Doctoral Researcher (PhD Student, 2 positions), Chemical Ecology and Plants Eco-Physiology

The University of Eastern Finland is inviting applications for two Doctoral Researcher (PhD Student) positions in the field of Chemical Ecology and Plant Ecophysiology at the Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences on the Kuopio campus. The positions will be filled for a fixed term as from 1 April 2026 (or as agreed) to 31 December 2028.

Please find more information below and submit your application by 2 March 2026.

Role and salary

We are seeking two highly motivated Doctoral Researchers (PhD Students) to work in the field of Chemical Ecology and Plant Ecophysiology. The new Doctoral Researchers will work in the Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences at the Faculty of Science, Forestry and Technology. The research will be conducted in the Environmental Ecology Research Group (EERG) (website). The doctoral thesis will be implemented within the Centre of Excellence in Anthropocenic Chemical Ecology of Forests (ACE-Forest) funded by the Research Council of Finland (website).

The projects will explore chemically mediated intra- and interspecific interactions with a focus on understanding the spatial and temporal dynamics of interactions. The projects will each aim to advance understanding of the chemical ecology of forests in the Anthropocene. Embedded within a Centre of Excellence, both positions have great potential for building networks and conducting collaborative research.

Information on the two available Doctoral Researcher (PhD Student) positions is provided below. Please indicate in the application form which position you are applying for as your primary choice.

Doctoral Researcher (Position 1): This position will focus on understanding plant-plant interactions in mature trees. It will be a primarily fieldwork-based project but has the scope for conducting some mechanistic studies in the laboratory. The study species will be either Scots pine or silver birch, or a combination of the two. The aim will to be to gain new knowledge on the chemical species mediating tree-tree interactions and to investigate variation in interactions along the vertical trajectory of forest trees. The position will involve performing field experiments utilising a mobile elevated working platform to access trees from top to bottom. Key analytical techniques for this position will be gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS), and infra-red gas analysis.

Doctoral Researcher (Position 2): This position will focus on understanding the impact of climate change and environmental pollution on tritrophic interactions involving model systems from boreal forests (Scots pine or silver birch) at different scales from the laboratory to field conditions. The aim will be to gain new knowledge on how individual or combined stress factors influence food webs, which may impact on population dynamics. The position will involve performing manipulative experiments that utilise a suite of complementary techniques including plant volatile collection and analysis by GC-MS, electroantennography and olfactometry tests, field observations, and collecting and maintaining insect colonies.

The main duty of the Doctoral Researchers (PhD Students) is to conduct research for their doctoral dissertation and to complete postgraduate studies.

The positions will be filled for a fixed term as from 1 April 2026 (or as agreed) to 31 December 2028. The positions will be filled for a fixed term due to the Doctoral Researcher’s (PhD Student’s) own doctoral dissertation work and studies. A possible extension will be agreed upon separately. A trial period is applied to all new members of staff.

The salary of the position is determined in accordance with the salary system for Finnish universities. The salary comprises two components: a job-related salary element and a personal salary element. For a Doctoral Researcher (PhD Student), the job-related salary element is based on levels 2–4 of the job requirement level chart for teaching and research staff depending on the stage of the applicant's doctoral research and postgraduate studies. The personal salary element is 6–50% of the job-related salary element. At the beginning of the employment, the total salary will be approximately EUR 2,650 – 2,785 /month.

Our requirements and expectations

Requirements

• position 1: eligibility for postgraduate studies; i.e., holding a Master’s degree in the fields of Biology, Biochemistry, Ecology, Forestry, Environmental Science or Entomology, awarded by a university or a university of applied sciences, or having completed an applicable study programme abroad which in the awarding country gives eligibility for corresponding postgraduate education
• position 2: eligibility for postgraduate studies; i.e., holding a Master’s degree in the fields of Plant Sciences, Biology, Ecology, Forestry, Environmental Sciences or Entomology with major courses related to ecological insect-plant interactions, awarded by a university or a university of applied sciences, or having completed an applicable study programme abroad which in the awarding country gives eligibility for corresponding postgraduate education
• meeting the student admission criteria for the LUMETO doctoral programme (Doctoral Programme in Science, Forestry and Technology, website)
• a good command of written and spoken English

Please note that the applicant must fulfil the stated requirements by the end of the application period.

