At Umeå University, there are many opportunities to advance your career as a researcher, teacher or doctoral student. Our goal is to make you feel that you can thrive and develop in a work environment characterised by good leadership, participation, openness, gender equality and diversity.
Umeå University is committed to offering an attractive and stimulating work environment for researchers.
The website for researchers gathers information covering the entire research process.
Our unique, open and supportive culture of collaboration empowers staff to develop professionally, while the city of Umeå offers outstanding quality of life. Here are some examples that will help you in your career:
Learning Swedish
There are several reasons why you should learn Swedish. It is a great way to get integrated into Swedish society, both professionally and socially. Since teaching in Swedish is very common and sometimes a must, fluency in Swedish will give you a greater opportunity to pursue a career in Sweden. The language programme for staff at Umeå University offers a wide range of courses in Swedish and English.
Learn more about the language programme
Educational qualifications
Umeå University has a model for educational qualification that recognises and rewards pedagogical competence, stimulates the enhancement of teaching quality, and supports pedagogical work. The model has two levels: recognised and distinguished university teacher.
Learn more about our model for acquisition of educational qualification
Support in your teacher role
The Centre for Educational Development (UPL) offers you possibilities to continuously develop yourself as a teacher. There is a wide variety of courses, workshops and seminars available to advance your teaching skills.
See what teaching support courses UPL offer
Support throughout the research process
Umeå University provides an infrastructure for researcher support during the entire research process and a lot of the support is available through a comprehensive website aimed at researchers. It provides information about, for instance, funding calls and research funding support, researcher responsibilites and ethical aspects, research data management, data processing and information security, communications and publication.
Browse the website for researchers
Research infrastructures
Facilities, databases, knowledge-based resources and other research infrastructures are necessary in order to conduct top-level research. Umeå University hosts a range of such infrastructures and is part of national and international research infrastructure cooperations. Most of these are open for user from the whole University and beyond.
Learn more about our available infrastructures
Research data management support
The University provides an infrastructure for support with research data management (RDM). Specialists throughout the University are available to offer support with different aspects of RDM and the effort is coordinated by the University Library. Researcher support for RDM include support with legal, IT, archival, metadata, registration and dissemination issues. You also have access to domain specialists, who can help with RDM issues specific for your particular domain of research.
When formulating and upholding your research data management plan (DMP), the Library provides access to the DMP online tool, where you can create, share and develop your data management plan throughout the research process.
Find out more about the data management support
Support with information searching and publishing
If needed, the University Library can provide support and services during the entire research process, with tasks such as:
Support for planning your research funding
The Research Support and Collaboration Office provides you with help when planning your research, applying for funding and collaboration. Support is available during all stages of the grant application process, prior to as well as during the application phase. Once your project is up and running you can get support with your administrative issues.
Take a look at the research funding support offered
Support for researcher mobility
Take your research career to the next level and explore your mobility options with Euraxess. Euraxess supports you through the process, whether you wish to engage with academia, industry or explore your entrepreneurship, with the help of its career development centres, policy recommendations and training resources. In the Euraxess portal, you can search for jobs, funding opportunities and personalised assistance across Europe.
Euraxess is a European initiative delivering information and support services to professional researchers, regardless of the career stage. Euraxess support researcher mobility and career development, while enhancing scientific collaboration between Europe and the world.
Learn more about what Euraxess can offer
Support with career planning
As a doctoral student or postdoctoral fellow, you can use the free tool My Individual Development Plan by ScienceCareers to define your interests and set you career goals.
Read what additional opportunities are offered to the following groups.
Managers and leaders
Umeå University offer two programmes for new managers and leaders:
Doctoral students
Doctoral studies involve four years of full-time study, which include several courses and a doctoral thesis. Besides acquiring in-depth knowledge of a field of study, you will also cultivate your critical and analytical thinking. During your studies, you get to solve problems independently as you prepare for a professional career within academia, or the business or public sector. You will give oral presentations, write articles, and teach. Over the years, you will develop into a more independent researcher and will be prepared for the next step forward in your research career. In comparison to other countries, doctoral students are employed in Sweden. When you need to develop your talents, improve your knowledge, and develop your skills, there is support for you.
Learn more about doctoral studies
Study plans
There is a general study plan which regulates the main content and structure of the doctoral programme, the eligibility requirements and the criteria applied to the selection and assessment of applicants. As a complement to the general study plan you have an individual study plan (ISP). which is a tool for planning and monitoring your doctoral studies, research, and career development.
Supervision
For guidance, you will have two supervisors, a main supervisor and a co-supervisor. Both supervisors hold a doctoral degree and at least one of them a docentship. You will also have access to a reference group in which both supervisors are included and at least one scientifically qualified teacher who is not related to your research project. In this way, we create conditions for successful research studies.
Research schools
To provide you with opportunities for national and international collaboration and access to in-depth knowledge and network building, there are doctoral schools in several different subject areas. A doctoral school is characterised by a cohesive education at the doctoral level.
Check out what doctoral schools are available
Development Programme for Doctoral Students
The Development Programme for Doctoral Students aims to contribute to your increased knowledge and self-awareness in order to strengthen the ability to meet the requirements and tough situations that arise in your role. You and your supervisor participate in the programme together. This gives you a chance to develop your respective roles and improve the collaboration between you both.
Teaching
During your doctoral studies, you can teach up to 20% of full time. It gives you the opportunity to develop your teaching skills and pedagogical skills. If you need to, there are several activities to help and support your development.
Postdoctoral fellows
The following are some networks available to postdoctoral fellows:
Umeå Postdoc Society (UPS)
UPS aims to shape the research environment for postdoctoral fellows at Umeå University by connecting postdoctoral researchers across departments and disciplines. The goal is to improve the career prospects and working conditions of postdoctoral fellows by organising networking and career development events, assisting newcomers during their start at Umeå University, bringing together postdoctoral fellows through social activities and representing them within relevant university bodies.
Learn more about Umeå Postdoc Society
Future Faculty for the social sciences, arts and humanities
Future Faculty at the Faculty of Social Sciences and the Faculty of Arts and Humanities is a network of early-career researchers to promote the interests of and to support aspiring faculty members.
The main target group are early-career researchers without tenure positions, such as postdoctoral fellows or research assistants, but the network is open to and welcomes researchers at all early-career levels who want to improve the working conditions and career development for early-career researchers.
Future Faculty for social science, arts and humanities
Established and leading researchers
Development programmes for established and leading researchers
The Research and Leadership Programme, ReaL, is a competence and career programme for research leaders at Umeå University. ReaL is designed to develop your individual leadership skills and provide you with tools and techniques to become an even more impactful leader and researcher. The programme is divided into three steps depending on at which career stage you are.
Explore Sweden explains why Sweden is a good choice for your research career.
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