Support if something goes wrong in your research environment
Research should be a safe and respectful environment. But sometimes things go wrong. You might experience conflict, inappropriate treatment, harassment, unsafe working conditions, unreasonable expectations, or an accident while working in a research group or laboratory.
If something feels wrong, you do not have to work out what to do on your own. There are several places at KI and Medicinska Föreningen where you can ask for advice, talk through what has happened, or get help taking the matter further.
This page gives an overview of where you can turn and what kind of support is available.
Student Safety Representatives (Studerandeskyddsombud, SSO)
If you are unsure whether something should be reported, what your rights are, or who the right person to contact would be, a good place to start is a Student Safety Representative (Studerandeskyddsombud, SSO) or the Student and Doctoral Student Ombudspersons.
You do not need to know exactly what kind of problem you are dealing with or have decided that you want to make a formal complaint before asking for advice.
Student Safety Representatives are there to support students in matters relating to their physical, organizational, and social study environment.
Their role is broader than laboratory safety. You can contact an SSO about problems anywhere in your study environment, including a research group, laboratory, classroom, clinical placement, or another setting connected to your studies.
An SSO can help if, for example:
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you feel unsafe or uncomfortable in your lab, research group, or elsewhere in your study environment.
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you have experienced inappropriate treatment.
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there are problems with the physical or social environment.
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you notice unsafe practices or other risks.
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you are unsure how a situation should be handled or whether it needs to be taken further.
You do not have to wait until a problem becomes serious before contacting an SSO. They can also be useful if you simply want another person's perspective on a situation or are unsure what your options are.
There are Student Safety Representatives at different levels within KI and Medicinska Föreningen. The Student Safety Network (SSN) brings the representatives together, while the Chief Student Safety Representative (Huvudstuderandeskyddsombud, HSSO) can become involved when an issue needs to be addressed at a higher level.
Contact the Student Safety Representatives:
bussafety@medicinskaforeningen.se
Find your Student Safety Representative:
https://medicinskaforeningen.se/en/student-rights/safety-network/
Student and Doctoral Student Ombudspersons
The Student and Doctoral Student Ombudspersons (Student- och doktorandombuden) are independent from KI. They can help you understand your rights, think through your options, and navigate situations that may otherwise feel difficult to handle alone.
They can:
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advise you about conflicts with supervisors, teachers, or others at KI
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explain your rights and how KI's procedures work
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help you formulate a complaint or incident report
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assess whether KI is following its own rules
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support you during the process, including attending meetings when appropriate
The ombudspersons have a duty of confidentiality and will not pass on information without your permission. This can make them a useful first contact if you want to discuss what has happened before deciding whether you want to take any further action.
You can also contact them if you are worried about the consequences of raising a problem, for example because you depend on a supervisor for a research opportunity, recommendation, or future project.
Contact the Student and Doctoral Student Ombudspersons:
https://medicinskaforeningen.se/en/student-rights/ombudspersons/
Discrimination, harassment, or unequal treatment
If what you have experienced may be related to sex, transgender identity or expression, ethnicity, religion or other belief, disability, sexual orientation, or age, you can also contact Medicinska Föreningen's Equal Treatment Commission.
The commission works with equal treatment and discrimination issues and can support students who experience problems in these areas.
Swedish discrimination law also protects students against reprisals for reporting or raising concerns about discrimination or harassment.
If you are unsure whether something you experienced counts as discrimination or harassment, you can still ask for advice. You do not need to make that assessment yourself before reaching out.
Contact the Equal Treatment Commission:
https://medicinskaforeningen.se/en/commissions/etc/
If your research experience is affecting your wellbeing
A difficult situation in a research group can affect much more than the hours you spend in the lab. Conflict with a supervisor, feeling excluded or badly treated, uncertainty about expectations, high pressure, harassment, or simply being in an environment where you do not feel comfortable can start to affect your mood, sleep, concentration, or everyday wellbeing.
If something connected to your research or studies is making you feel stressed, anxious, overwhelmed, or otherwise affecting your mental health or wellbeing, you can contact KI's Student Wellbeing Centre.
The Student Wellbeing Centre offers counseling and guidance to students. You do not have to wait until things become severe before reaching out.
Getting support for how you are feeling is separate from deciding whether you want to raise or report what happened. You can do either, both, or neither.
Need someone to talk to?
https://education.ki.se/student-at-ki/support-and-resources/student-wellbeing-centre/need-someone-to-talk-to
Reporting an incident to KI
Getting advice and formally reporting something are two different things.
You can talk to an SSO or ombudsperson first if you are unsure whether you want to report something, or you can make a report directly to KI.
KI's incident reporting system can be used for situations such as:
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accidents and injuries
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near misses and unsafe conditions
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discrimination or harassment
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other problems affecting your study or work environment.
If you are unsure what should be included in a report or what happens after you submit one, an SSO or the Student and Doctoral Student Ombudspersons can help you through the process.
Report an incident:
https://education.ki.se/student-at-ki/student-rights-and-study-environment-first-and-second-cycle/incident-if-something-has-happened
If you are a doctoral student
Doctoral students have a somewhat different position because many are also employees of KI.
Doctoral students can contact the Doctoral Student Ombudsperson, student safety representatives, and, where relevant, the workplace safety representative at their department. The Doctoral Students' Association (DSA) can also provide guidance and representation.
Contact the doctoral students' association:
https://www.phdsa.se/