Senior research position

1. Type of grant

Positions in the following areas are announced:

  1. Analytical chemistry for a sustainable development  (Ref. No. 2009-7916)
  2. Particle astrophysics  (Ref. No. 2009-7917)
  3. Bioinformatics  (Ref. No. 2009-7918)
  4. Eukaryotic molecular cell biology (2 positions)  (Ref. No. 2009-7919)
  5. Experimental studies of dynamic processes involving atoms, molecules and clusters  (Ref. No. 2009-7920)
  6. Semiconductor physics, electronics, electrical engineering and photonics  (Ref. No. 2009-7921)
  7. Photoinduced control of molecular and material functions  (Ref. No. 2009-7922)
  8. Biomedical engineering  (Ref. No. 2009-7923)
  9. Optimization of antenna systems  (Ref. No. 2009-7924)
  10. Parallel computation methods and architectures  (Ref. No. 2009-7925)
  11. Polar oceanography  (Ref. No. 2009-7926)

List of subject descriptions (in Swedish and English).PDF
Note that the online forms will become available in January 2010.

With its Senior Research Positions in Sweden, the Swedish Research Council seeks to recruit senior researchers and renew Swedish research. This kind of positions is intended as a step on the career ladder for an independent, established researcher at senior lecturer (Associate Professor/Docent) level, who is in an active research phase and provide doctoral and/or post doctoral supervision. In the Swedish system this phase is, as a rule, the period between a junior research position/forskarassistentanställning and permanent employment as a professor. Particular weight will be given to scientific proficiency.
The primary obligation of Senior Research Position appointees is to conduct research. In addition, these researchers must, within their field of science, supervise doctoral students, assess the doctoral students' performance and teach, mainly in postgraduate studies.
It is also possible to carry out research outside Sweden for brief spells during the grant period, provided this is done in accordance with the host higher education institution (HEI) and that the research is of benefit to Swedish research in the Natural and Engineering Sciences. Research periods abroad lasting longer than six months in any given three-year period must be approved by the Swedish Research Council.

Conditions


The basic terms and conditions governing these positions are regulated in the Swedish Ordinance (2000:1472, amended in 2004:384 and 2007:429) on research councils' appointments. The Swedish Research Council approves Senior Research Positions. Before taking an appointment decision, the Council contacts the university or other higher education institution (HEI) where the prospective appointee wishes to carry out research (the ‘host HEI'). It is necessary to obtain the host HEI's agreement that the appointee can work there in accordance with the Swedish Research Council's terms and conditions. Once the appointment decision has come into force, the host HEI is required to assume responsibility as employer, which includes salary decisions.
In their applications for Senior Research Positions in Sweden, applicants must specify the HEIs where they wish to conduct their research. Signatures are required on each application (in Appendix S): that of the applicant, and also that of the authorised representative of the host HEI or equivalent (usually the head of the department or establishment where the research is to be conducted).
  • Applicant: individual researcher.
  • Grant period: three-year position with scope for extension by a further three years after report has been approved.
  • Amount: standard grant, depending on the faculty area.
  • Cost categories: salary plus statutory employer's contributions and indirect costs.
  • The position should commence in January 2011 and must commence not later than the date stated in the terms and conditions for the host HEI.
  • Researchers who have obtained a research position from the Swedish Research Council are not eligible for a position within the same or similar research area.
  • Other conditions: the Swedish Research Council's appointment decision may be appealed. When the processing of appeals, if any, has been completed and the Council's decision has entered into force, employer responsibility for the appointment is taken over by the host HEI. The grant may be used during the grant period plus one year.
It is desirable for the host HEI, at an early stage, to plan and make it possible for the researcher to develop in accordance with the purpose of the position, which also includes a permanent appointment.
Project research grants are applied for separately in the annual round of applications to the Swedish Research Council.

2. Who can apply?

Required qualifications


Swedish doctoral degree or foreign degree equivalent to a doctoral degree, for example a ‘Candidate of Sciences' in Russia. The degree certificate must have been issued latest at the same day as the deadline for applications. The degree certificate must have been awarded within the ten years prior to the end of the application period. A person with a permanent employment as a professor is not eligible.
If the applicant has had an intermission in the active research time since the PhD was awarded, for special grounds, the time may be deducted.
Special grounds include leave of absence because of sickness, total defence duty, positions of trust in trade union organisations and student organisations, parental leave, doctor's employment as a pre-registration house officer and no more than two years of specialist training for other categories of clinically active professionals, and other similar circumstances.

