Study funding for doctoral students

Doctoral students employed by another employer

Many doctoral students at KI combine their doctoral studies with other types of employment, e.g. in the healthcare or in the industry. Approximately 35-40 % of the doctoral students at KI had an active affiliation to Region Stockholm (which are responsible for all publicly–financed healthcare in Region Stockholm). Some also conduct their doctoral studies in the context of an employment with a different employer than KI.

Doctoral students employed by another employer

Employment as a doctoral student

Doctoral students employed by KI enjoy the same social benefits as other employees at the university.

The salary levels for employed doctoral students is regulated in a local collective agreement.

More information for doctoral students employed by KI

Prolongation of employment because of COVID-19

The Swedish Agency for Government Employers (Arbetsgivarverket) have announced that if a doctoral student, as a consequence of COVID-19, has been prohibited from performing his/her tasks as a doctoral student, it should be possible to prolong the employment beyond the stated four years. It is the KI department where the doctoral student is registered that decides if a prolongation should be considered. The assessment of the individual case is done on a case-by-case basis. 

Doctoral students who perceive that the pandemic has affected their doctoral education must make sure to document this. Such documentation is required if at a later stage an assessment will be made to judge if the delay was caused by COVID-19, and hence without the control of the student.

Criteria for a possible prolongation (at the bottom of the page)

Scholarships

An external scholarship means that KI does not make payments to the doctoral student; instead, the student has funding in the form of scholarships from their home country, home university or a similar source.

KI believes that this type of financing can be a precondition of international collaboration with bodies outside the EU. However, cooperation agreements must also aim to set a reasonable level of funding. To ensure that the financial situation of doctoral students on scholarships is on the same level as other doctoral students, the President has established minimum income levels for doctoral students. If the scholarship does not reach the minimum level KI can top-up the scholarship.

More information for doctoral students with scholarships

More information

Rules for doctoral education at KI

Questions

Doctoral students that have questions regarding study funding and insurances during the doctoral educationcan can turn to the administrative officer for doctoral education or human resources manager at their departments. Administrative personnel at the departments can also turn to the HR office at the central administration.