Assignment as an expert adviser for the employment and promotion of teachers

The Assignment

At KTH, the assessment of an expert adviser is to be sought when employing teachers (professor, associate professor and assistant professor), when promoting an assistant professor to associate professor in accordance with the directions in the Appointments Procedure at KTH and the Guidelines for the Appointments Procedure .

A KTH representative sends an inquiry to potential expert advisers about their willingness to undertake such assignments. When a potential expert adviser replies that they are willing to undertake the assignment, a proposal is submitted to the KTH Appointments Board. The Appointment Board appoints expert advisers. 

In each case, at least two expert advisers are to be appointed to review the combined skills set of the applicant (scientific and educational, plus other qualifications). There should be an equal gender balance of expert advisers unless specific reasons dictate otherwise.

As part of the assignment, each expert adviser is to:

• evaluate the combined skills set of the applicant (scientific and educational plus other qualifications), for an advertised vacancy and produce an individual written report on the skills set of the applicant. Make an assessment in the report concerning how closely aligned the qualifications and capabilities of the applicant are with the qualification requirements for employment, present grounds for this assessment, plus an employment profile for the position the application concerns.

• pay specific attention to the subject area of the appointment and be scientifically and educationally qualified to a degree well above the requirements that apply for the position the appointment in question concerns. 

• not be in a position that can possibly be considered a conflict of interest.
  It is important that the KTH rules are followed and steps are taken to ensure no conflict of interest can arise and that the expert advisers have read the information on the KTH website about conflict of interest  .
  Examples of conflict of interest include co-authorship, co-applications for research funding, personal relationship.

• to be recruited from outside the university and should be external in relation to KTH.

• in the case of a promotion, not to have acted as an expert adviser in assessing the same applicant in another promotion case.

• is to participate in Recruiting Committee or Promotion Committee meetings. There will normally be two meetings for an advertised case and one meeting for a promotion case. A report is to be made before themeetings. The report will then be made public.
  The expert adviser usually participates remotelyby video.

• would usually have 1-2 months to write the report, but this time will depend on the number of applicants and can be longer. The time will be determined in consultation with the expert adviser after the assignment is confirmed.
  At KTH, appointments processes are purely digital using the “VARBI” recruitment system. The expert adviser will be given authorisation to access a specific page with all documents in the recruitment system.

• Payment of fees will be made when the assignment has been concluded, i.e. when the Committee for the case has convened, the expert adviser report submitted, and the Committee has submitted proposals for resolution in the case. Fees depend on the type of case and number of applicants.
  For more information please see: Directions on fees to board members, expert advisers and opponents .

Potential expert adviser notifies their willingness to accept the assignment

The expert adviser notifies their willingness to accept the assignment by submitting:

• documentation showing their willingness to accept the assignment and that conflict of interest will not be an issue. The KTH standard wording is to be used: accept the expert adviser assignment and certify that no conflict of interest will arise :

• current CV including scientific and educational qualifications and experience.

• up to date list of publications.

Experts appointed by the Employment Board

The School collates supporting data in accordance with the template “School proposal for expert advisers”, and checks that the supporting documentation is complete in accordance with the directions in the administration procedure for an advertised appointment  and promotion .

Templates for the School proposal for expert advisers according to the respective case type:

• School Proposal for Expert Advisers for the employment of Tenure Track (docx 69 kB)

• School Proposal for Expert Advisers for a Promotion (docx 67 kB)

The proposal is to be uploaded by the School to the KTH recruitment system. The proposal is prepared by teacher appointments and reviewed by the Appointments Board. The Appointments Board resolves on appointing expert advisers.

Information about Appointments Board directions and Appointments Board meeting times and minutes: The Appointments Board .