Doctoral Programme in Clinical Research - Admission Criteria and Instructions for Applicants

The doctoral researchers of DPCR pursue a doctoral degree either in the Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Social Sciences, 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.).

Instructions for the applicants

• Faculty of Medicine
• Faculty of Science
• Faculty of Technology
• Faculty of Social Sciences
• Turku School of Economics

The supervisor

A prerequisite for admission is that at least two persons* have agreed to act as supervisors and fulfill the qualification requirements for supervisors. Finding a supervisor is the responsibility of the applicant.

Please follow the instructions of the faculty in question. Links to the supervision of each faculty and The School of Economics can be found below in the sections Application documents, subsection g). Signed supervision and study plan.

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

The Follow-up committee

The aim of the follow-up committee is to ensure the progress of the doctoral researcher’s thesis work and studies, to provide an outside perspective to their research, and to support both the doctoral researcher and the supervisors in possible conflict situations.

The applicant negotiates with their supervisor(s) to assemble the follow-up committee and agrees with the members of the committee on annual monitoring practices. The follow-up committee is mandatory in the Faculty of Medicine but the Doctoral Programme in Clinical Research strongly recommends forming a follow-up committee regardless of the faculty of the applicant.

• Check the application period
• Read the instructions of the faculty in question 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!

During the application period 25 August 2026 – 8 September 2026 at 23:59 (local time in Finland) you may apply for:

A) The right to pursue a doctoral degree in the University of Turku Doctoral Programme in Clinical Research at the Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Social Sciences, Faculty of Science, Faculty of Technology or Turku School of Economics from 1 January 2027 onwards.

B) A fixed‑term doctoral researcher position with an employment contract

A doctoral researcher position begins on 1 January 2027 or by agreement during the year 2027. It is also possible to apply for a continuation of the current doctoral researcher employment contract.

When determining the length of the employment, previously awarded funding for doctoral studies as well as the planned schedule and stage of the doctoral degree will be taken into account. The duration of a UTUGS‑funded fixed‑term doctoral researcher position is at most four years, but not beyond 31 December 2030. The basis for the fixed-term employment is doctoral researcher's work related to their doctoral studies.  In the Doctoral Programme in Clinical Research it is also possible to apply for a doctoral researcher position to carry out a specific component (subproject) of the dissertation. A subproject refers to a clearly defined and delimited research task that can be carried out during the term of employment and results in a concrete outcome (such as data collection, an article, a chapter, or an analysis). When applying for a salaried position to implement such a subproject, its content and implementation must be described in the application form. All applicants must describe in the application form a plan for completing the degree.

In addition, up to one‑year positions for 2027 are available for applicants in the final stages of their doctoral research. The aim is to submit the dissertation for pre‑examination during 2027.

A person who already holds a doctoral degree cannot be selected to a doctoral researcher position, nor a person who already has a study right in another doctoral programme at the University of Turku and who in this application round is applying to transfer to the Doctoral Programme in Clinical Research. The doctoral researcher position requires working in Finland and the place of work is Turku.

The position is intended for full‑time doctoral research and doctoral studies. For a justified reason, flexible working arrangements may be considered and agreed upon in the position, which will make it possible to do dissertation work as well as related research and practical work. These arrangements may include, for example, clinical work that requires hospital-based duties and supports doctoral work in parallel with research work, or other research work. The justification must be must be provided in the application form. Participation in teaching and other duties should be arranged so that the dissertation can be completed within the planned timetable. The employment contract is based on a total annual working time of 1,612 hours, which gives the doctoral researcher flexibility to arrange working hours. As a rule, teaching and other duties may account for up to 5% of the annual working time (approximately up to 80 hours per academic year).

Salary is based on the salary system of the University’s teaching and research staff. Salary will consist of a task-specific salary component and a personal performance salary component. The task-specific salary component of a doctoral researcher varies between levels 2 to 4, depending on the stage of the doctoral degree. In addition, a personal performance salary component is paid. The salary of a doctoral researcher ranges roughly from € 2,400 to € 3,300 depending on progress of the doctoral research and the experience and skills of the person concerned. The level of task-specific salary component of a new doctoral researcher is generally assessed as level 2. The probationary period is six months, however not more than half of the employment period.

