PhD Student Days in Kristianstad, April 14-15, 2026

Last year, SWEAH offered a writing retreat for PhD students which was very successful why we now present a variation to this theme.  

I think it was a great idea to do a writing retreat. It was really helpful to discuss in the groups, set goals and follow up on them. I liked that we were very flexible, could sit where we want and could be flexible with the length of our writing sessions. ∗

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR REGISTRATION: We will try a new format for these PhD student days by offering two parallel tracks. All participants will have to choose if they want to focus on kappa writing or grant application writing. There will be some joint activities with everyone as well. 

What to expect. The main purpose is to give dedicated writing time to participants to progress either writing a kappa or a grant application in a supportive environment. It will allow participants a distraction free time to write and an opportunity to speak to and seek feedback from other researchers. A large part of the time will be dedicated to individual writing but there will be shorter small group review sessions to discuss progress as well as any challenges or concerns experienced. Each small group will consist of other PhD students and a mentor. Besides this, you will also have opportunities to network and receive an introduction to Kristianstad University and the ageing and health research being conducted there. All participants should come prepared to do some writing, and a little advanced preparation may be necessary. 

To really focus on a specific part of your project, learn new strategies to be productive, to share your ideas and thoughts with others and mostly to receive and share the focused energy. ∗

Which track (kappa or grant application) should I choose? It is ultimately up to you to choose a track, but here are some recommendations.

The kappa track is generally recommended for those earlier in their program. it is never too early to start working on your kappa, and here are a few examples of benefits. It can help you prepare for your midway seminar. Additionally, by working on the kappa throughout your program, it will help you to ensure a clear “red thread” between your studies and their integration into the kappa. Furthermore, it can support the integration of a theoretical perspective from an early stage and support consistency between terminologies across your individual studies. Finally, by thinking about the final product from an early stage, you can better develop your skills to think critically about your own studies and allow time to make adjustments to your planned studies to ensure they will support your vision for the final thesis. To make the most out this track you should come prepared with an idea about the overarching aim of your thesis and a rough outline of important headings that you think will be included in the kappa. 

The grant application track is generally recommended for those later in their program. As you progress into the latter period of your program, you will likely start thinking about what do I do after my defence, and this might include writing grant applications for a postdoc or your first project as an independent researcher. Grant writing is a very different skill and requires a different style as compared to most of the academic writing (e.g., manuscripts and kappa) you do as a PhD student. If you want to get a headstart on your competition and be more competitive, this is the track for you. To make the most out of this track, it would be good to come with an extended abstract about a project idea, which could be a new idea or something you are already working with and familiar with. The abstract should include a rational, aim/purpose, research questions, and a rough idea of methods to use. 
 

The writing sessions with a mentorship on site all the time as well as small "checking in" sessions with the group. Also that it was rather small groups with 4-5 people was good. These sessions really helped me to find a flow and start writing! We also tried different writing technics which also helped. A very good and productive experience for me and hope there will be more opportunities like this. ∗

Please note that arrival is on April 13 (we will book your hotel, you/your university must book your train tickets).

Registration will be open between January 30 and March 6. 

For any questions, please contact %20stina [dot] elfverson [at] med [dot] lu [dot] se (Stina Elfverson)!

∗ quotes from 2025 writing retreat evaluations