PhD candidate in Sport Science - focus on athlete health and performance

The department of health sciences (HOV) at Mid Sweden University offers education and conducts research in areas such as public health science, sport science, medical science, nursing and occupational health science. The department offers doctoral education in public health, occupational health, sports science and nursing, and maintains campuses in both Sundsvall och Östersund. Mid Sweden University’s Östersund campus is home to sport science degree programmes at bachelor, master and doctoral levels. Research in the department is primarily conducted through the Swedish Winter Sports Research Centre, an established modern, international testing and research environment with five specialised laboratories for physiology, biomechanics, and biomedical methodology as well as extensive expertise in and capabilities for field-based research. The centre conducts physiological testing for athletes and applied research in close collaboration with several sports federations, with a particular focus on winter sports such as cross-country skiing and biathlon, as well as other sports.

The research subject of sports science is now seeking a doctoral candidate for a project that will aim to produce scientifically robust and practically relevant knowledge to support athletes’ health and performance. Possible avenues could include a) understanding how different stressors interact with metabolic, endocrine and/or immune function; b) using environmental exposures to promote optimal adaptation (heat/cold/altitude); c) investigating the efficacy of targeted nutritional and/or recovery interventions and/or d) applying a biopsychosocial perspective to athlete health and performance challenges. The PhD candidate is planned to be supervised by Associate Professor Helen Hanstock with additional co-supervisor(s) based on the project’s direction.

Job description
The doctoral education includes research (80%) as well as teaching and administrative work (20%). Practical work in a laboratory environment is expected, as well as regular physical presence on campus for both data collection and collaboration with the research team.

Entry requirements
General eligibility includes those who have obtained a degree at advanced level (Master or equivalent) or have completed course requirements of at least 240 higher education credits, of which at least 60 credits are at advanced level. Otherwise, candidates should have acquired substantial equivalent knowledge in Sweden or abroad. Specific eligibility includes those who have at least 90 higher education credits in sports science or a related subject, or have acquired substantial equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad. In addition, excellent command of English, both spoken and written, is required.

Personal qualities
We expect you to have good collaboration skills and enjoy working in an interdisciplinary team. You need to be flexible and be able to adapt to changes in the project’s focus. Attention to detail and an analytical approach are important to ensure high quality in the research. We value initiative and a structured working style, as well as good communication skills to be able to present and discuss research findings both internally and externally. The ability to build trust and act professionally in applied sports settings is also important.

Assessment criteria
The selection criteria for admission to doctoral education are based on the ability of the candidate to successfully complete doctoral studies. To this end, the following criteria are considered:

• Documented scientific proficiency (e.g. abstracts, publications) and relevant educational background.
• Quality and feasibility of the written research plan submitted with the application.
• The applicant's ability to reason and discuss research questions, choice of methods, and the project's relevance.
• Experience in data analysis, statistics, and/or programming.
• Personal qualities as described above.

Additionally, consideration will be given to applicants’ proficiency in Swedish, both spoken and written, as well as previous experience of laboratory work in a sports and/or biomedical context, and experience of work in high performance environments within sports.

Employment process
Processing of the appointment will comply with the provisions in Chapter 5 of the Higher Education Ordinance, and will be carried out in accordance with Mid Sweden University’s Employment Procedures.

Terms of emplyment
The doctoral employment is for a period equivalent to five years and is expected to lead to a doctoral degree. In addition to doctoral studies, which comprise 80% of full-time, the employment will include teaching and administrative work comprising 20%, which then corresponds to a full-time position. If the study pace of the doctoral education changes, the employment period will change accordingly.

Initial doctoral student positions are valid for a maximum of one year, after which the position may be renewed by no longer than two years at a time. Provisions regarding doctoral studentship employment can be found in the Higher Education Ordinance (1993:100), Chapter 5, Sections 1-7.

The entry date is 2026-04-01 or as agreed.

Place of employment: Östersund

Salary: In accordance with Mid Sweden University’s salary scale for doctoral students

Information
Further information may be provided by contacting Dr Helen Hanstock, helen.hanstock@miun.se or 010 142 81 24 or deputy Head of Department Prof Marko Laaksonen, marko.laaksonen@miun.se.

Application
The application materials should be submitted in Swedish or English. A complete application consists of:

• Cover letter
• CV (including eventual scientific publications)
• Degree certificates(s) and other certifications required by the application system
• Description of the proposed research project, maximum 17000 characters including spaces (around 5 A4-pages).
• A recommendation letter or contact details for at least one reference (e.g. university teacher or employer).

Please send in your application through our recruitment system no later than 2026-02-20.