Doctoral Programme in Immunology - Admission Criteria and Instructions for Applicants

When applying for a right to study:

• You are required to have completed a relevant Master’s degree awarded by a university or a university of applied sciences, or a relevant study programme abroad which in the awarding country gives eligibility for the corresponding level of higher education (Universities Act 558/2009, 37§) as well as the eligibility criteria for the right to study for a doctoral degree at the Faculty of Medicine.
• You must fulfil the University of Turku language skill requirements.

• You are required to fulfil the prerequisites set by the doctoral programme and the Faculty of Medicine or Faculty of Science or Faculty of Technology or Turku School of Economics for granting a right to study. Information on the webpages of the faculties:

  Faculty of Medicine
  Faculty of Science
  Faculty of Technology
  Turku School of Economics

When applying for a fixed-term doctoral researcher position under an employment contract:

• A right to study in the Doctoral Programme in Immunology at the University of Turku is a prerequisite for an applicant to be chosen for a fixed-term doctoral researcher position under an employment contract
  • You are required to have an active right to study in the Doctoral Programme in Immunology at the University of Turku. In addition, you must demonstrate the ability to undertake doctoral studies and complete a doctoral degree in accordance with the research plan (University of Turku Rules of Procedure 16.1.2022).
  • 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 during the application period of the right to study for doctoral degree (2.3.-16.3.2026).
• You are planning to pursue or pursuing your 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
• You 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.
• Residence in Finland, place of work is Turku

The doctoral researchers of ImmuDocs pursue a doctoral degree either in the Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Science, Faculty of Technology or Turku School of Economics.

Please read carefully the instructions of the faculty you are applying to well advance before the actual application period (below), since there are many things that need to be agreed on or arranged before applying (supervisors, research plan, postgraduate study plan, possible language test etc.).

Faculty instructions for applicants

Faculty of Medicine
Faculty of Science
Faculty of Technology
Turku School of Economics

Doctoral Programme in Immunology instructions

Eligible applicants with a research topic fitting the scope of the Doctoral Programme in Immunology are invited to apply. A prerequisite for admission is that at least two qualified supervisors* have agreed to supervise the applicant with at least one supervisor affiliated with University of Turku and holding an UTU -account to use the UGIS system. Additionally, a follow-up committee must be in place, consisting of the supervisors and 2–3 other researchers familiar with the research topic. In accordance with the Faculty of Medicine’s regulations, two members of the follow-up committee must be from outside the applicant’s own research group.

The applicant is responsible for assembling the follow-up committee in consultation with their supervisors and for agreeing on annual monitoring practices with its members. The follow-up committee ensures the progress of the doctoral researcher’s thesis work and studies, provides an external perspective, and supports both the researcher and supervisors in the event of conflicts. The programme encourages including industry representatives in the follow-up committee when applicable.

The postgraduate study plan must comply with the curriculum of the Doctoral Programme in Immunology. 

*At the Faculty of Medicine: When only one supervisor for doctoral training is proposed, the supervisor’s justified plea for approval of only one supervisor must be attached to the application. 

Prepare also the documents mentioned in the section 'How to apply? Application and instructions'.

• Check the application period
• Read the instructions of the faculty and the doctoral programme carefully!
• If you are going to verify your language skills with a language test, make sure that you book your test time well in advance. It is the applicant’s responsibility to make his/her own language test arrangements
• Get the required signatures in time and prepare the appendices
• Fill in the electric application form
• Remember to apply in time
• Keep your original certificates at hand and prepare to acquire officially certified copies if needed!

Application period and what can be applied for

 A link to the electronic application form, the list of required attachments and a guide for filling in the form will be available during the application period.

During the application period 2 March–16 March 2026, you can apply for:

a) the right to study for a doctoral degree in the Faculty of Medicine or the Faculty of Science or the Faculty of Technology or Turku School of Economics at the University of Turku from 1 August 2026 onwards

 b) a fixed-term doctoral researcher position under an employment contract 

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.

A doctoral researcher position requires working in Finland. The place of work is Turku. The University of Turku has flexible opportunities for remote work.

The salary is based on the salary system of university teaching and research staff. It consists of a task-specific salary component and personal performance salary component. The task-specific salary component of a Doctoral researcher is at level 2–4. 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.

c) both of the above (a and b)

How to apply

Please note, that when applying for both the right to study and a fixed-term doctoral researcher position, you will need to fill in the application with the required attachments to the separate online systems (see more information below). The right to study for a doctoral degree is applied for by filling in an electronic form in the My Studyinfo service and the fixed-term doctoral researcher positions are applied for by filling in an electronic form in the University of Turku recruitment system (TalentAdore). For both applications you will need to attach the required additional documents (in pdf form). Application documents are specified below in the section “The application should include the following attachments”. It is requested that application documents are written in English.

