PhD Candidate in Health Science

We are now looking for a PhD candidate in health science for the project “Participation in Physical Activity and Sleep Routines among Children and Youth with Disabilities”.

The project aims to promote participation in physical activity and sleep routines among children and youth with autism, intellectual disabilities, and/or movement disabilities by providing knowledge about physical activity, sleep routines, and physical activity on prescription (FaR) as a person-centered intervention. Read more about the project in the research portal here (https://researchportal.hkr.se/sv/projects/delaktighet-i-fysisk-aktivitet-och-s%C3%B6mnrutiner-hos-barn-och-unga-/?utm_source=email).

Kristianstad University conducts doctoral education in health science within the area of person-centered care for health and well-being. Person-centered care means to make the whole person visible with physical, social, psychological, and existential needs, where their unique perspective is given equal validity as the professional perspective. Health science at our institution means studying person-centered care for health and well-being within healthcare and/or care services. Health science is regarded as a subject relevant to various professional groups working in care contexts, such as nurses, occupational therapists, and physiotherapists.

You will be affiliated with the Faculty of Health Sciences, which conducts education and research in health science, public health science, oral health, and social sciences. You will be part of the department for nursing education and integrated health science. To learn more about the faculty's research, see here (http://www.hkr.se/forskning).

Job Responsibilities

As a PhD candidate, you will participate in the overall activities of the current research project, but also work independently on your own dissertation work, which includes both mandatory and elective courses. Your responsibilities also include oral and written scientific communication of research results. Data collection will take place in adapted schools and within habilitation, using both qualitative and quantitative methods, including interviews and surveys.

You will be employed and have your workplace at Kristianstad University. You will also be admitted to the doctoral program in health science at Kristianstad University. As a PhD candidate, you will be part of a seminar group with other PhD candidates. In addition to dissertation work, the doctoral education includes mandatory and elective courses at the doctoral level. The mandatory courses are primarily offered at Kristianstad University, but courses offered by other institutions may also be relevant.

There is a possibility that the doctoral education includes institutional duties, i.e., teaching and administration, but no more than 20 percent of full-time.

Eligibility and Qualifications

To be eligible for doctoral education, you must meet the requirements for basic and specific eligibility and have the necessary ability to complete the education.

To be admitted to doctoral education, you must have basic eligibility through a completed degree at the advanced level, or completed course requirements of at least 240 higher education credits, of which at least 60 higher education credits at the advanced level, or in some other way acquired equivalent knowledge (HF, Chapter 7, Section 39).

To meet the requirement for specific eligibility for admission to doctoral education in health science at Kristianstad University, you must have at least 90 higher education credits with a health science focus relevant to health science, or in some other way acquired equivalent knowledge (HF Chapter 7, Section 40).

In addition to the general and specific eligibility, an assessment of the applicant's ability to benefit from the education will be of great importance. At Kristianstad University, the following assessment criteria are applied: previous academic results, the quality of previous independent work, motivation and expectations for the doctoral education, theoretical awareness, ability to benefit from supervision, ability to work independently, as well as linguistic and analytical ability.

You have good computer skills and can communicate well both orally and in writing in Swedish and English. In the role of PhD candidate, it is important that you have a good ability to communicate and interact with different groups. Experience working with children and youth or with people with disabilities is an advantage.

You collaborate well with others in a responsive and flexible manner. At the same time, you are self-driven, take responsibility for your tasks, and structure your work. The role of a PhD candidate requires problem-solving, numerical, and linguistic analytical skills. You also have pedagogical insight and can adapt your message to the recipient.

Other Information

The position is full-time, or another working degree by agreement, starting 2026-09-01. Regulations for employment as a PhD candidate can be found in the ordinance SFS 1993:100, Chapter 5. The employment concerns doctoral studies leading to a doctorate. As a PhD candidate, you will receive a fixed-term employment covering four years of full-time studies regulated by HF Chapter 5, Sections 3 a, 7. The first employment may last for a maximum of one year. The employment may then be renewed for a maximum of two years at a time. The education culminating in a doctorate consists of 240 higher education credits. In cases where institutional duties occur, the doctoral education should be extended accordingly. We apply salary placement and salary development according to local agreements.

Application

The application should include:

• CV/Resume
• A description of your motivations for applying for a PhD position within the framework of the research project and your expectations for the doctoral education in both subject and research area (maximum 3 pages, 12-point font, 1.5 line spacing)
• Attach the works (master's thesis, reports, scientific articles, etc.) that you have completed.

The application deadline is 2026-02-15.

If you have questions, please feel free to contact:

Project Leader Pernilla Garmy, Professor, at 044-250 38 77, [email protected];

For information about the doctoral education: Maria Haak, Professor in Health Science, Director of Studies for the doctoral education in person-centered care for health and well-being, 044-250 38 12.

See another PhD position in health science at here (http://www.hkr.se/jobb).