Competence promotion for academic staff

Promotion to teaching- and research positions

Criteria for promotion 

Promotion to teaching- and research positions is regulated by regulations to the Universities and University Colleges Act.

• See the regulations for the different job categories and subject areas.
• In addition, there are subject-specific guidelines for the assessment within the framework of the regulations from national faculty meetings (UHR) etc., where the competence requirements are elaborated.

In order to be granted promotion, the qualification requirements for the relevant position category must be met, and the expert committee's conclusion must be unanimous.

Note: Employees who apply for promotion according to Section 3-13 of the Regulations no later than 31 July 2025, are entitled to have their application assessed in accordance with the Regulations relating to Appointment and Promotion to Teaching and Research Positions (lovdata.no).

For decisions on appointments and promotions to teaching- and research positions prior to 1 August 2025, the institutions may choose to use the qualification requirements stipulated in the Regulations on Appointment and Promotion to Teaching and Research Positions (lovdata.no).

Who can apply?

Applicants who have not had their competence assessed at their home institution for the last two years may apply for promotion. If a position has been advertised at UiO at the higher position category and within the same subject area during the last two years, one must not apply until two years after the application deadline in the relevant announcement.

Person who applies for promotion must have at least one year left of their employment period in order to be eligible to apply.

Fixed-term employees in adjunct positions and tenure track positions are not eligible to apply for promotion. 

Employees on leave of absence may apply for promotion.  

• Employees to assistant professor positions may apply for promotion to associate professor
• Employees to associate professor may apply for promotion to associate professor
• Employees to associate professor may apply for promotion to professor

Note: Employees in the position category of university lecturer and college lecturer, have the right to apply for promotion to associate professor according to Section 2-4, first paragraph, (lovdata.no) of the Regulations relating to Appointment and Promotion to Teaching and Research Positions, until 31 December 2027. Please note that this transition period only applies to university lecturers who have commenced their positions prior to the implementation of the regulations to the Universities and University Colleges Act 1 August 2024.

Expert assessment

Applicants who have been declared competent by an unanimous declaration of competence for a higher position level at UiO during the last six years prior to the time of application, may be awarded promotion without a new assessment.

UiO practices as a general rule that promotion is only given on the basis of competence assessment by expert committees appointed by UiO. The relevant faculty board, or other delegated decision-making body, has the authority to decide whether assessments carried out by other institutions can be used as a basis for assessment of promotion. There is no opportunity to accept individual applications from other institutions.

Other applications will be assessed by an expert committee.

Application deadline and date of effect

*On the first day of the month after the thesis is submitted for assessment, or from the date of commencing the position.

Application form and local routines for promotion to professor

• For promotions to professor, special application forms are to be used:
  • Application to be assessed for promotion to professor (word)
  • Application for promotion to professor based on competence declaration (word)
• The application is to be sent to your local unit
  Please make sure that your application is in accordance with specific guidelines for promotion at the local unit.  
  • Faculty of Medicine: See gudielines.
  • Faculty of Theology: See guidelines
  • Faculty of Educational Sciences (UV):
    • The complete application is to be sent, preferably as a single pdf file, to postmottak@uv.uio.no and must contain:
      • Application and application form (see links under the first bullet point in this section)
      • Up to 15 academic works
      • Documented pedagogical competence
      • CV and complete list of publications
      • Other relevant information
• For further information, cf.:
  • Guidance for structuring an application
  • The Faculty's criteria for promotion assessmen 

Promotion for researchers 

Criteria for promotion

Promotion to a research position is regulated by the Regulations for promotion to researcher 1109 to state enterprises and Rules for promotion to researcher 1183 on the basis of competence.

Who can apply?

• Researcher 1108 in a permanent position or fixed-term position, and researcher 1108 in an externally funded position where the employment has a duration of 2 years or more beyond the time of application, may apply for promotion to researcher 1109.
• Researcher 1108 may apply for promotion on the basis of an obtained doctoral degree. 
• Researcher 1109/1110 in a permanent position/fixed-term position, and researcher 1109/1110 in an externally funded position where the employment has a duration of 3 years or more beyond the time of application, may apply for promotion to researcher 1183.

Application deadline and date of effect

The regulations concerning promotion to researcher SKO 1183 are procedure wise similar to the regulations for promotion to professor. When promoted to researcher SKO 1183, the unit may request that senior researcher/senior researcher be registered as a personal title.

Promotion on the grounds of obtaines doctroal degree

The following positions may be granted a salary raise corresponding to two pay grade levels :

• lecturer (SKO 1010)
• university lecturer (SKO 1009)
• university librarian (SKO 1199)
• researcher (SKO 1108)
• research fellow (SKO 1017/SKO 1378)
• research assistant (SKO 1020)

An obtained Norwegian doctoral degree, an obtained foreign doctoral degree approved as equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree, or documented competence at an equivalent level through scientific work of the same scope and quality, gives the right to a salary increase.

Applicant who satisfy the requirements to apply for a promotion will be granted the promotion  as a personal title, in accordance with the regulations for promotion to the position of first librarian and regulations for promotion to researcher SKO 1109 in state enterprises.

Salary increase

When promoted, the employee will normally be placed at the lowest pay grade level for the relevant position category, however ensured two pay grades above the pay grade of his/her previous position category.

There is an opportunity for salary adjustments on an individual basis in the case of promotions to the position of professor or researcher.