Eligible applicants with a research topic fitting the scope of ImmuDocs can apply. The motivation to apply to ImmuDocs is presented in the motivation letter. Each applicant should have two supervisors* with at least one supervisor affiliated with University of Turku and holding an UTU -account to use the UGIS system and a follow-up committee consisting of supervisors and 2-3 other researchers familiar with the research topic, two of whom must be from outside the doctoral researcher's own group according to the rules of the Faculty of Medicine. 

To plan the theoretical studies, applicants should take into account the curriculum of the ImmuDocs doctoral programme in the relevant faculty, their research project and individual career plans. In addition to the signatures of the applicant and all supervisors, the supervision plan must be signed by the head of the doctoral subject (Faculty of Medicine).

*At the Faculty of Medicine: When only one supervisor for doctoral training is proposed, the supervisor’s justified plea for approval of only one supervisor must be attached to the application. 

Application and document preparation:

How to apply the right to study for a doctoral degree:

The right to study for a doctoral degree is applied for by filling in an electronic form in My Studyinfo service and attaching the required additional documents specified below in the section “The application should include the following attachments”. The form will be accessible as the application period begins on 2 March 2026 and closes at 4 pm (local time in Finland) on 16 March 2026.  Link to the University of Turku Graduate School web page, where the application form can be found.

During one application round the applicant may apply to a maximum of one doctoral programme at the University of Turku. You can only have one valid study right at a time for a doctoral degree at the University of Turku.

Applications that arrive after the application period has ended will not be processed. When the application period has ended, you cannot change the doctoral programme you are applying for, or any other information.

In My Studyinfo service, you can only apply for right to study a doctoral degree. If you also want to apply for a fixed-term doctoral researcher position under an employment contract, you must apply for that position separately (for details, please, see section “How to apply the fixed-term doctoral researcher position under an employment contract”).

How to apply the fixed-term doctoral researcher position under an employment contract:

The fixed-term doctoral researcher position under an employment contract is applied for by filling in an electronic form in the University of Turku recruitment system (TalentAdore) and attaching the required additional documents specified below in the section “The application should include the following attachments”. The form will be accessible as the application period begins on 2 March 2026 and closes at 4 pm (local time in Finland) on 16 March 2026.

The positions are announced at the beginning of the application period in the Open Vacancies at the University of Turku website and on the website of the Graduate School. Link to the University of Turku Graduate School web page, where the application form can be found. (application form will be added when the application period begins)

Applications that arrive after the application period has ended will not be processed. When the application period has ended, you cannot change the doctoral programme you are applying for, or any other information.

A person selected for the position is required to have an active right to study in the Doctoral Programme in Immunology 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 by filling in an electronic form in My Studyinfo service (for details, please, see section “How to apply the right to study for a doctoral degree”).  

The application should include the following attachments:

(The application documents will not be returned to the sender)

At Faculty of Medicine, at the Faculty of Science, at the Faculty of Technology or at Turku School of Economics

When applying for a right to study for a doctoral degree, you are required to attach the documents described below.

1. Motivation letter (Max 1 page)

2. CV of the applicant (it is mandatory to use this attached CV model)

3. Structured research plan approved by the supervisor (3-5 pages including 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 (e.g. personnel, infrastructure, networks), 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 use of artificial intelligence (AI) to assist in the preparation of the research plan should be clearly indicated in the research plan. (see guidelines)
• By attaching the research plan to the application form the applicant gives permission for checking the research plan with Turnitin Originality Check (system for electrical plagiarism detection).

4. Signed supervision and study plan (use the relevant template linked below)

• Faculty of Medicine supervision and study plan
  • Please read the instructions on the Faculty of Medicine web page before making your application.
  • Faculty of Medicine Subjects in doctoral training and heads of subjects
• Faculty of Science supervision and study plan
• Faculty of Technology supervision and study plan
• Turku School of Economics supervision plan or a commitment letter by supervisors. Study plan template
• When preparing a study plan, please use the ImmuDocs curriculum. 

5. Degree certificate and the transcript of study records of the degree which gives you the eligibility for doctoral studies

a) If you have completed your former degree(s) that make you eligible for doctoral studies at a higher education institution in Finland, you must attach your scanned original degree certificates, transcripts of study records and other educational documents which may be of relevance in the selection to the electronic application form.

b) If you have completed your former degree(s) that make you eligible for doctoral studies at a higher education institution abroad (i.e., outside of Finland), you must attach the following items to the electronic application form:

1. scanned original degree certificates (in the language that the degree was completed in)
2. scanned original transcripts of study records (in the language that the degree was completed in)
3. scanned other original educational documents which may be of relevance in the student selection (e.g. studies you have completed outside the degree that are related to the right to study you are applying for).

