Appointing a project doctoral student

The purpose of this policy is to provide equal conditions and requirements for both those PhD students funded by the faculty as well as those funded by external means. The policy is directed towards those externally funded (henceforth referred to as “project PhDs”), but several foundational principles apply to all PhD students.

The standard procedure for recruiting project PhDs should be through an announcement connected to the announcement for regular PhD students. This should be followed by a coordinated assessment by a joint application committee. Occasionally,  a separate announcement may be accepted after consultation with the director of PhD studies and the head of the department;   who should always be members of the application committee.

Project PhDs may only be recruited through a public announcement (“öppen utlysning”). This announcement should clarify any special requirements the project PhDs need to fulfill, for example with respect to the content of the PhD thesis or participation in project related activities. As a rule, research assistants should not be involved in the writing of applications for grants intended to fund PhD students. Should this still be the case, the director of PhD studies and the head of the department must be informed beforehand. Research assistants should then also be paid for their work and informed that project PhDs are only hired after a public announcement.

Unless exceptional circumstances apply, project PhDs should start their PhD education at the same time as faculty funded PhD students.

With regards to employment conditions, the standard procedure should be to treat project PhDs the same as faculty funded PhDs. This implies that they should primarily be seen as employed by the department, not the project. It also implies that under normal circumstances up to 20 percent of their employment should be comprised of services to the department (“institutionstjänstgöring”, i.,e., teaching or similar activities), which makes them eligible for extended time of employment (“förlängning”). Services that make them eligible for extension cannot stem directly from their PhD thesis work and must be funded by the department. Authority to grant extended time of employment on other grounds rests with the head of the faculty of social sciences (“dekanus”). The purpose of these regulations is to provide equal opportunities to all PhD students when it comes to their ability to assemble merit qualifications as part of their PhD studies.

Project related services performed by project PhDs should always be relevant to their PhD thesis, even if these services include work that does not contribute directly to the thesis (such as dissemination of information to the public). Administrative tasks that could be accomplished by a research assistant should not be performed by project PhDs. In cases of conflict, PhD courses and education should be given priority over project related activities. In order to avoid an excessive workload, project PhDs should consult their supervisor, assistant supervisor and (in case that is a different person) the project manager before engaging in project related activities that do not directly contribute to their PhD thesis. The same goes for regular PhD students, who should always consult their supervisors before engaging in activities not directly related to their thesis. If cases of larger commitments arise, the head of the department and director of PhD studies should also be consulted.

Project PhDs should have at least one supervisor not involved in the project.

As a rule, project PhDs should have access to at least the same sum of money from the project funds as regular PhD students receive for thesis related expenses. In order to facilitate planning and transparency, these funds should be made available to project PhDs at the beginning of the project, as is the case for regular PhDs.