A more secure future for scholarship doctoral students

Today, the government took an important decision to make the situation of scholarship doctoral students more secure. Scholarship doctoral students have long been outside many of the security systems that apply to other doctoral students. SFS is very positive that the government has taken the situation seriously. The scope of Swedish research should not be based on certain groups lacking security and decent conditions.

Scholarship-funded doctoral students are worse off than the doctoral students who are employed. They are usually not covered by residence-based benefits such as housing and child benefits and dental care support. The scholarships are also not pensionable. Doctoral students who finance their education with scholarships also do not have the same opportunity as employees to teach, which affects the merit.

The higher education institutions will be obliged to employ

The most important change is that the higher education institutions will be obliged to employ the scholarship doctoral students when they have a maximum of three years left of their doctoral education. Many of the problems that currently affect scholarship doctoral students will then disappear.

The proposal also includes that the insurance that the higher education institutions must take out with Kammarkollegiet be extended so that it also applies if the doctoral student's studies are extended due to illness and parental leave. Finally, it is proposed that study funding should be considered secured only if the level corresponds to the salary level for employed doctoral students.

The right bet for the most insecure group

We are pleased that there are finally proposals to give scholarship doctoral students a safer time during their doctoral studies. This group is the one who has the worst security today. Earlier this year also came proposals to create safer forms of employment for young researchers. In addition, the heavily criticized education grant has been abolished. The changes are based on the proposals contained in the report Security and attractiveness - a research career for the future (SOU 2016: 29) and the research bill Knowledge in collaboration that came last year.

Our hopes are that the government will continue the work of taking responsibility for the safety of doctoral students, regardless of how they are financed. In the long term, we hope that all doctoral students are employed at Swedish universities. Not only because all doctoral students deserve secure employment, but also to ensure that admission to doctoral studies is legally secure. A strong knowledge society needs safe and clear paths for researchers and students.

Read more in the press release.