Doctoral student position in Social Work with a focus on Crime Prevention (BRiC)

The University of Gothenburg tackles society’s challenges with diverse knowledge. 58 000 students and 6800 employees make the university a large and inspiring place to work and study. Strong research and attractive study programmes attract researchers and students from around the world. With new knowledge and new perspectives, the University contributes to a better future.

The Department of Social Work is part of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Gothenburg and is one of the largest and most well-established environments for research and education in social work in the Nordic region. The Department has more than 130 employees and provides education at first-cycle, second-cycle and third-cycle levels. Its range of courses and study programmes includes the Bachelor of Science Programme in Social Work, Master’s programmes in Social Work and Human Rights, professional development programmes and courses, and doctoral studies.

As a research discipline, social work focuses on understanding people in vulnerable social situations, societal interventions, social policy measures and social processes. Research is conducted within several profile areas and is characterised by a strong commitment to society. The Department also has extensive international contacts and collaborations through research networks and partnerships with universities in different parts of the world.

More information about the Department is available at: Socwork

Duties

This doctoral student position is part of the strategic research programme Building Resilience in Crime Prevention (BRiC): Advancing Professional Knowledge of Child Vulnerability, Drug Markets and Emerging Technologies, a collaboration between Lund University, the University of Gothenburg, Malmö University and Linnaeus University.

BRiC aims to strengthen and integrate professional expertise across Sweden's crime prevention services. By bringing together practitioners from social services, the police, prosecution services, courts, youth care and correctional services with researchers in social work, law, criminology, police research, sociology and economics, the programme seeks to advance knowledge of child vulnerability, drug markets and emerging technologies. Further information about the research programme is available on the University of Gothenburg's website (in Swedish): Stor satsning på forskning för brottsförebyggande arbete.

As a doctoral student, you will be part of the BRiC research programme and conduct your doctoral research in the field of crime prevention in social work within a Swedish context. You will be part of the Department's research environment and participate in the programme's interdisciplinary research collaborations and activities.

During your doctoral studies, you are expected to plan and carry out a doctoral research project and complete the coursework component of the programme, including compulsory and elective doctoral courses, in accordance with the general syllabus and your individual study plan. During your doctoral studies, your thesis work will be presented and discussed at a minimum of three seminars. The programme concludes with the public defence of your doctoral thesis.

Doctoral studies comprise four years of full-time study and lead to a doctoral degree.

As part of your doctoral student employment, you may undertake departmental duties corresponding to a maximum of 20% of full-time employment, distributed over the period of study. Any such duties will result in a corresponding extension of the period of study. Departmental duties normally involve teaching at first-cycle and second-cycle levels but may also include research and administrative tasks.

Eligibility

To be eligible for admission to doctoral studies, applicants must meet the general entry requirements and, where applicable, the specific entry requirements set out in the general syllabus for the third-cycle subject area.

An applicant meets the general entry requirements for doctoral studies if they have:

1. been awarded a second-cycle qualification; or
2. completed courses corresponding to at least 240 higher education credits, of which at least 60 credits are at second-cycle level; or
3. acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad.

For admission to doctoral studies in social work, applicants must also meet the following requirements:

• a Degree of Bachelor of Science in Social Work, 210 higher education credits; and
• at least 60 higher education credits in social work at second-cycle level, including an independent project of at least 15 higher education credits; or
• equivalent knowledge acquired in some other way corresponding to both of the requirements above.

Assessment criteria

Selection among applicants who meet the general and specific entry requirements is based on their ability to benefit from doctoral studies. The assessment therefore aims to evaluate applicants' capacity to undertake doctoral studies and develop their ability to formulate a research problem, independently conduct a research project and present research findings.

As the doctoral programme is primarily conducted in Swedish, good proficiency in Swedish is required. Good proficiency in English is also necessary to benefit fully from the programme.

Applicants' ability to benefit from doctoral studies will be assessed on the basis of:

• The quality of the research proposal submitted with the application;
• The feasibility of the proposed research project;
• The relevance of the proposed project to the discipline of Social Work and the BRiC research programme;
• The quality of previous academic papers, theses and other written work; and
• Educational qualifications and research merits.

The assessment will also take into account the Department's capacity to provide supervision in relation to the applicant's proposed research focus and, more generally, to offer a suitable research environment for the planned doctoral thesis. Professional experience in social work is considered a merit.

