PhD Position in the Research Project Well-Being in School (ViS)

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The PhD Project

The Department of Psychology announces a PhD position within the research project Well-Being in School (ViS). The project aims to investigate the mental health of school students both cross-sectionally and longitudinally, in order to deepen the understanding of how mental well-being develops during adolescence. The project also includes the implementation and evaluation of interventions aimed at preventing mental ill-health and promoting well-being and positive development.

A subproject within ViS specifically focuses on the use of AI in schools and its relationship with students' executive functions, motivation, academic performance, and mental health in a broad sense.

Job Responsibilities

The announced PhD position is linked to the subproject on AI. The PhD candidate will work on issues related to AI use in teaching and students' cognitive and psychological development. The exact research focus will be determined in dialogue with supervisors and project management. The project offers good opportunities for the PhD candidate to influence the research focus based on their own experiences, interests, and theoretical perspectives within the framework of the subproject's overall direction.

The project is led by Associate Professor Daiva Daukantaitė in collaboration with Associate Professor Eva Hoff and is funded by the Swedish Research Council.

The PhD education in psychology comprises 240 higher education credits, which corresponds to four years of full-time study, and concludes with the PhD candidate defending their doctoral thesis at a public defense. The person employed as a PhD candidate will devote themselves to their own doctoral education in accordance with the Higher Education Ordinance (HF Chapter 5, Sections 1–7).

The person admitted to the PhD project will become part of the research group within ViS and is expected to actively participate in the project's activities, including workshops, seminars, data collection, analysis work, and research communication.

Institutional duties in the form of teaching, supervision, research, or administration may occur, but no more than 20% of the full-time position.

Eligibility

Basic eligibility for doctoral education is granted to those who:

• have obtained a master's degree in psychology, or
• have completed course requirements of at least 240 higher education credits, of which at least 60 credits at the master's level, or
• have acquired equivalent knowledge in other ways, within or outside the country.

For specific eligibility for doctoral education in psychology, the following is required:

• at least 30 credits at the master's level in psychology
• a thesis of at least 15 credits in psychology

The project is conducted in close collaboration with schools, teachers, student health services, and students. Therefore, good communication skills in Swedish, both spoken and written, are required. Very good knowledge of English is a requirement.

Qualifications and Assessment Criteria

In the selection process, particular emphasis is placed on:

• the ability to benefit from doctoral education
• the quality of the proposed thesis plan (theory, method, and research questions)
• documented interest in AI in educational environments and mental health among children and adolescents
• the ability to formulate research ideas and translate them into practical research designs
• relevant experiences and internationally communicated research texts (e.g., publications, reports, student theses, conference contributions)

Desirable qualifications include:

• experience of school-based research work or data collection in educational environments
• clinical or educational experience working with children or adolescents
• knowledge in developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, or educational psychology
• experience with various research methods (quantitative and/or qualitative)

Application

Applications are made via Lund University's application portal (Varbi). For information on what the application should contain, see the full advertisement here (https://lu.varbi.com/what:job/jobID:881461/).

Conditions

Fixed-term employment for four years according to HF Chapter 5, Section 7. The employment may be extended with institutional duties.

The Faculty of Social Sciences at Lund University is one of the country's leading knowledge centers for research and education in social and behavioral sciences. With operations in both Lund and Helsingborg, over 700 employees, and approximately 5,700 full-year students, the faculty is one of Lund University's largest. We offer a creative academic environment with engaged students and staff. Our main task is to develop, communicate, and manage knowledge about society, people, and organizations in an environment characterized by openness, tolerance, and curiosity.

The Department of Psychology combines education with research and has been very successful in competing for external research funding in recent years. Central research areas include work and organizational psychology, clinical psychology, cognition, neuropsychology, personality and social psychology, and developmental psychology.

Many of our courses are developed in connection with research projects, and students have the opportunity to engage with current research findings from teachers who are active researchers in their respective fields. Our educational environment has long been strongly internationalized.

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