Call for PhD Project Proposals

SSRS is a new national doctoral school in space science and technology, jointly established by a large consortium of Swedish universities, research institutes, and industrial partners. The school is led by KTH Royal Institute of Technology and governed by a national Steering Committee, with participation from all SSRS consortium organizations.

This first call aims to identify high-quality, innovative, and strategically important PhD projects that will contribute to strengthening Sweden’s long-term competence, excellence, and competitiveness in space research and technology. Note that the selection of PhD students with SSRS funding is a 2-step process. This call is the first step and concerns project ideas. These project ideas will be evaluated based on a peer-review process as outlined below. In a second step, for the projects selected for funding by SSRS, the host organisations will announce the PhD student positions and locally handle the application and employment process.

The total budget available for this call is up to 35 MSEK, to be distributed among the selected projects over their durations.

Deadline to submit application is 9 February at 23.59. Application is submitted as a PDF file and emailed to swedishspaceresearchschool@kth.se . 

For the entire call see this link. (pdf 220 kB)

FAQ

Below you can find the most frequently asked questions regarding the call for PhD project proposals. This section will be updated when needed.

Q1: In the call it says 'Travel budget must cover participation in mandatory SSRS courses and annual workshops/conferences.' How many such mandatory meetings should we count on annually?

A1: Two workshops/conferences per year will be organised by SSRS and hosted on a rotating basis among participating organisations. These events will provide opportunities for scientific exchange, networking, and exposure to different research environments. All PhD students enrolled in SSRS are expected to participate in at least one such event per year and a minimum of two during the whole PhD student time is required.

Q2: Which are the mandatory SSRS courses?

A2: There will be a requirement that every enrolled PhD student in SSRS must take courses from a set of core courses. Two courses amounting to approximately 10 higher ECTS credits (HEC) will be mandatory for all students. These courses, provided through SSRS, will cover critical, common subjects and cross-disciplinary areas of strategic importance, such as space policy and governance. By submitting a proposal to the research school, the host university assures that SSRS's demand for course credits can be accommodated in accordance with local rules on PhD course credits. The SSRS Director will work in close contact with the Directors of Studies who are responsible for the local PhD education at the participating universities.

The participating organisations eligible to graduate PhD students may contribute with one or several doctoral-level courses. These courses will be given free of charge for students, while the PhD student’s home organisation covers travel and accommodation costs. A joint PhD course development fund will be available. A goal is that a wide range of PhD courses at the participating organisations will be advertised and made available to space-related PhD students throughout Sweden. This concerns both existing and newly developed courses.

Q3: Which are the SSRS goals?

A3: You can find the goals in Chapter 2, “Research Areas,” in the call text, as well as the following passage in the introduction: “This first call aims to identify high-quality, innovative, and strategically important PhD projects that will contribute to strengthening Sweden’s long-term competence, excellence, and competitiveness in space research and technology.”