Doctoral researcher positions in the Doctoral Programmes of Health and Biosciences (HBS-DP), Human Sciences (HS-DP), Information Technology and Electrical Engineering (ITEE-DP), and Technology and Natural Sciences (TNS-DP)

We are now looking for applicants for  

Three-year doctoral researcher positions

in the Health and Biosciences Doctoral Programme (HBS-DP), Human Sciences Doctoral Programme (HS-DP), Information Technology and Electrical Engineering Doctoral Programme (ITEE-DP), and Technology and Natural Sciences Doctoral Programme (TNS-DP) of the University of Oulu. The five positions are fully funded for three years by the University of Oulu Graduate School (UniOGS) and by the research units.

About the positions

HBS-DP: max. two three-year positions

• HBS-DP funds doctoral research in the following doctoral degree programs: medicine, biochemistry and molecular medicine, dentistry, and health sciences

HS-DP: max. one three-year position

• HS-DP funds doctoral research in the following doctoral degree programs: economics and business administration, educational sciences and psychology, humanities, geography (human geography)

ITEE-DP: max. one three-year position

• ITEE-DP funds doctoral research in the following doctoral degree programs: electrical engineering, communications engineering, computer science and engineering, and information processing science

TNS-DP: max. one three-year position

• TNS-DP funds doctoral research in the following doctoral degree programs: architecture; biology; physics and astronomy; geosciences and mining engineering and mineral processing; chemistry; mechanical engineering; geography (physical geography); mathematical sciences; process and environmental engineering; civil engineering; industrial engineering and management

In the current call, there are max. five full-time, three-year positions available for the period 2026-2028. The doctoral researcher positions are primarily intended for doctoral research for researchers who do not yet have doctoral study rights or are in the early stages of their doctoral thesis work. The positions are full-time and fixed-term for a maximum of three years, starting at the earliest on 1.1.2026 and at the latest on 1.4.2026.  Applicants may apply for only one position in this call.

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, including people of different ages, genders, and members of different languages, cultures, or minority groups.

What we offer?

• The support of an experienced and enthusiastic community where you can share your expertise and grow as an expert.
• Development and career options of the big organization.
• Wellness benefit ePassi covers sports, culture, and well-being. Read more about other staff benefits 
• Work that matters and a workplace that promotes flexibility and work-life balance. Read more about working with us
• Our Buddy Programme and Spouse Network support you and close ones in settling into Oulu.
• We have an HR Excellence in Research , a quality label, which is a recognition awarded by the European Commission for the development of researchers’ working conditions and careers. Read more about living in Oulu

Who are you?

You are expected to have the ability to pursue research, work productively in a team of various backgrounds, and potentially supervise undergraduate students. Specifically, you must have:

• Master’s degree in a relevant field (completed at the time of application). 
• You must be just starting or at the early stages of your thesis project. You must not have received doctoral studies right before 01.01.2025.
• Candidates must meet all the requirements to receive doctoral study rights as defined in the UniOGS webpages. Candidates granted the funded position need to have doctoral study rights or apply for them as soon as possible. The study rights must be received within the 6-month trial period.
• Candidates should have achieved a good grade in their degree (3/5, or at least 60% of the maximum grade, in both coursework and master's thesis).
• Applicants will not be considered if their principal supervisor is a Principal Investigator (PI) or co-PI in a spearhead or emerging project of the Centers for Multidisciplinary Research. Applicants may submit their application even if their principal supervisor has applied for a spearhead project. However, if the principal supervisor is selected as a co-PI or PI of the spearhead project, the applicant will no longer be eligible for the position.
• Applicants will not be considered if their principal supervisor is already serving as the principal supervisor for other doctoral researchers who receive University of Oulu funding for doctoral training (i.e., salaried doctoral researcher positions of more than one year, granted by UniOGS or doctoral education pilots) for the year 2026 or beyond.
• Your principal supervisor can sign a commitment letter for only one applicant.

Salary

The successful candidate will be employed at the University of Oulu. The salary will be based on levels 2–4 of the demand level chart for Finnish universities' university-level teaching and research staff. In addition, a salary component based on personal work performance will be paid (a maximum of 50% of the job-specific component). The starting gross salary will be approximately €2500 – 2900 per month, depending on the qualifications. A trial period of 6 months is applied to the position.

How to apply?

Interested? If yes, please apply by  31.08.2025 (23:59 Finnish local time) through our recruitment system.

Before submitting, applicants are expected to find a prospective principal supervisor in an eligible research unit. Applicants are advised to seek potential supervisors on the faculty's web pages. The applicants should discuss applying for the position with their principal supervisor. A commitment form from the proposed principal supervisor willing to commit to supervision must be attached to the applicant’s set of documents (see below).

The application must be written in English (in the University’s Varbi recruitment system) and include the following attachments:

1. Cover letter (max. 1 page), which should include an introduction of yourself and your academic background, and a description of your research interests and motivation towards doctoral studies.
2. CV following the guidelines of the Finnish National Board on Research Integrity TENK (max. 3 pages)
3. Certificates and transcripts of records: Scanned electronic copies of all pages of a) diplomas and b) 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 following the guidelines of the Academy of Finland (max. 4 pages + references)
5. Commitment form signed by the principal supervisor (download here the pre-formulated form that must be used): In this document the eligible principal 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. Commitment letter must include the (tentative) supervisor’s assurance that the research unit director is aware of and committed to the financial obligations related to these positions.

Selection criteria 

Applicants will be ranked based on:

• Competence of the applicant
• Quality of research (scientific quality, novelty, innovativeness)
• Feasibility of research plan

=> Overall rating

Applicants in the early stages of their thesis projects will be given priority. Ineligible or incomplete applications are rejected, and selection is then made by the selection panel. For equally qualified applicants, the selection process considers gender equality and the applicant's progress in their studies. All applicants will be informed of the selection by e-mail.

Contact Information 

Please visit the UniOGS web pages for information about admission and doctoral study rights at the University of Oulu.

For questions about the selection process and selection schedule, please contact:    

Coordinator Emmi Alakärppä (emmi.alakarppa@oulu.fi) for questions related to HBS-DP  

Coordinator Janne Kurtakko (janne.kurtakko@oulu.fi)– for questions related to HS-DP   

Coordinator Mirjami Jutila (mirjami.jutila@oulu.fi) – for questions related to ITEE-DP   

Research Coordinator Jouko Inkeröinen (jouko.inkeroinen@oulu.fi) - for questions related to TNS-DP