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Doctoral Researcher, Doctoral programme in Nursing Science

  • //applyindex.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/finland.png Finland
  • University/Institute Name University of Turku
  • Position Funding Type
  • Unspecified Unspecified
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Position Details

The Faculty of Medicine at the University of Turku invites applications for contract-based, fixed term doctoral researcher positions. Employment starts on 1 January 2026 or as agreed.

The Doctoral Programme in Nursing Science (DPNurs) provides structured and comprehensive doctoral education in the field of nursing science and covers the central research fields in nursing science. Renowned both nationally and internationally for its excellence in research and training, DPNurs is an integral part of the University of Turku’s Department of Nursing Science, one of the leading institutions of its kind in Finland and across Europe. DPNurs educates high level, innovative, scientifically competent, independent researchers and experts in nursing science for the national and international needs of the research field, as well as for social and health services, education, business, and industry. DPNurs promotes the development of expertise essential for research activities and supports systematic career progression in the field of nursing science. Doctoral Researchers actively engage in the national and international nursing and health science communities, with which the Doctoral Programme in Nursing Science is strongly integrated.

DPNurs graduates are able to generate new, high-quality academic knowledge in their field of research, have the skills to promote and supervise research in collaboration with the academic community and master the skills required for cross-disciplinary thinking.

Job description

The Doctoral Researcher position is intended for full-time doctoral dissertation work. The employment starts on 1 January 2026 or as agreed, and may continue for a maximum of four years, ending no later than 31 December 2029. When determining the length of the employment contract, prior funding granted for pursuing a doctoral degree, planned schedule and current phase of the research are taken into account. Individuals who already hold a doctorate are not eligible for appointment to a position of Doctoral Researcher on a contract basis. Duties other than those related to doctoral dissertation research, such as teaching, must be balanced so as not to compromise the completion of the doctoral dissertation within the planned schedule. As a rule, teaching responsibilities may comprise up to 5% of the annual working time, equating to a maximum of approximately 80 hours per academic year.

Who we are looking for

  • Right to Study: Applicants must hold an active right to pursue a doctoral degree at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Turku. If the right to pursue a doctoral degree applicant has not yet been granted, the applicant must apply for it via the My Studyinfo service (Opintopolku.fi) during the current application period (29 August – 12 September 2025). Holding the right to study is a prerequisite for appointment to the position of Doctoral Researcher. For further information on the application procedure and the application criteria, please visit the website of the doctoral programme;
  • First Doctoral Degree: The applicantis planning to pursue or currently pursuing his/her first doctoral degree;
  • Funding History: The applicant must not have previously received full-time, four-year funding for doctoral studies.
  • Residency Requirement: the employment contract for a Doctoral Researcher requires residence in Finland.

We value collegiality and promote equality, diversity, and inclusivity. We encourage all qualified applicants with different backgrounds to apply for our open positions.

Benefits

We offer you meaningful and engaging responsibilities, along with the opportunity to develop your professional skills in a diverse and dynamic working environment. You will be supported by a professional and inspiring team, committed to collaboration and excellence. We take care of your well-being at work and the functionality of your everyday life, e.g. with our flexible working hours and well-being services.

Please read more about University of Turku as an employee from our Come work with us! pages.

The European Commission has awarded the University of Turku the right to use the HR Excellence in Research quality label. The label is a token of the University’s commitment to continuous development of the position and working conditions of researchers according to the guidelines set forth in the European Charter for Researchers. 

The university offers good support and orientation for international hires. Please learn more about the Finnish culture and relocation to Finland:

The University of Turku is among the top of the world’s universities in most rankings and among the best universities in the world in certain fields. Our high-quality basic research, a multidisciplinary research profile and close cooperation in research infrastructures creates the basis for international top research. Read more about University of Turku in international university rankings.

The University of Turku has several high-quality research infrastructures required for cutting-edge research. Learn more about the roadmap of research infrastructures and how the research infrastructure and expert teams offer tailored solutions for businesses and organizations.

Salary and trial period

The salary is determined in accordance with the University of Turku’s salary system for teaching and research personnel. The job requirement level for the position is between levels 2 and 4.  In addition, a salary component based on personal work performance is paid. The monthly salary for a Doctoral Researcher ranges from approximately €2,400 to €3,300, depending on the progress of the doctoral research, as well as the candidate’s experience and skills.

The position includes a trial period of six months.

How to apply

Submit your application through our online recruitment system. The closing date for applications is 12 September 2025 at 16.00 (EEST GMT+3 / at 13:00 UTC).

The application form and all the the required attachments must be submitted before the end of the application period. Late applications will not be considered and application documents will not be returned.

Applicants should enclose with their application:

  • Research plan
  • Progress and resource plan
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • List of publications
  • Degree certificate and transcript of records from the previous degree — these must be attached for technical reasons, even though they will not be considered in the selection process.

Assessment and decisions

The steering committee of the doctoral programme will evaluate the applications. Applications may also be sent for evaluation to national and/or international reviewers. Applicants may be invited to an interview by the DPNurs steering committee. The research plans attached to the applications may be checked with the Turnitin OriginalityCheck plagiarism detection software in accordance with the University of Turku quality assurance system.

In the selection process for the Doctoral Researcher positions, the following issues are emphasized: quality, feasibility and social relevance of the research plan. In addition, the applicant’s merits, completed studies, capability, and motivation to complete a doctoral degree are evaluated.

All applicants will be personally informed about the decisions. The names of the applicants who have been selected for the position of Doctoral Researcher will be published on the Doctoral Programme’s website no later than 28 November 2025.

Further information

For further information about DPNurs and the application process, please contact DPNurs coordinator Hanna Heikelä, [email protected]

Doctoral Programme in Nursing Science (DPNurs)

The University of Turku Graduate School (UTUGS) consists of doctoral programmes which cover all disciplines and the approximately 2,000 doctoral researchers of the University. 

The aim of the Graduate School is to provide systematic and high quality doctoral training for the doctoral researchers of the University of Turku. Each doctoral researcher has a personal supervisor and the progress of the doctoral dissertation is followed regularly. The aim of doctoral training is to train highly qualified experts with the skills required for both professional career in research and other positions of expertise.

The Doctoral Programme in Nursing Science (DPNurs) provides systematic doctoral education in the field of the nursing science. DPNurs educates high-level researchers and experts in nursing science who promote innovative and scientifically competent research in different fields of nursing science, nursing and health care.

The University of Turku is an inspiring and international academic community of 25,000 students and staff in Southwest Finland. We build a sustainable future with multidisciplinary research, education, and collaboration. With us, your work will have a significant impact and relevance in the changing world.

See our open vacancies

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Phone:
+358 29 450 5000
Email:
[email protected]

Location: 20014 Turun yliopisto

Information for the applicant

The application form cannot be saved as a draft. However, after submitting you can return to edit your application via the link you receive by email. The application can be edited until the application deadline.

You have 6 hours to complete your application before the timeout.

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