A PhD collaboration between the National Museum and the University of Oslo

The National Museum in Oslo, exterior
The National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design
Photo: Iwan Baan

During the period 2023–2027, four doctoral research fellowships will be announced as part of the Fredriksen Scholarship programme. Two fellows have already started, and the third call for applications is now open.

The calls for applications are thematically open and can accommodate projects within the research fields of the National Museum – including art history, conservation, education, and museology. The mandate of the museum is to develop, preserve, conduct research, and to promote public knowledge about Norway's biggest collection of art, architecture, and design. 

New position available now, with deadline 5 January 2026: Read more and apply here. 

Art historian Adine Lexow was awarded the first scholarship, and is currently working on her doctoral project "Frida Hansen: Weaver, Gardener, Artist, Woman". The second scholarship was awarded to Trine Nordkvelle who will research Thomas Fearnley's The Grindelwald Glacier in an ecocritical perspective.

Read the strategy for research and development of the National Museum here

About the PhD collaboration

  • The National Museum is collaborating with the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Oslo on four PhD fellowships.
  • The aim of the collaboration is to strengthen the research communities of both institutions and to enhance scholarly exchange.
  • The scholarship recipients will follow the PhD programme of the Faculty of Humanities.
  • The research grants are financed through the museum’s collaboration agreement with the Fredriksen Family Art Company.
  • The National Museum is responsible for the announcements relating to the PhD scholarships and for selecting the scholarship recipients.
  • The National Museum adheres to the principle of honoring the independence of research. Fundamental to all the National Museum collaborations, is the freedom of the individual researcher to work autonomously, without interference in their choice of methods, results, or forms of dissemination.

Related

Two women and a man in front of a large painting of a glacier.
How can a 200-year-old painting say something about today’s environmental challenges?
Trine Nordkvelle's PhD project will focus on Thomas Fearnley's "The Grindelwald Glacier" in an eco-critical perspective.
Floral entanglements: Frida Hansen’s weaving and gardening practices
The flower garden was a great source of inspiration for Frida Hansen throughout her life.
The Fredriksen collaboration
The collaboration agreement with Cecilie and Kathrine Fredriksen encompasses the establishment of a unique art collection with a focus on contemporary and modern art and a research programme.
New research on Frida Hansen
The National Museum initiates a new doctoral project about the artist Frida Hansen, funded by the Fredriksen Family Art Company.
Research and development
Research and development work at the National Museum is generally conducted in connection with the museum’s own exhibitions, collection activities, publications and conferences.