Funding
Doctoral students must have funding secured for the entire period of study and, once you have been admitted to doctoral education, an individual funding plan will be drawn up for you by Finance & Auditing. Funding for your employment is guaranteed for the equivalent of four years of full-time study for a doctoral degree, or two years for a licentiate degree. This applies provided that you fulfil your obligations as a doctoral student, in accordance with your individual study plan, so that a new decision on employment can be made for each year of employment.
The majority of doctoral studentships at Södertörn University are funded by the Foundation for Baltic and East European Studies, public funding or externally funded research projects. Another form of financing is through cooperation with other parties – externally employed doctoral students.
There may be specific funding conditions for project-specific doctoral students, e.g. for expenses, depending on the project’s budget. This also applies to externally employed doctoral students, depending on the agreement between the employer and the university. Read more at: Expenses.
Categories of doctoral students at the university
Doctoral students who are admitted to and employed by the university
The majority of doctoral students at Södertörn University are both admitted to and employed by the university. The university is entirely responsible for both education and employment. Many of them belong to the Baltic and East European Graduate School, BEEGS.
Doctoral students admitted to other higher education institutions
Some of the university’s doctoral students have been admitted to another higher education institution, but are conducting their doctoral studies using funding from the university. In these cases, an agreement is drawn up between the admitting higher education institution and Södertörn University. The entire responsibility for issues relating to education rests with the admitting higher education institution, while the university has the role of employer. For detailed information about the allocation of responsibility, please see the relevant agreement. A number of these doctoral students are part of
BEEGS.
Doctoral students employed by other higher education institutions
Some doctoral students are admitted to Södertörn University, but are employed at another higher education institution. In these cases, an agreement is drawn up between Södertörn University and the higher education institution that is the employer. The entire responsibility for issues relating to education rests with the university, while the other higher education institution has the responsibilities as the employer. For detailed information about the allocation of responsibility, please see the relevant agreement.
Doctoral students as part of research projects
Some doctoral students at the university work on research projects that are funded by external research financiers. Most project-specific doctoral students are admitted at the university, but they may also be admitted at another higher education institution. The higher education institution that administers the project’s funding is the one at which the doctoral student is employed and which has the responsibility as employer. The admitting higher education institution is responsible for issues relating to education.
Externally employed doctoral students
Externally employed doctoral students are admitted to the university but are employed externally, usually in trade and industry or the public sector, and have funding from their employer to undertake doctoral studies at a minimum of 50% of full time as part of their employment. An agreement is drawn up between Södertörn University and the external employer. The entire responsibility for issues relating to education rests with the university, while the employer has the responsibility of the employer. For detailed information about the allocation of responsibility, please see the relevant agreement.
Employment as a doctoral student at Södertörn University
Doctoral education for a doctoral student takes four years of full-time study and is worth 240 credits. The equivalent for a licentiate degree is two years of full-time study and 120 credits. A doctoral studentship is a fixed-term position that runs for one year at a time. You have the same benefits and responsibilities as other staff employed by the university, such as paid holiday, occupational injury insurance, parental leave, income on which pension and unemployment insurance is based and an obligation to report secondary employment. You are also entitled to sick pay, reimbursement for medicine and access to occupational health services.
If you are employed at Södertörn University, you can read about your terms and conditions of employment at: Min anställning (My job) [Swedish only].
Working hours and annual leave
Doctoral students at Södertörn University follow the working hours agreement for teachers:
- 1700 hours for employees with 35 days of annual leave.
- 1732 hours for employees with 31 days of annual leave.
- 1756 hours for employees with 28 days of annual leave.
The number of days of annual leave you have is decided by the provisions of the Swedish Annual Leave Act and the collective agreements for state employees, Villkorsavtal or Villkorsavtal-T:
- Until the year in which you turn 29: 28 days.
- Until the year in which you turn 30: 31 days.
- From the year in which you turn 40: 35 days.
Just like teaching staff, doctoral students at Södertörn University follow a local collective agreement on scheduling annual leave. Holidays are automatically scheduled on consecutive weeks during the summer as a “standard holiday”, starting on the Monday prior to the Midsummer weekend. If your employment starts after 1 August, during your first year as a doctoral student you must apply for annual leave in Primula. Your annual leave is automatically scheduled as standard holiday in Primula for subsequent years.
Remember to check your holiday days with your HR officer when you receive your last employment contract as a doctoral student. You then apply to take any remaining days of annual leave before your employment comes to an end.
You may choose to take your annual leave at a different time, in which case you and your head of department must agree on the dates by 30 April. If you need to save your annual leave and take it the following year, you must apply for this in Primula. You must also inform your supervisor if you are taking annual leave at other times of the year than the standard holiday. Read more about annual leave on the page Semester och andra ledigheter [Swedish only].
Leave and part-time work
As a doctoral student, you have the right to part-time employment, but at a level at least 50 % of a full-time position. Discuss any requests for part-time work with your principal supervisor and contact your local HR officer well in advance of your decision on employment being renewed.
Otherwise, doctoral students all have the same rights as all the other employees at the university for parental leave, caring for close relatives, funerals, etc. Read more about different types of leave on the page about annual leave, parental leave and other leave: Semester och andra ledigheter [Swedish only].
Reporting sick leave
If you are off sick, you must report this to your head of department and inform your principal supervisor. At the same time, register your first sick day in Primula. When you are well, end your sick leave in Primula.
If you are sick for more than seven calendar days in a row, you must provide the employer with a certificate from your doctor from the eighth day. If you are sick for more than 14 days, you or your employer must send the doctor’s certificate to Försäkringskassan. Read more on the page Sjukdom och arbetsskada - Företagshälsovård [Swedish only].
Salary scale for doctoral students
Doctoral students do not have salary negotiations. Your pay is regulated in a local collective agreement, the salary scale for doctoral students (Doktorandstegen), and is decided by the university after negotiations with the unions. The salary scale has four levels and is based upon how long you have been employed. You move up from one level to another after 12, 24 and 36 months of full-time employment on a doctoral studentship. The doctoral salary scale can be found here.