Postdoctoral Researcher, Faculty Of Health Science (6 Positions)

The Faculty of Health Sciences is inviting applications for 6 Postdoctoral Researcher positions. The positions will be filled for a fixed term of two years, starting on 1 January 2026 (or as agreed). Please find more information below and submit your application no later than 5 November 2025.

Role and Salary

The Faculty of Health Sciences offers 6 new postdoctoral researcher positions with a duration of 2 years. The positions are intended for individuals who completed their doctoral studies in 2024 or 2025 at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland. The aim is to support doctoral graduates from the University of Eastern Finland who wish to pursue an academic career. In addition to high-quality research, the positions aim to facilitate the preparation of funding applications and the establishment of a research group.

The work will be carried out in accordance with a research plan that includes work packages and sub-goals. This ensures that by the end of the two-year period, the researcher has developed a strengthened independent research line and improved capacity to apply for external funding and establish their own research group. The research plan may be prepared in collaboration with a mentor and potential partners.

As our new Postdoctoral Researcher, your main responsibilities will include:

• preparing new research plans and applying for research funding,
• advancing your research and research career at our university,
• producing high-quality scientific publications,
• supervising student theses (especially doctoral dissertations),
• building national and international research collaboration networks.

The position will be filled for a fixed 2-year term, from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2027. A probationary period is applied. The position can be applied for as full-time or part-time. A part-time postdoctoral position must be co-funded with another funding source (e.g. a grant that can be combined with an employment contract or other external funding), in a way that enables the researcher to carry out their own full-time postdoctoral research. The funding allocated for the position may then be used, as separately agreed, for other research-related costs.

The salary of the position is determined in accordance with the salary system for Finnish universities. The salary comprises two components: a job-related salary element and a personal salary element. In this position, the job-related salary element is based on level 5 of the job requirement level chart for teaching and research staff. The personal performance salary element is 6-50 % of the jof-related salary element. Depending on the personal performance element, the salary will be approximately EUR 3,620 - 3,985/month at the beginning of the employment.

Evaluation

In the evaluation of applications, special attention will be paid to the following:

• the relevance of the applicant’s doctoral degree and other academic qualifications and merits that support the topic of the research plan,
• the quality and feasibility of the research plan, including a career plan (max. 2 pages). The plan may include a period abroad during the two-year contract,
• the feasibility of the overall funding plan, taking into account the possibility of part-time arrangements,
• the motivation letter.

Special attention will also be paid to the applicant’s plans and potential for an independent research career, including international networking and applying for external funding.

The assessment process may include interviews with the candidates. Invitations to interviews will be sent separately.

Our Requirements and Expectations

Requirements:

• you are eligible to apply if you have completed your doctoral degree at the University of Eastern Finland, Faculty of Health Sciences, in 2024 or 2025, or your doctoral thesis has been submitted for preliminary examination by the end of October 2025.
• good spoken and written English skills.

The following will be considered an advantage:

• previous research funding (at doctoral level) and independent roles in research projects,
• national and international research cooperation networks.

Your Benefits

You will have access to the university’s staff benefits, including:

• the opportunity for flexible multi-location work,
• extensive occupational health care,
• a broad selection of staff training (including thesis supervision courses),
• staff discount on lunch in our campus restaurants, as well as on a range of other services,
• affordable sports services.

How to Apply?

Submit your application by using our electronic application form no later than 5 November, 2025 by 23:59 (midnight) Finnish time (UTC+2). Only applications that contain all appendices specified in the call will be evaluated and taken into account in the selection. Before the final decision is made, we will ensure that the relevant university department is committed to hosting the proposed candidate and position.

Please include the following appendices in your application:

• a CV (Template for CV, website),
• a list of publications (Instructions, website),
• copies of your academic degree certificates, and copies of certificates relating to your language proficiency if not indicated in the academic degree certificates,
• a research plan including a career plan (max. 2 pages),
• an overall funding plan (maximum 1 page) and budget estimate in table format (Instructions, pdf),
• a motivation letter (max. 1 page),
• other documents to demonstrate your merits for the position.

Questions

For further information on the position, please contact Dean Markus Forsberg, markus.forsberg@uef.fi, +358 29 4454291 or Head of Research and Innovation Emilia Kansanen, emilia.kansanen@uef.fi, +358 29 4454120.

For further information on the application procedure, please contact Executive Head of Administration Hanna Ollikainen-Richards, hanna.ollikainen-richards@uef.fi, +358294458251.

The Faculty of Health Sciences operates at the Kuopio Campus of the University of Eastern Finland. The Faculty offers education in medicine, dentistry, nutrition and pharmacy, as well as in some other central fields of the health care sector. The Faculty is research-intensive, and its internationally recognised research activities are closely linked to the strategic research areas of the University. There are approximately 3 090 degree students and about 580 PhD students in the Faculty. The faculty has 800 staff members.

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: 6 | Työllisyysaste: 50-100 % | Paikkakunta: Kuopio | Maakunta: Pohjois-Savo | Maa: Finland | Ilmoitusnumero: 1251/01.01.03/2025 | Julkaistu: 2025-10-15 | Haku päättyy: 2025-11-05