Applicants who do not yet have the right to pursue postgraduate studies at the University of Eastern Finland are not required to apply for study rights at the application stage. If the applicant is selected for the position and applies for postgraduate study rights, the selection will be conditional until the right to pursue postgraduate studies in the faculty’s doctoral programme has been granted. The application for postgraduate study rights is submitted through the Studyinfo (Opintopolku) service.

The following will be considered an advantage

Position 1:

• prior experience with the measurement and analysis of biogenic volatile organic compounds using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry or proton transfer reaction – time of flight – mass spectrometry
• competence with statistical analysis using either SPSS or R
• a driving license, with a BE license being an added advantage
• willingness to work at height using an elevated working platform
• competence in the Finnish language.

Position 2:

• prior experience with the measurement and analysis of biogenic volatile organic compounds using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry or proton transfer reaction – time of flight – mass spectrometry
• previous experience in working with insect predators and parasitoids
• experience with insect olfactometry techniques
• competence with statistical analysis using either SPSS or R.

Your benefits 

You will have access to the university’s staff benefits, including

• opportunity for flexible multi-location work
• excellent opportunities for professional development and continuous learning
• extensive occupational health care
• broad selection of staff training
• staff discount on lunch in our campus restaurants, as well as on a range of other services
• affordable sports services

Please read more in the Work at UEF section on our website.

You will have an opportunity to work in a meaningful role as part of our international, creative, participatory and inclusive academic community.

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?

Submit your application by using our electronic application form no later than 2 March 2026 by 23:59 (midnight) Finnish time (UTC +2).

Please note that you must include the following appendices in your application

• a CV (Template for CV, TENK website)
• a list of publications (Instructions, Research Council of Finland website)
• copies of your academic degree certificates / diplomas, and copies of certificates / diplomas relating to your language proficiency, if not indicated in the academic degree certificates/diplomas
• a transcript of records
• a motivation letter (max. 1 page) in which you describe your interest in the position and research project, your background, as well as your career aspirations
• other documents to demonstrate the your merits for the position.

If your degree certificate is not in English, Finnish, or Swedish, you must provide official English translations of your degree certificate documents. All translations must be issued by the awarding educational institution or an authorized translator. Each page of the official translation must bear the translator's stamp and/or signature. Official translations must be accurate translations of the original documents. Translations made by the applicants themselves will not be accepted.

Questions? 

For further information concerning position 1, please contact Professor James Blande, e-mail: james.blande@uef.fi, tel. +358 40 3553210.

For further information concerning position 2, please contact Senior Researcher Delia Pinto, e-mail: delia.pinto@uef.fi, tel. +358 41 7232439.

For further information on the application procedure, please contact HR Specialist Noora Hämäläinen, e-mail: noora.hamalainen@uef.fi, tel.: +358 29 445 8302 and HR Specialist Iiris Korhonen, e-mail: iiris.korhonen@uef.fi, tel.: +358 29 445 8161.

Haemme Itä-Suomen yliopistolle kahta väitöskirjatutkijaa, joiden tutkimus liittyy Suomen Akatemian rahoittamaan Antroposeenin ajan metsien kemiallisen ekologian tutkimuksen huippuyksikköön (ACE-Forest). Tehtävät sijoittuvat luonnontieteiden, metsätieteiden ja tekniikan tiedekuntaan ympäristö- ja biotieteiden laitokselle Kuopion kampukselle. Tehtävät täytetään määräajaksi ajalle 1.4.2026 – 31.12.2028 (tai aloitus sopimuksen mukaan). Tehtävässä tehtäväkohtainen palkanosa on vaativuustasoluokittelussa tasoilla 2–4. Lisäksi maksetaan henkilökohtaiseen suoriutumiseen perustuvaa palkanosaa, joka on 6–50 % tehtäväkohtaisesta palkanosasta. Tehtävässä edellytetään hyvää englannin kielen taitoa.​

Lue tarkemmat tiedot tehtävistä ja hakuohjeet yllä olevasta englanninkielisestä ilmoituksesta. Jätäthän hakemuksesi englanniksi. Hakuaika tehtävään päättyy 2.3.2026.