Doctoral education pilot/ Six Doctoral Researchers, Interdisciplinary Doctoral School of Social Services (DocSoc360°)

We are seeking to recruit 6 Doctoral Researchers from 2 January 2025 for a fixed term of three years.

The Interdisciplinary Doctoral School of Social Services (DocSoc360°) is a doctoral education network formed by seven Finnish universities and is part of an extensive national reform of doctoral education. The Interdisciplinary Doctoral School of Social Services DocSoc360° explores the social service system from multiple perspectives. The consortium is led by the University of Lapland and includes the Universities of Helsinki, Eastern Finland, Jyväskylä, Oulu, Tampere and Vaasa. A total of 34 full-time doctoral researchers will start their doctoral studies in the pilot project, 6 of them at the University of Jyväskylä.

The aim of the pilot is to strengthen social services based on research. The network connects researchers in social work, social policy, education, health sciences, administrative sciences, management, law and communications to examine social services in a multidisciplinary way and from several perspectives.

The DocSoc360° doctoral pilot is part of doctoral education pilots funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture between 2024 and 2027. This additional funding will be allocated to 1,000 doctoral researchers who will have a three-year employment contract to complete their doctoral degree.  In field-specific doctoral education pilots new practices in doctoral education are developed and experimented with in Finland. The aim of the pilots is to increase the mobility of doctoral candidates between universities, companies and other organisations, and to encourage doctoral candidates to engage in diverse research careers.

At the University of Jyväskylä, the doctoral researchers will work in the Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and will pursue their doctoral studies in the disciplines of Social Work or Social and Public Policy.

At the University of Jyväskylä, the research in the doctoral pilot will focus on social services research, in particular on population ageing, services for older people and disabled people, services for working age people, digital social services, as well as social service management and knowledge generation. At the University of Jyväskylä, the doctoral pilot programme works in close cooperation with the Centre of Excellence in Research on Ageing and Care funded by the Research Council of Finland. Supervisors for dissertations are professors of Social Work and Social and Public Policy and other senior researchers (e.g. professors Teppo Kröger, Heli Valokivi, Sakari Taipale, Kati Närhi, Minna Kivipelto, Johanna Kiili).

Read more about the doctoral education pilot programme at the University of Jyväskylä.

Qualifications we are looking for 

The positions are intended for new doctoral researchers. You can apply if you do not already have a doctoral degree or doctoral study rights, or if your doctoral study rights have started no earlier than 1 November 2023. Doctoral Researchers must have a Master's degree in social sciences (or complete that during the year 2024), good research skills, a strong interest in social service research and the right to pursue doctoral studies at the University of Jyväskylä. The right to study in the Doctoral Programme of the Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy must be obtained at the latest during the six-month trial period.

Read more about applying to doctoral studies.

The place of work is Finland. Permits and registrations are required for non-Finnish nationals to work in Finland. The University's International Staff Services team will assist selected employees in applying for these.

We expect applicants to be ready to start on 2.1.2025 and to be motivated to complete their dissertation within the three-year target period. Doctoral researchers are expected to work actively as full-time student on their dissertation, as well as to commit to education events, seminars and guidance organised by the pilot. The events are organised at the university premises of the consortium and remotely. The central, actual operating method of the pilot is forming thematic groups and multidisciplinary thematic groups. The education of the doctoral researchers and research guidance will mainly be implemented in these groups. The theme groups will be formed on the basis of research topics. Each group will have several doctoral researchers and supervisors from different universities and business life mentors. They will meet regularly approximately once a month during the academic years. In addition, the pilot will organise joint national events and courses that constitute the theoretical and methodological studies required for the doctoral degree. Post-doctorate careers and the possibility of diverse career paths are a particular focus.

The University of Jyväskylä Regulations and language skills guidelines stipulate the duties, qualification requirements and language skills of Doctoral Researchers.

What does the University of Jyväskylä offer as an employer? 

