PhD-student position in computational child protection research Full-time

PhD-student Position in Computational Child Protection Research

To be a doctoral student means to devote oneself to a research project under supervision of experienced researchers and following an individual study plan. For a doctoral degree, the equivalent of four years of full-time doctoral education is required.

The Research Group

The Child Protection research group at Karolinska Institutet conducts research on preventing violence against children and works closely with Barnahus Stockholm on research concerning health and children's rights. The research group combines epidemiological research with methods development and has a strong commitment to translating research findings into practice and policy. The doctoral student will also participate in activities at Research Group Medical Technology and Digital Health.

This position is part of the joint doctoral programme in medical technology between Karolinska Institutet and the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH). The doctoral student will be admitted to doctoral education at both universities – in medical science at KI and in medical technology at KTH – with the aim of obtaining a joint doctoral degree. More information about the programme is available on KTH's website.

The Doctoral Student Project and the Duties of the Doctoral Student

Do you want to work with machine learning to develop and validate entirely new practice-oriented methods? Public health research relies on labor-intensive methods such as systematic literature reviews, qualitative data analysis, survey instrument development, and data extraction from text-based records. These processes create bottlenecks that limit the scope and pace of research. Recent advances in artificial intelligence and natural language processing (NLP) offer opportunities to automate many of these tasks.

This doctoral project aims to develop, validate, and disseminate computational language methods across several interconnected areas, and through your work you will contribute to preventing violence against children.

The doctoral student will work under close supervision on methods development, conduct validation studies against expert assessments, contribute to scientific publications, and participate in developing open-source software and training materials.

What Do We Offer?

A creative and inspiring environment full of expertise and curiosity. Karolinska Institutet is one of the world's leading medical universities. Our vision is to pursue the development of knowledge about life and to promote a better health for all. At Karolinska Institutet, we conduct successful medical research and hold the largest range of medical education in Sweden. As a doctoral student you are offered an individual research project, a well-educated supervisor, a vast range of elective courses and the opportunity to work in a leading research group. Karolinska Institutet collaborates with prominent universities from all around the world, which ensures opportunities for international exchanges. You will be employed on a doctoral studentship which means that you receive a contractual salary. Employees also have access to our modern gym for free and receive reimbursements for medical care.

Eligibility Requirements for Doctoral Education

In order to participate in the selection for a doctoral position, you must meet the following general (A) and specific (B) eligibility requirements at latest by the application deadline.

It is your responsibility to certify eligibility by following the instructions on the web page Entry requirements (eligibility) for doctoral education.

A) General eligibility requirement You meet the general eligibility requirement for doctoral/third-cycle/PhD education if you:

1. have been awarded a second-cycle/advanced/master qualification (i.e. master degree), or
2. have satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the advanced/second-cycle/master level, or
3. have acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad.

Follow the instructions on the web page Entry requirements (eligibility) for doctoral education.

*If you claim equivalent knowledge, follow the instructions on the web page Assessing equivalent knowledge for general eligibility for doctoral education.

B) Specific eligibility requirement

You meet the specific eligibility requirement for doctoral/third-cycle/PhD education if you:

– Show proficiency in English equivalent to the course English B/English 6 at Swedish upper secondary school.

Follow the instructions on the web page English language requirements for doctoral education.

Verification of your documents Karolinska Institutet checks the authenticity of your documents. Karolinska Institutet reserves the right to revoke admission if supporting documents are discovered to be fraudulent. Submission of false documents is a violation of Swedish law and is considered grounds for legal action.

(A) and (B) can only be certified by the documentation requirement for doctoral education.

Skills and Personal Qualities

Required:

• Master's degree, equivalent qualification, or at least 60 credits at an advanced level in medical engineering, medical informatics, computer science, data science, or a closely related field
• Documented experience in programming (e.g., Python, R, or similar) and applied machine learning
• Solid foundation in machine learning, statistics, or AI methods, with the ability to critically evaluate models and results
• Experience working with data-driven methods, including data preprocessing, analysis, and evaluation
• Strong ability to communicate scientific results orally and in writing in English
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in an interdisciplinary research environment
• Strong analytical thinking, problem-solving skills, and motivation to conduct doctoral-level research

Desirable qualifications and competencies:

• Technical and research skills
• Experience working with large language models (LLMs), natural language processing (NLP), or deep learning frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow)
• Familiarity with software development best practices, such as version control using Git/GitHub and writing maintainable, well-documented, and tested code
• Experience with research software engineering or reproducible research workflows
• Basic knowledge of DevOps, MLOps, or cloud-based computing environments (e.g., CI/CD, containerization, or experiment tracking)
• Experience conducting systematic literature reviews, qualitative research methods, or mixed-methods research
• Domain and interdisciplinary knowledge
• Familiarity with public health, clinical research, or medical informatics
• Basic understanding of human physiology, healthcare systems, or medical data, considered an asset but not a requirement
• Interest in child protection, social care, or health-related applications of AI, particularly in sensitive or high-stakes domain
• Ethics, responsibility, and collaboration
• Awareness of ethical, legal, and societal aspects of AI, including fairness, transparency, privacy, and responsible AI use
• Experience working with sensitive data or knowledge of data protection regulations (e.g., GDPR)
• Ability to collaborate with clinicians, social scientists, or policy-oriented researchers
• Language and communication
• Proficiency in Swedish is an advantage but not required
• Experience presenting research at conferences or contributing to scientific publications is a merit

Terms and Conditions

The doctoral student will be employed on a doctoral studentship maximum 4 years full-time.

Application Process

Submit your application and supporting documents through the Varbi recruitment system. Use the button in the top right corner and follow the instructions. We prefer that your application is written in English, but you can also apply in Swedish.

Your application must contain the following documents:

– A personal letter and a curriculum vitae – Degree projects and previous publications, if any – Any other documentation showing the desirable skills and personal qualities described above – Documents certifying your general eligibility (see A above) – Documents certifying your specific eligibility (see B above)

A selection will be made among eligible applicants on the basis of the ability to benefit from doctoral education. The qualifications of the applicants will be evaluated on an overall basis.

Karolinska Institutet uses the following bases of assessment:

– Documented subject knowledge of relevance to the area of research – Analytical skill – Other documented knowledge or experience that may be relevant to doctoral studies in the subject.

All applicants will be informed when the recruitment is completed.

Your career continues here.