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Doctoral Researcher Positions, Doctoral Programme on Drug Research and Diagnostics (DRD)

  • //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

Doctoral Programme on Drug Research and Diagnostics at the University of Turku is inviting applications for fixed-term Doctoral Researcher positions. The doctoral researchers of Doctoral Programme on Drug Research and Diagnostics (DRD) carry out their doctoral studies at the Faculty of Medicine or at the Faculty of Science or at the Faculty of Technology. The application period is from 29 August to 12 September 2025. DRD trains professionals for drug development and research, as well as for the development of diagnostics used in healthcare. Doctors graduating from the programme pursue careers in pharmaceutical, diagnostics, and biotechnology companies, in regulatory authorities overseeing pharmaceuticals and chemicals, and in academic research and teaching.

Doctoral Programme on Drug Research and Diagnostics is designed to ensure that, upon the completion of their studies, the doctoral researcher is ready to

  • Apply rigorous scientific reasoning and uphold the highest standards of research integrity
  • Critically evaluate existing evidence and position their findings within the broader scientific context
  • Conduct independent, high-quality research in drug discovery, development, and/or diagnostics
  • Master the core scientific principles and key methodologies of their field
  • Recognize emerging research techniques and assess their future potential
  • Understand how to develop and protect innovations arising from research

Job description

The position of a Doctoral Researcher is set to begin on 1 January 2026 at the earliest and for the duration of a maximum of four years, up to until 31 December 2029. The positions are intended for full-time doctoral dissertation research and doctoral studies. In addition, salaried positions of 6-12 months will be distributed to doctoral researchers dedicated to graduate in 2026. 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. A person already awarded with a doctoral degree cannot be chosen as a Doctoral Researcher under an employment contract. Duties other than those related to doctoral dissertation research, such as teaching duties, must be proportioned so as not to compromise the completion of the doctoral dissertation within the planned schedule. As a rule, up to 5% (a maximum of about 80 hrs per academic year) of the annual working time of the Doctoral Researcher can consist of teaching. 

Who we are looking for

We expect the candidates

  • to have an active right to study in the DRD doctoral programme in the Faculty of Medicine, the Faculty of Science or the Faculty of Technology in the University of Turku. If you have not yet been granted a right to study, you must apply for a right to pursue a doctoral degree in the DRD doctoral programme in My Studyinfo service Opintopolku.fi during the ongoing application period of the right to study for doctoral degree (29.8.-12.9.2025). More information concerning application for a right to study and the application criteria in the webpages of the doctoral programme.
  • are planning to pursue or pursuing their first doctoral degree;
  • have not previously been granted a full-time four-year funding for pursuing a doctoral degree.
  • to have residence in Finland

Desirable qualifications

  • ability and motivation to work as a member of a research and expert network 
  • ability to carry out independent research and group-work 
  • ability to communicate fluently in oral and written English, to make progress with the doctoral studies and to integrate into the scientific community

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 responsible and interesting tasks and the opportunity to develop your professional skills in a versatile operating environment. You get a professional and inspiring team to support your work. We take care of your well-being at work and the functionality of your everyday life, e.g. with the help of flexible working hours and our 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:

Salary and trial period

The salary is determined in accordance with the university salary system for teaching and research personnel. The job requirement level of the position is 2 – 4.  In addition, a salary component based on personal work performance is paid. The salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience based on the University salary system and will in the beginning of the employment be approximately 2500 – 3300 €/month.

The position has a trial period of six months.

How to apply

Submit your application through our online recruitment system. The closing date for applications is 12.09.2025 at 16.00 (Europe/Helsinki).

The application form including the required attachments for a fixed-term doctoral researcher position must be submitted before the end of the application period. Applications that arrive after the application period has ended will not be processed. The application documents will not be returned to the sender.

Please note that, when applying for both the right to study and a fixed-term doctoral researcher position you must fill in a separate application with the required attachments in the My Studyinfo service. The application period for a right to study for a doctoral degree begins on 29 August 2025 and closes at 4 pm (local time in Finland) on 12 September 2025.

Please write your application and accompanying documents in English and send all attachments in the form of a PDF file.

Applicants should enclose with their application:

At Faculty of Medicine

  • Motivation letter (Max 1 page)
  • CV of the applicant (it is mandatory to use this attached CV model)
  • Structured research plan approved by the supervisor (max 5 pages). The plan should consist of: abstract, background, aims and hypotheses, significance, how will the plan be carried out in practice, research environment, timetable and funding plan. The research plan should follow the guidelines for the responsible conduct of research (see Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) | Finnish National Board on Research Integrity TENK). The research plans can be checked with the Turnitin OriginalityCheck plagiarism detection software. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) to assist in the preparation of the research plan should be clearly indicated in the research plan.
  • Degree certificates and transcripts of study records from previous degree must be attached to the application due to technical reasons. 

At Faculty of Science and Faculty of Technology

  • Motivation letter (why do you wish to perform doctoral studies in this doctoral programme)
  • CV of the applicant (it is mandatory to use attached CV model)
  • Structured research plan approved by the supervisor (max 5 pages). The plan should consist of: abstract, background, aims and hypotheses, significance, how will the plan be carried out in practice, research environment, timetable and funding plan. The research plan should follow the guidelines for the responsible conduct of research (see Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) | Finnish National Board on Research Integrity TENK). The research plans can be checked with the Turnitin OriginalityCheck plagiarism detection software. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) to assist in the preparation of the research plan should be clearly indicated in the research plan.
  • Degree certificates and transcripts of study records from previous degree must be attached to the application due to technical reasons.  

 

Assessment of applications

The steering committee of the doctoral programme will assess the applications with the help of outside experts, when needed. Selection process is stepwise and applicants will be invited to interview after preliminary selection.

The applicant’s motivation, merits, previous studies, and the ability to complete a doctoral degree, as well as the quality and feasibility of the research plan (drug research) and supervisor and financial arrangements are taken into consideration when selecting doctoral researchers. DRD is multidisciplinary and aims to promote all research fields, which may be taken into consideration when positions are filled.

Further information

For further information about the doctoral programme and the application process, please contact coordinator Marja Peura, [email protected]

Doctoral Programme on Drug Research and Diagnostics (DRD)

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 on Drug Research and Diagnostics (DRD) trains professionals for drug development and research, as well as for the development of diagnostics used in healthcare. Doctors graduating from the programme pursue careers in pharmaceutical, diagnostics, and biotechnology companies, in regulatory authorities overseeing pharmaceuticals and chemicals, and in academic research and teaching.

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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Research Areas & Fields of Study involved in the position

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