At the University of Jyväskylä, you are a recognised member of our community with an ample opportunity to be drawn into international research. You get to participate in our international and multidisciplinary community, where everybody’s welfare is essential. You will work in an inspiring and lively campus area and an environment that supports a healthy and active lifestyle.

To find useful information about the University of Jyväskylä, the City of Jyväskylä, and living in Finland, see the University's Handbook for international staff and visitors.

The doctoral researcher positions are classified on levels 2–4 of the YPJ salary system for Finnish universities. The salary (gross income, excluding holiday bonus) at the beginning of the contract is approximately EUR 2,300 – 2,400. As the dissertation research progresses, the salary will be revised in accordance with the General Collective Agreement for Finnish Universities.

A trial period of six months is applied when the position is filled for the first time.

Doctorates from our renewed doctoral programmes will give you the skills to work as an independent researcher or in challenging specialist roles in academia or other sectors of working life. To support your employment in Finland, we offer you the opportunity to study Finnish during your assignment as a Doctoral Researcher.

The pilot offers a unique opportunity for the implementation of a doctoral dissertation within social services:

• High-quality multidisciplinary and multi-methodic cooperation
• National and international networking with leading researchers in the field and other doctoral researchers from seven Finnish universities
• In active dialogue with actual actors in business life and the service system and the implementation of research needs that meet practical needs.
• A clear, structured study and guidance structure in which the completion of a doctoral degree and doctoral dissertation in three years is possible. Close theme group work supports the progress of the education and the development of the doctoral researchers' competence and networking with other researchers, doctoral researchers and business life actors in the field.

How to apply?

Please attach the following documents in PDF format to your online application:

• Curriculum vitae written in accordance with the responsible conduct of research and, if possible, using the template for researcher’s curriculum vitae from the Finnish Advisory Board on Research Integrity (TENK)
• Motivation letter
• List of publications
• Research plan
• Master’s degree certificate and transcript of records in English, Finnish or Swedish
• Other attachments (not obligatory)

The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences' research plan guidelines for doctoral studies applicants for 2024 applications are below. The length of the research plan, including references, should not exceed 2500 words. The research plan should include the following: 

• the name of the applicant and the working title of the doctoral dissertation, 
• the topic of the research and its relevance,
• research setup, research problems and the research questions,
• theoretical premises, 
• research methods and data or sources
• the structure of the doctoral dissertation (if an article dissertation, describe articles; if a monograph dissertation, the structure of the work), and
• the timetable for the research

When preparing your research plan, please also take into account the dissertation requirements of the University of Jyväskylä and the additional dissertation requirements of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. The research plan attachment does not need to include a funding plan.

You can find possible research projects the pilot's doctoral researcher could focus on or from which they could get materials for their dissertation research in Social Work research from here. Research projects that are related to Social and Public Policy disciplines in the Centre of Excellence in Research on Ageing and Care can be found from here.

The University of Jyväskylä is committed to following the national recommendations for responsible researcher evaluation in Finland and the principles of the DORA Declaration.

For further information on the discipline of Social and Public Policy, please contact professor Teppo Kröger, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and Centre of Excellence in Research on Ageing and Care (CoE AgeCare), teppo.kroger@jyu.fi or on the discipline of Social Work professor Heli Valokivi, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, heli.valokivi@jyu.fi

Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy

The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences is a strong contributor to human sciences. It has a central role in understanding and developing human activities and the structures of society. The faculty is a unique, strongly profiled unit that conducts internationally significant research with societal impact. Research and education at the faculty focus on culture, arts, traditions, languages and communication, social sciences and philosophy.
The University of Jyväskylä is a human-centred environment of 2,500 experts and 14,500 students. Our goal is to create wisdom and wellbeing for us all. It is essential that each member of the community thrives and has opportunities to develop and grow. We cherish openness of thinking as well as the balance between research and education. Our naturally beautiful campus is located at the heart of the city of Jyväskylä. JYU is the third largest employer in Central Finland.

Phone: +358 (14) 260 1211 Switchboard

Email: jy-rekrytointi@jyu.fi

Location: Seminaarinkatu 15

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.