C) Both of the above (a and b)

When applying for the right to pursue a doctoral degree 

• 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§).
• You must meet the University of Turku language proficiency requirements. Link to the Graduate School’s web page on language requirements;
• You must meet the doctoral programme and faculty requirements for granting the right to pursue a doctoral degree. Carefully read the requirements of the Doctoral Programme in Clinical Research and the application guidelines of the Faculty to which you are applying:
  • Faculty of Medicine
  • Faculty of Science
  • Faculty of Social Sciences
  • Faculty of Technology
  • Turku School of Economics

If the applicant has a right to study for a doctoral degree at another university or in another doctoral programme at the University of Turku, the applicant must provide reasons for changing over to the Doctoral Programme in Clinical Research. A doctoral researcher may hold only one doctoral degree study right at the University of Turku at a time.

When applying for a doctoral researcher position 

• You must hold an active study right to pursue a doctoral degree at the University of Turku in the Doctoral Programme in Clinical Research. In addition, when acquiring the degree or otherwise, you are required to have demonstrated the ability to undertake postgraduate studies and the capacity to complete a doctoral degree in accordance with the research plan.  (University of Turku Rules of Procedure 13.12.2024).
• or if you have not yet been granted right to pursue a doctoral degree, you must apply for the right to pursue a doctoral degree in the Doctoral Programme in Clinical research in this call via the Studyinfo (Opintopolku) service (see the instructions under “How to apply for the right to pursue a doctoral degree”). The right to pursue a doctoral degree is a prerequisite for being selected for a position of a doctoral researcher;
• You are planning to pursue or pursuing your first doctoral degree, and you are not in this application round, applying to transfer from another doctoral programme at the University of Turku to the Doctoral Programme in Clinical Research;
• You have not previously received four years of full‑time funding for doctoral studies.
• The doctoral researcher position requires working in Finland and the place of work is Turku. 

Applications for the right to pursue a doctoral degree are submitted via the Studyinfo (Opintopolku) service and applications for fixed‑term doctoral researcher position with an employment contract are submitted via the University of Turku recruitment system (Talentti) by completing an electronic application form and submitting the required attachments. 

Note that if you apply for both the right to pursue a doctoral degree and a doctoral researcher position with an employment contract, you must submit applications with the required attachments in both systems (see details below). 

The required attachments are described in more detail at the end of this announcement (Appendix 1 & Appendix 2). 

Links to the application forms will be published on the University of Turku Graduate School web pages.

How to apply for the right to pursue a doctoral degree 

Apply for the right to pursue a doctoral degree by filling the electronic Studyinfo form and submitting the required attachments (see Appendix 1). The Studyinfo form opens at the begin of the application period on 25 August 2026 and closes on 8 September 2026 at 23:59 (local time in Finland). A link to the Graduate School web pages where the links to the application forms will be published.

In this application round, you may apply for admission to up to two doctoral programmes at the University of Turku. You may only have one valid doctoral degree study right at the University of Turku at a time.

Late applications will not be considered. The chosen study programme (doctoral programme) cannot be changed and the application cannot be amended after the application period has ended. 

The Studyinfo service is used solely to apply for the right to pursue a doctoral degree; if you also wish to apply for a fixed‑term doctoral researcher position, you must submit a separate application for that position (see the instructions under “How to apply for a fixed‑term doctoral researcher position with an employment contract”). 

How to apply for a fixed‑term doctoral researcher position with an employment contract 

Doctoral researcher positions are applied for by completing the electronic application form in the University of Turku recruitment system (Talentti) and submitting the required attachments (see Appendix 2). The recruitment form opens at the begin of the application period on 25 August 2026 and closes on 8 September 2026 at 23:59 (local time in Finland). 

Doctoral researcher positions will be advertised in the University of Turku’s Open Positions and on the Graduate School web pages at the beginning of the application period.

Applicants must submit all required attachments by the application deadline; late applications will not be processed and the chosen doctoral programme cannot be changed nor can the application be amended after the deadline.

Selection to a doctoral researcher position requires an active right to pursue a doctoral degree in the Doctoral Programme in Clinical Research; if you have not yet been granted a study right, you must apply for one in the Doctoral Programme in Clinical research in the Studyinfo service (see “How to apply for the right to pursue a doctoral degree”). 

