We are now inviting applications for two Doctoral Researcher positions in the EU-funded Marie Curie Innovative Doctoral Network Programme“Training for a hydrogen economy based renewable energy society in the anthropocene” (THERESA)The employment at the UEF Law School will start in May 2023.  Read more and submit your application no later than 6 April 2023.

Role and salary

UEF Law School invites applications for two Doctoral Researcher positions on the following topics: “Hydrogen certification schemes” or “In search for cross-sectoral coherence: an emerging regulatory framework for hydrogen”. The applicant may modify the research topic as long as the main focus remains within the scope of these two topics. The main research methodology for both of the topics is comparative law and the Doctoral Researcher is expected to carry out comparative research for his/her topic.

These positions are among the six Doctoral Researcher positions made available by THERESA project which integrates a consortium of universities made up of the Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Spain, the University of Groningen in the Netherlands and the University of Eastern Finland (UEF). The three universities stand out for having Research Centres in the field of energy, environmental and sustainability law with a proven track record in these areas. Thanks to the long-standing collaboration between the three universities, THERESA proposes the first European doctoral programme for legal specialists in the field of the hydrogen economy.

THERESA doctoral network combines the focus on three specific themes of regulatory intervention in the hydrogen economy – 1) reducing sectoral fragmentation to spur socio-environmental sustainability; 2) enabling sustainable circular use of hydrogen; and 3) societal engagement in the hydrogen economy – with three methodological approaches: doctrinal constructivism, empirical legal research and comparative law – to advance legal knowledge and form the doctoral experts needed to contribute to the development of a hydrogen economy. THERESA encompasses a fully-fledged training programme offering substantive, theoretical, methodological, and transferable skills to Doctoral Researcher.

The selected Doctoral Researchers will work within the energy law team of the UEF Law School and its Center for Climate Change, Energy and Environmental Law (CCEEL). CCEEL is an internationally renowned research hub for climate change, energy and environmental law. One of the largest of its kind in the world, CCEEL hosts nine professors and a total of 77 researchers, which have collectively accumulated external funding from sources such as the Academy of Finland, Strategic Research Council, Horizon and the European Research Council. CCEEL actively organises research seminars, workshops and conferences, which will also act as a testbed for the ideas developed in this project. (https://sites.uef.fi/cceel/)

An employed Doctoral Researcher must primarily devote his or her time to his or her own doctoral research in accordance with the THERESA -project. The objective of the doctoral program at the UEF Law School is to complete the doctoral degree in a maximum of four years of full-time study. The position will be filled for a fixed term of three years starting from May 2023. A probationary period is applied to all new members of the staff.  

The position requires frequent travels between the consortium Universities and to international events. The position also includes a three-month internship with the Finnish Energy Regulator or Gasgrid Finland Oy (the national TSO), depending on the topic of the research.

The salary of the position is based on the salary system of MSCA. The salary consists of a living allowance and a mobility allowance. Mobility allowance covers their additional, private mobility-related costs (e.g. travel and accommodation costs), not their professional costs under the action, which are covered by the research, training and networking contribution. If the recruited doctoral candidate has or acquires family obligations during the action duration, i.e. persons linked to him/her by (i) marriage, or (ii) a relationship with equivalent status to a marriage recognised by the legislation of the country or region where this relationship was formalised; or (iii) dependent children who are actually being maintained by the researcher, the family allowance must be paid to him/her as well.  The salary in this position will be about 3624 euros/month (without family allowance, which is 548,94 euros/month).

Requirements for the position

These research topics need the participation of people with passion for comparative energy law. We are looking for candidates who have a background in energy law or closely related topic.

Candidates must have a university degree in the field of legal sciences giving access to doctoral studies under the regulations and criteria applicable at UEF Law School. A requirement for employment as a Doctoral Researcher is that the applicant must have been admitted to doctoral studies at UEF Law School. The application period for the doctoral programme of UEF Law School ends on 28 February 2023. For more information on the application procedure to the UEF doctoral school in law, please visit: Doctoral Programme in Law | University of Eastern Finland (uef.fi).

