The Human-Centric Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Future (HAIF) doctoral training programme at the University of Turku invites applications for fixed-term doctoral researcher positions based on employment contracts. Employment starts on Monday 18 August 2025 at the earliest, but at the latest on Friday 29 August 2025, unless otherwise agreed. The duration of the full-time position is four years.
HAIF is a doctoral training programme for 25 doctoral researchers hosted by the University of Turku. HAIF unites research groups from different fields, and the programme’s unique, human-centric approach stems from this interdisciplinary collaboration. HAIF is co-funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) (grant agreement No 101177564).
Prior to applying, read carefully the “Guide for applicants” on the HAIF website: https://haif.utu.fi/?page_id=61
Job description
Doctoral researchers are committed to make the research and doctoral postgraduate studies according to rules of their Doctoral Programme and to complete their training within a time equivalent to four years of full-time study. The HAIF associated partners provide national or international 4-6 months secondments and other training activities to the doctoral researchers.
The doctoral researcher position requires living in Finland for the duration of the employment contract.
Key Responsibilities:
- The doctoral researcher is responsible for planning their studies and implementing the plan.
- The doctoral researcher commit to long term and challenging work, to follow the schedule as agreed, and to immediately notify the Supervisors, if the work is notably delayed.
- The doctoral researcher will complete the agreed amount of studies to be included in the doctoral degree per year, and report on the progress of their research to Supervisors at regular intervals.
- The doctoral researcher will participate in the HAIF secondments and other activities.
- The doctoral researcher is responsible for the progress of their own research, and takes initiative to seek advice, when facing problems.
- The doctoral researcher must consider the suggestions given by the Supervisors based on their experience and knowledge, when it pertains to doctoral studies.
- The doctoral researcher is entitled to Supervisory Meetings and to receive feedback from the Supervisors concerning their studies and research in accordance with the schedule agreed upon.
- The doctoral researcher come well prepared to Supervisory Meetings, and in accordance with the schedule agreed upon.
- The doctoral researcher has ultimate responsibility for decisions concerning their research.
Who we are looking for
Requirements
All applicants must meet the MSCA and University of Turku Eligibility Criteria. No exceptions will be made.
- Eligible applicants do not have a doctoral degree. A researcher must not already be in possession of a doctoral degree at the deadline of the application call. Researchers who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis but who have not yet formally been awarded the doctoral degree are not eligible to apply.
- Eligible applicants hold a Master’s degree or an equivalent degree in relevant discipline for HAIF. Possible disciplines include computer science, ICT engineering, materials engineering, biomedical engineering, digital humanities, law, philosophy, philosophical ethics and health sciences. The total grade of the Master’s degree must be at least on the level good (i.e. the weighted average grade of all courses and a Master’s thesis must be at least 60 % of the maximum grade). An applicant, whose Master’s degree is not completed when the application period ends, can apply. In this case, the applicant must complete their Master’s degree and provide the degree certificates and transcripts by the Friday, 16 May, at 15:00 (Helsinki/Europe), as the degree is required to obtain doctoral study rights at University of Turku.
- Mobility rule: Applicants must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Finland for more than 12 months in 36 months immediately before the deadline of the application call. Compulsory national service, short stays such as holidays, and time spent as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention are acceptable and do not breach the mobility rule.
- English Language Proficiency: Doctoral training emphasizes scientific work, and the doctoral degree includes courses for developing a variety of skills. For doctoral researchers to obtain the degree and integrate into the academic community, they must have sufficient oral and written communication skills in English. The applicant must demonstrate their English proficiency according to the requirements defined on the website: https://www.utu.fi/en/research/utugs/how-to-apply/language.
HAIF applicants are expected to abide by the University of Turku’s policies on equal opportunities and open science and comply with University policies (including those on research ethics) and with local law.
The evaluation and selection process
The full evaluation and selection process is described in the Guide for Applicants, which can be found on the HAIF webpage: https://haif.utu.fi/?page_id=61
The applications will be evaluated by the external evaluators by four main criteria and associated sub-criteria:
- Educational background and qualifications of the applicant
- Course grades and the grade of MSc thesis
- Suitability of the previous degree to the HAIF Programme theme
- Previous experience and qualifications, possible scientific papers, international activities
- Applicant’s goals and motivation
- Research interests
- Motivation
- Career goals
- Scientific excellence
- Scientific relevance and ambition
- Research ethics
- Connection to the HAIF Programme themes
- Interview
- Research integrity and alignment with MSCA values (incl. diversity, equality and inclusion)
- Collaborative experience and teamwork
- Communication skills
Benefits
We offer you responsible and interesting tasks and the opportunity to develop your professional skills in a versatile operating environment. You get a professional and inspiring team to support your work. We take care of your well-being at work and the functionality of your everyday life, e.g. with the help of flexible working hours and our well-being services.
Please read more about the University of Turku as an employee from our Come work with us! pages.
The European Commission has awarded the University of Turku the right to use the HR Excellence in Research logo. The logo is a token of the University’s commitment to continuous development of the position and working conditions of researchers according to the guidelines set forth in the European Charter for Researchers.