Application documents:

Always check the required attachments of the Call in question!

Below you will find, as two separate sections, the required attachments when applying for a study right and when applying for a doctoral researcher position with employment contract. Note that if you apply for both the right to pursue a doctoral degree and a doctoral researcher position with an employment contract, you must submit applications with the required attachments in both systems.

Attachments to the application when applying for a right to pursue a doctoral degree

Please ensure that all attachments are high-quality, easy-to-read, full-colour scans or photographs of the entire required document. Attachments must be submitted in PDF format. Attachments that do not meet these requirements may be rejected. Name each attachment so that the file name clearly indicates both your name and the document type (for example: surname-firstname-CV).

All application documents are requested to be written either in Finnish or in English.

In addition to the attachments listed below, the applicant must prepare a summary of the research plan (max 1000 characters) and answer the questions in the application form.

1. Degree certificate and transcript of study records 

Attach to the electronic application form:

• the scanned or electronic original certificate of the higher university degree (e.g. Master’s degree), 
• the scanned or electronic original transcript of study records of the higher university degree,
• other study certificates relevant to the selection criteria (for example, studies completed outside the degree that relate to the doctoral degree you are applying for). 

If the documents are not in Finnish, Swedish or English, you must also submit an official translation into one of those languages; an official translation is accepted if issued by the degree‑awarding university or produced by an authorised translator. A Diploma Supplement (DS) issued by a European higher education institution may be accepted instead of an English translation of the degree certificate and transcript, provided it contains the details of the study records.

2. Certificate of language proficiency

The University of Turku follows the Rector’s decision (8.6.2026) that defines acceptable ways of verifying language proficiency. You should read the University of Turku’s guidance on language proficiency carefully: Link to the webpage on language requirements. 

As an attachment to your application, you must include a scanned certificate of a language test approved by the University of Turku, unless the guidance states otherwise.

3. Research plan

• Note the model of the DPCR
• Note also the instructions on how to describe the statistical methods.

When applying for the Turku School of Economics, the research plan should be maximum of 10 pages, for more instructions see Applying to Doctoral Studies at Turku School of Economics | University of Turku (utu.fi)

When preparing the research plan you must follow the principles of good scientific practice (link to TENK’s guidelines on good scientific practice). The research plan may be checked with the Turnitin OriginalityCheck plagiarism‑detection system. Any use of artificial intelligence (AI) as an aid in preparing the research plan must be clearly declared in the application. 

4. Motivation Letter

Please describe your motivation for completing a doctoral degree in the Doctoral Programme in Clinical Research and how you think the doctoral degree will affect your career. The motivation letter is a one page long freeform document

If the applicant has a right to study for a doctoral degree at another university or in another doctoral programme at the University of Turku, the applicant must provide reasons for changing over to DPCR. A student may hold only one doctoral degree study right at the University of Turku at a time.

If you are applying to the Turku School of Economics, please also follow the instructions of the School:

• A one-page letter of motivation. In the letter, the applicants must state reasons why they are applying specifically to the University of Turku and to the chosen major subject. The applicants must also express the novelty value the intended research would bring to the scientific field. The letter must also include the applicant’s reflections on their professional aspirations.

   

5. CV of the applicant including the list of publications (e.g., Template for researcher's curriculum vitae)

    

6. CV from one supervisor (max 2 pages) and the list of publications 2024-2026

    

7. Signed supervision plan including the study plan (a mandatory attachment, use template)

Supervision: A person applying for the right to study for a doctoral degree must first discuss with their supervisor of the supervision of the thesis work, of the choice for a doctoral programme, the contents of the doctoral studies, the composition of the follow-up committee for doctoral training and other details related to the project. NB! At least one of the supervisors must have access to UTU IT-systems (utu user account) to use the UGIS system.

The follow-up group: The aim of the follow-up group (called the follow-up committee in the Faculty of Medicine) is to ensure the progress of the doctoral researcher’s thesis work and studies, to provide an outside perspective to their research, and to support both the doctoral researcher and the supervisors in possible conflict situations. The information concerning the follow-up committee is mandatory in the Faculty of Medicine. In other faculties or the School of Economics, the follow-up group is not mandatory and can consist of one to three persons (two to three persons in the Faculty of Medicine, see faculty instructions!). However, the DPCR recommends you form a follow-up group with two to three persons from outside the research group regardless of your faculty to ensure smooth progress of the doctoral researcher’s work. The doctoral programme also recommends that one member of the follow-up group is from outside the University of Turku.

