The University of Oulu in Finland, with approximately 15,000 students and 3,000 employees, is an international, multidisciplinary research university, with a rich pool of creative and intellectual talent. The strengths of the University include multidisciplinary research interests, modern research and study environments, and broad international cooperation (http://www.oulu.fi/university/). Related to this position, University of Oulu possesses strong expertise in medicine, wireless sensors and business combined with outstanding regional co-creation, thus responding to bottlenecks in health care and services through a wider uptake of eHealth solutions, interoperability and cost-effectiveness.

Position description

A doctoral student position with an initial four-year appointment (starting 1.1.2020) is available in ‘mobile sensing and crowdsourcing’ at the Center for Ubiquitous Computing, Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering (http://ubicomp.oulu.fi). In this project, the student will investigate and create mobile solutions for collecting objective and subjective data from end-users. This entails a rich methodological approach of using onboard sensors of smartphones, wearables, the experience sampling method, mobile questionnaires, etc. We work in the context of digital health and musculoskeletal disorders, in collaboration with the Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine in Oulu Group (PRIMO), at the University of Oulu Hospital and the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health. The candidate will be part of a team focusing on similar topics.

The successful candidate is expected to possess experience on mobile (preferably cross-platform) development or, at the very least, passion for learning cross-platform development. The earliest possible starting date is 1.1.2020, but the position will remain open until filled. A six-month trial period will be effective at the beginning of the initial four-year contract. After acceptance, the doctoral student will be enrolled to the University of Oulu Graduate School's (UniOGS) doctoral program. The general requirements for admission to the UniOGS can be found at http://www.oulu.fi/uniogs/requirements_for_admission.

Required qualifications and assessmen 

The successful applicant must hold a MSc. degree in computer science, HCI, or a related field that will be completed by December 31, 2019. Great command of both written and spoken English is required as well as excellent communication and teamwork skills. Demonstrated experience in writing scientific publications and teaching are considered additional merits. When assessing the qualifications, aspects that are also considered include expertise on the research field and methodology, scientific publications and community work.

Salary and benefits

The salary of the appointed doctoral student will be based on the demand level 2-4 in the salary chart for the teaching and research staff of Finnish universities. In addition to the basic salary, an additional salary component (max. 50% of the basic salary level) will be paid based on personal experience, achievements and performance. In practice, the starting salary of a new doctoral student is approximately 2450 € per month and it will progressively increase along with the progress of the student. In addition to the salary, the employed person will be insured by the university and provided occupational healthcare. Finland is known as a country with a high quality of life and good healthcare system.

Application procedure

The following documents must be attached to the application (to be submitted in English):

1) Cover letter describing prior background, research interests and career plans (1 page).
2) Curriculum vitae formatted according to the template of the Finnish Advisory Board on Research Integrity (http://www.tenk.fi/en/template-researchers-curriculum-vitae). The CV should also contain a list of publications, if any, under the section ’Scientific and societal impact of research’.
3) Contact information of two persons, who may be asked to give a statement on the candidate.

Applications must be submitted using the electronic application system by September 30, 2019, 23:59 (Finnish local time).

*Applications sent by email will not be considered*

For further information on the position and application procedure contact via email:

Adjunct Professor Simo Hosio, simo.hosio(at)oulu.fi
Center for Ubiquitous Computing, University of Oulu