PhD Student

We are seeking a PhD student to join the Department of Education and Psychology at the University of Oulu for a fixed-term position from 15 October 2026 to 31 August 2030. The appointed researcher will work on the project Irony Understanding Development in Adolescence, led by Professor Henri Olkoniemi and funded by the Academy of Finland. The project explores how the understanding of irony develops from adolescence to adulthood and how it differs between spoken and written communication. The duties include conducting doctoral research within the project, co-designing and implementing experiments, collecting and analyzing data, assisting with ethical reviewed applications, securing research permits, data management in an open science framework, and GDPR-compliant practices. Doctoral studies will be pursued in the University of Oulu Doctoral School (UniOGS), with publishing in high-quality international peer-reviewed journals and presenting results at conferences. You will receive supervision and multidisciplinary support while gradually taking on more responsibility for research questions, methods, publications, and your international researcher profile. We offer four years of full-time doctoral training in a multidisciplinary project, support from a skilled team, opportunities for national and international collaboration, conferences, joint publications, and mobility as needed by the project. We also provide physical exercise, culture and well-being benefits (ePassi), and opportunities for career development within a large organization. Requirements: a relevant master’s or equivalent degree (in psychology, cognitive science, cognitive neuroscience, speech-language pathology or related fields) completed before start date; interest or experience in language research and a motivation for long-term doctoral study; basic training in research methods and willingness to develop quantitative and multi-method approaches; fluent written and spoken Finnish and English; ability to plan and conduct research responsibly, systematically, and independently while working in a multidisciplinary international team; eligibility for UniOGS doctoral program; and application for doctoral study rights at UniOGS at the start of employment. Additional assets include: experience with statistical analysis and handling research data; knowledge of eye-tracking or speech acoustic analysis; programming and data analysis skills (R, Python, Praat or similar); ability to work both independently and with others. Salary: the position is fixed-term for four years (15 Oct 2026 – 31 Aug 2030). The salary level corresponds to the academic salary system levels 2–4 with an added performance-based component up to 50% of the job-specific part. Typical salary is 2600–3200 €/month. The position includes a 6-month probation period. How to apply: submit via the recruitment system by 20 Sep 2026, including a cover letter describing motivation and expectations, a CV per the ethics committee template, and a preliminary research plan. Successful applicants will be invited to an interview (remote or in person); documents proving degree certificates may be requested. We encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds and cultures.