Doctoral students and young researchers
Doctoral students and early‑career researchers are vital to the university’s development, as they contribute new knowledge, fresh perspectives, and the research of the future.
A wide range of services is available – from supervision and career guidance to advisory services, funding support, and research administration – all designed to facilitate their academic journey and strengthen their chances of success.
Doctoral studies
The university’s faculties have somewhat different procedures for doctoral education. The link below provides information that applies to all doctoral candidates.
Doctoral studies at Stockholm University
Rules and regulations
Stockholm University’s Rules and Regulations contains several centrally adopted governing documents related to doctoral education, such as the admissions regulations and the rules governing education and examination.
Your department
Doctoral students primarily receive supervision and guidance from their department during the third‑cycle programme. Each doctoral student must be assigned at least two supervisors at the department, one of whom is appointed principal supervisor. A doctoral student who requests it must be allowed to change supervisor.
Support services for doctoral candidates and early‑career researchers
Across the university’s science areas and faculties, a range of support services is available for doctoral candidates and early‑career researchers.
Mentoring programme
The Mentoring Programme for Young Researchers of Human Science brings together junior researchers with mentors. In the Mentoring Programme, participants attend three joint meetings and also meet one-on-one to address topics relevant to the mentee.
Forum for doctoral students
The project Forum for Doctoral Students provides additional support for PhD students in the human science area. The purpose is to provide additional guidance so that more PhD students finish on time and thrive in the process.
Doctoral School in the Humanities
The Doctoral School in the Humanities offers free-standing courses on PhD level, a Doctoral School Programme, as well as funding for quality assuring activities.
Doctoral School in the Humanities
Stockholm University Young Faculty
Stockholm University Young Faculty (SU-YF) represents over 500 early-career researchers at the Faculty of Science working to promote the shared interests through activities that typically focus on career advice, funding opportunities, information regarding academia in Sweden, work-life balance, equity, and social events.
Scholarships, exchange opportunities and student influence
Stockholm University’s scholarship foundations
If you are a doctoral candidate, student, or researcher at Stockholm University, you can apply for scholarships from the university’s scholarship foundations.
Stockholms universitets stipendiestiftelser (only in Swedish)
Opportunities abroad for doctoral students
Doctoral students can take part in several different types of exchanges. Since they are considered both students and staff, they can apply for calls aimed at both groups. Exchanges may, for example, involve teacher mobility, student internships, staff training, or activities that support work on the doctoral thesis
Stockholm University student union
Stockholm University Student Union and its PhD Student Councils ensure that the university upholds your rights and supports you in exercising student influence because doctoral students are classified as both students and employees by the university.
National-level resources
The Young Academy of Sweden
The Young Academy of Sweden is an interdisciplinary academy for a selection of the most prominent younger researchers in Sweden, and has developed a guide that helps researchers navigate the research landscape and avoid time‑consuming obstacles.
Sveriges förenade studentkårer
Sveriges förenade studentkårer (SFS) is a national association of student unions at Swedish universities and university colleges, tasked with representing the interests of their members and students. The SFS Doctoral Committee has produced a PhD Handbook that contains extensive information about doctoral education in Sweden.
Sveriges förenade studenkårs doktorandkommitté
Stockholms Akademiska Forum
Stockholms Akademiska Forum is a collaboration between 17 higher education institutions in Stockholm along with the City of Stockholm with the mission to ensure that international researchers and students find Stockholm and want to stay here.
The Swedish Institute
The Swedish Institute's mission is to strengthen, protect and track how Sweden is perceived abroad. Through their website you can find information about what it is like to work and study in Sweden.
Switch to Sweden
Switch to Sweden is a national initiative that connects Swedish companies with highly qualified international talent already living in Sweden.
Trygghetsstiftelsen
Trygghetsstiftelsen supports employees within the central‑government sector who are transitioning to new employment or studies.
Swedish Higher Education Authority (UKÄ)
Swedish Higher Education Authority (Universitetskanslerämbetet, UKÄ) monitors doctoral‑level education through statistics and analyses, and reviews whether universities and university colleges comply with the appropriate laws and regulations.
Swedish Higher Education Authority (UKÄ)
Swedish Council for Higher Education
Through the Swedish Council for Higher Education (UHR), you can access information about studying abroad, work and traineeships within EU institutions, and opportunities for exchange assignments if you are employed in the public sector. You can also apply for funding to support international cooperation and exchange for organisations across the entire education sector.
International-level resources
Euraxess
Euraxess is a European network under the European Commission that focuses on facilitating researcher mobility, promoting career development for researchers, informing researchers about their rights, and highlighting available research positions across Europe. They provide both a Career Handbook for young researchers and information on careers beyond academia.
Researcher Identity Development
Researcher Identity Development is an initiative funded by Erasmus+ working collaboratively to explore, understand and improve Early Career Researchers (ECRs) trajectories both within and outside academia.
Researcher Identity Development
Eurodoc
Eurodoc, the European Council of Doctoral Candidates and Junior Researchers, is an international federation that primarily focuses on and represents doctoral candidates and early‑career researchers. Its goal is a fair and sustainable research culture where researchers at the beginning of their careers are treated with respect and have access to long‑term, stable career paths.