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. An official translation here refers to a translation of the educational documents issued by the awarding institution and a translation made by an authorised translator. A transcript in English can be replaced by a Diploma Supplement (DS) awarded by a European educational institution, provided that it contains the information about completed courses and other study attainments.

Please make sure that all attachments are good-quality, easy to read, full colour scans or photographs of the complete required document. Attachments that do not meet these requirements may be rejected. 

6. Verification of language proficiency (if needed)

• The University of Turku follows the Rector’s decision (15 Aug 2019) on the means of verifying one’s language proficiency. See the language requirements on the webpage of the university’s graduate school.
• If you are required to prove your language proficiency with a language test, a scanned certificate of a completed language test must be attached to the application.

7. Copy of valid passport

• Attach a copy of your valid passport or official identification card with photo and information on citizenship. If you have a Finnish personal identity code and you have entered it on the application form, you do not need to attach a copy of your passport.

8. The supervisor’s justified plea for approval of only one supervisor

At the Faculty of Medicine: Only when one supervisor for doctoral training is proposed. See Before applying / Doctoral training at the Faculty of Medicine under section Supervision.

When applying for a fixed-term doctoral researcher position, you are required to attach the documents described below.

1. Motivation letter (Max 1 page)

2. CV of the applicant (it is mandatory to use this attached CV model)

3. Structured research plan approved by the supervisor (3-5 pages including 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 (e.g. personnel, infrastructure, networks), 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 use of artificial intelligence (AI) to assist in the preparation of the research plan should be clearly indicated in the research plan. (see guidelines)
• By attaching the research plan to the application form the applicant gives permission for checking the research plan with Turnitin Originality Check (system for electrical plagiarism detection).

4. 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)

5. Degree certificates and transcripts of study records from previous degree

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 (applies only to funded position applications). The invitation will be sent by email. Interview will be evaluated together with the preliminary assessment of the application for final decision.

For the right to study for a doctoral degree, the eligibility criteria of the applicant and the selection criteria of the faculty are considered in addition to the criteria mentioned above. Admission to the right to study for a doctoral degree is a prerequisite for acceptance into the programme.

Research plans may be screened using the Turnitin OriginalityCheck plagiarism detection system in accordance with quality assurance policy of the University of Turku. 

The Dean of the Faculty of Medicine or Faculty of Science or Faculty of Technology or Turku School of Economics decides on granting the right to study for a doctoral degree (1 August 2026 onwards) based on the proposals of the steering committee of the Doctoral Programme. All applicants will be personally informed about the decisions by 29 May 2026 at the latest.

An admitted applicant has to notify the University of Turku of their acceptance of the study place by 3:00 pm (local time in Finland) on 15 June 2026 according to the instructions given in the admission notification. If the admitted applicant does not give the notification by the end of the allotted period of time mentioned above, they forfeit the study place. A person admitted to more than one university or polytechnic degree programme only notifies the one educational institution at which they accept the study place. Notification, i.e. accepting a study place, is binding and may not be cancelled or changed later.

According to Finnish university legislation, a student may accept only one study place leading to a higher education degree in Finland during one academic term (autumn term 1 Aug – 31 Dec or spring term 1 Jan – 31 Jul). This rule applies to all higher education, i.e. Bachelor and Master level degrees awarded by Finnish universities of applied sciences, Bachelor and Master degrees awarded by Finnish universities, and Licentiate and Doctoral degrees awarded by Finnish universities. This regulation is not applied to study rights received in transfer student selections, from the Åland University of Applied Sciences, from the Police University College, and from institutions of higher education outside Finland.

The applicants who have completed their prior degree in a country other than Finland and who are granted a study right in this call, need to deliver either the original degree certificates or certified copies of the original degree certificates and their translations to the University of Turku, as instructed in the admission notification, on 9 September 2026 at the latest. If the admitted applicant does not deliver the required certificates by the deadline, they forfeit the study right. Instructions on delivering certificates and country-specific requirements.

Appeal for rectification

If an applicant is dissatisfied with the result of the student selection (right to study for a doctoral degree), they have the right to submit an application for the rectification of the decision to the Faculty of Medicine or the Faculty of Science or Faculty of Technology or Turku School of Economics within 14 days of the official publishing of the results.

Further information / faculty

Faculty of Medicine:
Chief Academic Officer Outi Irjala
outi.irjala(at)utu.fi   

Faculty of Science: 
Chief Academic Officer Sanna Nordman
sci-docstudies(at)utu.fi   

Faculty of Technology:
tech-doc(at)utu.fi

Turku School of Economics:
Coordinator Jenni Gray
tsedoctoralprogramme@utu.fi

Further information / ImmuDocs doctoral programme

ImmuDocs coordinator PhD Marja Peura, marja.peura(at)utu.fi