Employment as a doctoral student

Your responsibility

It is the responsibility of the doctoral student together with the supervisor to ensure that applications for a salary increase are submitted when the necessary credits have been earned. Credits can in this case be translated into time, where one year of full-time studies corresponds to 60 credits (excluding time spent on teaching, parental leave or similar). The form "Application for new salary level for holders of a doctoral studentship" (you find it on LU's HR web, the website is in Swedish but there is a form in English) is submitted to the human resources administrator to be signed by the head of the department. The doctoral student’s salary is increased in stages according to a salary ladder upon completion of 60 credits, 120 credits and 180 credits respectively. For doctoral students admitted from August 2023, salary increases will increase in two stages, one after 120 credits and one after 180 credits.

When do I get the new salary?

Please note that the salary increase takes place the month following the achievement of the necessary credits, for example, if the credits are completed on 3 March, the new salary level will apply as of 1 April. In addition, the salary increase can only be paid out retroactively for 6 months. Should the doctoral student forget to request a salary increase on completion of a stage, leading to the need to pay the increase retroactively for more than 6 months, the doctoral student, together with the Principal Supervisor, must provide a written explanation for the delay. This written statement is then to be submitted to the Human Resources Administrator for approval by the Head of Department.

For those of you who are employed as doctoral students, from 2020 at the Department of Biology, your holiday is laid out in the same way as a teacher's holiday starting on the first Monday after midsummer. Then you have to check with your supervisor about when you can take a vacation. If you want your vacation for another period, before 30 April, you must plan together with your division manager for at least 20 vacation days and the number that does not generate more than 30 saved vacation days accumulated. You then register yourself in Primula by 30 April, and all holidays must be granted by the manager in advance.

When a doctoral student is admitted, he or she is automatically registered in Ladok.

However, the courses that the doctoral student attends and completes within his or her postgraduate studies must be reported in Ladok. Ensure that the courses are reported as soon as possible after completion. Check regularly that all completed courses are registered in Ladok. Use this form to register for courses and other credit-giving activities in LADOK (pdf, 79 kB, new tab). Send the filled out and signed form to Anna Lindkvist or Annika Hector.

Ladok for third-cycle studies at Lund University's central Staff Pages

Ladok registration

Functional ecology, Biodiversity and evolution, Molecular biosciences

Anna Grahn
Financial Administrator
Department of Biology

Telephone: +46 46 222 78 50
E-mail: Anna [dot] Grahn [at] biol [dot] lu [dot] se

Evolutionary ecology and infection biology, Sensory biology

Annika Hecktor
Financial Administrator
Department of Biology

Telephone: +46 46 222 92 12
E-mail: Annika [dot] Hecktor [at] biol [dot] lu [dot] se

Postgraduate studies in Sweden is a four-year education. A PhD employment generally lasts four years, but the contract is written for one or two years at a time and can be extended for departmental duties, sick leave, or parental leave.

What gives an extension?

The following motivates extension, according to the regulations of the Faculty of Sciences (external website).

Teaching

The administration office for undergraduate studies provides documentation on how many hours the PhD student has taught and how much extension this corresponds to.

Commissions of trust or student union activities

The HR administrator extends the employment according to the guidelines from the faculty for the different commissions (in Swedish) (organisation of BLAM (5 days), participation in SACT (3 days per year), representation in BDR (3 days per year), boards and committees).

Sick leave

Sick leave is reported in Primula web (at Lund University staff webpage there is information on what applies in case of illness), which is ground to extend the employment.

Parental leave

To take parental leave you need to apply for a leave of absence through a Primula.

Care of sick child, temporary parental allowance

Contact HR for information on what applies. To qualify for the extension, you must report temporary parental allowance in Primula. You must also report childcare/temporary parental allowance to the Swedish Social Insurance Agency.

Other things that may give an extension

In a few cases, doctoral students spend a significant amount of time on assignments that are not viewed as part of the education or fall under any of the above, such as organizing PhD courses or tasks done for the division. If doctoral students invest five days or more, and there is an agreement and financing (from the course budget or division), they can qualify for an extension for the corresponding time. Documentation for this should be provided by the one who provides the financing.;

It also happens that external circumstances hinder the education from progress within the time frame, for instance, that you don’t get access to critical infrastructure due to close down or travel restrictions. In such cases, motivation for an extension due to special reasons should be provided by the departmental representative and based on the ISP and documentation of hindrance and revised time plan. The documentation should also specify how the extension will be financed and what other resources are required. The Head of the Department takes the decision.

Keep records of your activities

Documentation for extending the employment should be provided to the HR administrator at least one month before the current contract ends. Documentation for a minimum of five days is required to extend the employment.

Keep records of time spent on teaching, sick leave, parental leave, commissions of trust and other activities. You report to the HR administrator the assignments you have had and for how long. There are set extensions per year for most assignments.

Contact the HR administrator if you have any questions.