Doctoral education pilot

Aalto University School of Chemical Engineering, Bio Cel Sol prototype clothing, design by Susanna Raiskio
Aalto University School of Chemical Engineering, BioCelSol prototype clothing, design by Susanna Raiskio

Build your career path like this

  1. Choose the field of research (see below) 
  2. Apply for a doctoral researcher position
  3. Apply for the right to study in the doctoral programme
  4. Take advantage of a high-quality education 
  5. Leverage Aalto's connections with the business world

What is the pilot about?

The Ministry of Education and Culture will allocate EUR 255 million to universities for piloting new practices in doctoral education in 2024–2027. This additional funding will be allocated to 1000 doctoral researchers who will have an employment contract.

The ministry is providing funding for 1000 doctoral researchers in Finland, 800 of whom will focus on areas in the flagship programmes of the Research Council of Finland, while 200 will be in other research fields. 

The pilot is a major effort to strengthen research activities and the impact of research and expertise in society at large. The project aims to increase the number of doctoral graduates and to reform doctoral education and strengthen its social impact.

The growing need for researchers was identified in the report of the Finnish Parliamentary Working Group on Research, Development and Innovation. The doctoral education pilot will enable universities to respond to the ever-increasing talent shortage and supply the workforce with researcher training across sectors without compromising the quality of education.

More information: [email protected]

Aalto University is hiring 178 new doctoral researchers

The positions in the new doctoral education pilot are divided into different fields. The majority of the positions are in the flagship programme areas of the Research Council of Finland. At Aalto, flagships in the areas of quantum technology, materials bioeconomy and artificial intelligence received the largest number of positions. The recruitment of new doctoral students began at Aalto University in the spring, and the first new doctoral researchers started their employment at the beginning of August.

Finnish flagship areas 

  • QDOC - Quantum Doctoral pilot programme (Quantum flagship), 40 positions
  • CIMANET - Circular Materials Bioeconomy Network (FinnCERES flagship), 35 positions
  • AI-DOC - Finnish Doctoral Program Network in Artificial Intelligence (FCAI flagship), 30 positions
  • FAME - Doctoral Education Pilot for Mathematics of Sensing, Imaging and Modelling (FAME flagship), 14 positions
  • DIWA - Digital Waters Doctoral Education Pilot (DIWA flagship), 14 positions
  • I-DEEP – Innovative Doctoral Education Ecosystem for Photonics (PREIN flagship), 14 positions
  • EDUCA Flagship doctoral school pilot project, 4 positions

Other research fields

  • MIELi - MIcroELectronics doctoral school pilot, 10 positions
  • IWM - Intelligent Work Machines, 8 positions
  • SOFTWARE - Doctoral pilot in software engineering, 5 positions
  • SUSTRA - Sustainability Transformations, 4 positions

We invite companies to participate in the pilot

Aalto University invites companies to participate in the pilot either as a partner or as a mentor for a doctoral student. The call for partners is open now.

Doctoral hats

Join the MEC-funded doctoral pilot at Aalto University 2024-2027

Aalto University offers companies a unique opportunity to participate in the doctoral education pilot funded by MEC.

Corporate collaboration
Dipoli julkisivu Käpy-teos Kuva: Markus Sommers / Aalto-yliopisto

Contact us at Aalto Corporate Relations (external link)

Leave a contact request and the Aalto Corporate Relations team will contact you.

SLUSH 2019

Future talents

Hey employer!​ Let’s connect each student with Finnish working life.

Opiskelijat esittelevät projektityötään.

Our doctoral education is of high quality 

All key research fields are ranked first or second among Finnish universities based on the impact of their publications in the Academy of Finland's State of Science 2022 report.  

Companies and employment 

Doctoral researchers get to work in an ecosystem where close cooperation with businesses and society is valued. Doctoral graduates from Aalto consider their doctoral degree important for their career, and are able to find work in the private sector more successfully than doctoral graduates from other universities, on average.

‘It’s outrageously interesting to produce new science’ – experiences of doctoral studies and employment

Doctoral research and studies make you an expert in your research topic and increase your professional abilities.

Read more
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Index of all aalto.fi pages about doctoral education

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News

A lit motorway crossing the sea, with buildings and sky visible
Cooperation, Press releases, Research & Art, University Published:

Finland is strongly investing in AI and establishing an ELLIS Institute to accelerate research and attract talent

Public and private sector investment are coming together to launch ELLIS Institute Finland.
A group of people walking along the linden alley in summer
Cooperation, Research & Art, University Published:

Strong overall result: 27.5 million euros from the Research Council of Finland

A total of 52 Aalto researchers received Academy Research Fellowship and Academy Project funding. The total funding awarded to Aalto University amounts to 27.5 million euros
Image from the conferment ceremony
Cooperation, Research & Art, University Published:

Doctoral education pilot arouses wide interest among applicants and corporate partners

The doctoral education pilot has got off to a fast start.
Henkilö tekemässä kokeellista tutkimusta.
University Published:

Aalto granted 178 positions in doctoral education pilot

Most of the positions are in Finnish flagship programme areas
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