contribute to the projects.

Required Qualifications

A doctoral degree in Political Science or a relevant related subject no later than the time at which the employment decision is made.
Documented research competence relevant to one or more of the research areas of the position.
Good ability to independently produce high-quality scientific writing.
Excellent written and oral proficiency in English.

Meritorious Qualifications

Experience with quantitative methods, especially causal or quasi-experimental research designs.
Experience working with:
- register data,
- health quality registers,
- longitudinal survey data,
- other large-scale data sources.
Experience with quantitative analysis in:
- Stata,
- R,
- Python.
Research experience in:Scientific publications.
- political participation,
- representation,
- gender and politics,
- health inequalities,
- labor market outcomes,
- social inequality.
High-quality manuscripts.
Interdisciplinary collaboration.
Project coordination.
Responsibility for sub-studies.

The work involves engaging with Swedish registers, documentation, and administrative systems.

Knowledge of Swedish is not required, but the person employed should be willing to learn about the Swedish context and, where needed, develop relevant language understanding during the employment.

To be successful in this position, you should:

work carefully and independently,
communicate well with researchers from different disciplines,
contribute constructively to a research group spanning political science, obstetrics, epidemiology, and related fields.

Great emphasis is placed on personal suitability, especially:

collaborative ability,
analytical independence,
capacity to take responsibility for research tasks within joint projects.

An overall assessment will be made, and the applicant considered best qualified to carry out and develop the tasks described above will be appointed.

Employment

The employment is a full-time position limited to two years, with the possibility of a one-year extension, and is currently placed at the Department of Political Science, University of Gothenburg.

Starting date: 1 January 2027, or as agreed.

For more information, see:

Appointment Procedure Teaching Posts GU 2024-3252

Contact Information

Elias Markstedt
Email: elias.markstedt@pol.gu.se

Helena Jensen
(Recruitment process)
Email: 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 according to the vacancy notice,
it is received by the University before the application deadline.

Applications should be written in English, as they may be reviewed by English-speaking staff.

The application should include:

a letter of application (maximum 1 page) outlining how your research background has prepared you to contribute to the projects and demonstrating how you meet the requirements,
a short outline of possible research ideas relevant to the projects (maximum 2 pages, excluding references),
a CV, including a list of publications,
one writing sample (published article or manuscript),
a list of at least three references with contact information who may be contacted for letters of recommendation.

Applications must be received by: 7 September 2026

Information for International Applicants

Choosing a career in a foreign country is a big step.

For information about benefits and life in Gothenburg, please visit:

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 with this recruitment, the University has already decided which recruitment channels to use. Therefore, further contact with vendors, recruitment agencies, and staffing companies is declined.

If you apply for this position please say you saw it on Socioloxy

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