Doctoral Researcher Positions, Doctoral Programme in Immunology (ImmuDocs)

Doctoral Programme in Immunology at the University of Turku is inviting applications for fixed-term Doctoral Researcher positions. The application period is from 2 March to 16 March 2026.

The doctoral researchers of Doctoral Programme in Immunology (ImmuDocs) carry out their doctoral studies at the Faculty of Medicine or at the Faculty of Science or at the Faculty of Technology or at Turku School of Economics. ImmuDocs trains doctoral researchers with in-depth knowledge of immunological research and the scientific and methodological capacity to pursue careers in research and other fields requiring a high level of expertise. By combining rigorous high-quality academic training with practical hands-on research experience and strong professional networks, ImmuDocs empowers researchers to address complex challenges in human health and immunology.

The ImmuDocs doctoral programme at the University of Turku offers a nationally and internationally recognized environment for advanced doctoral education in immunology. In addition, ImmuDocs covers related fields, including immunology-based drug development, diagnostics, and technology development. With a strong foundation in the University’s long-standing immunological research, the programme is closely affiliated with the national InFLAMES Flagship, providing doctoral researchers with access to a broad network of academic, clinical, and industry partners, as well as the latest developments in translational immunology. ImmuDocs fosters a vibrant research community and supports participation in collaborative projects across disciplines and sectors.

Doctoral Programme in Immunology aims to ensure that, upon completion of the studies, doctoral researchers

  • Have acquired extensive knowledge of modern and applied immunology, developed skills to critically interpret research data, and master key immunological methods.
  • Thoroughly understand the impact of immunology on the economy and society.
  • Have a clear understanding of the entire lifecycle of immunology-based diagnostics and drug discovery, including all essential steps from initial invention to clinical application.
  • Communicate their research to the scientific community and the public.
  • Know which career paths are available for immunologists after obtaining a doctoral degree.

Job description

The position of a Doctoral Researcher is set to begin on 1 June 2026 at the earliest or by mutual agreement, as soon as possible during 2026, up to until 31 December 2027. The positions are intended for full-time doctoral dissertation research and doctoral studies. When determining the length of the employment contract, prior funding granted for pursuing a doctoral degree, planned schedule and current phase of the research are taken into account. The position is applied for completing the doctoral dissertation or for completing a subproject within the doctoral dissertation. Applicants in different phases of the dissertation work, also those just starting out, are encouraged to apply.

All applicants must describe in their application a plan for completing the doctoral degree. In addition, applicants who are applying for the position to complete a subproject within the doctoral dissertation must attach a separate description of the content, implementation and schedule of that subproject.

A person already awarded with a doctoral degree cannot be chosen as a Doctoral Researcher under an employment contract. Duties other than those related to doctoral dissertation research, such as teaching duties, must be proportioned so as not to compromise the completion of the doctoral dissertation within the planned schedule. As a rule, up to 5% (a maximum of about 80 hrs per academic year) of the annual working time of the Doctoral Researcher can consist of teaching. 

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Who we are looking for

We expect the candidates

  • to have the right to study for a doctoral degree at the University of Turku in the Doctoral Programme in Immunology which is a prerequisite for starting the employment position
    • to have an active right to study in the Doctoral Programme in Immunology in the Faculty of Medicine, the Faculty of Science, the Faculty of Technology or Turku School of Economics at the University of Turku.
    • If you have not yet been granted a right to study in the Doctoral Programme in Immunology at the University of Turku (applies if you have no study right for doctoral degree at the University of Turku or if you have a study right in another doctoral programme at the University of Turku), you must apply for it in My Studyinfo service ​​​​​Opintopolku.fi during the ongoing application period of the right to study for doctoral degree (2.3.-16.3.2026). More information concerning application for a right to study and the application criteria in the webpages of the doctoral programme.
  • are planning to pursue or pursuing their first doctoral degree
  • the position can start earliest when the chosen candidate has been granted a right to study for a doctoral degree in the Doctoral Programme in Immunology at the University of Turku and the candidate has accepted the right to study
  • have not previously been granted a full-time four-year funding for pursuing a doctoral degree. The duration of doctoral researcher position funded by the University of Turku Graduate School or the faculty is a maximum of four years.
  • to have residence in Finland, place of work is Turku

