Information for Departments, Programmes, Research Schools, and other committees

Q: Will the appointed Doctoral Student Representatives serve until further notice?

No. Each position is for one calendar year (although there are some exceptions, such as the Doctoral Student Representative at Cancer Research KI). If the Doctoral Student Representative is interested in continuing their work at a given committee for another year, then they need to reapply and get reelected. That also entails that if a current Doctoral Student Representative does not apply for the following year but someone else has, then they are not allowed to continue their work. If there is capacity for them in the committee then we can of course appoint them again.

Information for Departments, Programmes, Research Schools, and other committees

DSA Elections

Each year, the Doctoral Students’ Association (DSA) conducts elections to fill positions on various committees and groups at Karolinska Institutet (KI). In collaboration with Medicinska Föreningen (MF), DSA is responsible for selecting doctoral student representatives who will work towards improving doctoral education and KI overall.

The open positions are announced at the start of each Autumn semester, with a one-month application period. The Annual General Meeting (AGM) typically takes place in early November, where all doctoral students at KI are invited to participate and cast their votes to determine who will fill these important roles.

For information on which positions are available, please visit the following page, which is directed towards doctoral students:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Will the appointed Doctoral Student Representatives serve until further notice?

No. Each position is for one calendar year (although there are some exceptions, such as the Doctoral Student Representative at Cancer Research KI). If the Doctoral Student Representative is interested in continuing their work at a given committee for another year, then they need to reapply and get reelected. That also entails that if a current Doctoral Student Representative does not apply for the following year but someone else has, then they are not allowed to continue their work. If there is capacity for them in the committee then we can of course appoint them again.

There already is a Doctoral Student Representative at the committee that I am heading. Should I inform DSA?

Yes! If the committee would like a specific doctoral student to join them, then you are more than willing to include them in your meetings. However, it is vital that you notify us so we make a note of that. Both us and KI are interested in knowing how many Doctoral Student Representatives serve at different posts at any given time.

Can DSA contact the various committees at KI to notify that there is a call for election?

Yes! We are doing our best to inform everyone about the call for elections. You are more than encouraged to help us spread the call to ensure transparency and broad awareness.

Does DSA want me to notify when a Doctoral Student Representative steps down?

Yes, definitely. If a Doctoral Student Representative steps down, it is important that either the student or the department notifies DSA. This allows us to promptly announce the vacancy and start the process of finding a replacement.

Can DSA appoint Doctoral Student Representatives during the year outside the election period?

Yes! If a position becomes vacant, then DSA advertises it and appoints a Doctoral Student Representative by majority vote among the DSA Board at the monthly DSA Board Meetings.

Each time a Doctoral Student Representative is elected, can DSA inform the respective committee?

Yes! After each election or appointment, DSA informs both the elected Doctoral Student Representative and the respective committee so that the representative can officially begin their role. For some positions, mostly at the central KI governing bodies, the committee and representative will be informed by MF.