Tenure track

• The recruitment to tenure track positions is always based on open, international competition.
• Excellent scientific quality is required when appointing to the positions. Assessment is based on Research Council of Finland’s evaluation scale, and a grade of excellent or outstanding is required for both scientific excellence and the overall rating.
• External evaluations are used for verifying the candidates’ world-class competence. External evaluators are high-level international researchers and at least 3 evaluators are selected for each tenure recruitment.
• Good teaching competence is also required when appointing to tenure track positions. The teaching competence of the candidates are assessed on the basis of a teaching portfolio and a teaching demonstration.
• Based on the candidate’s experience and qualifications, the appointment is made at the level of Assistant Professor or Associate Professor.
• The appointed person can advance through the tenure track career levels based on regular tenure evaluations. These evaluations are performed by three external evaluators in a similar way as when recruiting. Teaching competence is also assessed.

Assistant Professor

The position of an Assistant Professor is intended for a person who has recently finished their doctorate and is moving towards a professional researcher career. Doctors, who have received their doctoral degree a maximum of ten years ago, may be appointed to the position of an Assistant Professor.

The position of an Assistant Professor requires a doctoral degree, the ability to engage in independent scientific research or artistic work as well as the teaching competence required for the position. In addition, publications and other demonstrated abilities and motivation for a scientific career are required. When selecting an Assistant Professor on the basis of artistic competence, exceptions to the educational requirements may be made by decision of the Rector.

• Fixed-term contract of 5 years
• Promotion to Associate Professor after successful tenure evaluation

Associate Professor

The person selected to the position of an Associate Professor is required to have a doctoral degree, proof of scientific research or artistic work, the teaching competence required for the position and the ability to lead a research group. In addition, publications and other demonstrated abilities and motivation for a scientific career are required. When selecting an Associate Professor on the basis of artistic competence, exceptions to the educational requirements may be made by decision of the Rector.

• Fixed-term contract of 5 years
• Promotion to Professor after successful tenure evaluation

The following merits are evaluated on each tenure track level:

• Scientific excellence: Research outputs, such as publications, research data, methods, scientific quality, openness, scientific renewal and impact
• Research activities, such as acquisition of competitive research funds, presentations, workshops and seminars, trans- or multidisciplinary, awards, honours
• International scientific activities and collaboration
• Teaching, supervision of undergraduate students and doctoral researchers, mentoring activities and pedagogical studies
• Societal relevance, impact and potential of scientific activities, such as patents and inventions, stakeholder activities, expert work, science popularisation, promotion of the SDGs, citizen science
• Leadership skills and services for the academic community, such as peer review, editorial work, academic expert and administrative tasks

Each of the merits listed above is assessed on a scale from poor to outstanding. A grade of excellent or outstanding is required of candidates in the category of 'scientific excellence' and for the overall rating, in order to be appointed.

• Outstanding: Demonstrates exceptional novelty and innovation. Potential to substantially advance science at global level.
• Excellent: Extremely good in international comparison – no significant elements to be improved.
• Very good: In general sound but contains a few elements that could be improved.
• Good: In general sound but contains important elements that should be improved.
• Fair: Contains flaws. In need of substantial modification or improvement.
• Poor: Severe flaws that are intrinsic to the position.

You can find more details about the evaluation procedure in the evaluator's instructions.

When filling a tenure position, a recruitment committee is appointed by the Dean or the programme’s steering group.

The recruitment committee will select appropriate external experts (at least 3 experts) who will perform the candidate evaluations. Based on the merits provided by the candidates in their applications the recruitment committee will preselect and short-list the top candidates (recommendation is 4 candidates), whose applications are sent for evaluations.

Based on the top candidates’ merits, evaluation statements, interviews, and teaching demonstrations, the recruitment committee will make a proposal for selection to the Dean. The Dean will present the proposal to the University’s Research Council. The duty of the Research Council is to ensure that the evaluation process has been of high standard, and the appointed persons meet the tenure track qualification requirements.

The preparation for advancing a tenure track researcher to the next career level is initiated by the head of unit no earlier than 18 months before the tenure term ends. The researcher will leave an application and a CV to the recruitment committee. The recruitment committee will acquire at least three statements from external experts in a similar way as when recruiting for a tenure track position. Teaching competence is also evaluated. If the evaluations are successful the recruitment committee will then present the appointment proposal to the Dean, and the Dean makes a proposal to the University’s Research Council.