Erasmus+ traineeship

There are three different ways of carrying out your Erasmus+ traineeship:

1. As part of ordinary exchange studies where clinical courses are included in the Erasmus+ agreement with the parnter university as traineeship. Read more at Exchange studies.
2. Within the framework of your thesis. You will be registered in Ladok and examined at KI, but collect data for your thesis at an eligible organisation/company. The course director of your degree project course at KI must approve your traineeship period/data collection and sign your agreement.
3. Between semesters or directly in conjuntion with graduating and without a contact person at KI. You cannot transfer any credits for your traineeship, but it will be noted in your Diploma Supplement when taking out your degree from KI, if the traineeship is carried out before you graduate. It is possible to carry out an Erasmus+ Traineeship within 12 months from your graduation at KI, but you must apply for the traineeship scholarship during your final semester at KI while still being an active student here and no later than 4 weeks before the end of your final semester. Your program director will sign the agreement.

Finding a traineeship

You are responsible for finding your own traineeship - you can often ask for advice from your course director or other teaching staff on your study programme.

You can also contact the company/organisation that you are interested in directly with a query or seek internships that are advertised on a company's/organisation's website. Once you have succeeded in finding a traineeship you can apply for an Erasmus+ Traineeship scholarship.

ESN, the Erasmus Student Network, has created Erasmusintern.org, a nonprofit web platform which provides an integrated marketplace bringing together internationally minded internship providers and individuals seeking a trainee period opportunity abroad.

Please note that it is generally not possible to conduct a traineeship at a higher education institution (university college/university), if you register as a student there, as that would usually be considered as studies.

However, exceptions are allowed if the traineeship is taking place at a university laboratory where you as a student are collecting data for your thesis or project under supervision of a researcher/research group or if you are working as a trainee, not studying.

List of EU-institutions and other bodies

Eligible countries

You can apply for an Erasmus+ scholarship for a traineeship in any of the 27 EU member states, including certain associated regions, the EFTA countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway) and in Croatia and Turkey.

Even some islands and other areas outside of Europe that belong to or have a connection to the EU are eligible for traineeships (i.e. Aruba, the Azores, French Polynesia, Greenland, Martinique, and La Réunion).

If you do a traineeship in a company in Switzerland (which is not a programme country) you are eligible for an Erasmus+ scholarship. If you are doing studies, then you are eligible for an INK scholarship. If you would like to do a traineeship at a university in Switzerland you can receive an Erasmus+ stipend if the university is willing to sign an individual Erasmus agreement. Please contact your International Coordinator. 

Traineeship in Switzerland and the United Kingdom

To qualify for an Erasmus+ scholarship for an internship in Switzerland or the United Kingdom, KI must establish an individual Erasmus agreement with the recipient. It is your responsibility to find the contact person responsible for receiving you. If they cannot sign an agreement with KI, you can still complete your internship, with approval from the course coordinator/programme director, but without an Erasmus+ scholarship. Read more about Erasmus+ internships in Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Terms and conditions

To be eligible to apply for a traineeship scholarship within the framework of the Erasmus+ programme you must:

• be a registered student at Karolinska Institutet
• be eligible to continue your studies at KI the coming semester, or be about to finish your studies at KI
• carry out the traineeship before taking out your degree certificate
• have agreed with a company or organisation that you will carry out the traineeship full-time for 2 to 12 months, within the contract period (1 June - 30 Sept the following year). The traineeship should be carried out in one single location over a continuous period of time
• have received a signed "Learning Agreement" from the company/organisation
• ensure that the traineeship will be recognised in your Diploma Supplement within your study programme at KI
• carry out your training in an approved country and at a place approved by the Erasmus+ programme
• apply for the scholarship before the traineeship period has begun. No scholarship can be granted after completion of the traineeship period
• follow the conditions stipulated in the Erasmus+ Traineeship application and in the contracts to be drawn up

You commit to:

• return the scholarship if, through a misunderstanding or for some other reason, you have incorrectly stated that you meet the requirements for the scholarship
• return the unused portion of the scholarship if the practical training is terminated early
• submit an evaluation report on the traineeship carried out, no later than one month after returning to Sweden.

Traineeship between semesters or directly in conjunction with graduating

If you want to undertake an traineeship during the summer or immediately after graduation, you can apply for a grant within Erasmus+  if the traineeship takes place in a country that belongs to the European Union. To receive an Erasmus+ grant, you must be abroad for at least 60 consecutive days. Remember that you can only receive up to 12 months of Erasmus+ grant within a study cycle (bachelor's or master's). The signed learning agreement must be handed in to the international office no later than 4 weeks before the end of the semester. 

If you choose to do a traineeship abroad during the summer or after you have graduated, you need to talk to your programme director. All paperwork must be completed at least 4 weeks before the end of the term for both summer internships and internships that take place after graduation.

If you choose to undertake an internship outside the European Union, you will not receive insurance or a scholarship from KI.

Scholarship

Scholarship levels can be found under the heading Erasmus+ Grant on the page Exchange Programmes. Information on the exact amount granted is given after acceptance into the programme. The EUR/SEK exchange rate is set on the date KI allocated the scholarship and payments are made in SEK.