In addition to the general requirements of the Doctoral Programme of UEF Law School, the following specific criteria inherent to the THERESA project will be evaluated in the selection process of all candidates: 

• Ability to analyse and apply the relevant international, European and national regulatory framework of energy law in        connection with other environmental and social regulatory and policy aspects
• Independence and availability to travel and settle in the countries of the universities participating in the project and to carry out international academic activities
• Ability to understand and communicate in the language(s) relevant to the proposed doctoral research project
• Eagerness to publish international articles and write a dissertation
• Enthusiasm to work in an interdisciplinary research team
• Demonstrable competencies such as conceptual capacity, presenting, monitoring, planning and organizing.
• Good social and communication skills
• Excellent command of English and academic writing skills
  

Candidates must also meet the following criteria:

1) be in the first four years (full-time equivalent research experience) of their research careers.

2) be of any nationality, but not having resided or carried out their main activity in Finland for more than 1 year in the past 3 years.

3) have not yet been awarded a PhD degree.

What we can offer you  

• An interesting position in an international, creative, participatory and engaging university community 
• Excellent salary package
• Staff benefits of the University of Eastern Finland, including comprehensive occupational health care, versatile staff training opportunities, affordable campus restaurant lunches and Sykettä sports services and a bike benefit

Enjoy your life in Finland! Known for its cleanliness, welfare know-how, modern technology and superb education system, Finland is an exotic and safe country to work in. Please visit the Life in Finland section on our website to learn more.

How to apply  

The applicant must apply separately for (1) the doctoral programme of the UEF Law School and (2) for the Doctoral Researcher positions in the EU-funded Marie Curie Innovative Doctoral Network Programme ‘THERESA’.

Applications for the THERESA program (Doctoral Researcher position), should be submitted by using our electronic application form no later than 6 April  2023 (by 24.00 hours Finnish time).  The link to the electronic form can be found at the end of this application notice (apply for the job).

Please note that the application is required to include the following attachments:  

• certified copies of BSc and MSc degree diplomas/certificates, and 
• other documents which may affect the granting of a study right
• a transcript of earlier academic records
• a research plan
• the consent from the supervisor
• a free-form motivation letter (max one page) which describes the applicant’s motivation to apply fot the THERESA program

Applications for the Doctoral Programme of UEF Law School should be submitted no later than 28 February 2023 using the online application system, available at https://www.uef.fi/en/degree-programme/doctoral-programme-in-law.

Please note that the application is required to include the following attachments:  

• certified copies of BSc and MSc degree diplomas/certificates, and 
• other documents which may affect the granting of a study right
• a transcript of earlier academic records
• a research plan
• the consent from the supervisor
• a free-form motivation letter (max one page) which describes the applicant’s motivation to pursue PhD studies in the Doctoral Programme in Law. 

The interviews for the position are schedule for the second week of April 2023. The objective is to offer the position for the most merited candidates in May 2023.

Questions? 

For further information on the position and the research topic for which it is offered, please visit THERESA WEBSITE

For further information on the application procedure of the Doctoral Programme, see https://www.uef.fi/en/degree-programme/doctoral-programme-in-la 

For more information you can contact: Professor Kim Talus, UEF Law School, email kim.talus@uef.fi or Dr Sirja-Leena Penttinen, email sirja-leena.penttinen@uef.fi

Please do not use the e-mail address(es) above for applications.

University of Eastern Finland and the Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies

The University of Eastern Finland, UEF, is one of the most multidisciplinary universities in Finland. We have a staff of 3,200 members, and our academic community comprises around 16,000 degree students. Our campuses are located in Joensuu and in Kuopio. Our research is ranked among the best in the world in several fields. We generate research-based knowledge and make it openly accessible for the benefit of all. To learn more about our university please visit our website at  www.uef.fi/en. On our website, you’ll also find information about the university as a work community and as an employer (https://www.uef.fi/en/article/one-university-a-thousand-stories), as well as our employees’ career stories (https://www.uef.fi/en/career-stories).

The Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies operates on two campuses of the University of Eastern Finland – in Joensuu and Kuopio. The faculty trains experts in the fields of history, geography, economics and business administration, law, social sciences, and social and health management. The faculty's research is closely linked to the research areas identified in the university's strategy. The faculty has 4,480 Bachelor’s and Master’s degree students and approximately 500 postgraduate students actively pursuing their studies. The faculty has 550 staff members. https://www.uef.fi/en/faculty-of-social-sciences-and-business-studies