PhD student in Public Health Sciences

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 on basic, advanced, and doctoral level. More information is available at: Department of Public Health Sciences

Project description

The doctoral student's thesis work will be conducted within the research program “Promotion of preventive work for children's mental health and unequal mental health: From policy to measures and their effects.” This program focuses on promoting and preventing mental health problems in children (ages 0-18 years) by analyzing policies, interventions, and their effects at national, regional and municipal levels.

The doctoral student will employ quantitative methods to investigate how family, municipal and regional conditions influence children’s and young people’s mental health and mental health inequalities. The research will mainly utilize administrative register data at the individual level, including information on psychiatric care, prescription drug use, schooling, and family living conditions. These individual-level data will be combined with aggregated data at the municipal and regional levels.

Although the dissertation will be mainly quantitative, the doctoral student is expected to collaborate actively with researchers using both quantitative and qualitative methods within the broader research group. 

Qualification requirements

In order to be admitted to postgraduate education, the applicant must have the general and specific entry requirements. The qualification requirements must be met by the deadline for applications.

You meet general entry requirements if you have completed a second-cycle degree, or completed courses equivalent to at least 240 higher education credits, of which 60 credits must be in the second cycle, or have otherwise acquired equivalent knowledge in Sweden or elsewhere.

In order to meet the specific entry requirements, according to the General Syllabus for Doctoral Level Education in Public Health Sciences, the applicant must have good oral and written skills in English. In addition, the candidate must have completed coursework of at least 7.5 credits on advanced level in quantitative or qualitative methods relevant to public health sciences. The entry requirements can also be fulfilled by those who have acquired equivalent competence in Sweden or abroad. Assessment of equivalent competence is made by the Director of Studies for the doctoral program in Public Health Sciences, and the decision is made by the Head of Department.

Selection

The selection among qualified candidates is based on their ability to benefit from the doctoral studies. The criteria used in the 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.

About the employment

We offer a fixed-term employment as a doctoral student according to Chapter 5 of the Higher Education Ordinance (1993:100). The period of employment may not be longer than what corresponds to full-time doctoral education for four years. As a doctoral student, you should primarily devote yourself to your own doctoral education, but the employment may include work with education, research and administration to a limited extent (maximum 20 %).

A new employment as doctoral student is for a maximum of one year, the employment is then renewed for a maximum of two years at a time.

The doctoral student is expected to primarily work on-site at Stockholm University.

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

Contact

For more information about the position, please contact Olof Östergren, olof.ostergren@su.se.

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

Application

Apply for the PhD student position at Stockholm University's recruitment system. Attach a personal letter and CV as well as the attachments requested in the application form. 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.

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