Tag Archives: Mälardalen University

PhD students to the multidisciplinary initiative Centre for welfare change

Ref 2024/0387

Mälardalen University (MDU) is the youngest university in Sweden. In line with our vision, to be a progressive and collaborative University where we shape a sustainable future together, we wish to make a difference.

Do you want to be involved and contribute to our development?

Together, we can create a sustainable future through knowledge and innovation. We believe that knowledge and new perspectives are best attained and reached together in collaboration with others – our colleagues, students, the private and public sectors, both nationally and internationally.

As a part of MDU’s strategic initiative to explore the possibilities of health and welfare technology within the Centre for Welfare Change, we are now recruiting 4-6 PhD students.

The Centre for Welfare Change is an arena where academia, business, civil society and the public sector together take on the challenges of welfare. We find the solutions in cooperation between the parties and through interdisciplinary research, based on the possibilities of health and welfare technology. The center forms a platform where new knowledge is co-produced, made available and utilized in collaboration. Read more about the Centre here:

https://www.mdu.se/en/malardalen-university/collaboration/centre-for-welfare-change?

Your doctoral employment will be at a department at one of our four schools, depending on your skills and the focus of the thesis project. MDU have four schools: School of Health, Care and Social welfare; School of Innovation, Design and Engineering; School of Education, Culture and Communication; and School of Business, Society and Engineering.

Employment information

Employment: Temporary employment
Scope: Full time
Number of positions: 4-6
Closing date for application: 2024-03-18
Campus location: Västerås or Eskilstuna 
School: Dependent on the candidates skills and area of research

Only those who are or have been admitted to third-cycle courses and study programmes at a higher education may be appointed to doctoral studentship.  More information about third-cycle studies at MDU
For further information about basic eligibility requirements and assessment criteria, see Chapter 7 of the Higher Education Ordinance (SFS 1993:100).

Position description

Within the frames of your employment, you will conduct doctoral studies and write a doctoral thesis in which you formulate, investigate and answer questions related to the theme Information-driven care and healthcare.

Information-driven care and social services is the systematic share and use of available health data in and between organizations and across disciplines, to predict ill-health, implement preventive measures and a person-centred care approach. The aim is to produce more efficient and equal health and social care services with new working procedures to promote health and quality of life.

Information-driven care and social services requires the development and application of advanced digital technology such as AI as well as the development of socio-technical systems. The change towards information-driven care and social services, which is initiated both nationally and internationally, affects all aspects of health and social care services. However, more knowledge is needed linked to the opportunities and challenges that it also entails.

By recruiting 4-6 PhD students who study Information-driven care and social services from different subject disciplines, but with a clear anchoring in the Centre for Welfare Change, new multidisciplinary knowledge can be developed.

Examples of areas that you could study as a doctoral student are:

Innovation and development of information-driven care and social services:

  • User-friendly sensor systems for monitoring health data
  • Reliable measurements and data communication in distributed environments
  • Reliable distributed signal processing and AI
  • Advanced sensors, data-driven models and learning systems for improved sanitation, air quality and thermal comfort
  • Management and organizing of ecosystems for innovation and development
  • Servitization of care and healthcare through increased use of patient data

Implementation and organizing of information-driven care and social services:

  • Implementation of work procedures, services, etc.
  • Entrepreneurship and the role of small businesses
  • Managing change and collaboration

The use and the consequences of technologies for information-driven care and healthcare social services from a societal, organizational, professional and/or user perspective:

  • Use of health data for behavioural change, improved health and/or quality of life (professions, residents, business, etc.)
  • Changes in working procedures and working conditions of the personnel in health and social care services
  • Professional change and learning

Policy, power and ethical perspectives on the development towards information-driven care and social services.         
    

Qualifications

According to chapter 7, § 39 in HF, basic eligibility for education at postgraduate level has anyone who has 1) completed an advanced level degree, 2) completed course requirements of at least 240 higher education credits (hp), of which at least 60 credits (hp) at advanced level, or 3) in some other way inside or outside the country acquired essentially equivalent knowledge.

Strong written and oral communication skills in English are a requirement. Good knowledge of Swedish is also required for some projects.

The applicant must also have advanced level education (master’s or civil engineering/economics level) in an area relevant to the doctoral project. As the Centre for Welfare Change is a multidisciplinary initiative, we are looking for candidates from educational fields such as design, technology, humanities, health and welfare, social sciences, educational sciences.

Assessment criteria

Prior to employment, consideration must be given to the ability to assimilate third-cycle courses and study programmes at a higher education.

In addition to documents that confirm eligibility for the position as a doctoral student, we ask you to submit a “Research proposal” with your application. With inspiration in the suggested areas above, please structure your text based on the following headings: Problem background, Possible questions and proposals for Research design. Write in English and a maximum of 1500 words.

Upon admission as a doctoral student, your project will be developed in dialogue with supervisors and based on the needs within the Centre for Welfare Change.

In an overall assessment of suitability, emphasis is also placed on personal abilities. All employees at MDU are expected to cooperate and treat colleagues and students with respect, take responsibility for the organisation and their own work duties and contribute to a positive work environment.

We value the qualities that an even distribution of age and gender, as well as ethnic and cultural diversity, can contribute to the organization.

Application

Application is made online. Make your application by clicking the “Apply” button below.

The applicant is responsible for ensuring that the application is complete in accordance with the advertisement and will reach the University no later than closing date for application.

We look forward to receiving your application.

Union representatives:

Saco-S saco-s@mdu.se
Susanne Meijer ST-OFR/S, tel: 021-10 14 89

We decline all contact with recruiters and salespersons of advertisements. We have made our strategic choices for this recruitment.

Contact person

Petra von Heideken Wågert

Scientific leader, Centre for Welfare Change

021-10 31 88

petra.heideken.wagert@mdu.se

Peter E. Johansson

Centre for Welfare Change

016-15 37 08

peter.e.johansson@mdu.se

Read the job description at the university homepage

Apply