How to Apply

The University of Helsinki Doctoral Schools invites applicants for three-year doctoral researcher positions. The positions are part of the national pilot for doctoral training and are in the different pilot consortia. The application period will start on 2 April 2024 and end on 22 April 2024 at 23:59 local Helsinki time (East European Summer Time, UTC+3).  

Selected applicants are employed by the University of Helsinki. They are subject to the annual workload system used in Finnish universities; the annual workload is 1,612 hours per academic year. More information about salary, and other further details concerning the employment relationship are available in the call for applications (available when the call is open). The positions start (in principle) on 1 August 2024 or 1 January 2025.   

Applications must be prepared in accordance with the instructions below. 

The application together with the required attachment should be submitted via the electronic recruitment system of the University of Helsinki. The link to the application form can be found on this website at the beginning of the application period. 

Applications must be submitted by 23:59 local Helsinki time on 22 April 2024. Only applications submitted within the designated application period will be processed. Applicants are advised to log into the electronic system well before the end of the application period to ensure that they are familiar with the system. If applicants experience any difficulties with the system, they should contact the Doctoral School (doctoralpilot@helsinki.fi) before the deadline for applications. The applications cannot be modified after the deadline. 

You can apply for the program through two pathways depending on if you already have a committed supervisor for your project or not. 

First pathway: I have supervisor for my project 

Applicants applying through the first pathway are required to have:  

• A research plan drawn up in collaboration with the supervisor.  
• Supervision plan drawn up in collaboration with the supervisor.  
• A study right for a doctoral degree awarded no earlier than 1.11.2023 OR a stage of studies that allows the candidate to be awarded a right to study for a doctoral degree during the probationary period, i.e. within six months of the start of employment.  

Second pathway: I do not yet have a supervisor for my project 

Second pathway applicants are required to have:  

• An example of a research idea. Candidates who progress to the next stage of the call will have the opportunity to apply for a supervisor and complete their application with a research and supervision plan later.  
• A stage of studies that allows the candidate to be awarded a right to study for a doctoral degree during the probationary period, i.e. within six months from the start of employment. 

Applications should be submitted via the electronic application form and complemented with the attachments listed below. Please combine all required attachments, including your CV, into a single PDF document in the order indicated below, title this document as Surname_application and upload it in the application system under the CV section. You must use the templates provided for your attachments and follow the given character limits. 

If you have a supervisor, you need to submit the following: 

• Research plan (please see template below) 
• Supervision plan (please see template below) 

If you have not yet a supervisor, you need to submit the following: 

• Research idea (please see template below) 

All applicants need to submit the following documents: 

• Motivation letter (please see template below) 
• Curriculum vitae (please see template below) 
• Master’s degree (or equivalent) certificate and transcript of records (or transcript of studies only, if you have not graduated yet) 

No other documents (e.g., letters of recommendation, statements on dissertations, writing samples, or publishing contracts) will be considered in the selection process.  

The application documents must be written in English. Incomplete applications will not be processed. Applicants will be disqualified if the character limits have been exceeded or if the attachments are in the wrong format/not according to the templates. 

Applications for a salaried position are submitted via the University of Helsinki recruitment system. Links to application forms/call text can be found on the bottom of these pages when the call opens. 
You need to fill in the following information in the application form: 

• Background information, including: 
  • date of birth, gender, nationality, country of residence 
  • Information about Master’s degree (or equivalent) 
• Information about possible doctoral study right at the University of Helsinki 
  • If you have doctoral study right, you need to fill in your study number, doctoral programme, faculty and the starting date of your study right 
  • If you do not have a doctoral study right, you need to fill in in your desired doctoral programme and faculty. Please see a list of all doctoral programmes on the university website. 
• Information about the working contract 
  • Do you wish to start on August 1st, 2024, or January 1st, 2025. 
  • Faculty or department where the research is carried out. 
• Information about the doctoral thesis project 
  • Tentative title for your thesis and preliminary year of defence 
  • Research field(s) 
• Information about the supervisors 
  • If you already have a supervisor: supervisor’s name, title, affiliation, and email address 
  • If you don’t have a supervisor yet: suggest here at least one supervisor for your project. Please see a list of potential supervisors on the consortia’s website. 

Information about the applicant’s gender and nationality is for statistical purposes only. As this information has no influence on the application procedure, applicants may choose to not disclose this information. Information about the applicant’s nationality is also for statistical purposes. Again, this information has no influence on the application process. 