Employers and employment conditions


For research positions decided by the Swedish Research Council, the host HEI will assume responsibility as an employer, and will decide on the employment conditions and carry out day-to-day staff administration.

Administration


Grants are normally administered by a Swedish university/institution or another Swedish public organisation with research as its purpose.
A signature on the application (Appendix S) is required not only from the applicant but also from the authorised representative of the host university/institution (normally the head of the department or establishment where the research is to be conducted).

3. Form of application


A complete application comprises the filled-in online form and appendices (see under the heading Appendices). Please observe that a signed appendix S must be submitted to the Swedish Research Council in paper form.

General conditions for the application


Applications to the Swedish Research Council must be made entirely electronically, by means of an online form reached by the link "Ansök här/Apply here (VR-Direct)"external link, opens in new window on the Swedish Research Council's website.external link, opens in new window Detailed technical instructions are provided with the online form. The online form requests automatically the appendices required for the type of grant selected. Applicants should then enclose the appendices, preferably as pdf files, or convert them into pdf files according to the instructions accompanying the form. It is the responsibility of the applicant that the application, converted to a pdf file by the application system, is complete and that all appendices are enclosed.
  • Applications should be submitted electronically via VR-Direct.external link, opens in new window
  • Incomplete applications will not be processed.
  • Additions to applications after the final date for applications, other than additions that are explicitly specified in the instructions, are not approved.
  • If a grant from another funding agency is obtained for the same or similar purposes as the grant requested in this application, the applicant must report this to the Swedish Research Council as soon as possible.
  • Items that are not explicitly requested, such as letters of recommendation, should not be enclosed and will not be included in the assessment of the application.
  • Only one application for a single Senior Research Position may be submitted to the Swedish Research Council. However, an applicant may apply for more than one position.

Language


The application, including appendices, should be written in English. The Swedish Research Council consults international evaluators and the applicants should carefully consider using the most suitable language for the application (Swedish/English).
  • The applicant's address must be written in Swedish if the applicant works in Sweden.
  • The project title must be written in Swedish as well as in English.
  • The compulsory popular-scientific project description, should be written in Swedish. In exceptional cases it may be written in English if the applicant works outside Sweden and lacks a command of the Swedish language.

Applications concerning databases - Swedish National Data Service (SND)


One initiative of the Swedish Research Council seeks to make existing data more accessible and increase its use. Part of this initiative is the establishment of the Swedish National Data Service (SND) at Göteborg University. The main functions of SND, which is a national strategic resource for research, are to provide information on data relevant to research in the Humanities, Medicine, Social Sciences and Educational Sciences and to make databases available to the research community.
Applicants are therefore requested to assist in this initiative by consulting and collaborating with SND to build new databases and to maintain, operate and discontinue existing ones.
See http://www.snd.gu.se/external link, opens in new window for further information.

Open Access to Results of Research Financed by the Swedish Research Council


Starting in 2010, researchers who receive funding from the Swedish Research Council must guarantee that their forthcoming findings will be accessible to all (open access) within 6 months after publication. So far, the rules on open access apply only to scientifically assessed material in journals and conference reports, not monographs or book chapters. Research results published with open access on the Internet are free to read and download. Researchers may either archive published articles in large, open databases, or publish directly in journals on the Internet that practice open access.
Early in 2005 the Swedish Research Council signed the international Berlin Declarationexternal link, opens in new window to promote greater accessibility to scientific findings. Signers of the Declaration aim to encourage researchers to publish their results with open access on the Internet, develop methods to assure standards of quality in online publications, and advocate that open access publications be recognised in appointment and evaluation processes (e.g. hiring, promotion, and tenure).

Instructions to input fields in the online form 


The following instructions apply to some of the headings found in the online form. When the online form in VR Direct is filled in, further information and help are obtainable at any point by clicking on the text marked in blue for the item concerned.

Abstract


The abstract of the project plan in the online form should include a description of:
  • What will be done
  • How the research will be carried out, scientific methods used
  • What has previously been done
  • What is important about the research
The text is intended to provide a quick orientation of the purpose and feasibility of the suggested research and should be written in such a way that someone from another research area than the applicant's may understand the information.

Popular science description


The popular science description on the Web form should be in Swedish. In exceptional cases it may be written in English if the applicant works outside Sweden and lacks a command of the Swedish language. It shall be written so that someone who is not familiar with the subject can understand what the project/equivalent is about. Describe what is going to be done and why. Emphasise the basic research. Explain how the new knowledge could be important.
If the application is awarded a grant, the Swedish Research Council reserves the right to use the popular science description for information purposes.