The university offers good support and orientation for international hires. Please learn more about the Finnish culture and relocation to Finland:
- City of Turku
- Welcome visitor
- Career in Southwest Finland
- International House of Turku
- Working culture: infoFinland.fi
- This is Finland
- Finland – a superpower of education and innovations | University of Turku (utu.fi)
Salary and trial period
Gross salary in the beginning of the employment is around 2900 € per month. Salary will be evaluated during the 48 month employment period and will be increased based on the progress of the doctoral studies. Mobility allowance (100€/month) will be paid for all doctoral researchers on top of their gross salary. Family allowance (100 €/month) will be paid if eligibility according to the MSCA actions is fulfilled. Long-term leave allowance and Special needs allowance will be applied on an as needed basis.
The employment contract is based on the total working time of 1612 hours per year, which gives the doctoral researchers freedom to plan their working hours. Doctoral researchers are provided with a modern and well-equipped workspace at the University of Turku campus. All University of Turku staff are insured for work travel, are entitled to daily allowances during professional travels and receive comprehensive occupational health services.
All University of Turku working contracts fall under Finnish law and are governed by Finland’s Employment Contracts Act (55/2001). Doctoral researchers therefore benefit from the same extensive statutory rights and obligations as all other employees in Finland.
A trial period of six (6) months applies to all positions.
How to apply
Applicants should submit their applications during the application period to the electronic application system of the University of Turku. The application consists of the application form and attachments. All the application documents must be delivered within the application period.
The closing date for applications is Friday, 28 February, at 15:00 (Helsinki/Europe).
Before applying, familiarise yourself with the HAIF research groups and topics: https://haif.utu.fi/?page_id=59
HAIF doctoral researchers are recruited through a two-stage call.
In Stage I, applicants are expected to provide only the following documents as attachments to their application. Please note that you are not allowed to attach any other documents. For example, reference letters of any type will not be considered. All documents must be written in English and named using the last name of the applicant and the document title. The documents should be attached in PDF format.
- Research, motivation and impact statement (max. 2 pages) is a document, in which applicants describe their research interests, motivation for pursuing a doctoral degree and career goals. Applicants should also state their preferred research groups at the University of Turku. The content will be freeform with the following exceptions: the applicant’s personal details should be maskable for unbiased evaluation, and applicants should avoid mentioning their age, gender or nationality in the main text. Use the template that can be found from the HAIF website: https://haif.utu.fi/?page_id=61
- Curriculum vitae (CV) (max. 2 pages), including the list of peer-reviewed scientific publications with full reference details. The CV should not include any of the following: age, gender or a photo of the applicant. Acknowledging that some of this information could be inferred, the external evaluators will be trained to prevent biased outcomes. Use the template that can be found from the HAIF website: https://haif.utu.fi/?page_id=61
- Degree certificates (diploma) and study transcripts: A scanned or digital original transcript of study records and a scanned or digital original master’s degree (or equivalent degree) certificate (diploma).
If the original degree certificates or transcripts of study records are not written in English, Finnish, or Swedish, official translations to one of these languages must also be submitted. Failure to provide degree certificates and transcripts accepted by the University of Turku by the deadline will result in the application being rejected.- If the applicant has not completed the master’s degree at the time of submission, an up-to-date transcript of study records has to be attached to the application.
- If the applicant has not completed the master’s degree at the time of submission, they must complete the degree and provide the degree certificate (diploma) and transcript of study records by the Friday, 16 May, at 15:00 (Helsinki/Europe).
- Certificate of the language proficiency: The applicant must demonstrate their English proficiency according to the requirements defined on the website: https://www.utu.fi/en/research/utugs/how-to-apply/language
After the application period ends, the eligibility of the applicants will be checked. Eligible applicants’ documents will undergo a review by two external evaluators. Up to 75 applicants will be invited to the second stage. Those invited to Stage II and the online interview will be informed in April. The interviews will be held in May. Before Stage II, applicants are expected to provide a research proposal and an initial ethics self-assessment following the standard checklist provided by the European Commission.
Further information
For further information about the position and with questions about the application process, please contact: haif@utu.fi
An information session for applicants will be held online on Monday 3 February 2025 between 14.00 and 15.00 (Europe/Helsinki). The HAIF coordination team will introduce the Call, explain the applications and reviews process and answer questions. PowerPoint slides of the event will be placed online. Online meeting link: https://utu.zoom.us/j/61904823571.
HAIF
HAIF is a doctoral training programme for 25 doctoral researchers hosted by the University of Turku. It unites research groups from computing, materials science, social sciences, law, humanities and health sciences. The programme’s unique, human-centric approach stems from this interdisciplinary collaboration. HAIF aims to promote the safe, secure, and ethically sustainable use of AI, focusing on humans as developers, users, and decision-subjects. It addresses the shortage of AI professionals by training researchers with future-proof skills. Besides their research, HAIF doctoral researchers will develop transferable skills and interdisciplinary thinking, gaining a supportive, international network for impactful careers in academia or industry. They will also undertake a 4 to 6 month secondment, providing an excellent opportunity to establish international networks and boost their future careers.
The University of Turku Graduate School (UTUGS) consists of doctoral programmes which cover all disciplines and the approximately 2,000 doctoral researchers of the University.
The aim of the Graduate School is to provide systematic and high quality doctoral training for the doctoral researchers of the University of Turku. Each doctoral researcher has a personal supervisor and the progress of the doctoral dissertation is followed regularly. The aim of doctoral training is to train highly qualified experts with the skills required for both professional career in research and other positions of expertise.
The University of Turku is an inspiring and international academic community of 25,000 students and staff in Southwest Finland. We build a sustainable future with multidisciplinary research, education, and collaboration. With us, your work will have a significant impact and relevance in the changing world.
