The University of Eastern Finland (UEF) is one of the largest universities in Finland. The university has approximately 15,000 students and some 2,800 members of staff, and the university’s campuses are located in Joensuu, Kuopio and Savonlinna. In international rankings, we are ranked among  the world’s leading 300 universities.

The Faculty of Science and Forestry operates on the Kuopio and Joensuu campuses of the University of Eastern Finland. The mission of the faculty is to carry out internationally recognised scientific research and to offer research-education in the fields of natural sciences and forest sciences. The faculty invests in all of the strategic research areas of the university. The faculty’s environments for research and learning are international, modern and multidisciplinary.  The faculty has approximately 3,800 Bachelor’s and Master’s degree students and some 490 postgraduate students. The number of staff amounts to 560. http://www.uef.fi/en/lumet/  

We are now inviting applications for 20 early stage researcher (doctoral student) positions in the doctoral programmes of the Faculty of Science and Forestry

Doctoral education at the Faculty of Science and Forestry is offered by three doctoral programmes:http://www2.uef.fi/en/lumet/tohtoriohjelmat, and these programmes are now inviting a total of 20 applications for early-stage researcher (doctoral student) positions. This call for applications pertains to the positions open in the Doctoral Programme in Science, Technology and Computing(SCITECO). 

The doctoral student positions are intended for the completion of a doctoral dissertation at the University of Eastern Finland. The persons selected as doctoral students are appointed to early-stage researcher positions. The main duty of the doctoral students is to complete their doctoral dissertation in accordance with their approved research proposal. The objective is to complete the doctoral degree in a maximum of four years of full-time study.

The doctoral student positions may be applied for by persons who according to the Universities Act (558/2009, Chapter 5, Section 37) are eligible for studies leading to a scientific postgraduate degree. However, an early-stage researcher position can only be accepted by a person who holds a higher university degree, even if the person would otherwise be eligible for postgraduate studies on the basis of another, applied degree.

The doctoral student positions may be applied for by persons already enrolled as postgraduate students at the University of Eastern Finland and by persons planning to complete their doctoral dissertation at the University of Eastern Finland. Students who are finalising their Master’s degree can also apply for the positions; however, they need to deliver their degree certificate to the faculty by 1 September 2016.

According to the university’s Administrative Regulations, a person to be appointed as an early-stage researcher shall be qualified to pursue postgraduate studies, i.e. he or she is required to have completed a suitable higher university degree. Early-stage researcher positions are always filled for a fixed term (UEF Administrative Regulations, Section 30).

When selecting persons to the doctoral programmes, the following are taken into consideration: the relevance of the applicant’s research to the field of the doctoral programme concerned, the innovativeness of the research proposal, the applicant’s earlier research-related achievements, and an evaluation of the feasibility of the research and postgraduate studies. As regards postgraduate students already enrolled at the University of Eastern Finland, the progression of their studies is also taken into consideration.  The persons to be selected are required to fulfil the student admission criteria of the doctoral programme concerned.

The salary of the position is based on levels 2-4 of the job requirement level chart for teaching and research staff (€1,985.85–€2,475.31/ month) in the Finnish Universities' Salary System. In addition to the job requirement component, the salary is supplemented by a personal performance component, which can be a maximum of 46.3% of the job requirement component. The salary is determined in accordance with the phase of the doctoral dissertation and personal performance.

The doctoral student positions (early-stage researcher positions) will be filled as from 1 January 2017, or as agreed. The maximum duration of the doctoral student positions is four years. 

A trial period is applied to new members of the university's staff.

For further information on the doctoral programmes and supervision, please see:http://www.uef.fi/en/tutkimus/tohtorikoulu/

For further information about the application procedure, please contact:
 Head of Administration Kaisa Laitinen, email kaisa.laitinen@uef.fi, tel. +358 50 432 7573, Faculty of Science and Forestry

The electronic application is required to have the following appendices:

1) Persons applying for an extension to their existing doctoral student position:

A report on the progression of the doctoral dissertation 
A report, not exceeding one page, on the progression of the doctoral dissertation (including publications and completed courses). The supervisor of the doctoral dissertation will confirm the report.

A report on the completion of the doctoral dissertation
A report, not exceeding one page, on how the doctoral dissertation will be completed and what the timetable will be. An estimate of when the preliminary examination of the dissertation can be initiated. The supervisor of the doctoral dissertation will confirm the report.

2) Other applicants

A curriculum vitae (instructions: http://www.tenk.fi/en/template-researchers-curriculum-vitae)

A list of publications (instructions: http://www.aka.fi/en/funding/how-to-apply/appendices-required/guidelines-for-list-of-publications/)

A research proposal 
A research proposal is a short, scheduled description of the doctoral research. The length of the research proposal is a maximum of two pages. The applicant prepares the research proposal together with his or her proposed supervisors. The research proposal includes a short description of the background of the research, its aims, methodology and scientific significance. The research proposal also includes a financial plan. The research proposal will be approved by the supervisors proposed for the doctoral dissertation. Postgraduate students already enrolled at the university are required to submit an updated research proposal.

A motivational letter in which the applicant describes his or her motivation to pursue postgraduate studies and to conduct research.

A copy of the degree certificate that makes the applicant eligible to pursue postgraduate studies is required of persons who do not have a right to purse postgraduate studies at the University of Eastern Finland.

The application needs to be submitted no later than 15 June 2016 (by 24.00 hours Finnish time)by using the electronic application form.

The objective is for the faculties to decide on the persons to be appointed to the positions by the end of September.