The University of Turku is a world-class multidisciplinary research university which offers interesting challenges and a unique vantage point to national and international research and education.

The University of Turku is a world-class multidisciplinary research university which offers interesting challenges and a unique vantage point to national and international research and education.

THE FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, UNIVERSITY OF TURKU INVITES APPLICATIONS FOR THE POSITION OF

1-2 Senior Research Fellows in the research project INVEST for a fixed term position from 1st January 2020 to 31st December 2022.

The INVEST Research Flagship Center (http://invest.utu.fi/), located at the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Turku, is recruiting 1-2 Senior Research Fellows (experienced researchers with one or more previous post doc positions). The Flagship Center is located at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Turku.

The research flagship “Inequalities, Interventions, and New Welfare State” (INVEST) aims at providing a new model for the welfare states that is more equal, better targeted to problem groups, more anticipatory as well as economically and socially sustainable. The existing research indicates that the Nordic welfare states are efficient in reducing the negative outcomes that are related to many of the structural family disadvantages, such as parental low education, unemployment or poverty. Despite this, children and youth are still particularly vulnerable when negative life course events take place unexpectedly or when many disadvantages accumulate to the same families. The growth environments can strengthen these negative effects.

The flagship is funded by the Academy of Finland and it is implemented in cooperation with the University of Turku and the Institute of Health and Welfare (THL). The multidisciplinary project combines research teams from sociology, social policy, demography, psychology and psychiatry.

The persons chosen for the positions are placed in the INVEST Sociology research group (https://sites.utu.fi/invest/research-groups/) and are expected to conduct research that is linked to one or more of the following topics: a) socioeconomic and demographic inequalities across the generations and over the life-course, b) the influence of policies and welfare services on these inequalities (comparative approach), and c) social experiments and social interventions. The researchers will support PIs and co-PIs in supervising other researchers, collaborate with other researchers in the program and apply further funding for their own research. The positions are intended for already experienced researchers that are also expected to run their own research groups in the future.

The persons chosen for the positions are expected to have a) a PhD in sociology or in a field related to it and the ability for independent scientific work as well as necessary teaching skills b) strong skills in quantitative methods and experience on using register, panel or comparative datasets, c) experience of conducting independent scholarly work and publishing research on the topics related to the project, and d) previous work experience at least at the post doctoral level in working in high-quality research projects. Own previous research funding, adjunct professorships (docent) and other academic merits are considered as advantages.

The general qualification requirements for the position are defined in the rules of procedure of the University of Turku https://www.utu.fi/en/university/faculty-of-social-sciences/career (section 28).

The persons to be chosen for the positions are expected to begin in their employment in the Flagship 1st January 2020 at the earliest and 1st April 2020 at the latest. The contract will last until 31st December 2022.

The salary is in accordance with the University salary system for teaching and research personnel levels 5 – 7 where the work-specific salary component is between 2 935,55 – 3 946,50 euro/month. The component based on personal performance adds a minimum of 6 % and a maximum of 50 % to the base salary.

There will be a trial period of six months.

The application should include a) a motivation letter describing the applicant’s own research interests in the field and how they relate to the project, b) an academic portfolio, c) a CV, d) a list of publications, and e) four writing samples (articles or manuscripts) on topics related to the project.

The appendices should follow the guidelines of the faculty (https://www.utu.fi/en/university/faculty-of-social-sciences/career). The electronic database allows the applicant to submit only one application file to each application section. Information on the file forms to be used can be found in the additional information on each application. Please note that the database only allows the publications to be submitted in a packaged form (.zip). One .zip-file may include several individual files.

Applications must be submitted by Thursday 31st October 2019 (at 23:59) using the electronic application form of the University of Turku on the following address: http://www.utu.fi/en/university/come-work-with-us/open-vacancies/Pages/home.aspx The link to the application system is at the beginning of the announcement (Apply for the job).

Further details are available upon request from Professor Jani Erola, +358 29 450 2157, jani.erola@utu.fi. Inquiries about the recruitment process or the e-recruitment system are answered by HR-Specialist Marja Andersson, +358 29 450 4756, marja.andersson@utu.fi.