Aaron John Spitzer

Aaron John Spitzer is an Associate Professor of Arctic Governance at the Department of Comparative Politics, University of Bergen (UiB), Norway. He is co-leader of the international research project Indigenous Peoples and Governance in the Arctic and leads the ERC-funded Contested Frontiers (CONFRONT) project (2024–2029), which explores constitutional politics in settler-state peripheries. His academic work bridges comparative politics, constitutional law, and normative political theory.

Research Interests:

• Arctic and Indigenous Governance
• Settler-Colonial Constitutionalism
• Metapolitics and the Boundary Problem
• Self-Determination vs. Liberal Democracy
• Truth Commissions and Transitional Justice
• Land Claims and Co-Management Institutions

His recent publications analyze the Finnmark Act, Sami land rights, settler voting rights in US territories, and truth commissions in Norway and Canada. The articles reflect a consistent thematic focus on the tension between individual liberal rights and collective Indigenous self-determination, particularly in federal and post-colonial contexts. His methodological approach combines comparative case studies, legal analysis, and political theory.

Scientific Awards and Funding:

• European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant (101115513), 2024–2029

Advising and Grants:
Aaron Spitzer has co-supervised PhD research, notably collaborating with Per Selle on Sami governance topics. He has secured major external funding, including from the Research Council of Norway (projects 302041, 274976, 248159, 259416, 230839), and leads a high-profile ERC project, indicating strong grant-writing capacity and leadership in Arctic political studies.

Labs and Research Teams:
Spitzer is co-leader of the Indigenous Peoples and Governance in the Arctic project and principal investigator of the Contested Frontiers (CONFRONT) research group. He collaborates extensively with scholars at UiB, Chr. Michelsen Institute, and UiT The Arctic University of Norway, forming a robust network in Indigenous and Arctic political studies.