PhD Student in Technology and Social Change

Your work assignments

You are expected to work in the research project ‘Biomedicine, Clinical Knowledge, and the Humanities in Collaboration: A Novel Epistemology for Radically Interdisciplinary Health Research and Policy-Work on Post-Covid-19 Syndrome’ . Specifically, you will be working in the subproject ‘A Novel Model for Policy-Work’.

One of the aims of this subproject is to examine what is assessed as relevant knowledge for health care recommendations and policies, regionally, nationally, and internationally; how this assessment is done, and which epistemic presuppositions the assessment rests on. Another aim is to create a model for knowledge assessment that makes it possible to include research results from within randomized clinical trials as well as hermeneutically oriented qualitative research and other studies in medical humanities. PostCovid is used as an example. Medical sociology, science and technology studies (STS), phenomenological philosophy and analytic philosophy perspectives are combined within analyses in this subproject.

The PhD project is part of the subproject ‘A Novel Model for Policy-Work.’ The specific research question is open to be formulated by the PhD student in dialogue with the supervisor and within the framework of the subproject.

The obligations of the appointed PhD candidate include writing academic texts in English, and the selected candidate is expected to work independently and together with other researchers. Responsibilities also include participation in seminars within the project as well as at the Centre for Medical Humanities and Bioethics and at the Department of Thematic Studies: Technology and Social Change.

As a PhD student, you devote most of your time to doctoral studies and the research projects of which you are part. Your work may also include teaching or other departmental duties, up to a maximum of 20% of full-time.

Your qualifications

You have graduated at Master’s level or completed courses with a minimum of 240 credits, at least 60 of which must be on advanced level. Alternatively, you have gained essentially corresponding knowledge in another way. Special qualifications: 90 credits of your total credits should be in a subject of central importance to the research area.

Relevant educational backgrounds for this position are, e.g. science and technology studies, sociology, philosophy, ethics or related fields.

Documented skills in interdisciplinary work are of merit. Documented skills in analysing knowledge production and assessment of knowledge in health care are of merits.

The position requires written and oral proficiency in English.

You are structured and able to plan, organise and prioritise your work effectively

Your workplace

Tema T - Technology and Social Change - is a nationally and internationally leading environment for research and education, where social science, humanities and interdisciplinary perspectives on technology, science, medicine and social change are at the center. Research and teaching focus on how people create and use technology, and how technological change is interwoven with knowledge, policy, practice and ethics. The department offers postgraduate education and as well as education at undergraduate and graduate level, focusing on issues of technology and social change. Undergraduate programs include a bachelor's and a master's program in Urban and Regional planning, as well as courses in theory of science and history of technology. Tema T is part of the Department of Thematic Studies

Located at the Department of Thematic Studies is also the Centre for Medical Humanities and Bioethics (CMHB). CMHB is a LiU-centre that gathers research colleagues from several departments at LiU. At CMHB medical humanities is understood in a broad sense, including for example studies of questions that arise at the intersection between the humanities, the social sciences, clinical practice, and biomedicine. 

The employment

When taking up the post, you will be admitted to the program for doctoral studies. More information about the doctoral studies at each faculty is available at Doctoral studies at Linköping University

The employment has a duration of four years’ full-time equivalent. You will initially be employed for a period of one year. The employment will subsequently be renewed for periods of maximum duration two years, depending on your progress through the study plan. The employment may be extended up to a maximum of five years, based on the amount of teaching and departmental duties you have carried out. Further extensions can be granted in special circumstances.

Starting date by agreement

Background screening may come to be carried out before any decision on employment is made.

Salary and employment benefits

The salary of PhD students is determined according to a locally negotiated salary progression.

More information about employment benefits at Linköping University is available here.

Union representatives

Information about union representatives, see Help for applicants.

Application procedure

The application shall contain a letter of intent (that describes why the applicant wants to become a PhD student), max 1 A4, and a research plan, max 3 A4. The research plan describes a possible research project within areas relevant to the position, e.g., around the following points: What questions are relevant to ask and why? Which theoretical approaches could inspire your work? What material would be possible to study?

Apply for the position by clicking the “Apply” button below. Your application must reach Linköping University no later than 8 May, 2025. Applications and documents received after the date above will not be considered.