Call for Coverage of additional expenditure by long-term illness of PhD students and postdocs

Running application deadline

 

PhD students and postdocs with protracted illness may apply for a prolongation of their enrollment at the PhD School at the Faculty of Health Sciences or their employment, respectively. A prolongation may be granted if the illness is for a period of a minimum of three consecutive weeks, and if it is estimated that the spell of sickness will lead to a delay of the project.

A prolongation of the employment will lead to additional expenditures for the employer consisting of the difference between the salary for the PhD student or the postdoc and the reimbursement for illness which the employer will receive from the municipality.

Purpose

In order to avoid an unreasonable strain of the budget of some research units, the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) and the Odense University Hospital (OUH) have agreed to cover expenses for the difference between the salary for the PhD student or the postdoc and the reimbursement for illness. 

How to submit an application

It falls on the Department of Clinical Research at SDU to handle consequences of the absence, including any additional expenditure, when the PhD student or the postdoc is employed at SDU and financed by either:

• a scholarship from the faculty or
• funds administrated by SDU.

Please contact the Department of Clinical Research in the above cases. 

It falls on OUH the handle consequences of the absence, including any additional expenditure, when:

• the PhD student or the postdoc is employed at SDU, but the funds are administrated by OUH
• meaning that the means are placed at an account at OUH.
• the PhD student or the postdoc is employed at OUH in a department or a research account. 

In these particular cases, please apply for coverage from the OUH Research Fund by submitting the below to ouh.forskning@rsyd.dk:

• Doctor’s note and/or declaration from the management of the notification of illness.
• Documentation of expenses related to the period of illness; that is the difference between the reimbursement from the municipality and the actual salary expense. If the applicant is employed at OUH, the information may be obtained from the OUH HR salary consultant of the department (ouh.hr@rsyd.dk). If the applicant is employed at the Department of Clinical Research, the information may be obtained from ”Økonomiservice” at SDU. The applicant must obtain the information as it is sensitive personal data.
• Number of the account to which the reimbursement must be paid into. 

Assessment procedure

Decision on the application will be forwarded within two weeks. 

Questions and contact information

Please forward questions to ouh.forskning@rsyd.dk.

Please note that the Act of sickness benefit regarding documentation requirements, interviews regarding of sickness absence, and initiatives of staff retention is also applicable for the employer and the PhD student or the postdoc during the period of absence due to illness.