SOFOSKO for supervisors

Supervising a SOFOSKO student involves a commitment of two to three summers. All biomedical and pharmacy students work for two summers, while medical students can choose either two or three summers (22.5 or 30 credits). Medical students can do SOFOSKO 30 credits instead of the mandatory independent work of the Medical Programme.

Students receive a scholarship from SOFOSKO for the first two summers. Unfortunately, supervisors cannot be offered any compensation for the project costs. However, if you supervise medical students doing SOFOSKO instead of the independent work, you will be reimbursed as for regular project work.

In the first summer, students attend a two-week theoretical introduction course and then work four weeks in the lab. During the second and third summers, students work exclusively in the lab for six weeks per summer. The work period can be divided and organised to suit both supervisor and student. It is intended to be used for laboratory work, and the students should prepare their presentations at other times.

It is essential that the students receive proper feedback on their written and oral presentations. Therefore, as a supervisor, you are expected to read and give comments to your student and give the go-ahead before the final report is submitted.

Admission process

Each preclinical department at the Faculty of Medicine has a contact person for SOFOSKO, while the departments at the Faculty of Pharmacy have a joint contact person. In January each year, an inventory of the projects is made, and then everyone is contacted about which projects may be updated, added or removed for this year’s call.

In mid-February, an online form is available for student applications to SOFOSKO. Once the application period has started, adding or removing projects is no longer possible. Students indicate which projects they wish to apply for and must provide five choices in order of priority. Applications last four weeks, and then a few weeks to assess them.

The Faculty of Pharmacy manages the applications from pharmacy students.
The SOFOSKO Director of Studies, in consultation with the departments’ contact persons, manages applications from medical and biomedical students.

Admission is based on study credits, research credits, motivation and the project the student has applied for. Some projects are more popular than others, but the aim is to ensure that as many students as possible get as highly ranked projects as possible. The project allocation is usually finalised in early April when an email with contact details is sent to both students and supervisors so that they can agree on work periods during the summer.

Students’ presentations

Students present their work in both oral and written form.

Written report

The written report should be in the form of a scientific article:

there should be an introduction describing the background of the studies in question and presenting the specific issue;
references to other work should be given;
the methodology section should be detailed enough for experiments to be repeated by other researchers;
results should be described in text and presented in figures and/or tables; and
there should be a discussion where the interpretation of the results and conclusions are discussed.

As a supervisor, it is important that you give proper feedback on the report before the student submits the final version.

Oral presentation

Oral presentations take the form of a seminar series, one evening a week, during the autumn term after the last summer. All supervisors are welcome to attend the presentations, and it is especially appreciated if you come when your own student presents.

Three-summer projects also require the student to give a seminar at the host department. As a supervisor, you are expected to help your student organise this seminar.

It should be announced in advance to allow other research groups to attend.
The student is expected to give a 30-minute presentation followed by discussions, as in a regular scientific seminar.

Administrative routines for SOFOSKO supervisors

Summer 1

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

When your student has finished the lab, send a message to the course administrator Erik Sandin, in order to register the progress in Uppdok.

Summer 2

Two-year SOFOSKO

When your student starts the lab work, send a message to the financial administrator for payment of the scholarship and/or the course administrator for registration on the course. The progress is then registered after the presentation is completed.

Three-year SOFOSKO

When your student starts the lab work, send a message to the financial administrator for payment of the scholarship and/or the course administrator for registration on the course.

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