Teaching positions at KI
On this page, you can read more about teaching positions at KI and the rules that apply when employing teachers. Teaching positions at KI are governed by the Appointment Procedure for teachers at Karolinska Institutet and the associated instructions for the Appointment Procedure for teachers at Karolinska Institutet. These regulations describe, among other things, the requirements for different teaching positions and how qualifications are to be
New instructions for the Appointments Procedure for teachers at KI
From 15 October, new instructions for the Appointments Procedure for teachers at KI apply. The instructions have been developed following a review of the merit requirements and entail changes to the eligibility requirements and assessment criteria that apply to teaching appointments at KI.
Here we have collected frequently asked questions and answers about the new regulations and what the changes mean.
Q&A
For the recruitment of professors, the changes primarily introduce a more nuanced approach to assessing scientific publications. The assessment should take into account both quality and quantity, and publication quality should be evaluated based on a broader range of parameters than, for example, impact factor and citation rates, in line with the assessment used in KI’s Journal List.
The assessment of leadership and collaboration skills has also been broadened, with a wider range of collegial roles and engagements now considered meritorious.
For appointments as professor with a focus on education and research, previous requirements relating to scientific leadership roles have also been moved from the eligibility requirements to the assessment criteria.
Similar to the changes for professors, the approach to assessing publications has been broadened. The assessment of leadership and collaboration skills has also been expanded, with a wider range of collegial roles and engagements now considered meritorious. For senior lecturers, several changes have also been made to the eligibility requirements, particularly regarding research grants.
For senior lecturers with a focus on research, the requirement to have obtained research funding has been broadened to include grants awarded to the applicant as principal applicant in regional competition. It will also be possible to count a share of a larger grant, provided that the applicant has their own documented responsibility for a research project and that the grant was awarded in national or international competition.
For senior lecturers with a focus on education and research, the changes are more extensive. It will be possible to count a share of a larger grant where the applicant has their own documented responsibility for a research project, provided that the grant was awarded in regional, national or international competition. Previous requirements relating to research leadership and experience of scientific leadership roles have also been moved from the eligibility requirements to the assessment criteria.
The publication requirements for this focus area have also been revised. The previous requirement to be the last author of several publications has been moved to the assessment criteria. At the same time, the requirement concerning authorship of scientific papers published in journals of high international quality has been broadened so that co-authorship may also be taken into account.
For assistant senior lecturer and assistant professors the main change is that the previous requirement of two peer-reviewed articles as first or last author has been changed to one. For lecturers, the eligibility requirement has been changed from a doctoral degree to a degree at second-cycle level or higher, in line with the change made to the Appointments Procedure earlier this year.
As a general rule, the regulations that were in effect when you were appointed as an assistant professor apply when you apply for promotion. However, a transitional provision means that the new guidelines apply to all assistant professors appointed on or after 1 November 2024. This is because the changes introduce lower requirements compared with the eligibility requirements and assessment criteria that have applied since 1 November 2024. The changes therefore benefit all applicants appointed on or after that date and do not have any negative consequences for the individual.
Under the new guidelines, some of the specific assessment criteria for promotion have been revised and lowered. The revised eligibility requirements for appointment as a senior lecturer also affect promotion, as applicants must meet both the eligibility requirements for appointment as a senior lecturer and all specific assessment criteria for promotion.
If you were appointed as assistant professor before 1 November 2024, the guidelines with reference number 1–23/2022 apply.
The new guidelines come into effect on 15 October. They apply to advertisements published on or after 15 October, as well as to applications for adjunct appointments as professor or senior lecturer and appointments as visiting professor submitted on or after the same date.
The new regulations extend the possibility of combined positions to include assistant senior lecturers, assistant professors, and lecturers, in addition to professors and senior lecturers.
However, for these positions, the new regulations can only be applied once Region Stockholm has entered into a collective agreement that enables this extension. More information on when these provisions will come into effect will be provided at a later date.
Ongoing recruitment cases should continue to be handled in accordance with the current regulations, that is, the instructions for the Appointment Procedure for teachers at Karolinska Institutet reference number 1–600/2025. This also applies to ongoing recruitment processes for assistant professor positions within the university-wide strategic initiatives.
No, the new regulations do not apply retroactively. However, there are specific transitional provisions for promotion. The new guidelines apply to assistant professors appointed on or after 1 November 2024 who apply for promotion.
Please note that the regulations set out the minimum requirements for the position. You may specify additional requirements and assessment criteria in the job advertisement based on the specific content and needs of the position. The assessment criteria that should be given the greatest weight will depend on the specific nature of the position. It is therefore important that the job advertisement and the description of the position are clear and reflect the competencies being sought.
