Doctoral positions in Health and Biosciences at University of Oulu in Finland

University of Oulu is now hiring highly motivated candidates for doctoral student positions in the doctoral programmes of the University of Oulu Graduate School (UniOGS). There are multiple positions available in Health and Biosciences Doctoral Programme (DP-HBS)

Successful candidates must commit to researcher training within Health and Biosciences Doctoral Programme and to completing their degree within four years.

DP-HBS gathers clinical medicine, biomedicine, biochemistry, molecular medicine, dentistry, health sciences, medical technology and biology under the umbrella of a multidisciplinary training programme. As one of the four multidisciplinary doctoral programmes of the University of Oulu Graduate School, DP-HBS is a fundamental part of the University of Oulu strategic research focus area “Molecular and environmental basis of life-long health” and it will strengthen the systematic and already strong research training and collaboration in this field. DP-HBS operates in close connection with Medical Research Center Oulu (MRC Oulu) and Biocenter Oulu (BCO), and the research environment of the doctoral students spans over several faculties, predominantly the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine. The number of doctoral students in DP-HBS is over 600. There are max 11 full-time, four-year positions available in DP-HBS for 2020-2023 (this call). Within the HBS programme, it is possible to apply also for a shorter period of time than four years, including 3-6 months positions for 2020 (see the corresponding call).

Please note that you can only apply either long-term (four year) or short-term (3-6 months) position, but not both.

Requirements

An eligible candidate has a Master’s degree or an equivalent degree in a field relevant to the applied field. The degree must have been completed before the selection with at least good grades. Applicants are expected to be at the very early stage of research, in practice starting their doctoral training with this position. If they already have doctoral study rights in University of Oulu or elsewhere, they need to explain why they should still be considered as starters or early-stage researchers. Any applicant who have received their doctoral study rights 6.8.2017, or before, are ineligible to apply. Selected candidates must meet all the requirements to receive doctoral study rights as defined in:http://www.oulu.fi/uniogs/requirements_for_admission.

In student selection, priority will be given to such doctoral students whose supervisor is not receiving strategic spearhead or emerging funding related to doctoral training from the University of Oulu during the applicable term, i.e. 2020 onwards.

–       The major subject of the doctoral student is expected to be in the Doctoral Degree Programme of Medicine, Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Health Sciences, Dentistry or Biology.

Prior to submitting, applicants are expected to find a prospective main supervisor in an eligible research unit. Applicants are advised to seek potential supervisors in the faculty web pages or the research focus area web pages. The proposed main supervisor must clearly be identified in the application form (full name, title, position, faculty and research unit at the University of Oulu). A letter from the proposed supervisor willing to commit for supervision must be attached into the applicant’s set of documents (see below).

Unless explicitly stated otherwise, the commitment letter does not bind the proposed supervisor to any commitment, if the applicant is not selected into the doctoral student position applied here and for which the letter of support was provided.

Salary and key terms

The salary of selected doctoral students will be initially set on level 2, and later on levels 2 – 4 of the national salary scale for the teaching and research staff of Finnish universities. In addition, a supplementary remuneration is given for personal achievement and performance (max. 50 %). In practice, the salary is roughly 2200 – 2700 € per month for an early stage researcher, depending on the appointee’s qualifications and progress of the doctoral thesis.

Since this call is for starting doctoral researchers, the positions are filled for a four-year period, beginning on 1 January 2020. A six-month trial period is applied in the positions.

How to apply

Submit your application in English through the online system by 7 August 2019. Please include the following attachments as five separate pdf files (please note that the online system has a maximum size limit for attachments):

1. CV: Including a list of all peer-reviewed scientific publications with full reference details.
2. Motivation letter: Describing prior knowledge, research interests and career plan (max 1 page).
3. Certificates/Diplomas: Scanned electronic copies of diplomas and transcripts of the records of relevant previous degrees. If the original documents are not in Finnish, Swedish or English, each document must be accompanied by an official certified translation into Finnish or English.
4. Research plan approved by the supervisor: Please follow the structure given in the guidelines of the Academy of Finland (http://www.aka.fi/en/funding/apply-for-funding/az-index-of-application-guidelines/research-plan-structure/structure-of-research-plan-academy-research-fellow-funding/) However, for the current purpose, the texts under the given section headings need not cover all bullet points in the guidelines, and the maximum length of the (draft) plan’s body of text must not exceed 3 pages with 10-12 point font size and with at least 1,5 cm margins. A fourth page can be used for the list of references only. Thus, the max total length of the plan including the references is 4 pages. Exceeding the page limit will either result in disqualification or removal of the extra pages from the document.
5. Letter of provisional commitment from the supervisor (max 1 page): Thisis a brief letter (with date and signature) where an eligible supervisor (either a professor or a docent level researcher who is employed by the University of Oulu) states his/her willingness to act as the supervisor for the applicant. The commitment letter must clearly indicate the University of Oulu’s Research unit, to which the supervisor is affiliated.

Applications received after the deadline, incomplete applications, and/or applications with attachments that exceed the specified limits, will not be considered.

Application and evaluation process

Evaluation and ranking of the applications will take place in multiple stages. First, ineligible or incomplete applications are rejected. Second, eligible and complete applications are evaluated and ranked in the research units. Third, applications with highest scores from the second round will be further evaluated and ranked by corresponding Doctoral Training Committees. Finally, University of Oulu Graduate School deans will consolidate the evaluation results and make the final decision for the positions. All applicants will be informed of the selection by e-mail.

Further information

For information about eligibility and degree requirements, see the Graduate School website: https://www.oulu.fi/uniogs/

About the evaluation process: DP-HBS coordinator Mirja Peltola (firstname.lastname@oulu.fi). Due to Finnish summer vacation period, responses may be delayed.