The article examines the modes of research training in two Finnish academic research centres, where research is project based, application oriented and externally funded. In particular, the article asks what duties, skills and qualities are considered appropriate for people in different positions (PhD student, post-doctoral researcher, supervisor). The research shows that while Finnish higher education policy pushes for a higher number of doctorates, shorter times-to-degree and more structured doctoral education, the science policy emphasis on externally-funded project research has produced a large new category of "researcher PhD students". The students in this group are expected to act as independent and productive researchers even before attaining the PhD degree. The article concludes that understanding and improving Finnish doctoral education requires that more attention be paid to the interplay of different policy measures at the level of local academic communities.