Support

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• Supervision
• Individual appraisal talks for doctoral students
• Representation
• Health and safety representatives and committees
• Committees on gender equality, equal opportunities and diversity
• Health and security
• Lund University's doctoral student ombudsman (DOMB)
• Career development

Supervision

Supervision comprises support with orientation and content of coursework and thesis work throughout the doctoral studies program. Moreover, supervisors are in many cases the first or key contact persons for discussing matters beyond the content of the doctoral student's work, especially when considering teaching, further career development, stress and health issues.

Two supervisors are appointed for each doctoral student. One of them acts as main supervisor and must have the qualifications of an associate professor (docent) or professor. The individual study plan (ISP) specifies the duties and responsibilities of each of the supervisors.

Read more about the individual study plan here

Detailed information on supervision at Swedish universities

Individual appraisal talks for doctoral students

Towards the end of each calendar year, the Assistant Head of Department will send out invitations for individual appraisal talks with each Doctoral student. The conversation will take the notes from previous individual talks (if applicable) and the update of the Individual Study Plan as a starting point. The Doctoral student is invited to bring up additional concerns,  in particular with a view to work environment issues and further career planning.

At the internal website for staff at Lund University you can read more about staff appraisals for academic employees

Representation

At the department there is a doctoral student council, which is an association to safeguard the interests of doctoral students at the department. The doctoral student council meets about once a month and has a chairman and a vice chair. In the doctoral student council, you can raise questions and problems you encounter in your work as a doctoral student and that you find difficult to handle on your own. The Chair and Vice Chair are also the contact persons for the Director of Doctoral Studies and for the Deputy Head of Department responsible for the doctoral education.

The doctoral student council has representation on the department board, the research council and the JLM group (equality, equal opportunities and diversity).

The department's doctoral student council also has representation at the Faculty of Social Sciences' doctoral student council (SDR), which in turn is part of the Lund Doctoral Student Union (LDK).

Links to general information:

• Beginner’s Guide to Swedish Academy by the young academy of Sweden
• Departmental board
• Department Doctoral student council
• Lund's Doctoral Student Union website

Health and safety representatives and committees

• Department’s health and safety representatives are Åsa Knaggård and Kristina Gröndahl Nilsson
• Faculty’s health and safety representatives
• General information

Committees on gender equality, equal opportunities and diversity

• Department’s working group on gender equality, equal opportunities and diversity
• University council for gender equality and equal opportunities
• University activities on gender equality and equal opportunities
• Employee organisations and unions

Health and security

Importantly, when you feel in need of support on health matters in the widest sense, do not hesitate to bring up your concerns as early as possible.

Depending on the situation and your preferences, there are several colleagues at our department you can approach as first contacts for a confidential talk. These include your supervisors, the director of doctoral studies, the deputy head of department, the head of department, and the department’s health and safety representatives. They will further assist you in identifying and contacting specific colleagues and options for more targeted support.

Links to first contacts for a confidential talk

• Assistant Head of Department and Director of Doctoral Studies: Sara Kalm sara [dot] kalm [at] svet [dot] lu [dot] se
• Head of Department: Kristina Jönsson kristina [dot] jonsson [at] svet [dot] lu [dot] se
• The Department’s Health and Safety Representatives: Åsa Knaggård (asa [dot] knaggard [at] svet [dot] lu [dot] se) and Kristina Gröndahl Nilsson (kristina [dot] grondahl_nilsson [at] svet [dot] lu [dot] se)
• Work environment and health (with information on victimisation, harassment and reporting of occupational injuries and incidents, computer glasses)
• Health and wellness (with information on health promotion, rehabilitation and substance abuse)
• Occupational health service of the university (with information on medical advice, stress and lifestyle advice, counselling, ergonomic advice, and further links on public healthcare)
• Security & emergency (with information on emergency support and reporting, crisis support, first aid, threats & violence, fire, information security, export control, unauthorised persons)4

PhD wellbeing and career mentor

In 2025, the university has appointed a new function, a PhD wellbeing and career mentor. The person who holds the position is Laura Cox and is a psychologist with a PhD. Feel free to contact her. She takes individual conversations but also organizes group activities.

Read more here: PhD Wellbeing and Career Mentor Info Flyer

Lund University's doctoral student ombudsman (DOMB)

The doctoral student ombudsman (DOMB) is tasked with helping doctoral students at Lund University when they encounter challenges regarding doctoral education. No matter how small or how serious the problem is, you are welcome to contact DOMB for support (free of charge).

E-post: domb [at] ldk [dot] lu [dot] se (domb[at]ldk[dot]lu[dot]se)

Career development

Lund University provides information about doctoral students' career development here:

Career paths within research and teaching at Lund University | Staff Pages

You can also get help from the above-mentioned PhD Wellbeing and Career mentor.