Doctoral Researcher (7 Positions)

We are seeking Doctoral Researchers (7 positions) to the Doctoral Programme of the Philosophical Faculty. The positions will be hosted by the Philosophical Faculty on the Joensuu campus and will start on 1 January 2026. Please find more information below, and submit your application by 4 September 2025.

Role and salary

The Philosophical Faculty trains professionals and experts in the fields of the humanities, education, psychology and theology (https://www.uef.fi/en/philosophical-faculty). The faculty's research activities are multidisciplinary and theoretically and methodologically diverse, and they are closely linked to the university's strategy. A total of seven (7) Doctoral Researcher positions will be filled in the Doctoral Programme of the Philosophical Faculty. The actual number of Doctoral Researchers to be appointed to the doctoral programme will be determined during the selection process and can change from the announced number due to eligibility and the evaluation of applications.

As a Doctoral Researcher, you will work in the Doctoral Programme of the Philosophical Faculty. The duties of a Doctoral Researcher include conducting doctoral research in accordance with their approved research plan.

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 or another organisation), 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 2026 or as agreed, however, no later than 1 June 2026. 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 doctoral 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 four years, working full-time. The position of a Doctoral Researcher may be held for a maximum of four years. A probationary 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 2,281.48 – 2,844.66 /month, depending on the stage of the applicant’s doctoral research and 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 Philosophical Faculty
• be planning or working on your first doctoral degree
• be a doctoral student registered with the University of Eastern Finland or planning to complete your doctoral dissertation at the University of Eastern Finland.
• In addition, the duration of the funding of your full-time doctoral research must not exceed three years by 1 January 2026.

We offer you

• an interesting position in an international, creative, participatory and inclusive university community
• the opportunity for flexible multi-location work,
• The staff benefits of the University of Eastern Finland, including comprehensive occupational health care, extensive provision of staff training, affordable lunch in our campus restaurants, Sykettä sports services and a tax-free bike benefit.

How to apply

Please submit your application by 4 September 2025 by using the electronic form.

Applications will be evaluated based on uniform criteria, taking into account the research plan and the strengths and weaknesses of the application as a whole. In addition, the progress of doctoral research and studies will be taken into account for those applicants who are already registered as doctoral students with the University of Eastern Finland.

The following areas of the research plan will be evaluated: linkage of the research with the disciplines and themes of the doctoral programme; scientific and societal relevance; goals and research questions; theoretical framework and concepts; mastery of the research literature; the plan for the collection of data and analysis methods; the plan covering the schedule, publication and funding of the research; analysis of ethical viewpoints; and the scientific quality and innovativeness of the research plan. These areas will be evaluated on a scale of 6–1 (6 exceptional, 5 excellent, 4 good, 3 fair, 2 poor, 1 insufficient).

The research plan of the doctoral dissertation must comply with the guidelines of the doctoral programme.

Applicants who do not have an existing study right for doctoral studies at the University of Eastern Finland must agree on the supervision arrangements of their doctoral research with the supervisors before submitting their application.

Applications will be evaluated based on uniform criteria, utilising external experts where necessary. The evaluation may include an interview.

Questions?

earlyresearchers_sophi@uef.fi

The Philosophical Faculty operates on the Joensuu Campus of the University of Eastern Finland. The faculty trains professionals and experts in the fields of the humanities, education, psychology and theology. In addition to four academic schools, the faculty comprises a teacher training school intended for supervised teaching practice and for the development of teacher training. The faculty's research activities are multidisciplinary and theoretically and methodologically diverse, and they are closely linked to the university's strategy. The faculty has approximately 4,000 Bachelor’s and Master’s degree students and some 340 postgraduate students. The staff amounts to 450 persons, including the staff of the teacher training school.

The University of Eastern Finland (UEF) is the most multidisciplinary university in Finland. Our university employs approximately 3,200 employees, and our community includes approximately 17,000 degree students and 16,000 adult education students. Our campuses are located in Joensuu and Kuopio. We represent the world’s cutting edge of research in many fields and produce research-based knowledge, which is made openly available to benefit everyone. Learn more about our university at www.uef.fi/en. Read also about UEF as a working community and employer and the career stories of our employees.

Työsopimuksen voimassaolo: määräaikainen työsopimus | Työsuhteen luonne: kokoaikainen/osa-aikainen | Paikkojen lukumäärä: 7 | Työllisyysaste: 100 | Paikkakunta: Joensuu | Maakunta: Pohjois-Karjala | Maa: Finland | Ilmoitusnumero: 986/01.01.03/2025 | Yhteys: earlyresearchers_sophi@uef.fi , earlyresearchers_sophi@uef.fi , | Julkaistu: 2025-08-15 | Haku päättyy: 2025-09-04