The PhD Council at the department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute (MBW) represents about 60 graduate students covering three different profile areas: Infection and Immunobiology, Integrative Biology and Molecular Cell Biology. The PhD Council’s primary function is to ensure quality of education and to promote good working and social environment for our graduate students.

The PhD Council Board is responsible for the overall operations of the PhD Council. The board meets regularly and consists out of seven graduate students:

• Max Louski (Chair)
• Isabella Badolati (Vice Chair)
• Simon Prokisch (Secretary/Treasurer)
• Tajana Lömker (Board member)
• Sergei Pirogov (Board member)
• Anaswara Sugathan (Board member)

If you want to get in contact with the PhD Board, please send an e-mail to phdboard.mbw@su.se.

Protocols PhD Council and PhD Council Board

Prior to admission, please fill in this form:  Application to PhD studies (47 Kb) . 

The subject Molecular Biosciences at Stockholm University includes studies and research in three transdisciplinary profile areas: 1) molecular cell biology, 2) infection and immunobiology, and 3) integrative biology. The general syllabus regulates the PhD program at MBW. In case of discrepancy between the Swedish original and the English translation of the syllabus, the Swedish version takes precedence. 

General syllabus (160 Kb)

Allmän studieplan (257 Kb)

The PhD Guide reflects a combined MBW/PhD Council effort and aims to help new graduate students to navigate through the various milestones that lead to a PhD degree. 

PhD Guide (328 Kb)

In accordance with the Higher Education ordnicance, each doctoral student must have an Individual study plan (ISP). The ISP is an agreement between the PhD student and the supervisor, and regulates the content of the research and studies.

The first Individual study plan 

The first Individual study plan is drawn up prior to admission, and is formally decided upon after the admission. 

Individual study plan, ISP (277 Kb)

Yearly follow-up of the ISP

The ISP is updated annually in conjunction with a seminar given by the student. The members of the ISP follow-up committee should attend the seminar. The first update should take place approximately six months after the start of the program. The ISP-form and the protocol is handed in to the administration after the follow-up. 

Read more about the routine for the yearly follow-up in this pdf:  Routine for yearly updating of Individual study plan, ISP (122 Kb)

Form for yearly ISP follow-up (39 Kb)

Protocol for yearly ISP follow-up (188 Kb)

There are three obligatory courses for PhD Students at MBW. 

• Introduction to research studies in Biology
• Writing a Research Proposal (261 Kb) (obligatory for students registered after 2016-06-01)
• Topics in Molecular Biosciences (215 Kb) (obligatory for students registered after 2017-07-01)

You get credits by attending courses, seminars or conferenes, giving a talk or presenting a poster. Your supervisor needs to approve these activities and you need to report them to Head of Research Subject, Kristina Jonas, in order for them to be registered in Ladok (the study administrative system). You need at least 50 credits in order to be able to procced to your defence. 

More information on credits for courses can be seen in the following document:  Credits for courses and other activities (72 Kb)

• Use this form when applying for credits for courses, conferences, talks, etc: Registration of credits for PhD students (128 Kb)
• Use this form when applying for credtis for seminars:  Registration of credits: seminar participation (133 Kb)

Travel grants - Stockholm University 

Grant application are ranked by the Head of the department and assessed by the stipend committee. There is usually no need for long essays or multi-page CVs, but make sure to include the most important information, also about the course or meeting you want to attend. The final results are usually announced a few month after the respective deadline.

Read more about the travel grants and deadlines:  Travel grant time line (142 Kb)

MBW Travel grant

Every PhD student at MBW is guaranteed a one time travel grant of up to 20.000 SEK by the department. Apply for the travel grant using this form:  Application form Travel grant (195 Kb)

Read more about travel booking, accomodation etc

In Sweden, PhD students are financed for 48 months of full-time studies/thesis research. At MBW, the PhD studies are financied for 5 years (60 months full-time) with the costs distributed on the basis of 80% full-time studies/thesis research and 20% assistantship, including teaching. Read more about prolongation of the study time in the documents below. 

Routines regarding prolongation MBW (233 Kb)

Prolongation rules (167 Kb)

Use this form when applying for prolongation:  Apply for prolongation, MBW (144 Kb)

The aim of the half-time review is to assess the general feasibility of the projects leading to a PhD, the student’s general knowledge in the subject of research, the knowledge specific to the project, and the ability of the student to present research results in written and oral forms.

Instructions for the half-time review can be found here:  Instructions for half-time review, MBW (124 Kb)

When the half-time review is completed, the form “Half-time protocol” is filled in by the committee. The protocol is sent to the head of department/the department’s director of doctoral education and is attached to the doctoral student’s file. A copy of the “Half-time protocol” is sent to the doctoral student and supervisors.

Protocol half time review (309 Kb)

The instructions for the licentiate examination are in accordance with the General Syllabus and follow the guidlines of the Faculty of Science. See the instructions below: 

Instructions for licentiate examination at MBW (106 Kb)

Read more about the rules concerning the licenciate examination

The protocol for the licentate examination can be found here:  Protocol for licentiate examination (214 Kb)

In order to ensure that the review of the thesis and the public defence seminar is impartial, objective, and academically sound, the Board of Science has adopted the following regulations in addition to the regulations of the Higher Education Ordinance and the University.

Guidance for doctoral dissertations and public defences in the Area of Science

Checklist

The checklist should be seen as a complement to the Regulations for public defence, and describes the practical routines and division of tasks at MBW. Read this checklist througouly well in time before the defense. The checklist contains links to several of the forms that are also listed below (for example "Public defence form" and "Review and recommendation"). 

Checklist dissertation (170 Kb)

Printing support

The University Library supports the process of getting theses and dissertations ready.

Read more and view the timeline for printing support

As described in point 1 in the checklist, the review of achievements and material to be included in the thesis is the first step to take when approaching your defence. The ISP follow-up committee shall review the achievements of the PhD student and the papers that are to be included in the doctoral thesis with the aim of issuing a recommendation to proceed or not with the thesis defence. 

Review and recommendation

As described in point 3 in the checklist, the supervisor should fill in the application form for public defence, and hand it to the head of the department at least seven weeks prior to the defence. Make sure that all the prior points in the checklist have been ticked off before you proceed with this. Guidelines and regulation can be found here.

Public defence form (PDF) (485 Kb)

Public defence form (Word) (177 Kb)

As described in point 4 in the checklist, information to the opponent may be sent prior the defence. Below you will find two documents with general guidlines on the dissertation act, as well as practical information concerning transportation and accommodation for example. 

Information to opponents

As described in point 13 in the checklist, the opponent and the members of the examining board must receive a copy of the thesis at least two weeks before the thesis is printed. The template letter below can be used for this purpose. 

Pre-review of the thesis

After a succesful defence, you will be awarded a degree certificate upon request.

Please follow the instructions provided here to apply for your degree certificate