PhD Student in Philosophy with a Focus on Applied Ethics

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Your work assignments

The doctoral project addresses ethical questions about age as a basis for priority setting in health care, with a particular focus on the challenges posed by an ageing population. The project should have a clear ethical focus but may also include empirical approaches.

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 per cent of full-time.

Your main task as a PhD student is to work on your thesis under the supervision of our staff. As a PhD student, you will take courses corresponding to 60 higher education credits. These courses aim to deepen your expertise in your specialist areas and strengthen your overall competence in philosophy. Courses are normally taught in English.

This doctoral position is a collaboration between the Division of Philosophy and Applied Ethics (Faculty of Arts and Sciences) and the National Centre for Priorities in Health (Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences). The PhD student is therefore expected to spend approximately half of their time at each division. A workspace will be provided at both units.

As a PhD student, you are expected to contribute to the research environments at both units. You will actively participate in their research seminars and relevant research activities. Your duties may also include teaching, course development and other teaching-related tasks. As a PhD student, you are expected to be present on site on a daily basis.

The doctoral project is also linked to an interdisciplinary research group comprising several PhD students and senior researchers in ethics, health economics and law, including the supervisors. The group consists of researchers from the Division of Philosophy and Applied Ethics and the National Centre for Priorities in Health at Linköping University, and the Centre for Research Ethics & Bioethics and the Department of Law at Uppsala University.

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 in advanced courses. Alternatively, you have gained essentially corresponding knowledge in another way.

At least 30 higher education credits, or the equivalent, must consist of second-cycle courses in philosophy, practical philosophy, applied ethics, bioethics, medical ethics or theoretical philosophy, or equivalent subjects, including a thesis of at least 15 credits.

Important personal skills include good collaboration and organisational skills, as well as the ability to work under supervision, independently and in a team. You take responsibility for your tasks, organise your work independently and take initiative to make progress. Great importance will be attached to personal suitability for the position.

Selection will be based on the above criteria and the documents submitted with the application. The selection process also includes interviews and reference checks.

Your ability to conduct independent research will be assessed primarily on the basis of published research (including articles) or course papers. These may be submitted as 1–2 writing samples. Evidence of the ability to plan, carry out and coordinate research projects, as well as to obtain research funding, may be advantageous but is not required.

Fluency in English is a prerequisite for participating in the research activities and other duties described above. Knowledge of Swedish is an advantage.

Your workplace

The Division of Philosophy and Applied Ethics (see also https://liu.se/artikel/filosofi) offers courses in philosophy at first-cycle, second-cycle and doctoral levels. The division has eight permanent members of staff. Our teaching covers all major branches of philosophy: logic, epistemology, philosophy of science, history of philosophy, ethics, aesthetics, philosophy of religion and more. We also offer courses in other areas of the university, for example at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and the Faculty of Science and Engineering. We hold an advanced research seminar that meets on average twice a month, featuring invited Swedish and international speakers or our own academic staff. In our many interdisciplinary collaborations, we use a variety of methodological approaches and work actively with several other departments at Linköping University.

One such interdisciplinary collaboration is with the National Centre for Priorities in Health, within the Health Care Analysis Unit, Division of Society and Health, Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences at Linköping University. The National Centre for Priorities in Health, the second workplace, is a national knowledge centre focusing on how limited health care resources should be prioritised. The centre is multiprofessional and, in addition to its research remit, has a strong external engagement profile, with staff advising government agencies, regions, municipalities and other actors in health and social care. The centre and its sister centre (the Centre for Medical Technology Assessment, CMT) have a combined staff of around thirty, including approximately ten doctoral students. There is an active doctoral seminar, as well as other seminars and meetings that provide opportunities for an active exchange of knowledge on issues relating to resource allocation in health and social care. The centre organises a national conference on priority setting in health and social care every two years.

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 position is fixed-term and corresponds to four years of full-time employment. You will initially be employed for one year, after which your employment will be renewed for a maximum of two years at a time, based on progress against your individual study plan. The employment period may be extended to up to five years depending on the extent of teaching and departmental duties. Further extensions may be granted under special circumstances.

Starting date by agreement, no earlier than 31 January 2027.

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

Apply for the position by clicking the “Apply” button below. Your application must reach Linköping University no later than 11 December 2026.

Applications and documents received after the date above will not be considered.

We welcome applicants with different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives – diversity enriches our work and helps us grow. Preserving everybody’s equal value, rights and opportunities is a natural part of who we are. Read more about our work with: Equal opportunities.

We look forward to receiving your application!

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