80% of the total scholarship is received in the first installment after the contract has been signed. The remaining 20% of the scholarship will be disbursed after the traineeship period has ended, you have submitted a certificate of the completed traineeship, and submitted the compulsory evaluation.

Application for Erasmus+ scholarship

The first step is that you have to contact your degree project Course Director or Programme Director and have the traineeship approved. It is not the International Coordinator that decides if you are eligible.

Applications for Erasmus+ Traineeship should be handed in as soon as possible, minimum one month before the traineeship period begins or the current semester ends. Please note that there is a limited number of scholarships available, decided on a first come, first served basis.

The application form states the annexes to be attached to the application. Send the completed application to the address below. A decision is notified within a period of approximately one month. The following documents should be attached to your application:

• A complete filled in and signed "Learning Agreement for for Erasmus+ Traineeship", where the organisation/company confirms that you have been accepted for the traineeship. Your Learning Agreement must be signed by you, an academic representative from your study programme at KI (Course Director for the degree project course if it regards a degree project, or the Programme Director if it regards a traineeship outside your ordinary studies at KI) and the contact person at the receiving organisation.
• A Ladok transcript from Karolinska Institutet which certifies completed studies and, where appropriate, certificates from other educational institutions

What happens next?

Reporting/Evaluation

At the end of the traineeship period, your supervisor must fill in the "After the Mobility" section in the Learning Agreement as well as issue a "Certificate of Attendance"; moreover, you have to submit an online evaluation report (from the EU). When this has been completed the instalment of the remaining scholarship will be made. Thereafter your traineeship will be registered in Ladok as a basis for the Diploma Supplement.

Important information before going abroad

As an Erasmus+ Traineeship student you will be covered by the KI general insurance policy Student UT. 

FAQ

What is the minimum length of the traineeship?

The minimum period is 60 consecutive days and the scholarship can be granted for a maximum of 12 months. Your internship must be conducted in one place for a continuous period, full-time.

Who decides if I can apply for an internship and if my internship is suitable?

You are responsible for finding your own internship and for discussing with the receiving institution/company, what your internship will contain.

An academic representative at your study programme at KI, such as the course director for the degree project course or the programme director, assesses and decides whether your internship is suitable.

The International Coordinator only handles the application and other formalities after the academic who is responsible, has approved and signed the learning agreement. If the responsible academic has questions regarding this, you can guide them to the page on the Staff portal, that describes the process.

If I am not a Swedish citizen - Can I apply for the scholarship?

Yes, there are no special requirements for citizenship or residence permit.

Can I make an Erasmus+ traineeship in my home country?

A student whose who is currently studying in Sweden can be awarded a scholarship for internship in their home country.

Can I apply for an Erasmus+ stipend to conduct an internship at a foreign university?

It is possible to conduct an Erasmus+ Traineeship at another university, but it must be made clear that the student will conduct an internship, not studies. The following conditions apply:

• The student must perform a job (for example in a lab) during the period, not studies
• The student must be "employed" as an intern at the host university, not enrolled as a student. (If the student is enrolled in courses at the host university, it is considered a study period.)
• If the internship period is credited, it must be credited as an internship, not as a "regular" course

May I participate in Erasmus+ Traineeship more than once?

It is possible to participate in Erasmus+ Traineeship more than once. However, a student may only participate in mobility periods for a total of 12 months per level of education (undergraduate, master or doctoral student), including studies and internships. Previous Erasmus mobility (studies and/or internships) are counted into the maximum 12 months per level of education.

Double Funding

It is not allowed to receive more than one scholarship from the EU or the Swedish Council for Higher Education, for the same mobility period. For example, it is not allowed for a student to receive Sida's travel scholarship for the same internship period that he/she receives an Erasmus grant. However, you can apply for other scholarships as well as for CSN at the same time as the Erasmus grant.

Am I insured during the stay abroad?

Students who are awarded the Erasmus+ scholarship are covered by Kammarkollegiet's Student UT Insurance. If you do a traineeship that is not part of your education, for example in the summer or after your last semester, the International Office will sign an individual Student UT insurance for you. If you are a citizen of an EU country, be sure to always bring your EU insurance card with you-

What happens if you shorten your stay or go home early?

If the student does not complete his / her entire duration, part or all of the Erasmus+ scholarship may be required to be paid back. If the actual period is shorter than the period you specified in the learning agreement, you may be liable for the excess amount.

When will the money arrive?

Provided that you have submitted a complete application with correct information, the first payment will be made after you have you submitted your stipend application to the International Coordinator. It is not possible to give an exact date for the money transfer, as this is depending on your bank and the processing time at Karolinska Institutet.

Videos

If you are interested in applying for an Erasmus+ Traineeship scholarship, watch this video where student Tina Sayari explains how the process works.

For inspiration watch the video where the student Johanna Jung talks about her experiences from doing a traineeship in England.

Contact

For questions regarding Erasmus+ traineeship outside a pre-established agreement (degree projects and traineeships outside your ordinary study programme) contact Giulia Grillo Mikrut.