20 Assistant Professor positions - conditions and application process

What do we offer?

• A six-year Assistant Professor position
• Generous start-up funding (9 or 12 MSEK, see each advertisement)
• Pathway to permanent Senior Lecturer position (read more here)
• World-class research infrastructure and mentorship
• A collaborative and global scientific community
• Close links to hospitals in the Stockholm region, including the Karolinska University Hospital, ranked as one of the five best hospitals in the world 

We particularly value:

• High scientific quality and feasibility of your proposed research project
• International research experience and mobility
• A clear vision for conducting impactful and innovative science

Read more about the different advertisements, and what KI and Sweden can offer!

Eligibility requirements and assessment criteria

The general eligibility requirements and assessment criteria for the position of Assistant Professor are according to the instructions for the Appointment procedure for teachers at KI and advertisements. Subject-specific assessment criteria are described in each advertisements, read more in the advertisement you find interesting. 

Assessment process

The recruiting department will be responsible for carrying out the assessment process for their specific call.

Each recruiting department appoints a recruitment committee of six to eight members (researchers/professors) to carry out the assessment of applications, conduct interviews, make the selection for the different stages and make recommendations on who should be employed. 

The assessment of the applicants at each step is made based on the eligibility requirements and assessment criteria for good scientific ability and good pedagogical ability according to instructions for the Appointment procedure for teachers at KI and the specific advertisement.

Applications will be assessed in different steps as stated below:

Assessment of eligibility requirements and assessment criteria

The assessment is made by the recruitment committee (from the recruiting department) for the selection of applicants to proceed to the digital interview.

The recruitment committee invites approximately 10 to 12 candidates to proceed to a digital interview.

Digital interviews for the selection of final candidates

The interviews will be attended by the members of the recruitment committee, and if necessary, subject experts from the department's faculty.

The recruitment committee selects approximately four to five final applicants.

Review by external experts of final candidates' applications selected for final interview

The final applications will be assessed by at least two external experts with subject expertise for each call.

Review of publication list

In parallel with the review by the external experts, an in-depth review of the final candidates' publication list provided in the application will be conducted. The in-depth review is carried out by an internal review group that will consist of five to six researchers/teachers at KI appointed by the Committee for Research. 

Interviews with the final candidates

Personal interviews on site with the final candidates will be conducted by the same recruitment committee, and if necessary, subject experts from the department's faculty.

Decision

After the final interviews the recruitment committee proposes who should be offered employment as Assistant Professor based on an overall assessment of the external experts' assessments and the recruitment committee's own assessments.

The Head of Department decides which candidate will be offered employment and which candidate(s), if any, will be placed on a reserve list.

The department provides feedback to all final candidates.

Conditions regarding employment as Assistant Professor and payment of funds 

A person may only be employed as an Assistant Professor for a period of at least four and at most six years as determined by the university prior to employment (in accordance with Chapter 4, Section 12a of the Higher Education Ordinance). A person who is already employed as an Assistant Professor at KI may only be offered a new position within the framework of this call if the applicant has been employed for less than two years. The total period of employment may not exceed six years.

If a person who obtains employment through the call for Assistant Professor has an ongoing employment as an Assistant Professor at KI, the time will be deducted when establishing the new employment contract. The allocated funds are reduced accordingly. 

Please see the Conditions regarding employment and payment of funds within the framework of KI’s strategic recruitments for junior researchers, 2025, for further information.

The decision on employment and salary is made by the employing department, and the employment must cover the entire payment period.

Application

Applications are to be submitted no later than September 2nd, 2025, through the recruitment system Varbi from each advertisement.

Application guidelines

All applicants are expected to follow the application instructions carefully. Failure to comply with the guidelines or misrepresentation of qualifications may negatively impact on the evaluation of your application.

The application should consist of the following documents, written in English:

• A personal letter (maximum 1 page)
• Application form, including your research project
• Up to ten published papers and optionally one manuscript, in PDF format
• PhD certificate
• If you have a PhD that is older than seven years and want to claim deductible time, you must attach a certificate of deductible time in Swedish or English.

Scientific publications:
Applicants affiliated to Karolinska Institutet can create a list of publications from the KI Bibliometric Verification Toolkit. Visit Instructions for creation of a publication list for internal applicants for more information.