Junior researcher in behavioural economics

The LUT School of Business and Management is looking for a junior researcher (doctoral student) in behavioural economics. We are looking for a curious mind who is interested about the behavioural mechanisms behind the important decisions to assure successful and sustainable business. 

Research will also be conducted at the University of Trento (Italy) – more specifically at the Cognitive and Experimental Economics Laboratory (CEEL). The research environment is lively, interdisciplinary, and draws on theory and methods from economics, cognitive psychology, organisational studies, and other related fields. The thesis project also includes laboratory experiments to advance understanding of how human cognition affects economic behaviour.

You must have a master’s degree (M.Sc. or equivalent) in a relevant field (e.g., economics, industrial engineering, industrial management) and the ability and motivation to complete the doctoral studies within their normative duration (i.e., four years). Written and spoken fluency in English is required.

An employment contract can be concluded only if the candidate obtains the right to pursue postgraduate studies at LUT University. The position will be available initially for one year and can be extended by three years, provided that LUT deems the studies and research to have progressed satisfactorily.  

The ideal candidate for the position

• is interested in writing a dissertation on the area of behavioural economics; the potential research topics are
  • other-regarding behaviour
  • risk and decision-making
  • strategic interactions
• has basic knowledge of behavioural economics as well as strong analytical and quantitative research skills.

Knowledge of programming in Python (and oTree) is considered an asset.

Job description 

• Completion of the doctoral degree within four years
• Assisting in teaching
• Participation in research projects

What we offer

• An opportunity to launch a successful academic career and to become an expert in behavioural economics
• A four-year (1+3 years) employment contract for completing the doctoral degree
  • An employment contract can be concluded only if the candidate obtains the right to pursue postgraduate studies at LUT University
  • The contract will be made initially for one year and can be extended by three years provided that the studies and research have progressed successfully
• Encouraging and supportive supervision by and research collaboration with Associate Professors Azzurra Morreale and Päivi Maijanen-Kyläheiko from LUT and Professor Luigi Mittone from the University of Trento
• A great opportunity to conduct research at the Cognitive and Experimental Economics Laboratory (CEEL), Trento, in a lively interdisciplinary environment that draws from economics, cognitive psychology, and organisational studies.

Starting date: The work will start in March–April 2023 (negotiable) with a six-month trial period.

Location: The job is based in Lappeenranta, Finland. The doctoral student is expected to spend six months at the University of Trento (Italy) during the doctoral studies.

Salary: The typical gross annual starting salary for a junior researcher is approximately 30 800 euros (plus a holiday bonus in accordance with the collective agreement).

How to apply

Please submit all the application materials in English:

• Your curriculum vitae
• A copy of your degree certificate; if the original documents are not in English, Finnish or Swedish, each document must be accompanied by an official certified translation into English or Finnish
• A motivation letter: an account of your merits and activities of significance to the vacancy (max. 2 pages)
• A tentative dissertation research plan (5–10 pages) related to one of the dissertation research areas above. The research plan should be organized as follows:
  1. Introduction: background for research, research gap, research target and research questions/hypotheses.
  2. Theory/literature review: theoretical framework for your dissertation or relevant literature streams related to your topic
  3. Methodology: possible methods to explore and investigate the topic
  4. Results and contributions: novelty and contributions to theory and practice.

The deadline for application is  31 January 2023 at midnight, Finnish local time (+ 2h). Please submit your application together with the required attachments through the university's online application system.

For more information, please contact

• Associate Professor Azzurra Morreale, azzurra.morreale@lut.fi or Associate Professor Päivi Maijanen-Kyläheiko, paivi.maijanen-kylaheiko@lut.fi (the content of work and the employment contract issues)
• Professor Luigi Mittone, luigi.mittone@unitn.it (the content of work)

Read more

LUT as an employer and LUT Doctoral School

Cognitive and Experimental Economics Laboratory (CEEL), Trento 

Clean energy, water and air are life-giving resources for which we at LUT University seek new solutions with our expertise in technology, business and social sciences. We help society and businesses in their sustainable renewal. Our international community consists of 7 500 members. Our campuses are in Lappeenranta and Lahti, Finland. We are the world’s ninth best university for climate action. 

Founded in 1962, the University of Trento is a young and dynamic university with 16,000 students and about 1,200 people working as faculty and administrative staff. According to Times Higher Education (THE) ranking and Italian ranking (Censis), the University of Trento is one of the top Universities in Italy. The educational offer ranges from science and technology to Humanities, from the field of socio-economics and law to the field of Cognitive sciences and Biomolecular sciences. 

Technical support for using the recruitment system: recruitment@lut.fi