Invitation

We would like warmly to welcome you to join “THE RESEARCH CAREER PATHWAY” Program to be run in close collaboration between 14 academic universities in Finland and China.

The aim

The overall aim of the Program is to support academic career pathway of PhD students and young faculty members toward excellence in academia.  

Target group

The Program is targeted for Early Career Investigators, PhD students and young faculty members in partner universities. We will accept max two applicants in each university (max 28 participants in total), to ensure the equal number of participants in each partner university.  

Funding

The program is funded by TFK 2021, Team Finland Knowledge programme (The Finnish National Board of Education).

Length

The program will take about two years (April 2022 – December 2023).  

Expectations for the participants

Accepted participants are expected to join and pass the whole Research Career Pathway program. To support students’ participation during COVID-19 outbreak, all courses and network activities will be organised using hybrid model (face-to-face, online courses, and a combination of face-to-face/online).

Funding

The project funding will cover overseas costs (1 trip per a person) from China to Finland (an intensive course to Chinese participants in Finland, June 2022) and from Finland to China (a scientific conference in China for Finnish participants, November 2023). Mobility activities will be organised according to travel restrictions and regulations of national authorities in Finland and China.

Content

Totally five (5) courses will be run during four (4) semesters between April 2022 and December 2023. Beyond expert lectures, seminars, and group works, all courses include modern learning methods. More detailed instructions for the program and each course will be sent to the selected participants later. The preliminary plan is as follows (changes may occur due to COVID-19):

· Course 1: From research to scientific publication (online, April – June 2022)

· Course 2: Effective communication in academic leadership (online, Autumn 2022)

· Course 3: Advanced research methods (intensive summer course, June 2023)

· Course 4: Writing grant application (online, November 2022 – October 2023)

· Course 5: Career pathway (online, April 2022 – December 2023; conference on November 2023)

Course credits will be arranged using crediting system of participants’ home university.

Requirements and selection criteria

Each university will select student representatives using the following criteria:

· The quality of the filled application form

· Registered as PhD student, working as a young faculty member (PhD degree earned no more than 5 years ago; absence due to family leave, army etc. will be considered) or having a post-doc position at the partner university

· CV (max 5 pages)

· A copy of certificate for completed PhD studies

· Sufficient knowledge of English proven by a language test (eg. TOEFL) or described by the supervisor in the referee letter

· Motivation letter (1 page, see instruction below)

· Reference letter (describe study progress based on ongoing PhD studies, number of study credits earned so far; confirmation of English skills if an official certificate for English language is not available, 1 page, see instruction below)

The filled application forms with appendices listed above will be sent to the contact person of each partner university.

Timing of the process

12 January 2022 – 27 Feb 2022: The call for the applications is open  

27 Feb 2022: Submission deadline (4pm in Finnish time; 4pm in Chinese time)  

Final decision of the participants will be approved by the Board of the Research Career Pathway Program on 10 March 2022. The results will be announced by email on 11 March 2022, as earliest.  

The first course will start on April 2022.

More information can be obtained from each partner university and from kirsi.hipp@utu.fi.

Name of the applicant

[Contact information of the applicant]

University of XXXX     [Date]

MOTIVATION LETTER

To the Board of the Research Career Pathway Program  

Write a paragraph that introduces you to the recipient, for example your current status as PhD student or young faculty member, and what is your study/work history. Your introduction should capture recipient's attention and encourage them to read on, so include details about your achievements in this section. Please describe your written and spoken English skills.

Explain why you want to study in the Research Career Pathway Program, what are your skills and qualities that will benefit the program, and why you are interested in the program. Think critically about whether you are including all relevant details.

A motivation letter will also include information what you can contribute to the Program and especially what are your future plans.

Cross-reference your outline with information from the school to show you have the qualities and qualifications the program is looking for.

Write a conclusion to your motivation letter that summarizes your goal and leaves a positive final impression. Add a statement that if selected, you will do your best to fulfil the course requirements. You should also thank your recipient for considering your application and encourage them to contact you if they have any questions.

Include a name of the person who will write a reference letter to you and his/her contact information.

[Your name and signature]

Yours Sincerely,

Email, Telephone number

PS. Follow carefully written guidance of the application process. You may need to proofread your motivation letter several times to identify all problem areas. If time permits, complete this step in two days or more after writing your motivation letter as time away from your work allows you to view it more objectively. To help ensure your letter has professional grammar and spelling, ask a trusted friend or colleague to proofread your motivation letter after you.