Conditions regarding payment of funds within the framework of the Faculty funded career positions and Consolidator grant for junior researchers

The Faculty Board has since 2019 announced funding for employment as Assistant professor (six years of funding) and Senior researcher (two years of funding for extension of previous employment as Assistant professor), and a Consolidator grant for researchers already employed by Karolinska Institutet. The conditions for payment of the funding has been updated in connection to the new call for 2023.

In case there are changes in the scope of employment for a person who has been granted funding for employment/Consolidator grant from the Faculty Board the receiving department is responsible for informing the Administrative officer in charge at the University Administration of. Funds that have not been used should be repaid to the Faculty Board after the time frame of disposal has expired.

Funding for employment as Assistant Professor and Researcher

The Faculty Board announces funding for employment as Assistant Professor (six years of funding) and Senior Research Specialist/Principal Researcher (two years of funding for extension of previous employment as Assistant Professor). Positions as Senior Research Specialist/Principal Researcher will not be announced after 2022. 

A person can only obtain and receive funds for one (own) employment financed by faculty funds. If a person is offered funding in two separate calls, the person must choose one.

The starting date for the appointment shall be no later than twelve months after the Faculty Board’s decision regarding the funding, and may be used one additional year after the payment period has ended. The time of disposal of funds are thereby seven years for Assistant Professor and three years for Senior Research Specialist/Principal Researcher. Exception may be granted if there are special reasons.

The funding for employment includes a frame amount for each employment. These funds refer to full-time employment and are to be used for own salary. The final decision regarding employment and salary is to be made by the receiving department and the employment shall continue throughout the whole payment period.

If a person who receives funds through the call for Assistant Professor has has an ongoing employment as Assistant Professor (Swe: Biträdande lektor) at KI, the corresponding time will be deducted from the new employment and the allocated funds will be reduced to a corresponding extent.

A person who has received funding should mainly use these funds to conduct research within the framework of his/her employment but may also have other tasks in education or management positions within the department or faculty.

If not all funds are used for own salary during the period to which the grant relates, the remaining funds can be used for salary costs for own salary after the current grant period. This presupposes that the department decides on an extension or new employment, and that research is the main work task. The employing department is responsible for the money being disposed of in accordance with these regulations even after the initial grant period.

For people with clinical employment

A person who has received funding for employment as Assistant Professor and who is employed for clinical service at a unit within Region Stockholm (Swe: upplåten enhet, USV-enhet) must be employed at one of Karolinska Institutet’s departments to an extend of at least 20 percent and conduct research to an extent of at least 50 percent of full-time work within their employment for funding to be allocated.

A person who has received funding for employment as Senior Research Specialist/Principal Researcher and who is employed for clinical service at a unit within Region Stockholm (Swe: upplåten enhet, USV-enhet) should be allowed to remain in her/his employment at the current clinic and be affiliated to a department at KI instead of being recruited. For an affiliation, there is no regulation regarding the extent of affiliation in percent, according to the Rules and instructions for affiliation, ref 1-683/2019. The department that decides on affiliation must annually certify that the affiliate is conducting research of at least 50 percent in order to continuing receive the funding.

Startup grant for research

In connection to the decision of announcement of salary funding, the Faculty Board at KI may decide on a special start up grant for research for the Assistant Professors who have received funding for employment through the program.

Assistant Professors that receive a startup grant for research from the Faculty Board is expected to use the funding for research related costs. The startup grant is not to be used for own salary or scholarships. The time of disposal for the startup grant is the same as for the employment as Assistant Professor.

Consolidator grant

Included in the program is also a Consolidator grant (five years funding) which should be used for salary costs to an extend of at least 50 percent. Up to 50 percent of the Consolidator grant may be used as project funding. The Consolidator grant cannot be used for scholarships.

A person who has received a Consolidator grant is expected to conduct research in a field of medical science and lead a research group.

The Consolidator grant will be paid in corresponding extent of the employment at Karolinska Institutet. The grant will surcease if the employment at the Karolinska Institutet ends.

A person can only obtain and carry funding for one employment financed by faculty funds. If a person is awarded with a Consolidator grant and already has received faculty funding through previous calls, only up to 50 percent of the Consolidator grant can be requested and can then be used for research-related costs. It is not possible to obtain a Consolidator Grant if you previously have received funds for employment as Researcher (5 years) or Consolidator grant through calls from the Board of Research (Swe: Styrelsen för forskning) or the Faculty Board at Karolinska Institutet.

The Consolidator grant should be requested no later than twelve months after the Faculty Board's decision on allocation and may be disposed of for one more year after the payment period. The time of disposal is six years. Exceptions may be granted if there are special reasons.
 

Reconsideration

Decisions regarding allocation of funds can in certain situations be reconsidered.

Karolinska Institutet can decide that funds (completely or partly) no longer should be distributed if

  • The applicant has been found guilty of scientific misconduct or other deviations from good research practice
  • The funding is not used for the intended purpose
  • The applicant has presented incorrect or deceptive information with regards to the application
     

Exceptions

Decisions regarding possible exceptions of Conditions regarding payment of funds within the framework of the Faculty Board's investment in junior researchers are made by the Academic Vice President for Research. Decisions regarding employments are made by the Academic Vice President after consultation with the Chairperson of the Recruitment Committee. The Academic Vice President has also the mandate to make decisions regarding exceptions concerning the funding for positions issued by the Board of Research before December 31st, 2018. 

In case of questions relating to the conditions regarding payment or exceptions, please contact academic-appointments@ki.se.

 

AP
Content reviewer:
15-03-2023