Stockholm university

Promotion – supplementary instructions for applicants within the Faculty of Science

Below are additional instructions regarding the written documentation that applicants should submit when applying for promotion to associate professor (I) or professor (II) within the Faculty of Science. Valid from 2021-03-01.

 

The prerequisites for promotion to associate professor are regulated by the Higher Education Ordinance and the criteria adopted by Stockholm University and the Board of Science (ON), which are described in the document: Assessment criteria for promotion to Associate Professor and Professor in the Faculty of Science

The key prerequisite, decided by the Board of Science, is as follows: 
The applicant must have demonstrated the ability to independently initiate and develop internationally prominent research.  

Important quality indicators include:
•    Demonstrated independence and development while working as an assistant professor.
•    Proven ability to secure the necessary funding for research.
•    Participation in the international research community, for example as an invited speaker at conferences or as a reviewer for journals, applications, etc.

In order to provide the external reviewers and the promotional committee with the best possible basis for assessment, the application template (sections 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, and 7) should be supplemented as instructed below. 

2. CV

(short, preferably no more than 2 pages, 8 000 characters)

2.2 Employment history.
Specify the subject area/scholarly field pertaining to your current position enclosing a copy of the employment certificate (anställningsbeslut).

Supplementary instructions – Faculty of Science:
Specify the name of your supervisor during PhD studies and postdoc employment(s). 

3. SCIENTIFIC EXPERTISE

(preferably no more than 3+4 pages, 12,000+16,000 characters)

3.1.1 Your own research activities and findings
Describe your own research activities and findings. The description should indicate your own role, independence, and productivity, as well as the significance of the findings (from both a national and international perspective). 

Supplementary instructions – Faculty of Science
3.1.2 Popular summary of your research (preferably no more than 1 page, 4,000 characters)

3.1.3 Your most important scientific achievement* (preferably no more than 3 pages, 12,000 characters)

In addition to the general description of your research activities and findings under 3.1.1, you should describe what you consider to be your most important scientific achievement. 

Explain in detail what your contribution is and what has been done by others. Place this work in its scientific context in order to demonstrate to the promotional committee and other reviewers how innovative and independent the work has been, as well as why the work can be considered important. Examples of questions to highlight: What is the work based on? What are the implications of the work? How has it affected other people’s work? What is the potential impact on other people’s work? Can the work be considered a scientific breakthrough, and if so, how?  What you choose to describe should, in some sense, be a cohesive scientific work.
* It is up you as an applicant to decide what you consider to be your “most important scientific achievement”. Your scientific achievement may constitute one or more articles, but also, for example, method development. 

3.2 Research grants

List any major grants received. Specify who awarded the grant, the amount awarded, when it was awarded, and whether you received the grant as the principal applicant or as a co-applicant. In the latter case, the principal applicant and other co-applicants should be named.

Supplementary instructions – Faculty of Science
All applications, including non-granted ones, for funding exceeding SEK 500,000 should be documented with the requested and, where applicable, awarded amount. Name the principal applicant and any co-applicants.  

For applications that have received an assessment and/or rating, this rating and/or assessment should be enclosed with the application.

3.3 Other research appointments, honours and awards 
For example: Appointment as a faculty examiner or member of an examining committee; Appointment as a member of an expert panel; National and international collaborative projects; Participation in national and international conferences related to the field of research; Referee assignments and memberships of editorial/advisory boards for international journals. 
Specify the journals and the number of assignments per year. Specify any received honours, awards, academy memberships, etc.

Supplementary instructions – Faculty of Science
Participation in and invitations to conferences should be accompanied by the title and a description of your presentation (e.g. invited lecture, keynote speech or similar). The conference should be described (name, location, organiser, etc.) in such a way that it can be identified by the reviewers and the promotional committee. 

7. RESEARCH PROGRAMME

(preferably no more than 3 pages, 12,000 characters)
Describe your planned research for the next three years.
Supplementary instructions – Faculty of Science
Your research network, with a focus on your most important contacts within and outside Stockholm University, should also be described here.
 

The prerequisites for promotion to professor are regulated by the Higher Education Ordinance and the criteria adopted by Stockholm University and the Board of Science (ON), which are described in the document:

Assessment criteria for promotion to Associate Professor and Professor in the Faculty of Science

In order to provide the external reviewers and the promotional committee with the best possible basis for assessment, the application template (sections 2.2, 3.1, 3.3, and 7) should be supplemented as instructed below. 

2. CV

(short, preferably no more than 2 pages, 8 000 characters)

2.2 Employment history.
Specify the subject area/scholarly field pertaining to your current position enclosing a copy of the employment certificate (anställningsbeslut).

Supplementary instructions – Faculty of Science:

Specify the name of your supervisor during PhD studies and postdoc employment(s). 

3. SCIENTIFIC EXPERTISE

(preferably no more than 3+4 pages, 12,000+16,000characters)

3.1.1 Your own research activities and findings
Describe your own research activities and findings. The description should indicate your own role, independence, and productivity, as well as the significance of the findings (from both a national and international perspective). 

Supplementary instructions – Faculty of Science

3.1.2 Popular summary of your research (preferably no more than 1 page, 4,000 characters)

3.1.3 Your most important scientific achievement* (no more than 3 pages, 12,000 characters)

In addition to the general description of your research activities and findings under 3.1.1, you should describe what you consider to be your most important scientific achievement. 

Explain in detail what your contribution is and what has been done by others. Place this work in its scientific context in order to demonstrate to the promotional committee and other reviewers how innovative and independent the work has been, as well as why the work can be considered important. Examples of questions to highlight: What is the work based on? What are the implications of the work? How has it affected other people’s work? What is the potential impact on other people’s work? Can the work be considered a scientific breakthrough, and if so, how?

What you choose to describe should, in some sense, be a cohesive scientific work.
* It is up you as an applicant to decide what you consider to be your “most important scientific achievement”. Your scientific achievement may constitute one or more articles, but also, for example, method development. 

3.3 Other research appointments, honours and awards 
For example: Appointment as a faculty examiner or member of an examining committee; Appointment as a member of an expert panel; National and international collaborative projects; Participation in national and international conferences related to the field of research; Referee assignments and memberships of editorial/advisory boards for international journals. 
Specify the journals and the number of assignments per year. Specify any received honours, awards, academy memberships, etc.

Supplementary instructions – Faculty of Science
Your selection of participation in and invitations to conferences should be accompanied by the title and a description of your presentation (e.g. invited lecture, keynote speech or similar). The conference should be described (name, location, organiser, etc.) in such a way that it can be identified by the reviewers and the promotional committee.

4.3 Experience as a supervisor

– In the first and second cycle: Specify the number of degree projects for which you have been a supervisor.
 – In the third cycle: Specify the doctoral student's name, year of admission, and (where applicable) year of completion.

Supplementary instructions – Faculty of Science
The list of doctoral students should be accompanied by a brief description of their continued careers after earning their doctorate.

The postdoctoral fellows you have supervised, as well as their continued careers, should also be described here.

7. RESEARCH PROGRAMME

(preferably no more than 3 pages, 12,000 characters)
Describe your planned research for the next three years.

Supplementary instructions – Faculty of Science
Your research network, with a focus on your most important contacts within and outside Stockholm University, should also be described here.
 

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