Two Doctoral Researcher (PhD student) positions

We are inviting applications for two Doctoral Researcher (PhD student) positions at the Department of Geographical and Historical Studies, located on the Joensuu Campus. The positions will begin on 1 January 2025, or as agreed. Read more below and submit your application no later than 10 November 2024.

Positions and salary 

The Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies is filling two Doctoral Researcher positions at the Department of Geographical and Historical Studies. 

Research focus of the two positions:

1) We are looking for candidates interested in pursuing research in broadly defined areas of health and well-being geographies. We encourage creative, mixed-method studies, large qualitative data research, and digital methods approaches, alongside well-established modes of inquiry. Other innovative topics and methodological approaches in human geography are also welcome!

2) We are seeking candidates with a strong interest in Arctic vegetation dynamics and Earth observation methods. The research will focus on studying vegetation browning and greening patterns by using a combination of UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) and satellite imagery. We are looking for candidates with a solid background in spatial data science, remote sensing, machine learning, and plant ecology. Candidates who are proactive, self-motivated, and eager to contribute to cutting-edge research are highly encouraged to apply.

The main duty of the Doctoral Researchers (PhD students) is to conduct doctoral research in accordance with an approved research proposal. The Doctoral Researchers will work at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies on the Joensuu Campus.

The full-time researcher positions will be filled starting from 1 January 2025, or as agreed, for a fixed term of three years. The positions are filled for a fixed term due to the requirements of the Doctoral School. A probationary period is applied to new members of the staff.

The salary of the positions is based on the salary system for the teaching and research staff of Finnish universities. The salary consists of a job-related salary element and a personal salary element. In this position, the job-related salary element is based on level 2–4 of the job requirement level chart (EUR 2,225.83 – 2,775.28), and the personal salary element is 6–50% of the job-related salary element. In the position of a Doctoral Researcher, the salary is determined based on the stage of doctoral research and doctoral studies, as well as on personal performance.

Our requirements  

You must be eligible for doctoral education, i.e., hold a suitable higher university degree or have suitable foreign education qualifying for equivalent university studies in the country concerned, and must have excellent English language skills.

The positions can be filled by persons who are either planning to pursue or currently pursuing their first doctoral degree. Those selected for the positions must then separately apply for the right to pursue postgraduate studies in the Past, Space and Environment in Society Doctoral Programme at the University of Eastern Finland. The persons to be appointed must have a valid right to pursue postgraduate studies at the UEF Department of Geographical and Historical Studies before the start of the employment.

When filling the positions, consideration will be given to 

•    the applicants’ research ideas
•    earlier academic performance
•    international orientation
•    possible achievements in research

What we can offer you  

•    An interesting position in an international, creative, participatory and engaging university community,
•    The opportunity for flexible multi-location work, 
•    The opportunity for international collaboration as part of a research team,
•    Staff benefits of the University of Eastern Finland, including comprehensive occupational health care, versatile staff training opportunities, affordable campus restaurant lunches and Sykettä sports services. 

Please read more in the Work at UEF section on our website.  

Enjoy your life in Finland! Known for its cleanliness, welfare know-how, modern technology and superb education system, Finland is an exotic and safe country to work in. Please visit the Life in Finland section on our website to learn more.   

How to apply  

Submit your application by using our electronic application form no later than 10 November 2024 by 24:00 (midnight) Finnish time (UTC+2).

The aim is for the faculty to decide on the persons to be appointed to the positions by 30 November 2024. 

For applicants who do not yet have the right to pursue doctoral studies at the University of Eastern Finland, the appointment to the Doctoral Researcher position will be conditional until they have been granted the right to pursue doctoral studies at the University of Eastern Finland.

Please note that the application is required to have the following appendices: 

•  A CV (Template for CV, TENK web page) .
•  A list of publications (Instructions, Research Council of Finland web page).
•  A motivation letter of 1-2 pages, including research ideas connected to the research focus of one of the two positions. 
•  A copy of the diploma and transcript of academic records proving the applicant’s eligibility to pursue postgraduate studies. The documents must be in either Finnish or English. For translated documents, only a Diploma Supplement issued by the higher education institution in question and/or other official translations issued by the awarding higher education institution or an authorised translator are accepted.
•    Copies of certificates of language proficiency, if not indicated in the academic degree certificates/diplomas.

Questions? 

For further information on the position, please contact Head of the Department of Geographical and Historical Studies Pieter Dhondt, pieter.dhondt@uef.fi.
For further information on the application procedure, please contact Human Resources Coordinator Airi Leppänen, airi.leppanen@uef.fi. 

Kaksi väitöskirjatutkijaa 

Haemme kahta väitöskirjatutkijaa historia- ja maantieteiden laitokselle Joensuun kampukselle. Tehtävät sijoittuvat yhteiskuntatieteiden ja kauppatieteiden tiedekuntaan ja alkavat 1.1.2025 (tai sopimuksen mukaan) ja ne täytetään kolmen vuoden määräajaksi (1.1.2025-31.12.2028).  Tehtävien tehtäväkohtainen palkanosa on vaativuustasoluokittelussa tasolla 2–4 (2225,83 € - 2775,28 €) väitöskirjatutkimuksen ja jatko-opintojen vaiheesta riippuen. Lisäksi maksetaan henkilökohtaiseen suoriutumiseen perustuvaa palkanosaa, joka on 6–50 % tehtäväkohtaisesta palkanosasta. Tehtävässä edellytetään erinomaista englannin kielen taitoa.

Lue tarkemmat tiedot tehtävästä ja hakuohjeet yllä olevasta englanninkielisestä ilmoituksesta. Jätäthän hakemuksesi englanniksi. Hakuaika tehtävään päättyy 10.11.2024.
 

The Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies operates on two campuses of the University of Eastern Finland – in Joensuu and Kuopio. The faculty trains experts in the fields of history, geography, economics and business administration, law, social sciences, and social and health management. The faculty's research is closely linked to the research areas identified in the university's strategy. The faculty has 4,480 Bachelor’s and Master’s degree students and approximately 500 postgraduate students actively pursuing their studies. The faculty has 550 staff members.

The Department of Geographical and Historical Studies carries out research addressing the use of natural resources, environmental changes, well-being and cultural interactions in border and peripheral areas, and their geographical, social and historical dynamics of development. The high level of education provided by the Department of Geographical and Historical Studies is based on the above-mentioned research, serving as a foundation for the development of the students’ analytical and critical skills. The department’s research activities offer its staff a means to actively participate in social debate.

The University of Eastern Finland (UEF) is the most multidisciplinary university in Finland. Our university employs approximately 3,200 employees, and our community includes approximately 16,000 degree students and 16,000 adult education students. Our campuses are located in Joensuu and Kuopio. We represent the world’s cutting edge of research in many fields and produce research-based knowledge, which is made openly available to benefit everyone. Learn more about our university at www.uef.fi/en. Read also about UEF as a working community and employer and the career stories of our employees.