I am a master student. Can I do my thesis project in your group?

Our group aims to supervise a few master thesis projects each semester. We prioritise students that show interest and ambition for research. Please address these points when contacting us on email, and motivate why you chose to contact our group.

It is possible that your day-to-day supervisor will be a PhD student or postdoc in the group.

I am a bachelor student. Can I do my thesis project in your group?

We typically  do not supervise Bachelor thesis projects. 

Exceptions are possible for strongly motivated and self-propelled candidates who provide a good motivation for joining our group.

Please do not contact us with this request earlier than 6 months prior to your intended starting date. 

I am a master student but not at Lund University. Can I do a project in your group?

Our group aims to supervise a few master thesis projects each semester. We prioritise students that show interest and ambition for research. Please address these points when contacting us on email, and motivate why you chose to contact our group. 

For students who do not hold an EU-visa, it is practically difficult for a shorter project due to long queue times at the migration office.

I am looking for a PhD/postdoc. Do you have an open position?

Please see the tab "Open positions".

I consider applying for a PhD. How are PhD students selected?

Sweden has more strict rules and regulations than most EU-countries on this matter. All PhD positions are advertised in public via open calls. 

A selection committee is assigned, comprised of (at least) the group leader, a senior colleague from the Physics Department and a PhD student. A shortlist is decided from the initial pool of applicants and these are invited for interview. After the interview, the committee ranks them and the position is offered accordingly.

In our last PhD call, we received 65 applications.

I consider applying for a PhD. What are the terms of working as a PhD student?

The information below is not exact and may be subject to updates. Consider it a broad-stroke summary.

PhD students in Sweden are government employees. Therefore, they are subject to all the standard benefits of government employment. This includes for example universal health care, pension, right to union membership, a yearly allowance for health sustaining activities (sports etc.), and roughly 30 days of paid leave. 

The PhD salary is standardised by the department and faculty. It increases as one progresses with the PhD. A rough pointer is that the gross salary starts at around 32 kSEK and ends at around 36 kSEK/month. To get an idea of how this compares to the cost of living, the median income in Sweden is roughly 30 kSEK.

Funding for the PhD is guaranteed upfront. There is no risk of having to quit a PhD midway because of the funding running out. 

PhD students are expected to serve as teaching assistants on the courses offered by the division or department. This cannot exceed 20% of the employment. Time spent in teaching is also compensated by a prolongation of the PhD time. For example, a typical PhD is 4 years plus 3-9months depending on the amount of accumulated teaching.

PhD students need to acquire 60ECTS during their studies. This can come in the form of traditional courses, but also reading courses and conference attendance directly relevant to their research. 

I am applying for a PhD/postdoc. Can you give me some advice for my application?

The motivation letter is important so spend time on it. Do not write a generic letter with placeholders. Show that you are aware of what research the group does, explain why it interests you and motivate why you want to do a PhD with them in particular. To show that you are a suitable candidate, do not list your good qualities and expect them to take your word for it, but instead showcase your good qualities through relevant merits and experiences from your academic background. 

When writing your CV, bear in mind that those who read will not be  familiar with the academic systems of all countries around the world. Provide short explanations when necessary.

I consider applying for a postdoc. Am I eligible?

Swedish regulation requires that you are not more than 3 years past the official date of your PhD. Extensions are possible due to e.g. maternity/paternity leave, prolonged sickness, mandatory military service and such like. If you are only a few months past the 3 year mark, chances are that you can be considered anyway.

Postdocs are expected to have an expertise that is relevant to our research area, uphold a level of independence in their work, be willing to take part in the supervision of more junior researchers and be positive towards working both in collaborations and independently.

I have a connection to Sweden and want to apply for my own postdoc funding. What are the options?

1) If you have a Swedish PhD, there is the "International postdoc" grant from the Swedish Research Council. It is a mobility grant to go abroad.

2) Gålöstiftelsen has one-year postdoc grants for going abroad: https://www.galostiftelsen.se/

3) Blanceflor Foundation has short-term postdoc grants for Swedish citizens for going abroad: https://blanceflor.org/

4) Wenner-Gren Foundation has long-term postdoc grants for Swedish citizens: https://www.swgc.org/sarskilda-stipendier 

I have a non-Swedish PhD and want to apply for my own funding to join your group. What are my options?

1) We sometimes have these funding opportunities provided that a suitable candidate appears. Write us an email.

2) Many countries have postdoc mobility/international postdoc grants tailored for moving to another country. If you want us to host you, write us an email to discuss it. 

I am a postdoc with external/my own funding. Can do a postdoc hosted by your group?

Please write us an email to discuss it.

I am a visitor. How do I find the department?

The Physics Department is located on Professorsgatan 1, Lund.

I am a visitor. What is the best way to travel to Lund?

If you are flying from abroad, the nearest airport is Copenhagen Airport. At the airport, you can buy a ticket directly in a machine for taking a train to Lund Central (35min). All trains heading towards Sweden will pass through Lund.

If you are flying domestically, the nearest airport is Malmö Airport. But it is likely a better option to take the SJ-train to Lund Central.

There are night trains directly between Lund-Hamburg and Lund-Berlin.

There are three ferry lines accross the Baltic sea to southern Sweden: Swinoujscie-Ystad, Gdynia-Karlskrona and Rostock-Trelleborg.