Assistant Professor (Associate Senior Lecturer) at the Joint Faculties of Humanities & Theology, Lund University

We are looking for an up-and-coming researcher who wants to conduct pioneering research to take up a position as Assistant Professor at the Joint Faculties of Humanities and Theology, Lund University.

What we offer the successful candidate

Do you want to define the future research frontier of humanities or theology through research leadership based on pioneering basic research? If so, we offer you the opportunity of Assistant Professor at Lund University. We are looking for a very promising, academically young, researcher who can build and lead a research group within one of the following themes:

• Analytic Philosophy or Cognitive Science (placed at the Department of Philosophy)
• Advanced 3D visualization in Archaeology (placed at the Department of Archaeology and Ancient History)
• Apocalyptic and Post-Apocalyptic studies (placed at the Centre for Theology and Religious Studies)
• Digital Culture in Times of Crises (placed at the Department of Arts and Cultural Sciences)
• Global History of Knowledge (placed at the Department of History)
• Psycholinguistics, Neurolinguistics or Language Variation (placed at the Centre for Languages and Literature).

You will develop your qualifications as a researcher and teacher over a period of 4 years. During your fourth and final year, you may then apply for promotion to permanent employment as a senior lecturer, and – depending on your future development – eventually professor.

You will receive five weeks of training in teaching and learning in higher education and also get the opportunity to learn Swedish through the University’s Swedish language courses for new international staff. For your move to Sweden, we offer you continuous support through our relocation services. If you are accompanied by family members, Lund’s International Citizen Hub provides a gateway to Swedish society and your new community.

Sweden and Europe offer excellent opportunities to secure funding for pioneering research. As a Lund University employee, we will coach you in the art of grantsmanship.

At the turn of the year 2025/2026, Sweden's largest scientific funder, the Swedish Research Council, will announce attractive funding for Assistant Professors with an international background. Our ambition is for you to be nominated for this programme, as one of Lund University’s candidates of excellence. Read more about the Swedish Research Council here.

Ready to shape the future of research? Find more reasons why Lund University and the HT Faculties is right for you here, and learn more about Working in Lund, Moving to Lund and Living in Lund.

Duties – what we expect from you

We want you to thrive at Lund University and be able to make the best of your time at the Joint Faculties of Humanities and Theology (HT-Faculties). As Assistant Professor, you are offered the opportunity to engage whole-heartedly with research questions you are passionate about. As the holder of this position, the majority of your time will be allocated for your own research in collaboration with strong research environments, research infrastructures and international platforms. The HT-Faculties provide unique support for research on AI, culture, cognition, languages, and learning. Continuously expanding its methodological expertise in e-scientific and digital materials, research tools and experimental methods for the Humanities, the HT-Faculties harbours several research infrastructures: Lund University Humanities Lab, Lund University Digital Archaeology Laboratory, LUCS Robotics Group, and more.

In addition to conducting research, during your time as Assistant Professor you will also develop your teaching expertise, outreach and collaboration skills, along with Swedish language proficiency. Throughout your employment, you are an active member of your Department and participant in its diverse work.

Qualifications for employment as an Assistant Professor

You hold a doctoral degree or have corresponding research expertise in one of the following subjects:

• Archaeology and ancient history (for applications to Advanced 3D visualization in Archaeology
• Systematic theology, Philosophy of Religion or Theological Ethics (for applications to Apocalyptic and Post-Apocalyptic studies
• Philosophy or Cognitive science (for applications to Analytic Philosophy or Cognitive science)
• Digital culture (for applications to Digital Culture in Times of Crises)
• History (for applications to Global History of Knowledge)
• Languages or linguistics (for applications to Psycholinguistics, Neurolinguistics or Language Variation)

Applicants who hold a doctoral degree that has been obtained within the last 7 years from the application deadline, will be prioritized. If there are documented special grounds, such as parental leave, military service or illness, after graduating that have prevented you from working as a researcher after graduating, the doctoral degree in the subject can in such cases have been awarded earlier.

Requirements – what you must have in order to carry out duties

We hope that one of your first duties will be to conduct an innovative research project that is funded by the Swedish Research Council. The successful applicant we are looking for has:

• A good ability to initiate, develop and implement high-quality research
• Good teaching ability
• Recent and relevant experience from research outside Sweden
• A project description for an innovative project within basic research in any of the abovementioned themes
• Documented good leadership skills, e.g. through elected office assignments, leadership courses and assessed leadership skills
• Good communication skills
• Very good oral and written English language skills
• Good motivation and the ability to learn new languages.

