The Focal Point North project at the Centre for Sami Studies announces scholarships for research visits at UiT – The Arctic University of Norway for the project period 2014–2016.

The Centre for Sami Studies (Sesam) has available funding for research visits at the centre through its project Focal Point North. The scholarship will be used to cover expenses connected to short or long-term stays in Tromsø (board and accommodation). Each applicant can be awarded up to NOK 50 000.

The purpose of the initiative is to facilitate people who wish to stay at UiT – The Arctic University of Norway in order to immerse themselves in academic activities relevant for their own work and the thematic focus of the Focal Point North project. Sesam wishes to use this scholarship to build an active knowledge network around research and education on indigenous topics in the Barents region.

The project Focal Pont North is a collaborative project between Sesam and the Department of Sociology, Political Science and Community Planning. It is funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs until the end of 2016. The project originates in UiT’s strength in indigenous research, in general, and, more particularly, in the academic programme revolving around the international Master’s Programme in Indigenous Studies at Sesam https://uit.no/sesam/mis. The starting point of the project lies in the encounters between peoples in the North throughout the history and development of the Arctic, with focus on the extensive changes resulting from globalization, climate change, and the challenges connected to the exploitation of resources. There are three key thematic areas: a) increased knowledge of the peoples in the North, b) driving forces and vulnerability in the North, c) network and cooperation among indigenous institutions.

Through its central function, the Centre for Sami Studies will strengthen the multidisciplinary research of the entire university on aspects related to the Sami and indigenous peoples. Further, the Centre will promote increased research and dissemination activities on Sami and indigenous topics, and strengthen the profile of and recruitment to study programmes dealing with Sami language, culture and indigenous peoples. The activity of the Centre for Sami Studies will contribute to a strengthening of the Sami language in academic contexts and to the development of collaboration with Sami educational and research institutions. In addition, the centre will assist institutional and faculty leaderships in issues concerning indigenous peoples.

We welcome applications by individuals who wish to actively participate in the building of a knowledge network through collaboration with Sesam and Focal Point North. The scholarships will be used to cover travel costs and additional expenses connected to the stay in Tromsø. The awarded individuals are expected to contribute with one lecture (held in English) for the students at the Master’s Programme in Indigenous Studies and to produce, in addition, a written text suitable for publishing on the project’s website, in the planned article collection, or some other form. The project can offer language check of the text.

The project will finance 3–5 scholarships per year.

Should there be any questions, please contact one of the project leaders:
Professor Bjørg Evjen (bjorg.evjen@uit.no) or
Professor Hans-Kristian Hernes (hans.kristian.hernes@uit.no)