Public access


Applications to the Swedish Research Council are public documents.
Information on grants approved will be posted on the Swedish Research Council's website.external link, opens in new window

Ethics


The principal investigator (the administrative entity) has the responsibility to ensure that research conducted with funding from the Swedish Research Council complies with the terms and conditions specified in Swedish law. For certain research you must ensure that approval has been obtained from the Regional Ethical Review Board or the Ethical Committee on Animal Experiments in compliance with the law and regulations issued by the Government. Other permits might also be required, e.g. for research on drugs, genetically modified organisms, or ionising radiation. Furthermore, you must ensure that the project (or equivalent) is conducted in accordance with good research practices. You and the representative of the administrative entity affirm your responsibility when you agree to the terms of the grant.
 

Present the ethical issues in your application


In your application you must present the ethical issues that the project (or equivalent) raises and describe how they will be addressed in the research. Present this information under a separate heading (Ethical Considerations) in the application. To be able to judge the feasibility of a project (or equivalent) fairly, it is essential that the application clearly present the ethical aspects.

Do not send approval of ethical review to the Swedish Research Council


Note that certain research may be conducted only after it has been approved via ethical review. The Act on Ethical Review of Research Involving Humans aims to protect people who are subjects of research, addressing physical, mental, and integrity-related concerns. Correspondingly, the Swedish Animal Welfare Act requires that an Ethical Committee on Animal Experiments approve the use of animals in experiments from an ethical standpoint prior to the commencement of research.

Approval from ethical review must be obtained prior to commencing research, but does not need to be sent to the Swedish Research Council. We assume that approval has been obtained before work commences on the research.
 

References concerning ethical review

Gender research and research with a gender perspective


Applications concerning gender research or research with a gender perspective should be indicated by writing "gender" as one of the keywords in the application form.

4. Appendices

The following appendices must be enclosed with the application for ‘Senior Research Position in Sweden, Natural and Engineering Sciences':

  • A Research programme
  • B Applicant's CV, with scientific qualifications
  • C List of publications
  • P Publications and/or accepted manuscripts in the form of PDF files (max. 5 in number).
  • S Appendix with signatures.

Appendix S, with the signatures, must be submitted to the Swedish Research Council in paper form. A certificate, if any, on leave since the doctorate was obtained should be submitted with Appendix S (see under Appendix B).
The Times New Roman typeface, 12 points, is recommended. Illustrations and text should fit on an A4 page, with a margin of 25 mm. Printout of the application, e.g. by a reviewer, will be made in tones of grey with a resolution of 200 - 300 dpi. Figures should therefore conform to this standard.
The appendices constitute the basis for the Swedish Research Council's evaluation of the application, and are filled in along with the online form. The online form requests automatically the appendices required for the type of grant selected. On each page of the appendix, at the top, the applicant's name and Swedish personal identity number and the alphabetical code for the appendix should be written. All PDF files must be free of password security protection. Note that the reviewers will access applications in the form of PDF files, but may obtain black-and-white paper copies of the applications if they so wish.

Appendix A - Research programme


This appendix should comprise a maximum of eight A4 pages, including references and/or illustrations if any. If ethical considerations are reported, these may be described under special headings and need not be counted in the eight-page limit. The research programme is intended to relate to a six-year period.

Appendix B - CV/Scientific qualifications


Note that a list of publications is provided separately, in Appendix C.
Specify in the order of the following numbered headings:
  1. Doctoral degree (year, discipline/subject area, title of thesis and supervisors)
  2. Postdoctoral work (year and position)
  3. Qualification as Associate Professor/Docent (year). Note that this qualification is not, however, a requirement for the position
  4. Current position, period of appointment, brief account of duties
  5. Previous positions and periods of appointment
  6. Special grounds for deduction of time after the date when the doctoral degree certificate was issued (see ‘2. Who can apply?'/‘Required qualifications'). Any period of leave since the applicant obtained a doctorate must be substantiated with a certificate. The certificate should be submitted with Appendix S and not included in the electronic application
  7. Distinctions
  8. People awarded doctorates for whom the applicant has been the main supervisor (name, year of disputation, i.e. oral public defence of the PhD thesis)
  9. Postdoctoral researchers who are or have been engaged in collaboration with the applicant in the research group (name and year or years of collaboration, e.g. 2004-2005)
  10. Teaching qualifications
  11. An account of previous scientific work and development (max. one page)
  12. Research funding obtained during the last five years in national and/or international competition, as main applicant.
  13. Other circumstances that may have a bearing on the position.

