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Postdoctoral Researcher in Epistemology

We are recruiting postdoctoral researcher for a fixed term contract between 1.9.2026-31.8.2028 for the Research Council of Finland funded Academy Research Fellow project Metaphysics, Ethics, and Epistemology of Risk. Starting date is flexible, but the end date is set.

Project

Risk judgments play a pivotal role in human societies. By acting in the world we inevitably take risks and impose them on others. Risk is connected to normative practices. For instance, whether a war against a state suspected of sponsoring terrorism is morally justified depends in part on whether it minimizes the risk of future terrorist attacks. It is often proper to blame someone for imposing unnecessary risks on us, such as transporting hazardous materials without taking proper safety measures. Plausibly, whether one knows a proposition depends on how high the risk of forming a false belief is. But what exactly is risk, and why is it of normative significance?

In the research project ‘Metaphysics, Ethics, and Epistemology of Risk’ new insights about how we should understand risk are applied to a wide range of ethical and epistemological questions. The postdoctoral researcher’s work is expected to focus on epistemological questions where the notion of risk can be utilized, such as ‘can knowledge be understood in terms of risk?’, ‘are closure principles compatible with an anti-risk conception of knowledge and justification?’, ‘what kind of structural properties does an anti-risk epistemology predict for knowledge?’, ‘do iterations of knowledge accumulate risk?’, ‘should disinformation be understood as information that incurs epistemic risks on others?’, ‘what is the connection between risk and certainty?’, and ‘what kind of insight does anti-risk epistemology have regarding pragmatic encroachment?’.

In addition to the to be hired postdoctoral researcher the project team consists of the PI (Jaakko Hirvelä), whose work focuses on the metaphysics and epistemology of risk, and a postdoctoral researcher (Oskari Sivula) who works on ethical questions related to risk. The project runs in tandem with another research project on risk (‘The Structure and Nature of Risk’, PI Jaakko Hirvelä), which houses an additional postdoctoral researcher (Pablo Zendejas Medina) working on the philosophy of risk. The project team will conduct research into the nature of risk, and apply philosophical theories of risk to epistemological and ethical issues. The primary methods of the research project are philosophical analysis and model-building.

Responsibilities

The main task of the appointed researcher is to conduct research into epistemological issues where the notion of risk plays an essential role. The postdoctoral researcher is expected to participate in weekly project meetings, and in the general research seminars held by the philosophy unit in Helsinki. The postdoctoral researcher will help organizing conferences, seminars, and workshops.

In addition, the postdoctoral researcher will actively contribute to teaching and administrative tasks in the discipline of theoretical philosophy at the University of Helsinki (up to 5% of their working time annually), and assist in preparing new research proposals. In practice the teaching load is one course a year and supervision of master’s and bachelor’s thesis. It is possible to complete the teaching and administrative tasks through English.
 

Requirements for the position and assessment of qualifications

According to the Regulations of the University of Helsinki, an appointee to the position of postdoctoral researcher shall hold a doctoral degree and have the ability to conduct independent scholarly work as well as the teaching skills necessary for the position.

The appointee will have relevant specialization in epistemology (expertise in logic, decision theory, metaphysics and ethics count in favour of the applicant). The default assumption is that the doctoral degree requirement must be met by the beginning of the employment. Applicants must have strong philosophical writing skills and excellent command of written and spoken English.

When assessing applicants’ qualifications, attention will be paid to international academic activities, including high-quality peer-reviewed publications, and the quality of the research proposal.

The position is filled with a six-month trial period.

What we offer

The salary for the position will be based on level 5 of the job requirement scheme for teaching and research personnel in the salary system of Finnish universities. In addition, the appointee will be paid a salary component based on personal performance. The annual gross salary is €42,000 - €49,000.

In Finnish universities, the teaching and research staff (app. 65% of total staff) have a special system regarding the free time equivalent to holiday. They belong to the 1,612 annual working hour system, in which the annual amount of paid holiday is app. 5-6 weeks on average per year.

The University of Helsinki offers comprehensive services to its employees, including occupational health care and health insurance, sports facilities, and opportunities for professional development.

The University provides support for internationally recruited employees with their transition to work and life in Finland. More information here: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/about-us/careers/welcome-finland-information-arriving-staff

How to apply

The application must be accompanied by the following documents in PDF format:

Applicants are requested to enclose with their applications the following documents in English:

 
(1) their curriculm vitae (max 4 pages),

(2) a two-page research plan detailing their planned research and how it connects with their previous work, and

(3) one writing example (max 8000 words), and

(4) the name and contact information of one referee. 

Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed and final decisions will be made in August.

Other attachments, including letters of recommendation or certificates, are not required at this point. We expect that you will send us a self-written application that reflects your own voice and thoughts. Applications generated by artificial intelligence do not meet our expectations.

Applications must be submitted through the University of Helsinki electronic recruitment system by clicking on the link below. Current employees of the University of Helsinki must submit their applications through SAP Fiori’s Suffeli recruitment portal. Applications must be submitted by 31.7.2026.

Further information about the position can be obtained from Jaakko Hirvelä ([email protected]) Further information about the recruitment process can be obtained from recruitment(at)helsinki.fi.

A diverse and equitable study and work culture is important to us. That is why we do our best to promote an inclusive university community. We encourage all qualified applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply for our positions.

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