Applications will be assessed and ranked by an assessment panel at the Department of Social Work. Interviews form part of the selection process. The final decision on admission is made by the Head of Department and cannot be appealed.

Content of the research proposal

The research proposal submitted with the application must focus on crime prevention in social work within a Swedish context and demonstrate a clear connection to the overall focus of the BRiC research programme.

This means that the research proposal must address one or a combination of the following areas: the vulnerability of children and young people and their involvement in crime; the preventive, supervisory and rehabilitative work of social services and the criminal justice system; the working conditions of professionals and institutional practices; the consequences of drug-related and organised crime; and the implications of digitalisation for control, risk assessment and rehabilitation.

Employment

Once you have been admitted to doctoral studies, you will be employed as a doctoral student at the University of Gothenburg.

The provisions for employment as a doctoral student can be found in ordinance SFS 1993:100.

The initial period of employment as a doctoral student may not exceed one year and may subsequently be renewed by a maximum of two years at a time.

A doctoral student may be employed as a doctoral student for a maximum of eight years, but the total period of employment may not be longer than the equivalent of full-time education at doctoral level for four years.

Please note, doctoral studies at the Department of Social Work require physical presence to conduct the studies. If the admitted applicant needs a residence permit for higher education to pursue studies in Sweden, the Department of Social Work has the right to revoke the admission decision if the applicant cannot present a valid residence permit no later than at the start of the studies.

Additional information

For more information about the programme, please see the General Syllabus for Doctoral Studies in Social Work, available at:

About doctoral studies

The University applies a local agreement on salaries for doctoral students.

The position is based in Gothenburg and requires the admitted doctoral student to reside in and be registered in Sweden.

Contact information

Sofia Vales, Doctoral Studies Administrator
sofia.vales@socwork.gu.se

Andreas Eriksson, Deputy Head of Department responsible for doctoral studies
andreas.eriksson@socwork.gu.se

Cecilia Hansen Löfstrand, Professor of Social Work and Research Area Leader within BRiC
cecilia.lofstrand@socwork.gu.se

Department website: Socwork

Unions

Union representatives at the University of Gothenburg can be found here:

How to apply for a position

Application

Applications for admission to doctoral studies must be submitted via the University of Gothenburg’s recruitment portal.

As an applicant, you are responsible for ensuring that your application is complete in accordance with the advertisement and that it reaches the University no later than the application deadline.

For an application to be considered complete, it must include:

1. An introductory letter of no more than 500 words. The letter must include: (a) a brief introduction of yourself, (b) a brief presentation of your most relevant qualifications and merits, and (c) a brief explanation of why you wish to conduct research within BRiC.
2. A CV, including certified documentation of qualifications and a list of publications.
3. Theses, degree projects and other relevant written work.
4. A research proposal of no more than 2,000 words, including references. In the research proposal, the applicant must identify a research problem and relevant research questions, explain their relevance to the BRiC research programme, and discuss potentially relevant theories, methods and empirical materials. The proposal will serve as a basis for assessing the applicant's ability to identify relevant and interesting research questions and to make appropriate methodological considerations in relation to the proposed project.
5. Certified copies of degree certificates and documentation demonstrating that the specific entry requirements have been met.
6. A description of, and supporting documentation for, any other relevant qualifications, such as participation in research, evaluation activities or similar development work.

Documents, certificates, publications and similar materials that are not available in electronic form must be sent to:

University of Gothenburg
Department of Social Work
Attn: Sofia Vales
Box 720
SE-405 30 Gothenburg
Sweden

Please state registration number PAR 2026/724.

Applications must be received by 28 January 2027.

Information for International Applicants - Moving to Gothenburg

Gothenburg is the second largest city in Sweden, beautifully situated on the west coast. The city is well known for its friendly atmosphere and high quality of life. Choosing a career in a new country is a major step. Gothenburg offers a welcoming environment and strong support for international talent relocating to the region. To give you a general idea of what we and Gothenburg have to offer in terms of benefits and life in general for you and your family/spouse/partner please visit:

Welcome servicesmovetogothenburg.com

The University works actively to achieve a working environment with equal conditions, and values the qualities that diversity brings to its operations.

Salaries are set individually at the University.

In accordance with the National Archives of Sweden’s regulations, the University must archive application documents for two years after the appointment is filled. If you request that your documents are returned, they will be returned to you once the two years have passed. Otherwise, they will be destroyed.

In connection to this recruitment, we have already decided which recruitment channels we should use. We therefore decline further contact with vendors, recruitment and staffing companies.