Supvervisor instructions

Supervising a SOFOSKO student is a commitment for two to three summers. All biomedical and pharmacy students work two summers, while medical students can choose either two or three summers (22.5 or 30 hp). They can do SOFOSKO 30 hp instead of the independent work on the Medical programme.

Students receive a fellowship from SOFOSKO during the first two summers. Unfortunately, the supervisors cannot be offered any reimbursement for the project costs. However, if you supervise medical students who do SOFOSKO instead of the programme's independent work, you will receive compensation as for regular project work.

The first summer, the students take a two-week theoretical introductory course and then work four weeks in the lab. During the second and third summers, the students work exclusively in the lab for six weeks per summer. The work period can be divided and arranged to suit both supervisor and student. It is intended that the 10 to 16 working weeks should be used for research work and the students should prepare their final presentations outside this time period.

It is important that students receive good feedback on their written and oral reports. As a supervisor, you are expected to provide comments and support the student during the revision process. You must approve the report before it is handed in by the student.

The admittance process

Each preclinical institution at the Faculty of Medicine has a contact person for SOFOSKO, while the departments of the Faculty of Pharmacy have a joint contact person. In January of each year, there is a survey of available projects. The contact persons will reach out to the research groups about any projects that may be updated, added or removed before the year's application round.

In mid-February, a web form for students' applications to SOFOSKO is opened. Once the application period has started, it is no longer possible to add or remove projects. The students indicate which projects they want and must specify five choices in order of priority. The applications go on for four weeks and then it takes a few weeks to evaluate the applications.

  • The Faculty of Pharmacy handles the applications from the pharmacy students.
  • The SOFOSKO Director of Studies, in consultation with the contact persons of the institutions, handles the applications from the medical and biomedical students.

Admissions are based on study qualifications, research qualifications, motivation and according to which projects the students applied for. Some projects are more popular than others, but the goal is of course to get as many students as possible a high ranking project. The project allocation is usually completed in early April and then e-mails are sent with contact information to both students and supervisors, so that they can discuss working periods during the summer.

The students' presentations

The students report their work in both oral and written form.

Written report

The written report should be written as a scientific article.

  • There should be an introduction that describes the background to the current studies and introduces the specific research question.
  • References to other relevant studies should be included.
  • The methods part should be sufficiently detailed to enable other researchers to repeat the experiments.
  • The results should be described in text and reported in figures and tables.
  • There should be a discussion section elaborating on e.g. interpretation of the results and the conclusions.
  • There should be an abstract of approximately 200-300 words.

It is important that you as supervisor give proper feedback on the report and give clear sign before the student submits the final version.

Oral presentation

The oral presentation is in the form of a seminar series, one evening a week, during the autumn term after the last summer. All supervisors are warmly welcome to attend the presentations and it is especially appreciated if you attend when your own student is presenting.

In addition, for three-summer projects, the student must give a seminar at the host institution. As a supervisor, you are expected to help your student organise that seminar.

  • It should be called in advance to provide opportunities for other research groups to attend.
  • The student is expected to give a 30 minute presentation followed by discussions, as at a regular scientific seminar.

Administrative routines

Summer 1

When your student starts the lab work, send a message to the economy administrator Teodor Hammarström for payment of the fellowship.

When your student is done, send a message to the course administrator Erik Sandin to enable registration of the progress in Uppdok.

Summer 2, two-year SOFOSKO

When your student begins the lab work, send a message to the economy administrator for payment of the fellowship and/or course administrator for course registration. The progress is then recorded after the presentation.

Summer 2, three-year SOFOSKO

When your student begins the lab work, send a message to the economy administrator for payment of the fellowship and/or course administrator for course registration.

When your student is done, notify the course administrator Erik Sandin so that the progress can be registered in Uppdok.

Summer 3

When your student begins the lab work, notify the course administrator for course registration.

Then contact the course leader Anders Tengholm for the presentation seminar and when the work is completed.

Last modified: 2022-08-23
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