Excellence and innovation: Doctoral education pilot at the Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥

The doctoral education pilot at JYU will help us create more effective and efficient doctoral training to meet society’s growing demand for trained researchers in the workforce. The Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥ is offering 85 doctoral researcher positions in ten field-specific pilot projects. The doctoral education pilot 2024–2027 is an extension of the doctoral training funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture.

Improving the quality of doctoral training

The national pilot programme for doctoral education aims to reform and expand doctoral education sustainably so that it better meets the needs of society and the labour market. This reform will strengthen Finland’s competitiveness and secure the necessary skills and knowledge for the future, while also fostering research-based innovation.

The Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥ has been awarded 85 doctoral researcher positions in ten field-specific pilot projects in doctoral education. These projects will be carried out in consortia with several universities and may also include other research organisations. The first doctoral researchers will start their work in August 2024.

Doctorate in three years

A further aim of the doctoral education pilot programme is to increase the number of doctoral graduates in Finland. The programme will develop new practices in doctoral education that will enable doctoral researchers to complete their dissertation in three years and support their employment in a wide range of sectors of Finnish society.

Holders of doctoral degrees have a wide range of career options. The results of a national career monitoring survey from 2022 show that, after universities, the largest number of doctoral graduates are employed in the private sector as well as in local and state government. They tend to work as specialists, but also, for example, in managerial positions or as entrepreneurs.

Field-specific doctoral education pilot projects at JYU

Applying for a doctoral researcher position

Doctoral researcher positions

The doctoral researcher positions in the pilot programme are full-time and will be filled for a fixed term of three years. The earliest start date is 1 August 2024.

The positions are intended for new doctoral researchers. You can apply for the positions 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.

Candidates are required to hold a master’s degree at the start of the contract.

The call for applications for the three-year doctoral researcher positions within the doctoral education pilot has been closed.

The position of doctoral researcher and doctoral studies are applied for separately

  1. See the call for applications and the application form for the position of doctoral researcher on JYU’s Current vacancies webpage. Make sure you have the necessary documents.
  2. Check the application guidelines for doctoral studies to make sure you are eligible to apply for doctoral studies at JYU. Make sure you have the necessary documents.
  3. Send your application
    • for doctoral researcher by the deadline given in the call for applications.
    • for doctoral studies during the application period for doctoral studies by 30 April 2024 or 30 September 2024, or after you have been notified of your selection as a doctoral researcher.
  4. Watch your email and respond to any questions and requests as soon as possible.

 Doctoral studies

Doctoral researchers are required to have the right to pursue doctoral studies in a doctoral programme at JYU. You can apply for doctoral studies in April 2024 or September 2024, or after you have been notified of your selection as a doctoral researcher (this option is not available in the EDUCA-Doc Doctoral Education Pilot).

The study rights granted in spring (April application round) start on 1 August 2024 and the study rights granted in autumn (September application round) on 1 January 2025.

You must obtain the doctoral study rights within the six-month trial period.

If you are applying for a position as a doctoral researcher, you should also familiarise yourself with the eligibility requirements for doctoral training, how to demonstrate your language skills, and the procedures for certifying and submitting educational documents. Find out where you can obtain the supporting documents needed for your application and how much time you will need to acquire them.

Application guidelines for doctoral studies

If you are applying for doctoral studies after you have been notified of your selection as a doctoral researcher, you will receive application instructions from JYU’s Student and Academic Services.

More information

See also