Professor of Care for Older Adults and Gerontology – the Maria and Seved Ribbing Professorship

The Maria and Seved Ribbing Professorship in Care for Older Adults and Gerontology at the Faculty of Medicine was established in 2005 through a donation from the Ribbing Nursing Home Foundation’s Memorial Fund and the Association for Care for Older Adults and Gerontology in Lund. The annual donation amount is index-linked and currently amounts to just over SEK 4 million. As the current holder of the professorship will be retiring at the latest in the spring of 2027, applications are now being invited for the position of Professor of Care for Older Adults and Gerontology. The position is based at the Department of Health Sciences in Lund.

Subject

Care for older adults and gerontology

Subject description

Through its focus on ageing and health, care for older adults and gerontology is a specialisation that contributes new knowledge of significance for health promotion and preventive initiatives as well as interventions and measures, not only in regional, municipal and private healthcare and societal planning, but also in the welfare sector and society as a whole.

Gerontology is a broad subject area that within the framework of the donation has developed into a strong interdisciplinary research profile focusing on ageing and health, health promotion and preventive initiatives, rehabilitation, housing, technology utilisation, care for older adults, ageing-friendly communities and user involvement in research. Third-cycle education (doctoral education) forms a significant part of the activities.

Duties

The duties focus on research as well as third-cycle education in care for older adults and gerontology.

In accordance with the donor’s wishes, the research is mainly to be of an applied nature and highly relevant for those whom the research concerns and for society as a whole. The research is to address old age and ageing and also contribute new knowledge of significance for the development of care for older adults and ageing-friendly communities. The successful candidate is expected to be strategic and a long-term driving force in the development of the subject gerontology and the research profile in accordance with the donor’s wishes, but with the opportunity to shape the specific specialisation. Work on research grant applications is an important element.

The work includes continuous development of doctoral education and conditions for postdoctoral qualifications, with a strong engagement as a supervisor for doctoral students and as a mentor for early-career researchers in care for older adults and gerontology.

To a great extent, gerontology is an interdisciplinary research area, which means that the position entails collaboration across several faculties at Lund University, as well as in national and international contexts. External engagement and active communication with wider society is an important part of the assignment.

Leadership responsibility as head of an interdisciplinary research team with ongoing activities is included in the position. There are good opportunities for the successful candidate to be involved in university-wide initiatives of relevance to care for older adults and gerontology, which includes both national and international collaboration.

The position requires continuous dialogue with the donor, including annual reporting of activities, results and long-term planning. Other duties that are normally associated with a position as professor include administration and internal and external elected office roles, nationally and internationally. Other duties may also be included.

Required qualifications

A person who has demonstrated both research and teaching expertise is qualified for employment as a professor (Chapter 4, Section 3 of the Higher Education Ordinance). The applicant is to have been awarded a doctoral degree relevant to the research subject and specialisation of the position, such as gerontology or health sciences.

The successful applicant for the position of professor of care for older adults and gerontology is to have good English language skills and should also have good Swedish language skills (or comparable proficiency in another Scandinavian language). The professor’s duties include, among other things, continuous contact with Swedish public authorities and contact with, for example, stakeholder organisations and staff in health care and social services for older adults. A successful applicant who lacks good Swedish language skills will be given the opportunity to learn Swedish, with the intention being to learn Swedish within a two-year period.

According to the Lund University Appointment Rules, the applicant must have completed training in teaching and learning in higher education of at least five weeks or have acquired equivalent competence by other means in order to be eligible, unless there are special grounds. If the successful applicant is deemed to have special grounds for not having completed training in teaching and learning in higher education of at least five weeks at the time of taking up the position, he/she is to complete such training within two years of starting the position.

For teaching staff at Lund University, the general qualification requirement concerns being suitable for and having the ability in general that is needed to satisfactorily carry out the duties of the appointment in question. When appointing teaching staff, in addition to that set out in the Higher Education Ordinance, the Lund University Appointment Rules and the Faculty of Medicine’s general requirements profile and assessment criteria for employment as a professor apply.

Assessment criteria

The applicant is to have demonstrated very good research expertise and teaching expertise relevant to research and education at the third-cycle level (doctoral level) in care for older adults and gerontology. In the assessment, particular emphasis will be assigned to research expertise and experience of academic leadership assignments. Emphasis will also be assigned to vision and future plans.

The applicant is to have demonstrated research expertise by achieving a high international standing as a researcher. Documented experience of research on old age and ageing and current knowledge of the subject area and its theories and methodology, and of the research field, nationally and internationally, is a requirement.

Research expertise is demonstrated by:

• the ability to drive independent interdisciplinary research,
• the ability to initiate and drive national, and in particular, international, collaborations in research and third-cycle education,
• experience of academic leadership in interdisciplinary projects or research environments
• experience of third-cycle education and supervision of doctoral students,
• publications in peer-reviewed, international research journals,
• current national and international grants obtained in competition as the principal applicant.

The assessment of research expertise will be conducted in light of the applicant’s qualifications and ability to present an innovative and long-term interdisciplinary research programme within the position’s focus area.  

The applicant is to have demonstrated teaching expertise both in teaching and supervision. Teaching expertise is demonstrated by:

• the ability to plan and conduct teaching and supervision in the first, second and third cycle education,
• the ability to develop innovative education components and maintain education activities both in academia and wider society through external engagement
• the ability to consider and integrate new research and innovation in first, second and third-cycle education.

The position sets considerable requirements for external engagement – collaboration involving wider society – which is why there is a requirement for documented experience and skills in this area. The ability to collaborate is demonstrated by:

• good collaborative skills
• the experience and ability to create collaborations with researchers in various disciplines and with relevant stakeholders outside academia
• the experience and ability to communicate research results.

In addition, documented experience and ability regarding leadership is a requirement.   

Leadership ability is demonstrated by:

• administrative skills and the ability to organise, develop and lead in research, education and external engagement
• communicative and co-creation skills
• the ability to promote staff members professional development
• the ability to develop long-term sustainable research environments that include innovation and co-creation with various societal stakeholders.

Finally, emphasis will be assigned to the applicant’s personal suitability.

Further information

For further information, please contact:

• Dean Maria Björkqvist, tel. +46 72 700 71 63, 
  email: maria.bjorkqvist@med.lu.se,
• Head of Department Agneta Malmgren Fänge, tel. +46 46 222 19 72,
  email: agneta.malmgren_fange@med.lu.se

Information about the application procedure can be provided by:

• HR Specialist Jeffrey Armstrong, tel. +46 46 222 71 03, 
  email: jeffrey.armstrong@med.lu.se

The position will be filled by the Vice-Chancellor following a proposal from the Faculty of Medicine’s Academic Appointments Board.

Application procedure

Applications are to be submitted electronically through the Lund University recruitment portal by 15 September 2025 at the latest.

Applications are reported in accordance with the Faculty of Medicine’s guidelines for applicants to academic appointments (see https://www.medicine.lu.se/about-the-faculty-the-departments/work-for-us/guidelines-for-academic-appointments under the heading List of qualifications and CV).

The University sets salaries on an individual basis. Please state your salary expectation in your application.

Lund University welcomes applicants with diverse backgrounds and experiences. We regard gender equality and diversity as a strength and an asset. We look forward to receiving your application.