Doctoral Research Associate / EU MSCA Fellow - Rehabilitation of Upper Extremity Prosthesis Users

Jönköping University is an international university located in Jönköping, Sweden. We attract highly qualified, inventive, and ambitious people from all over the world. The School of Health and Welfare at Jönköping University has an interdisciplinary focus and supports a broad range of theories, methods and knowledge from different areas within the scientific field of humanities and social sciences. The interdisciplinary approach aims to provide increased understanding of other subjects and professions within healthcare.

The postgraduate program at the School of Health and Welfare requires that doctoral candidates complete 4-years of study, including courses at the postgraduate level totalling 60 credits. In addition to this, the doctoral students are required to complete a research thesis totalling 180 credits.

The doctoral project titled, "Movement variability and cognitive load to support the rehabilitation of upper extremity prosthesis users", will be conducted within the Translational Research Network in Motor Disorder Rehabilitation (TReND), a large European consortium supported by the Marie Sklodowska Doctoral Networks (MSCA-DN).  By joining the EU-funded Doctoral Network TReND you will join an interdisciplinary and intersectoral training network involving 6 beneficiaries, 2 employing associated partners and several other associated partners. The network will provide online and in-person training to support the fellows in obtaining their doctorate degree, including a secondment to one consortium partner.

The project to be conducted at Jönköping University aims to contribute to the TReND network with knowledge about optimising Virtual Reality training protocols for upper-extremity prosthesis users, evaluated through measures of movement variability and cortical brain activity. The project is embedded within the field of motor control and learning and is built on the premise that augmented variability in practice can enhance motor learning and rehabilitation.

The project is multidisciplinary with researchers from the fields of prosthetics, occupational therapy, human movement science and neuroscience.  The doctoral candidate will be under the supervision of Professors Nerrolyn Ramstrand and Dido Green.  During the program, the student will be expected to undertake a secondment of 3 months at King’s College London with Dr Crina Grosan.

Working tasks

This position is tied to working towards a doctorate. The doctoral project will be based on empirical data collected by the doctoral candidate, conducted at Jönköping University and at rehabilitation facilities in Sweden. Under supervision, you will carry out data collection and analysis using motion analysis and neurological imaging equipment available at the university.

The doctoral education will be carried out within the framework of the Research School of Health and Welfare at Jönköping University, Sweden (https://ju.se/en/research/doctoral-programmes/doctoral-programmes-at-the-school-of-health-and-welfare.html).  

The candidate will be required to;

• Develop and follow an individual study plan focusing on movement variability and its potential role in the development or optimisation of training for upper-extremity prosthesis users.
• Complete 60 credits of doctoral courses.
• Carry out research, publish scientific articles and write a thesis totalling 180 credits
• Communicate and disseminate research results to different target audiences and sectors (e.g., research, clinical and industry).
• Publish research results in well ranked international journals and at highly recognized international conferences.
• Collaborate with an international consortium in the externally funded MSCA doctoral network TReND.
• Participate in the network’s training programme including in person events (e.g., summer schools) and online events (e.g., lecture series, colloquia etc.).

Your profile

To be eligible for this position you must not have previously been awarded a doctoral degree. You must have been awarded a degree at the second-cycle level (Masters) and must have completed at least 240 credits, of which a minimum of 60 credits are at the second cycle level, or equivalent.

MSCA mobility rules must be implemented in the recruitment, meaning that you must not have resided or carried out your main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Sweden for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their date of recruitment (1 September 2024).

You must have an educational background suitable for the project (e.g. Human movement science, Kinesiology, Prosthetics, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy). You must also have high level of competence in English (written and spoken) and an ability to work both independently and as part of a research team. To feel comfortable in this position you should have the ability to give and accept constructive critique and be Inquisitive, flexible and have a creative mindset.

This position requires candidates to visit network partners in England (London) for a duration of three months and to travel to international networking events.

Meritorious for the position are;

• Previous exposure/experience with movement disorders
• Computer programming experience
• Experience of participating in a research project
• Previous peer review publications

For full eligibility requirements for a position as a Doctoral Student at Jönköping University, see Admission and employment regulations for doctoral students at Jönköping University

Information

The position is limited in accordance with the applicable collective agreement for doctoral students. The total scope is 100% during a period of four (4) years, starting September 2024, or as agreed upon.

Your application must be provided in one PDF file through Jönköping University’s recruitment system and must include:

• CV in English (preferably in EU pass format) and including details about education/qualifications, work experience, language skills and other relevant skills
• Motivation letter (max. 2 pages, minimum font size Arial 11)
• Attested certificates and diploma/s (if relevant)
• Second level thesis (Master)
• Bachelor’s and master’s degree certificates including a Transcript of records (if documents are not in English or Swedish language please provide an official translation)
• Scientific publications and or awards (if relevant)
• Contact information for at least three (3) references.

Please submit your application as one PDF file by 13 May 2024 

The applications will be evaluated by the TReND selection committee and suitable candidates will be invited for online interviews.

Jönköping University is a modern institution, characterised by internationalisation and an entrepreneurial spirit. We attract highly qualified, inventive and enterprising people from all around the world. We develop new knowledge and share our expertise through solid collaborations with industry and business, the public sector and other higher education institutions. We offer an equal and inclusive workplace and we welcome applicants with diverse backgrounds. For more information, visit www.ju.se