Doctoral Researcher, Dependence of human nutrition on pollinators

Department of Food and Nutrition of the University of Helsinki is seeking a highly motivated PhD researcher to join an international and interdisciplinary team in the EU-funded project Values and dependence of society on pollinators VALOR (start date: April 2025 or as soon as possible). The researcher will be employed for a minimum of 12 months in the Department of Food and Nutrition, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry. The position is expected to contribute one paper to a PhD thesis. The rest of the PhD thesis may also include a scientific paper related to other newly launched projects in the department (SUST360 and Water & Food), which combine ecological sustainability aspects with nutrition research. The research direction depends on the interests of the candidate, and research questions can be formulated together.

The candidate will be responsible for processing and analyzing dietary intake data from European populations alongside an existing dataset on pollinator dependence of food crops and writing a paper for publication in a scientific peer-reviewed journal. The work will be conducted in close collaboration with the project leader within the University of Helsinki (Docent Jelena Meinilä) and international colleagues within the VALOR consortium. In addition, the candidate will write a research plan for their whole PhD thesis with guidance from supervisor(s) and participate in funding applications.

Who can apply 

We seek a candidate with the following qualifications:

• Master’s degree in relevant field, (e.g. human nutrition, agroecology, sustainability sciences, or environmental sciences) completed before starting the position.
• Experience in analyzing dietary intake data and fundamental statistical knowledge.
• Proficiency with statistical software (particularly in R are considered an advantage).
• Excellent written and spoken English

The candidate must enroll as a PhD student at the University of Helsinki within the first 6 months of employment.  The appointee should either already have the right to pursue a doctoral degree at the University of Helsinki by the start of the appointment or apply for the right and obtain it within the probationary period of six months of their appointment. If the appointee does not already have the right to pursue a doctoral degree at the University of Helsinki, it must be applied for separately, please see: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/research/doctoral-education/the-application-process-in-a-nutshell

The workplace is primarily at Viikki campus of the University of Helsinki (with flexible hybrid and remote working options within Finland).

How to apply

The application should include as one single pdf file:

1) A cover letter explaining the applicant’s motivation for the research work.

2) Curriculum vitae showing the applicant's education, completed qualifications, work experience, potential list of publications and contact information of 2 persons for references (up to 3 pages altogether).

3) Copies of Master's, and Bachelor's degree certificates and official transcripts of the records, and their translations, if the originals are not in Finnish, Swedish or English.

External applicants, please submit your application using the University of Helsinki Recruitment System via the Apply Now button.

Applicants who have a helsinki.fi username and a valid employment contract, a grant researcher's contract or a visiting researcher's contract at the University of Helsinki are requested to leave their application by using the Employee Login button.

The University of Helsinki welcomes applicants from a variety of genders, linguistic and cultural backgrounds.

Please submit your application via our recruitment system by 31.03.2025 at 23.59 EET.

Salary and benefits

The salary is based on level 1-2 of the requirement level chart with a starting gross salary of ca. 2500-2600 euros/month. The salary level is determined on the appointee’s personal qualifications and experience.

Further information 

Further information on the position and project can be requested from Dr. Jelena Meinilä (jelena.meinila(at)helsinki.fi). For further information on the recruitment process and the recruitment system, please, contact HR Specialist Mirkka Juntunen mirkka.juntunen(at)helsinki.fi.

About us

The Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry is located on the Viikki campus, ten kilometres from the Helsinki city centre. The mission of the faculty is to promote the sustainable use of renewable natural resources through scientific research and research-based teaching. We focus on agricultural and forest sciences, food and nutrition, microbiology, as well as on economics and management. We cover the full natural resource chain from farm to fork, the entire field of forest sciences from soil chemistry to marketing, as well as the environmental effects of related activities. Graduates from the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry are versatile experts in biosciences and business, able to meet the needs of both the business sector and society at large.

www.helsinki.fi/en/faculty-of-agriculture-and-forestry