Criteria for recognising merit

The criteria for recognising merit in relation to assistant professor, associate professor and professor positions explain the academic practice and clarify the progression within the three job categories. At the same time, the criteria support both rigour and breadth in the University’s practice of recognising merit when recruiting academic staff. Clarity and transparency are important for a fair recruitment process, and it is part of the University’s equality and diversity effort.

How to read the criteria

UCPH has the criteria: Research, Teaching, Innovation & Societal impact, Organisational contribution, and Leadership. Under each of the main criteria, there is first a brief overall description of the characteristics of the position when holding it followed by a number of specific criteria. The specific criteria are to be understood as admission or entrance criteria for the three job categories, i.e. skills that the individual academic staff member possesses when taking up the position. See an introduction for recognising merit here.

The University’s criteria are a supplement to the applicable ministerial job structure for academic staff at any time, which all universities must comply with.

Research

Assistant professor	Associate professor	Professor
Assistant professors demonstrate intellectual originality, develop their research profile and provide valuable contributions to research-based knowledge.	Associate professors demonstrate intellectual originality, scholarly autonomy, have a clear research profile and provide valuable contributions to research-based knowledge within a given discipline or interdisciplinary field.	Professors are internationally recognised researchers in their fields of expertise. Their research is influential and contributes to the development of their own subject area as well as more broadly.
Appointment as assistant professor requires:	Appointment as associate professor requires:	Appointment as professor requires:
	An internationally recognised research profile	An excellent research profile with leading international expertise in the subject area
A plan for own research that shows development potential	An articulated vision and strategy for their subject area	An articulated vision and strategy for their subject area, also covering ties to adjacent areas
Peer-reviewed publications in recognised journals and/or books or anthologies	A considerable number of peer-reviewed publications in recognised journals and/or books or anthologies	Significant influence on the subject area via many peer-reviewed publications across recognised journals and/or books or anthologies
	Research impact through high research quality and/or citations in recognised journals and/or books or anthologies	Significant research impact through high research quality and/or many citations in recognised journals and/or books or anthologies
Participation in scientific seminars and conferences, also with own contributions	Participation in national and international scientific networks and conferences, primarily with own contributions	Participation in national and international scientific networks and conferences, including invitations to present research

Teaching

Assistant professor	Associate professor	Professor
Assistant professors provide research-based teaching within one or more disciplines.	Associate professors provide high-quality, research-based teaching in one or more disciplines and contribute to developing, organising and evaluating courses.	Professors provide research-based teaching of the highest quality in one or more disciplines and contribute to developing, organising and evaluating courses on all levels.
Appointment as assistant professor requires:	Appointment as associate professor requires:	Appointment as professor requires:
Teaching experience	Solid teaching experience, also within continuing education, if relevant, including exams, and experience with practical course development that incorporates knowledge of learning, teaching and education.	Extensive teaching experience, also within continuing education, if relevant, including exams and as an opponent on PhD theses and/or doctoral dissertations.
Interest in supervising bachelor and/or master's degree students	Experience of supervising bachelor and/or master's degree students	Experience of supervising bachelor students, master's degree students, PhD students and/or postdocs
	A teaching portfolio that documents teaching experience and reflections on teaching skills	A teaching portfolio that documents teaching experience and reflections on teaching skills
Interest in developing their teaching skills, for example, documented by completing an introductory university teacher training course.	Ongoing development of pedagogical and didactic skills, for example documented by completing a university teacher training course	Ongoing development of pedagogical and didactic skills, including and others’ practice in relation to teaching and supervision
Interest in including feedback from colleagues, students and others in developing their teaching.	Interest in including feedback from colleagues, students and others in developing their teaching, as well as knowledge sharing with colleagues about teaching practices.	Interest in including feedback from colleagues, students and others in developing their teaching, as well as mentoring colleagues with the aim of developing their teaching practices.