Use the appropriate template:

• Faculty of Medicine supervision and study plan
  • Please read the instructions on supervision and the follow-up committee on the Faculty of Medicine webpage (updated 2024) before making your application. Two follow-up committee members must come from outside the doctoral researcher’s own research group.
  • Faculty of Medicine Subjects in doctoral training and heads of subjects
• Faculty of Science supervision and study plan
• Faculty of Social Sciences commitment by a supervisor (file or copy of email message by a professor or a researcher with a doctoral degree working at the University of Turku to confirm that she/he is willing to supervise applicant’s dissertation project). No template for 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 study guide.

NB! At least one of the supervisors must have access to UTU IT-systems (utu user account).

8. 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.

9. Letter of support for the collaboration 

Provided by the representative of the research organisation/principal investigator, if the data is mainly collected outside the University of Turku or the Varha collaborate area. Attach as “other attachment” in the Studyinfo application form.

10. Supervisor's comment on the funding,

If the thesis work is a main job for the applicant (not required for the Turku School of Economics). Attach as “other attachment” in the Studyinfo application form.

11. A justified application for the approval of a supervisor,

A justified application for the approval of a supervisor, written by the supervisor, when proposing only one supervisor. One supervisor can be appointed only in special and justified situations. (Only when applying to the Faculty of Medicine. In other Faculties minimum two supervisors).

When applying for the right to study for a doctoral degree in the Faculty of Social Sciences, Faculty of Science, Faculty of Technology or Turku School of Economics the required attachments may vary from the above-mentioned. Please check and follow the detailed instructions on the web pages of the faculty in question.

The applicant must deliver all required documents by the end of the application period. Any late submissions will not be processed.

Attachments to the application when applying for doctoral researcher position with employment contract

Fill in the electronic application form. The attachments listed below must be submitted as part of the Talentti system’s electronic application form unless otherwise instructed. Ensure that all attachments are high‑quality, easy‑to‑read, full-colour scans or photographs of the entire required document. Attachments should be submitted in PDF format. Attachments that do not meet these requirements may be rejected. Name each file so that the filename clearly shows both your name and the document type (for example: surname-firstname-CV).

All application documents are requested to be written either in Finnish or in English. 

In addition to the attachments listed below, the applicant must prepare the following information on the application form:

1. A summary of the research plan (max 1000 characters) 
2. An implementation plan (maximum 4000 characters)

This is a realistic description of the implementation plan for the doctoral dissertation, other sources of funding, and the timetable, including a plan for completing the degree. Applicants applying for a doctoral researcher position to carry out a specific component (subproject) of the dissertation must clearly specify the content of the proposed subproject and its implementation timetable.

And answer the questions in the application form.

As attachments, the applicant must include the following documents:

1. CV of the applicant including the list of publications (e.g., Template for researcher's curriculum vitae)

2. Research plan 

• Note the model of the DPCR
• Note also the instructions on how to describe the statistical methods.

When applying for the Turku School of Economics, the research plan should be maximum of 10 pages, for more instructions see Applying to Doctoral Studies at Turku School of Economics | University of Turku (utu.fi)

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. 

The research plan must be up to date.

3. Motivation letter

Please describe your motivation for completing a doctoral degree in the Doctoral Programme in Clinical Research and how you think the doctoral degree will affect your career. The motivation letter is a one page long freeform document

If the applicant has a right to study for a doctoral degree at another university or in another doctoral programme at the University of Turku, the applicant must provide reasons for changing over to DPCR. A student may hold only one doctoral degree study right at the University of Turku at a time.

If you are applying to the Turku School of Economics, please also follow the instructions of the School:

• A one-page letter of motivation. In the letter, the applicants must state reasons why they are applying specifically to the University of Turku and to the chosen major subject. The applicants must also express the novelty value the intended research would bring to the scientific field. The letter must also include the applicant’s reflections on their professional aspirations.