Please combine all required attachments, into a single PDF document in the order indicated below, title this document as Surname_application and upload it in the application system under the CV section. 

All attachments must to be written in English. 

Research plan 

The research plan must be drawn up in collaboration with your main supervisor. You must use the research plan structure presented in the template (Word-file) and follow the maximum number of characters including spaces indicated in the template. The applicant will be disqualified if the instructions are not followed. 

In the template, leave the titles and subtitles and remove all instructions text in italic.

Layout: Font ARIAL/Calibri size 11 and row min 1,15 (or similar if not using Word).  

The maximum number of pages is five using the above-mentioned layout. No pages after the limit will be read and evaluated. 

Research idea 

Applicants applying without a supervisor need to submit an idea for a research plan. Applicants who proceed to the next stages in the call will have a chance to find a suitable supervisor and complete their application with a research and supervision plan later. 

In the template, leave the titles and subtitles and remove all instructions text in italic.

You must use the research idea structure presented in the template (Word file). The applicant will be disqualified if the instructions are not followed. 

Layout: Font ARIAL/Calibri size 11 and row min 1,15 (or similar if not using Word) 

The maximum number of pages is two using the above-mentioned layout. No pages after the limit will be read and evaluated. 

Supervision plan 

The supervision plan must be drawn up in collaboration with your main supervisor and signed by both of you. You must use the supervision plan structure presented in the template (Word file). The applicant will be disqualified if the instructions are not followed.  

In the template, leave the titles and subtitles and remove all instructions text in italic.

Layout: Font ARIAL/Calibri size 11 and row min 1,15 (or similar if not using Word) 

The maximum number of pages is two using the above-mentioned layout. No pages after the limit will be read and evaluated. 

Motivation letter 

You must use the motivation letter structure presented in the template (Word file). The applicant will be disqualified if the instructions are not followed. 

In the template, leave the titles and subtitles and remove all instructions text in italic.

Layout: Font ARIAL/Calibri size 11 and row min 1,15 (or similar if not using Word) 

The maximum number of pages is two using the above-mentioned layout. No pages after the limit will be read and evaluated.   

CV 

CV must follow the template of the Finnish National Board on Research Integrity TENK. The applicant will be disqualified if the instructions are not followed. 

Layout: Font ARIAL/Calibri size 11 and row min 1,15 (or similar if not using Word) 

Evaluation criteria 

Salaried position applications are evaluated in different rounds. The first round is an eligibility check. 

In the competency assessment round, the applicants who meet the eligibility criteria, are evaluated in: 

• Creativity, analytical and conceptual thinking skills  
• Determined and independent approach to work  
• Collegiality, ability to collaborate constructively with others and inspire others  

According to the evaluations of the competency assessment, selected candidates who qualify for the evaluation round, are evaluated based on: 

• Thematic fit of the research plan for the pilot project   
• Suitability of and success in previous studies, other research skills and experience  
• Motivation to do a PhD and to accomplish it in set time  
• Supervision arrangements & research environment   
• Research plan  
• Feasibility (3-year target time, funding, risk and mitigation plan)  
• Intersectoral mobility 
• Scientific excellence (novelty, relevance, impact, methodology) 

Final decisions are made by a selection board nominated by the doctoral school. 

Selection process 

Please find a preliminary timetable for the selection process below. 

April 2024  

• Call open 2.-22.4. 
• Eligibility check 
• Competency assessment 26.-30.4. 

May 2024  

• Evaluation of the applications 
• Thematic fit for the pilot project  
• Research plan and feasibility 
• Previous studies, other research skills and experience 
• Motivation  
• Supervisory arrangements and research environment 
• Suitability to suggested doctoral programme (if the applicant doesn’t have a doctoral study right yet) 
• For those applying without a dedicated supervisor: match-making. 
• Final decisions on pilot positions by the selection committee appointed by the doctoral school. 
• For those who found a supervisor in the match-making phase: a more detailed timetable will be published later in April. 

June 2024  

• Employment contracts (HR) 
• Practical arrangements (HR, supervisor, research group) 
• Information session for those who don’t have a doctoral study right yet 

August 2024  

• First cohort: positions start 

September 2024  

• Study right applied (if not earlier) 
• Complementary call for doctoral pilot positions 

January 2025  

• Second cohort: positions start 
• Second cohort: study right applied (if not earlier) 
• Doctoral study right begins (if not earlier)