Innovation & Societal impact

Assistant professor	Associate professor	Professor
Assistant professors can give their research a societal perspective and explore how it can benefit societal progress through, for example, research-based innovation, entrepreneurship, public-sector services, consultancy or dissemination.	Associate professors seek out and collaborate with external partners, communicate their research and create knowledge and solutions that benefit societal progress through, for example, research-based innovation, entrepreneurship, public-sector services, consultancy or dissemination.	Professors initiate and lead collaborations with external partners and generate knowledge and solutions that greatly benefit societal progress, for example, through research-based innovation, entrepreneurship, public-sector services, consultancy or dissemination, such as influencing public debate within their field of research.
Appointment as assistant professor requires:	Appointment as associate professor requires:	Appointment as professor requires:
Some experience of research-based innovation, entrepreneurship, consultancy, public sector services or dissemination, for example, through setting up a business, participating in innovation projects or collaborating with relevant stakeholders. This experience may also include teaching that translates research-based knowledge into practice.	Experience of research-based innovation, entrepreneurship, consultancy, public sector services or dissemination, for example, through setting up a business, participating in innovation projects or collaboration with external partners. This experience may also include teaching that translates research-based knowledge into practice.	In-depth experience of research-based innovation, entrepreneurship, consultancy, public sector services or dissemination, for example, through setting up or leading a business, strategic innovation projects or collaboration with external partners. This experience may also include teaching or supervision in relation to translating research-based knowledge into practice.
Understanding how to communicate research as popular science.	Contributing to popular-science communication.	Frequent contributions to popular-science communication.
Interest in collaborating with external partners	Collaboration with private businesses, public organisations and/or civil society.	Strategic collaboration with private businesses, public organisations and/or civil society and a significant network of external stakeholders.
	Contributions to specialist or interdisciplinary forums and bodies that promote society's access to research-based knowledge, such as committees, councils, boards or governing boards.	Extensive experience of participating in or leading specialist or interdisciplinary forums and bodies that promote society's access to research-based knowledge, such as committees, councils, boards or governing boards.

Organisational contribution

Assistant professor	Associate professor	Professor
Assistant professors contribute to an active academic environment.	Associate professors are co-creators of an active academic environment and are members of the department's formal forums, working groups and assessment committees.	Professors take responsibility for developing an active academic environment, sit on assessment committees, councils, boards and committees at UCPH and contribute to enhancing the University’s brand.
Appointment as assistant professor requires:	Appointment as associate professor requires:	Appointment as professor requires:
Interest in joining the department's formal forums and working groups	Interest in joining the department's formal forums and working groups	Membership of the department's formal forums, working groups and assessment committees and interest in joining councils, boards and committees at UCPH.
A collegiate spirit and commitment to collaboration and relationship-building	A collegiate spirit and commitment to collaboration and relationship-building	A collegiate spirit and commitment to collaboration as well as strong relationship and conflict resolution skills
Oriented towards and motivated for engaging in interdisciplinary collaboration	Participation in interdisciplinary collaboration	Development and management of interdisciplinary collaborations

Leadership

Assistant professor	Associate professor	Professor
Assistant professors have self-management skills, including management of their own projects.	Associate professors act as independent heads of research and focus on the development of young researchers.	Professors develop the subject area in synergy with other subject areas and exercise academic leadership, including the development of and delegation of responsibilities to young researchers.
Appointment as assistant professor requires:	Appointment as associate professor requires:	Appointment as professor requires:
Starter experience of applying for, obtaining and managing funds for externally funded activities in collaboration with colleagues.	Development of own academic leadership skills, including applying for, obtaining and managing funds for externally funded activities.	Extensive experience in developing academic leadership skills and initiating applications, applying for, obtaining and managing funds for externally funded activities.
Ability to lead minor research, innovation or educational projects.	Exercise academic leadership within research, innovation, course management or education.	Extensive experience in academic leadership within research, innovation or education.
Contribution to well-being, collaboration, equal treatment, diversity and a good working environment	Contribution to well-being, collaboration, equal treatment, diversity and a good working environment	Responsibility for and contribution to well-being, collaboration, equal treatment, diversity and a good working environment