Desirable qualifications

  • ability and motivation to work as a member of a research and expert network 
  • ability to carry out independent research and group-work 
  • ability to communicate fluently in oral and written English, to make progress with the doctoral studies and to integrate into the scientific community

We value collegiality and promote equality, diversity, and inclusivity. We encourage all qualified applicants with different backgrounds to apply for our open positions.

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 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 quality label. The label 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:

Salary and trial period

The salary is determined in accordance with the university salary system for teaching and research personnel. The job requirement level of the position is 2 – 4.  In addition, a salary component based on personal work performance is paid. The salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience based on the University salary system and will in the beginning of the employment be approximately 2500 – 3300 €/month.

The position has a trial period of six months, but no longer than half of the total duration of the employment contract.

How to apply

Submit your application through our online recruitment system. The closing date for applications is 16.03.2026 at 16.00 (Europe/Helsinki).

The application form including the required attachments for a fixed-term doctoral researcher position must be submitted before the end of the application period. Applications that arrive after the application period has ended will not be processed. The application documents will not be returned to the sender.

Please note that, when applying for both the right to study and a fixed-term doctoral researcher position you must fill in a separate application with the required attachments in the My Studyinfo service. The application period for a right to study for a doctoral degree begins on 2 March 2026 and closes at 4 pm (local time in Finland) on 16 March 2026.

Please write your application and accompanying documents in English and send all attachments in the form of a PDF file.

Applicants should enclose with their application:

At Faculty of Medicine, At Faculty of Science, Faculty of Technology and Turku School of Economics

  • Motivation letter (Max 1 page)
  • CV of the applicant (it is mandatory to use this attached CV model)
  • Structured research plan approved by the supervisor, max 3-5 pages incl. references, Arial, font 12. The plan should consist of: abstract, background, aims and hypotheses, significance, how will the plan be carried out in practice, research environment, timetable and funding plan. The research plan should follow the guidelines for the responsible conduct of research (see Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) | Finnish National Board on Research Integrity TENK). The research plans can be checked with the Turnitin OriginalityCheck plagiarism detection software. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) to assist in the preparation of the research plan should be clearly indicated in the research plan.
  • A realistic description of the implementation plan for the doctoral dissertation, other sources of funding, and the schedule, including a plan for completing the degree. In addition, applicants who are applying for the position to complete a subproject within the doctoral dissertation must clearly specify the content, implementation, and schedule of that subproject. (place the information under "Other attachments", max 2 pages)
  • Degree certificates and transcripts of study records from previous degree 

Assessment of applications

The Steering Committee of the ImmuDocs Doctoral Programme will evaluate the applications, consulting external experts when necessary. The academic and research merits of the applicant, motivation and potential to complete a doctoral degree, quality of the proposed research (including scientific rigour, innovativeness, impact and feasibility), fit to the programme’s scientific profile, supervision and funding are taken into consideration when selecting doctoral researchers.

The selection process is step-wise, and applicants may be invited for an interview after the preliminary selection. Interview will be evaluated together with the preliminary assessment of the application for final decision.

Further information

For further information about the doctoral programme and the application process, please contact coordinator Marja Peura, mahepeu@utu.fi

Doctoral Programme in Immunology (ImmuDocs)

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 Doctoral Programme in Immunology (ImmuDocs) trains doctoral researchers with in-depth knowledge of immunological research and the scientific and methodological capacity to pursue careers in research and other fields requiring a high level of expertise. By combining rigorous high-quality academic training with practical hands-on research experience and strong professional networks, ImmuDocs empowers researchers to address complex challenges in human health and immunology.

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.

See our open vacancies

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Email: inflames@utu.fi
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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.

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Doctoral Researcher Positions, Doctoral Programme in Immunology (ImmuDocs)

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