Additional qualifications – other credentials that we consider desirable

In addition to the above, it is preferable if you can also demonstrate that you:

• Have or have had a postdoctoral appointment
• Have obtained research funding from funding bodies outside Sweden
• You have not received any renumeration or grant from Swedish employers or funding bodies from 31 December 2021 onwards
• Contribute in a positive way to the work environment
• Possess other credentials that facilitate a swift adaptation to your new position.

Promotion – what is required to be promoted to senior lecturer

As an Assistant Professor, you may apply for promotion to permanent employment as a senior lecturer. You will then undergo a special assessment to determine if you fulfil the Faculties’ requirements for employment as Senior lecturer. Kindly note that an application for promotion may be submitted only once, and at least six months before your employment as an Assistant Professor ends.

Assessment criteria for promotion from Assistant Professor to Senior lecturer

When applying for promotion from Assistant Professor to Senior lecturer, the applicant will be assessed based on whether they have:

• developed within their field during their time as an Assistant Professor
• good national and international standing as a researcher.
  • Demonstrated by: internationally competitive publishing, showcasing both breadth and depth
• documented ability to obtain research grants in competition
• documented expertise in planning, initiating, leading and developing research,
• good teaching ability, which means a good ability to conduct, develop and lead teaching and other educational activities at different levels and using a variety of teaching methods
  • Demonstrated through both experience of the educational activities described above and a reflective attitude regarding the applicant’s own teaching role
• ability to participate in supervision of doctoral students to achieve a doctoral degree
• ability to participate in and develop public engagement and other outreach activities.
• ability in other contexts to lead and develop activities
  • Demonstrated through documented experience, with positive testimonials and clear results, of leading, coordinating and developing research activities and collaborating with others.

Form of employment

Fixed-term position, 4 years, in accordance with Chapter 4, Section 12a of the Higher Education Ordinance, with the opportunity for promotion to permanent employment as a Senior lecturer. The University applies individual salary-setting.

Conditions

Lund University is a public authority which means that you receive specific benefits, generous annual leave, and an advantageous occupational pension. The University applies individual salary-setting. More information about being an employee at Lund University can be found here: Work at Lund University.

Instructions for the application

Applications are to be made electronically via Lund University's applications portal by no later than the final application deadline. The application must conform to the instructions that can be downloaded at: https://www.ht.lu.se/en/the-faculties/academic-vacancies/instructions-for-applicants. The applicant is responsible for making sure that the application is complete, in accordance with the vacancy announcement and instructions, and for submitting it to the University by the application deadline through the recruitment portal. More information on the recruitment process can be found here.

Instructions for project description/project plan (to be submitted together with application)

1) The project plan should satisfy both non-expert committee members and expert international reviewers. Page one in the project plan should be aimed at the non-expert. Address the following:

• The overarching question, ‘I am going to do X’
• Why is it interesting and novel? ‘This is new and groundbreaking because of Y’
• Why you (and not another researcher) and how are you going to approach it? Make sure the combination of your idea, your knowledge and the infrastructure available to you is clear. ‘The combination of me and this research idea represents a unique opportunity, because…’
• What do you hope to find, ‘If successful it will result in the following…’
• What does it mean in the bigger picture? ‘It will move the research front forward because…’

The (max) 5 pages to follow do not need to be structured in a specific way, but we recommend that the following points are covered (in the way you prefer):

2) Construct the proposal around the overarching question and the aims. Do not list aims after sections of background, instead state the aim and then go into the relevant reasons why it needs to be done. Do not start the first page with a long section of state of the art, start with what you are going to do. Use your cv to highlight why you have the specific skills required for the project, as well as for breaking new ground.

3) Independence. Make sure to demonstrate your independence. For example, if you have published extensively together with your former PhD supervisor, you must clearly convey that you are in fact a fully independent researcher. List achievements that prove your independence.

4) Highlight the “material” aspects of the project – the needed infrastructure, labs, meetings, timelines, recruitments, disseminations needed the next five years – show you’ve got well thought through plans. Who is needed? Who does what, why, and when? Recruitment plans and timelines need to be realistic.

5) Potential as a research leader. Use your CV and Report on research experience to illustrate your potential as a research leader, and don’t hesitate to highlight why what you do is important to you.