4. Degree certificate and transcript of study records 

Attach to the electronic application form:

• the scanned or electronic original certificate of the higher university degree (e.g. Master’s degree), 
• the scanned or electronic original transcript of study records of the higher university degree,
• other study certificates relevant to the selection criteria (for example, studies completed outside the degree that relate to the doctoral degree you are applying for). 

If the documents are not in Finnish, Swedish or English, you must also submit an official translation into one of those languages; an official translation is accepted if issued by the degree‑awarding university or produced by an authorised translator. A Diploma Supplement (DS) issued by a European higher education institution may be accepted instead of an English translation of the degree certificate and transcript, provided it contains the details of the study records.

The applicant must deliver all required documents by the end of the application period. Any late submissions will not be processed.

Applicant’s research topic must fit the profile of the doctoral programme. The doctoral programme’s steering group will evaluate applications after the deadline and may use external experts as necessary. Research plans submitted with applications may be checked with Turnitin OriginalityCheck for plagiarism in accordance with the University’s quality system; the use of artificial intelligence and how it was used in preparing the research plan may also be assessed. 

Criteria for granting the right to pursue a doctoral degree 

Granting the right to pursue a doctoral degree requires that the applicant: 

• meets the eligibility criteria determined in the Universities Act (558/2009, Section 37); More information is provided under “Requirements for applicants”.
• meets the University of Turku language proficiency requirements; 
• fulfils the requirements set by the Faculty and the Doctoral Programme for granting the right to pursue a doctoral degree

In the selection process, the following factors are emphasized: quality and feasibility of the research plan, completed studies, applicant’s research merits as well as applicant’s capability and motivation to complete a doctoral degree.

Selection criteria for fixed‑term doctoral researcher position with an employment contract

Applicants selected for UTUGS fixed‑term doctoral researcher positions must meet the eligibility requirements defined in the University of Turku Rules of Procedure (13.12.2024).

In the selection process, the following factors are emphasized: quality and feasibility of the research plan, completed postgraduate studies, applicant’s research merits (scientific publications and other granted personal funding) as well as applicant’s capability and motivation to complete a doctoral degree (if you wish, you can mention the JUFO classification and impact factor of your publications in your application). Any other funding received by the applicant for doctoral studies and the phase of the thesis are taken into consideration when determining the duration of the Doctoral researcher position. 

Those who applied for a fixed-term doctoral researcher position may be interviewed. Applicants will be notified separately for interviews. 

DPCR is multidisciplinary doctoral programme and aims to further all relevant research fields, which may be taken into account when filling the Doctoral researcher positions.

Decisions on the right to pursue a doctoral degree

The vice‑dean or dean responsible for doctoral education in the faculty decides on the granting of the right to pursue a doctoral degree on the basis of the doctoral programme steering group’s proposal. All applicants will be notified of the decisions personally by 30 November 2026. 

An admitted applicant must confirm acceptance of the study place in accordance with the instructions given in the decision by 15 December 2026 at 23:59 (local time in Finland). If the admitted applicant does not give the notification by the end of the allotted time period mentioned above, the applicant forfeits the study place.

A person admitted to more than one university or polytechnic degree programme only notifies the one educational institution at which they choose to 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, an applicant 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’s and Master’s level degrees awarded by Finnish universities of applied sciences, Bachelor’s and Master’s 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. 

Applicants who have completed their prior degree in a country other than Finland and who are granted a right to pursue a doctoral degree 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 8 March 2027 at the latest. If the admitted applicant does not deliver the required certificates by the deadline, they forfeit the study right. A link to the the instructions on delivering certificates and country-specific requirements. 

Decisions on the fixed‑term doctoral researcher position with an employment contract

The decision on appointment to a doctoral researcher position is made by the head of the relevant department or unit on the basis of the doctoral programme steering group’s proposal. All applicants will be notified of the programme’s decision personally and the names of the persons offered positions will be published on the doctoral programme web pages; selected applicants must confirm acceptance of the position in accordance with the instructions in the decision.

Doctoral Programme Coordinator: Mikko Tähtö-Pakkanen dpcr[at]utu.fi, 

Websites of the Doctoral Programme in Clinical Research, 

Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Science, Faculty of Technology, Turku School of Economics and Faculty of Social Sciences.