Appendix C - List of publications


The publication list must be complete. Sort the publications in the order of the following numbered headings:
  1. Peer-reviewed articles
  2. Peer-reviewed conference contributions
  3. Overview articles, book chapters, books
  4. Popular-scientific articles and/or presentations
  5. Preprints, accepted and submitted manuscripts
  6. Publicly available computer programs developed by the applicant/researcher
  7. Patents
  8. Any other publications.
Citation particulars should be provided for:
  1. Peer-reviewed articles
  2. Peer-reviewed conference contributions
  3. Overview articles, book chapters and books

After each publication reference the citation particulars, i.e. the number of citations per publication, should be given. The number of citations (n) must be preceded by the phrase ‘Number of citations: n'. The list must comprise publications over the years 2003-2010. Details concerning the five most cited publications, irrespective of publication year, with citation particulars in accordance with the above description, should be given.

The database used should be specified at the beginning of the publication list. The following databases are available to choose from:
  • Web of Science
  • Google Scholar
  • Scopus (Elsevier)
The researcher's ten most important publications should be marked with one asterisk (*) and the ten most important publications for the project (or equivalent) with two asterisks (**).

Appendix P - Publications and/or accepted manuscripts relevant to the application in PDF (max. 5)


On the first page of the appendix, publications should be listed with a comment on the relevance of the application. One or more PDF documents may be enclosed with the application.

Appendix S - Appendix with signatures


Appendix S is enclosed automatically with the electronic application.
The appendix should be printed out and signed both by the applicant and by the head (or equivalent) of the department or establishment where the research will be conducted. The signature confirms that the department can accommodate the applicant who is offered the position. The applicant must also have disclosed any secondary occupations and commercial ties (s)he may have and nothing inconsistent with good research practice may thereby have emerged. The applicant must have discussed these conditions with the representative of the host HEI or department before the latter approves and signs the application.  
Appendix S should be sent by regular mail to the Swedish Research Council.
Remember: the signed Appendix S must be received by the Swedish Research Council not later than three working days after the application deadline.

5. Evaluation and decision

Evaluation


Applications are normally assessed by three or four reviewers for each position. International experts are preferred.
In the assessment, scientific quality is considered in relation to the subject of the Research Position. Scientific contributions attained to date should be taken into account, but the researcher's potential to develop successfully in the field must also be assessed. Experience of teaching and of supervising doctoral students must also be evaluated. The review should focus both on the scientific proficiency of the applicant and on the scientific quality of the research programme.
Interviews with applicants might be applied.

Decision


The Scientific Council for Natural and Engineering Sciences decides on these positions. Decisions on the various positions will be taken on a continuous basis.
Following these decisions, grant awards are announced on the Swedish Research Council's website.external link, opens in new window

6. Contact

The contact person is Elisabeth Tehler, email elisa@vr.se and phone +46-8-546 44 229.

7. How and when to apply

We apologize for technical problems with our application system VR Direct.


The application deadline is changed to Monday February 22 at 24.00.


Appendix S must be received by the Swedish Research Council not later than Thursday, February 25, 2010.

Submit your application before 24:00 on the last day of application. 
Applications to the Swedish Research Council for Senior Research Positions in Sweden, in Natural and Engineering Sciences, must be received by the Swedish Research Council not later than Thursday 18 February 2010.
The applicant is responsible for submitting a complete application to the council. Technical support from the Swedish Research Council is provided for until 16:00 on Thursday 18 February 2010. Please, make certain to submit your application in time before 16:00 in case that you will need technical support.
Appendix S, complete with signatures, together with a certificate, if any, on leave since the doctorate was obtained (see under Appendix B), must be received by the council no later than Tuesday 23 February 2010. The envelope must be clearly marked with the reference number of the position concerned and it should be sent to:

Vetenskapsrådet
NT
Box 1035
SE-101 38
Stockholm Sweden 

Visiting address: Klarabergsviadukten 82.

Link to the electronic application form


The online form may be found in the Swedish Research Council's application system VR-Direct.external link, opens in new window
Note that the online form will become available in January 2010.
Contact: Jonas Björck
Updated: 2010-02-18

Information

Area of science:
Natural and Engineering Sciences
Last application date:
2010-02-22
Klarabergsviadukten 82
Box 1035, SE-101 38  Stockholm
Telefon: +46(0)8-546 44 000
Fax: +46(0)8-546 44 180
Org nr: 202100-5208
Invoice address: FE 57, SE-833 83 Strömsund