Doctoral Researcher (6 positions)

We are seeking Doctoral Researchers (6 positions) to the doctoral programme of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies. The positions are located at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies in either Kuopio or Joensuu and will start on 1 January 2027 or as agreed. Please find more information below, and submit your application by 10 November 2026. 

Role and salary   

The Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies trains experts in several fields of study (https://www.uef.fi/en/faculty-of-social-sciences-and-business-studies). The faculty’s research activities are multidisciplinary and theoretically and methodologically diverse, and they are closely linked to the university’s strategy. One post of Doctoral Researcher will be filled in the doctoral programme of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies in each department or school of the faculty (Department of Geographical and Historical Studies, UEF Business School, UEF Law School, Department of Health and Social Management, Department of Social Sciences, and Karelian Institute). 

As a Doctoral Researcher, you will work in the Doctoral Programme of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies. The duties of a Doctoral Researcher include conducting doctoral research in accordance with their approved research proposal.  The position of a Doctoral Researcher may be applied for either on a full-time or a part-time basis. Part-time positions must be co-financed with some other funding source (for example, an external grant), so that the total amount of funding enables the candidate to work full-time on their doctoral dissertation.  

The positions will be filled as from 1 January 2027 or as agreed, however, no later than 1 April 2027. Doctoral Researcher positions are always filled for a fixed term. The positions are filled for a fixed term due to doctoral dissertation work related to postgraduate studies. The positions will be filled for a fixed term of at least one and at most three years. Any previous employment relationships as a doctoral researcher and any other previous funding used for doctoral research will be taken into account in the granting of a Doctoral Researcher position and its duration. The aim is to complete the doctoral degree in three years, working full-time. A trial period is applied to new members of the staff. 

The salary of the post is based on the salary system for the teaching and research staff of Finnish universities. The salary consists of a job-related salary element and a personal salary element. In this position, the job-related salary element is based on levels 2–4 of the job requirement level chart (EUR 2,331.67 – 2,907.24 /month), depending on the stage of the applicant’s doctoral research and postgraduate studies. In addition, a personal salary element is paid, which is 6–50% of the job-related salary element. 

We expect you to   

• Be eligible for doctoral education: to hold a relevant Master’s degree or have suitable foreign education qualifying for equivalent university studies in the awarding country, 
• Meet the student admission criteria for the Doctoral Programme of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies. Student admission criteria can be found here: https://www.uef.fi/en/degree-programme/doctoral-programme-of-the-facult…;
• Be planning or working on your first doctoral degree,
• Have been granted the right to pursue postgraduate studies at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies after 1 January 2025 or be planning to apply for the right to pursue postgraduate studies and complete your doctoral degree at this faculty,
• The appointment will be conditional for applicants who do not yet have the right to pursue postgraduate studies. Applicants must have the right to pursue postgraduate studies at the Faculty at the time they start in the position.

Application deadline

Please submit your application by 10 November 2026 by 23:59 (midnight) Finnish time (UTC+2).

For more information: https://uef.varbi.com/en/what:job/jobID:976051/type:job/where:4/apply:1