The University of Helsinki plans to select 236 employed doctoral researchers for the national doctoral education pilot, with an expectation that they will complete their dissertations within three years. This initiative aims to boost the number of doctorates and introduce innovative practices in doctoral training.

In the upcoming spring, the University of Helsinki will issue an international call for applications to fill these 236 paid positions for doctoral researchers as part of the national doctoral education pilot. The funding for these three-year positions is provided by the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture, which distributed the funds among universities based on proposals submitted to the Academy of Finland’s November call. Overall, the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture will allocate EUR 255 million to universities for doctoral education pilots.

The University of Helsinki’s primary initiative, the Doctoral Education Pilot in Precision Cancer Medicine (iCAN), secured 122 positions. Additionally, the university is involved in various other doctoral education pilots, acquiring an extra 114 positions through these collaborations.

The call for paid doctoral researcher positions at the University of Helsinki is scheduled to open in March-April, with selections expected to occur in June. The first group of doctoral researchers will commence their positions in August of this year, followed by a second group in January 2025.

Doctoral researchers are anticipated to complete their degrees by 2027. Eligible applicants include those who have not obtained a doctorate before November 2023 or are currently in the process of applying for one. Research projects must be funded to qualify.

Comprehensive application guidelines and criteria will be available on the Doctoral School’s website in March.