"Doctoral researcher in niacin research – part of a MSCA Doctoral Network on micronutrients in sustainable and nutritious diet"

Doctoral researcher in niacin research – part of a MSCA Doctoral Network on micronutrients in sustainable and nutritious diet

Department of Food and Nutrition of the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry invites applications for a Doctoral researcher, MICROSUNSET MSCA Doctoral Network.

Within the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (MSCA), University of Helsinki is offering a PhD fellowship for a Doctoral Candidate (DC), starting 1 September 2026 or as soon as possible hereafter. A position is for 36 months and is funded by the MICROSUNSET MSCA Doctoral Network.

About the MSCA project

MICROSUNSET is a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network (MSCA-DN) funded by the European Union... MICROSUNSET

About the open PhD position (DC6)

The Department of Food and Nutrition at the University of Helsinki is looking for highly skilled and motivated applicants for a PhD scholarship focused on the available niacin in plant-based foods. You will join the research group “Food quality and safety: lipids, vitamins and other bioactive compounds” and work across the fields of food chemistry, food technology and nutrition.

Research objectives

The primary objective of the PhD project is to investigate the availability of niacin in plant-based foods, with a particular focus on legume-based products... Throughout the project, you will collaborate with other Doctoral Candidates (DCs) in the MICROSUNSET consortium...

Part of the PhD study is planned as external stay at

• Valio (Helsinki, Finland) for one month...
• DTU (Copenhagen, Denmark) for five months...

Responsibilities

As part of your research, you will:

• Enrol in a relevant Doctoral Programme at the University of Helsinki...
• Participate actively in the MICROSUNSET training (12 ECTS)...
• Conduct high-quality research under supervision...
• Publish and present research results...
• Prepare and defend a doctoral thesis...
• Support student supervision and contribute to teaching...

Qualifications

You must have a two-year master's degree (120 ECTS points) in Food Sciences or a closely related field... Furthermore, the ideal candidate has: ...

Applicants will also be required to meet the European Commission’s MSCA Doctoral Network eligibility criteria...

Terms of employment

The selected candidate will be employed full-time by the University of Helsinki on the MSCA-DN MICROSUNSET for a period of 36 months... Salary, pension and terms of employment are in accordance with the requirements from the European Commission... monthly living allowance of 4731,80 euros, and a monthly mobility allowance of 710 euros... The workplace of the position is in Helsinki, Finland.

Further information

Further information may be obtained from Dr Susanna Kariluoto (Senior university lecturer in Food Chemistry), susanna.kariluoto@helsinki.fi.

Application procedure

Your complete online application must be submitted through the University of Helsinki’s recruitment system via the Apply Now button no later than 20 April 2026 (23:59 EEST). Applications must be submitted as one PDF file...