Please also note that an exemption from the requirement for higher education teaching and learning training can only be granted if the possibility of an exemption is stated in the job advertisement.
If you have any questions about the new regulations, please contact the Academic Appointments Unit at the HR Office at academic-appointments@ki.se.
Teaching appointments
KI has the following teaching appointments:
- Professor, including visiting professor, adjunct professor and senior professor
- Senior lecturer, including adjunct senior lecturer
- Assistant senior lecturer
- Assistant professor
- Lecturer, including adjunct lecturer
Professors and senior lecturers may also have a combined appointment. This means that an appointment at KI is combined with an appointment at a university healthcare unit (USV unit) through a joint occupational pension solution. Read more about combined appointments here: Combined appointments .
Below you can read more about the different teaching appointments and what applies to each appointment.
Professor
Professor is the highest teaching position at KI. A professor may be appointed by applying for an advertised position or by being nominated to a professorship. At KI, there are two different focuses for appointment as a professor: professor with a focus on research and professor with a focus on education and research.
Adjunct professor
An adjunct professor has their main employment and activities outside the higher education sector. The appointment is fixed-term. The first appointment period may be no more than four years and may then be extended. The total period of employment may not exceed 12 years.
Visiting professor
A visiting professor is appointed for a limited period, and the appointment may range from 20 to 100 per cent. The first appointment period may be no more than three years and may then be extended. The total period of employment may not exceed five years.
Senior professor
The title senior professor is used for a professor who, after the age of 69, is employed on a fixed-term basis under the Employment Protection Act (LAS). For permanent employment, the title professor is used instead. More information about the rules for employing people over the age of 69 can be found on the page: Reached LAS age.
Senior Lecturer
Senior Lecturer is the second-highest teaching position at KI. KI has two different focuses for employment as a Senior Lecturer: Senior Lecturer with a focus on research and Senior Lecturer with a focus on education and research. A Senior Lecturer can be appointed by applying for an advertised position or through promotion from Assistant Senior Lecturer to Senior Lecturer.
Adjunct Senior Lecturer
An Adjunct Senior Lecturer at KI has their main employment and activities outside the higher education sector. The position is fixed-term and may apply for up to two years at a time. The appointment may then be renewed.
Assistant Senior Lecturer
Assistant Senior Lecturer is a teaching post with a main focus on education. To be eligible for appointment as an Assistant Senior Lecturer, excellent teaching expertise and good scientific expertise are required. An Assistant Senior Lecturer can be employed by applying for an advertised post.
Assistant Professor
An appointment as Assistant Professor is a fixed-term career-development position and normally follows a period as a postdoctoral researcher or equivalent. The period of employment is between four and six years and is determined before the post is advertised.
Priority is given to applicants who have been awarded a doctoral degree or achieved equivalent competence no more than five or seven years before the application deadline, depending on what is stated in the advertisement. Applicants who were awarded a doctoral degree or achieved equivalent competence earlier may also be considered if there are special reasons. These may include leave due to illness, parental leave or other similar circumstances.
An employee appointed as Assistant Professor has the right to apply for promotion and have their eligibility for permanent employment as Senior Lecturer assessed. Read more about promotion from Assistant Professor to Senior Lecturer here: Applying for promotion from Assistant Professor to Senior Lecturer .
An Assistant Professor can be employed by applying for an advertised post.
Lecturer
To be eligible for appointment as a Lecturer, scientific expertise and teaching expertise are required. A Lecturer can be employed by applying for an advertised post.
Adjunct Lecturer
An Adjunct Lecturer at KI must have their main employment and activities outside the higher education sector. The appointment is fixed-term and may be for a maximum of two years at a time. The appointment may then be renewed.
Recruitment process
When recruiting professors and senior lecturers, the Group for strategic competence provision and the Recruitment Committee are involved in preparation and decisions. Other teaching appointments are handled by the departments.
Eligibility is assessed based on various categories of expertise defined in the Instructions for the Appointment Procedure for teachers at Karolinska Institutet. In addition to the eligibility requirements and assessment criteria stated in the instructions, further requirements and assessment criteria may be specified in the advertisement for the position in question.
As a rule, an expert assessment is carried out when appointing a professor, senior lecturer, assistant professor or assistant senior lecturer. The instructions also govern the expert assessment procedure and the requirements that apply to the assessment.
If you are interested in reading more about the recruitment of professors and senior lecturers, read more here: Recruitment of professors and senior lecturers.