Decision 2013-01-24

Dnr Mahr 15-2013/61

Guidelines for appointment as associate professor at Malmö University Associate professor is an academic title which means that the holder has academic skills and expertise which are significantly higher than requirements for a doctorate. The award of the title of associate professor involves both rights and responsibilities. In order to work as principal supervisor on doctoral research programmes, associate professor expertise is required. The associate professor is required to act as a member of examining committees, to act as faculty examiner in the public defence of doctoral theses as well as expert in academic appointments. In addition, the university can request the associate professor's participation in teaching and as a member of working parties concerning research and teaching. Individuals working externally can be awarded the title of associate professor if the appointment is in the interests of Malmö University and providing that the applicant fulfils the requirements stated below for the appointment and is prepared to assist in accordance with the above as well as fulfilling general requirements. Applications will be processed by the committee for associate professor appointments which will then send its recommendation to the Vice-Chancellor who will approve the appointment as associate professor. Committee for associate professor appointments To ensure continuity and application of equivalent criteria within the university's faculties in the processing of associate professor applications, a committee for associate professor appointments has been established for the university as a whole. There are two sections, one for medicine, engineering and technology and the natural sciences and the other for the humanities and social sciences. Each section has a vice-chairman and a number of additional members, appointed by the Vice-chancellor who collectively make up each section's collective expertise.

The Section for Medicine, Technology and the Natural Sciences consists of a chairman, vice-chairman and three additional members. The Faculty for Health and Society, the Faculty for Technology and Society and the Faculty for Odontology each have at least one representative in this section. The Section for the Humanities and Social Sciences consists of a chairman, vice-chairman and additionally four members. The Faculty for Health and Society, Faculty for Culture and Society and the Faculty for Education and Society are each represented by at least one member in this section.

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Qualifications To qualify for the title of associate professor, applicants should hold a doctorate as well as having acquired advanced scholarly and teaching skills within the discipline concerned. Additional qualifications include a successfully completed PhD supervisor training programme at Malmö University or PhD supervisor training at some other university approved by the committee for associate professor appointments.

The award of the title of associate professor in clinical subjects requires specialist expertise. In cases where the subject lacks specialist training, the appointment should have completed an equivalent training programme within the subject area. Scholarly expertise

The applicant's scholarly production should demonstrate independence and progression after the PhD in the form of significantly greater depth with regards to theory and method. Applicants should be able to demonstrate research results achieved on the basis of their own initiative, preferably in new areas or involving new material. In addition, the applicant should be able to demonstrate active participation in the research community through for example project leadership and management, receipt of external funding for research, involvement in quality audits and review commissions, research cooperation with the wider community, editorial work as well as international involvement in the form of joint international publication initiatives, active involvement in international conferences and cooperative ventures. The applicant's portfolio of qualifications and merits should be the equivalent of the normally accepted national requirements for qualification as associate professor within each respective discipline. A rule of thumb for the extent of scholarly production over and above the doctoral thesis is that scholarly work should be the equivalent of a doctoral thesis in the form of a monograph or a number of research articles depending on the accepted norms within the discipline in question. The following recommendations relate to scholarly production after the PhD: Medicine and the Natural Sciences: at least 6 original articles in international peer-reviewed academic journals Technology: at least 6 original articles in international peer-reviewed journals or at least 10 conference submissions accepted at leading conferences on the basis of peer review or a combination of such articles and conference submissions. Humanities and Social Science: a monograph either published or accepted for publication in addition to at least one article published or accepted for publication in an international journal with peer review or alternatively 4 original articles of which normally at least two should be in journals with peer review. In the assessment of publications, consideration will be given to the number of co-authors if relevant and to whether the applicant is a sole author or main author. Exemptions from the recommendations will be made subject to the quality of the publications, the review procedure, number of authors and order of authors.

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Teaching and educational expertise Teaching and educational expertise is based on active teaching participation in degree programmes and courses. Teaching experience also involves associated areas of work, such as course development, administration and production of teaching materials. Experience of supervision of students at second cycle (one/ two year masters degree) is a requirement.

For further guidance and evaluation of scholarly and pedagogical skills, the applicant is referred to ''The evaluation of scholarly and teaching expertise at Malmö University", Dnr PA 41-05/205. Application Applications for the appointment of associate professor at Malmö University should be addressed to the Vice-Chancellor.

In addition to the application, which should be submitted in five copies, the following documents should be included: l. 2. 3. 4.

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Certified1 copy of current CV /resumé listing scholarly publications and teaching experience; PhD thesis Certificate of successfully completed PhD supervisor training Summary of previous scholarly work and teaching experience in addition to a plan for future work at Malmö University with particular consideration given to independence and progression; Maximum ten cited academic articles (in offprints or copies), numbered in accordance with the original list; Recommendation issued by the subject convenor /head of subject. The reference should include a recommendation for appointment as associate professor and, for external applicants, the applicants' proposed future affiliation to and benefits for Malmö University.

Expert assessment The application will be assessed externally by two expert reviewers. Experts will be appointed by the faculty concerned in consultation with the subject convenor / representative. In a written report, the experts will report their assessment to the committee for associate professor appointments. This assessment will be based on a review of scholarly and teaching skills and expertise, progression and the applicant's proposal for future work. The report should comprise a maximum of five A4 pages. Trial lecture for appointment as associate professor As a final component of the appointment process, the applicant will give a compulsory trial lecture for appointment as associate professor, lasting 45 minutes which should concern a subject approved by the committee for associate professor appointments in consultation with the applicant. The lecture should provide an insight into the applicant's research area, described in relation to the research results of the wider research community and planned in such a way as to be of interest to the general public. The trial lecture for associate professor should be advertised as early as possible. 1

This means that a person other than the applicant certifies that the copy is in agreement with the original by signing copies of the original documents with the person's name and address /telephone number.

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Decision Following the trial lecture, the committee for appointment of associate professor will issue a recommendation to the faculty which instigated the appointment procedure. Recommendation for appointment to associate professor will then be sent from the faculty to the Vice-Chancellor, who will make the formal decision on the appointment.

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