top of page

Opportunities for students interested in engaging in research

KI student summer school (KISS) 
Open for: All undergraduate KI students

KISS is a seven-week summer research programme for undergraduate students at Karolinska Institutet. The programme combines an introductory week of lectures on research methods, ethics, statistics, and scientific communication with a six-week supervised research project in a KI research group.
Participants present their work through oral and poster presentations and receive a research scholarship. Students enrolled in a first-cycle programme at KI who have completed at least 30 credits are eligible to apply. Applications are submitted through PRISMA and typically open in December and close in March.
​
For more information, visit:
https://education.ki.se/student-at-ki/support-and-resources/become-a-phd-student/ki-summer-school-in-medical-research

FOLÄK
Open for: Medical students

FOLÄK  1 is a one-year extracurricular research programme for medical students at Karolinska Institutet. The course combines evening seminars every other week during the academic year with a four-week summer research project in a KI research group. Students who complete FOLÄK 1 are eligible to continue with FOLÄK 2, which has the same structure as FOLÄK 1 but includes an 8 week summer research project.
Applications are submitted once a year, in the fall through antagning.se. There has been information circulating that you can only apply your first two years of the medical program, but according to the new leadership of FOLÄK, this is false. 

​

For more information, visit:
https://utbildning.ki.se/bli-student/program-och-kurser/forskningsintroducerande-kurs-for-studenter-pa-lakarprogrammet-folak-del-1

Research Introductory Course for Biomedical students, BIFO
Open for: Undergraduate Biomedicine students

BIFO is a 10 hp/credit, seven-week summer research programme for undergraduate Biomedicine students at KI. The course starts with an introduction in the possibilities and conditions of research, and research documentation. After which students participate in a supervised research project at one of KI's departments. The course finishes with a written report and oral presentation. 
Applications are usually submitted in March every year through universityadmissions.se, and there are 4 spots on the course for each year group.
For more information, visit the following links:​

IFMSA Research Exchange
Open for: All students

The International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization representing associations of medical students internationally. The IFMSA Research Exchange program aims to offer students research opportunities all over the world. Every university is represented by a Local Officer on Research Exchange (LORE), who facilitates projects at the local level and arranges for exchange students' food and accommodation. The program is officially recognized and supported by the medical school/university and is guided by a mentor who introduces exchange students to the basic principles of research, including literature search, data collection, scientific writing, laboratory work, statistics, and ethics. Upon completion of the program, students may be required to prepare a written scientific report or an oral presentation.

Application dates (for exchanges during summer 2027):
15th September - 15th October 2026

For more information, visit:
https://ifmsa.org/standing-committees/research-exchanges/

Amgen Scholars Program
Open for: All undergraduate KI students (including Medical students*)

The Amgen Scholars Program is a summer research program for undergraduate students who want to get involved in science or engineering. The selected students get the opportunity to join a research group within a leading academic institution and conduct a project with a duration of 8 weeks. The program in addition offers to deepen the Scholar’s knowledge of scientific writing, poster presentation as well as networking opportunities. The program concludes with a symposium hosted by the University of Cambridge where students hear from scientists while being able to share their summer projects with fellow Scholars.

Eligibility:
Undergraduate students enrolled in the second year of a three-year bachelor’s degree (or, second or third-year of a four-year integrated program) at the time of application.
*Medical students who have not yet finished the 4th year of their studies at the point of application will be considered provided they meet all other criteria.

Applicants must also be able to demonstrate a strong record of academic performance, have an interest in undertaking a PhD and have secured the support of a Project Supervisor. 

Host Institutions: ETH Zürich, Institut Pasteur, LMU Munich, University of Cambridge, Karolinska Institutet

Students can apply to multiple host institutions.

For more information visit:
https://amgenscholars.com/europe-programme/

SLS introduktionsstipendium
Open for: Medical students enrolled in Swedish medical programs

The Swedish Society of Medicine (Svenska Läkaresällskapet, SLS) offers a summer research scholarship for medical students interested in gaining hands-on research experience. The scholarship allows students to participate in a supervised research project full-time for 4–8 weeks during the summer break.

The scholarship provides SEK 4,000 per week (up to SEK 32,000 in total). Applicants must be members of the Swedish Society of Medicine (SLS) through its Medical Student and Junior Doctor Association (KUF). Students must secure a supervisor who holds a PhD and is a member of SLS or one of its member associations. Students cannot receive income from other sources during the scholarship period, and the research project cannot be part of their degree thesis.

Applications are submitted jointly by the student and supervisor through Researchweb. The application period for summer 2027 is December 1, 2026 – February 1, 2027.

For more information, visit:
https://www.sls.se/vetenskap/sok-anslag/sls-introduktionsstipendium

SLS Resebidrag
Open for: Medical students enrolled in Swedish medical programs

The Swedish Society of Medicine (Svenska Läkaresällskapet, SLS) offers travel grants for medical students who wish to present their research at international scientific conferences or undertake research visits abroad.

For conference participation, applicants must be the main presenter of their own oral or poster presentation, or have a special invitation to actively participate in the scientific program. Research visits must last at least 14 consecutive days at a foreign institution. Travel related to degree thesis projects is generally not eligible for funding, although exceptions may be made.

The grant amount depends on the destination, ranging from SEK 6,000 for travel within the Nordic countries to SEK 12,000 for destinations outside Europe and North America. Additional funding may be available for longer research visits.

Applicants must be members of SLS or one of its member associations. Medical students can join SLS through its Medical Student and Junior Doctor Association (KUF). Applications are submitted through Researchweb at least 60 days before departure. Conference applications must include a research abstract, and a personal invitation is required, although the latter can be submitted later.

The current application period is July 1, 2026 – May 15, 2027.

For more information, visit:
https://www.sls.se/vetenskap/sok-anslag/sls-resebidrag

bottom of page