The Department of Public Health sciences is a department at the Faculty of Social Sciences at Stockholm University, with around 70 employees. We offer a dynamic, interdisciplinary, and internationally leading research environment. The Department houses two research centres: Centre for Health Equity Studies (CHESS) and Centre for Social Research on Alcohol and Drugs (SoRAD). We offer education at the basic, advanced, and doctoral levels.

Project description 
The doctoral student’s dissertation work will be conducted within the project Mental health consequences following the loss of a family member during the Corona pandemic: A multi-methods approach. The project aims to evaluate the impact of bereavement on mental health using longitudinal data from Swedish nationwide total-population social and health registers. We will compare bereavement during the pandemic to before the pandemic, in different phases of the pandemic, bereavement due to COVID-19 to other causes of death, and in different population groups. A smaller part of the project will use qualitative interviews to explore and identify the pandemic-related circumstances and experiences of people bereaved during the pandemic that may have contributed to adverse mental health outcomes.

The thesis project should mainly be based on quantitative analyses of Swedish register data. However, a multi-methodological approach, where quantitative and qualitative methods are mixed, is encouraged.

For more information on the project see: Mental health consequences following the loss of a family member during the Corona pandemic

Qualification requirements
In order to meet the general entry requirements, the applicant must have either taken an advanced level academic degree, completed course demands for at least 240 higher education credits, of which at least 60 credits were taken at the advanced level, or in any other way within this country or abroad achieved substantially equivalent competence.  

In order to meet the specific entry requirements, the general syllabus for doctoral studies in the field of public health sciences stipulates that applicants must have good oral and written skills in English. Applicants must also have completed the course requirements concerning quantitative or qualitative methods relevant for Public Health Sciences comprising of at least 7.5 higher education credits at the advanced level.

The entry requirements can also be met if the applicant has acquired substantially equivalent knowledge either in Sweden or abroad. Whether such knowledge meets the specified requirements is decided upon by the Director of Studies for the doctoral programme in Public Health Sciences, and the final decision is made by the Head of Department.

The qualification requirements must be met by the deadline for applications.

Selection
The selection among the qualified applicants is based on their ability to achieve the goals for doctoral studies. The criteria used in this selection process are: 

• Subject-specific knowledge of relevance to Public Health Sciences
• Subject-specific knowledge of relevance to the research project to which the employment is linked (where applicable)
• Independence in the analysis and planning of previous scholarly work
• Scholarly stringency and quality of previous work and of the outline of the research plan
• The ability to communicate and collaborate
• The department’s possibilities to provide adequate supervision for the planned research.

Admission Regulations for Doctoral Studies at Stockholm University are available at: www.su.se/rules and regulations.

Terms of employment
Only a person who will be or has already been admitted to a third-cycle programme may be appointed to a doctoral studentship.

The term of the initial contract may not exceed one year. The employment may be extended for a maximum of two years at a time. However, the total period of employment may not exceed the equivalent of four years of full-time study.

Doctoral students should primarily devote themselves to their own education, but may engage in teaching, research, and administration corresponding to a maximum of 20 % of a full-time position.

Please note that admission decisions cannot be appealed.

Stockholm University strives to be a workplace free from discrimination and with equal opportunities for all.

Contact
For more information, please contact Professor Mikael Rostila, telephone: +46 8 16 44 16, mikael.rostila@su.se.

For more information about the doctoral programme, please contact the Director of Studies Sara Brolin Låftman, sara.brolin.laftman@su.se.

Union representatives
Ingrid Lander (Saco-S), telephone: +46 708 16 26 64, saco@saco.su.se, Alejandra Pizarro Carrasco (Fackförbundet ST/OFR), telephone: +46 8 16 34 89, alejandra@st.su.se, seko@seko.su.se (SEKO), and PhD student representative, doktorandombud@sus.se.

Application
Apply for the PhD student position at Stockholm University’s recruitment system. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the job advertisement, and that it is submitted before the deadline.

Please include the following information with your application

• Your contact details and personal data
• Your highest degree
• Your language skills
• Contact details for 2–3 references

and, in addition, please include the following documents

• Cover letter
• CV – degrees and other completed courses, work experience and a list of degree projects/theses
• An outline that describes the planned research (1-3 pages). This must, where applicable, be linked to the call’s project description. The outline must indicate the main focus, conceivable thesis topic, and preferably also a specification of a possible research problem, theory, method and material.
• Degree certificates and grades confirming that you meet the general and specific entry requirements (no more than 6 files)
• Letters of recommendation (no more than 6 files)
• Degree projects/theses (no more than 6 files).

The instructions for applicants are available at: How to apply for a position.

You are welcome to apply!

Stockholm University contributes to the development of sustainable democratic society through knowledge, enlightenment and the pursuit of truth.

Deadline: 2024-03-15 at 23:59
Unit: Health/Life sciences

Read the job description at the university homepage or apply.