Title of docent at the Faculty of Medicine Effective as of 1 January 2021 (Finnish-language original approved by the Faculty Council on 15 September 2020) Basis of the title of docent Section 89 of the Universities Act (558/2009) stipulates that a university may, upon application, award the title of docent to a person who has comprehensive knowledge of his or her field, a capacity for independent research demonstrated through publications or some other manner, and good teaching skills. Granting the title of docent According to section 52 of the Regulations of the University of Helsinki (15 April 2015), the chancellor may grant the title of docent at the proposal of the faculty council. All docentships are associated with the University of Helsinki, not individual faculties. Effects of receiving the title of docent A docent is a distinguished member of the academic community, known for having high scientific qualifications and good teaching skills. At the Faculty of Medicine, docents play a major role in the promotion of research, doctoral education and clinical medicine. They also fulfil an important role in the academic community by providing teaching. Under section 52 of the Regulations of the University of Helsinki (15 April 2015), a docent may participate in the provision of teaching in his or her discipline, the supervision of students and the examination of dissertations and theses as well as in other academic activities, as separately agreed on a case-by-case basis. Granting the title of docent does not constitute a contract of employment with the University, nor are docents entitled to fees or the benefits available to the University staff without a separate agreement. According to the instructions issued by the chancellor on 12 May 2020, the title of docent (dosentti in Finnish) cannot be translated from Finnish to other languages in a way that gives a misleading impression of the affiliation the title provides with the University. Consequently, the English translation ‘adjunct professor’ must not be used, but rather the recommended English translation is ‘title of docent’ in explanatory texts, with ‘docent’ as the direct title. The title of docent is a qualification requirement for certain posts at the Helsinki University Hospital. Docent contract In accordance with Rector’s Decision No 2/4/2010 (13 December 2010), docents who are not members of University of Helsinki staff, but wish to be more active members of the Faculty community and interact with the University can conclude a docent contract with the Faculty unit responsible for their field of science that agrees on the forms and terms of cooperation. The contract does not constitute a contract of employment with the University, but rather determines the right and benefits the docent is entitled to when participating in the activities of the Faculty or unit. Those who conclude a docent contract are reimbursed for their work, as separately agreed before the beginning of teaching or other duties. Both parties must be willing to conclude the docent contract. It is approved by the unit director, who considers whether it meets the unit’s needs and interests. The contract must specify the relevant forms of cooperation and the validity period of the contract in years. The contract can be terminated by both parties before its validity expires, or be renewed after its expiry. After the conclusion of the docent contract, practical arrangements are made together with University Services. The docent receives the University’s IT credentials and email address as well as access to information systems and library databases. The docent contract is concluded online. Title of docent upon retirement A docent who retires can conclude a docent contract. Applying for the title of docent is not necessary for professors emeriti who wish to retain contact with the University of Helsinki. In accordance with Rector’s Decisions No 2/3/2010 and 2/4/2010 (13 December 2010), an emeritus professor can conclude a professor contract equivalent in content to a docent contract. Title of docent granted before the entry into force of the current Universities Act (558/2009) On 25 January 2020, the chancellor of the University of Helsinki issued a decision granting the title of docent to those who were University of Helsinki docents on the date in question. Applying for a docentship Applying for the title of docent A docentship can be applied for by sending the requested application documents to Päivi Sinisalo (paivi.sinisalo(at)helsinki.fi) by the application deadline. Applications completed in accordance with the application instructions (see also Instructions and forms -> Application instructions) and submitted by the deadline will be considered by the docentship committee at its following meeting. Deficient applications are not considered. The Faculty of Medicine requests that applicants submit the following documents saved in accordance with the application instructions as a single PDF file: 1. Application form A signed application form. The application form must also contain information on the proposed assessors. 2. Curriculum vitae and degree certificates The curriculum vitae should be between one and two pages in length. The application must be accompanied by copies of the undergraduate and doctoral degree certificates as well as service certificates. If the applicant is not a Finnish citizen, a copy of the first page of the applicant’s passport must also be attached. The curriculum vitae must include information on proficiency in the second national language of Finland (Swedish for Finnish speakers, and Finnish for Swedish speakers). If the degree certificate makes no mention of language proficiency, the application must be accompanied by a certificate of language proficiency. A foreign citizen or a non-native Finnish citizen may be granted the title of docent even if he or she is not proficient in Finnish or Swedish. In such cases, the person in question is simultaneously exempted in accordance with section 32 of the Regulations of the University of Helsinki from the requirement concerning proficiency in Finnish and Swedish laid down in the Government Decree on Universities. 3. List of publications On 29 October 1982 and 5 February 1985, the Faculty decided the following on lists of publications: “The position of docent is academic in nature, and when assessing the qualifications of applicants, the focus must be on the quality and scope of their scholarly publication activities. The decision on the qualifications of each applicant is made by the Faculty Council. Consequently, it is important that each member of the Faculty community has the opportunity to explore the scientific qualifications of applicants rather than making their decision on the basis of assessor statements alone.” The Faculty requires that applicants classify their publications as follows: A. Articles included in the doctoral thesis B. Other original articles Original articles are texts which include, as their key content, research results not included in other articles and which have been published in international peer-reviewed scientific publication series. Manuscripts accepted for publication (‘in press’) can be included in the list of publications by specifying that they have been ‘accepted for publication’. In such cases, the letter of acceptance must be attached. Manuscripts submitted for publication and manuscripts currently under peer review or preparation cannot be included in the list of publications. C. Original articles in international compilations or printed conference proceedings. This does not apply to summaries, of which only the number should be reported. D. Case studies published in international peer-reviewed publication series E. Reviews and editorials in international scientific journals and textbooks F. Original articles and reviews in Finnish textbooks and peer-reviewed publication series G. Popular science articles H. Online material Layout of the list of publications: The applicant’s name must be highlighted in bold or underlined. The list must mention all authors (the ‘et al.’ convention should not be used). The applicant must note in the list of publications whether he or she has contributed equally to the publication with, for example, the first author. To do so, the applicant should use an asterisk (*) to indicate authors who have contributed equally and add the following in bold at the end of the citation: ‘*Equal contribution’. The applicant must be the author of the article, or the publication must otherwise indicate that the applicant has actively contributed to the planning of the research, the analysis of the results or the writing of the article (e.g., as a member of a protocol writing committee or reading centre). Serving as a local data collector or equivalent (e.g., collaborator or investigator) is not sufficient. In the latter case, the list of authors typically ends with the name of the research group, preceded by the words ‘for the [name of consortium]’ or ‘on behalf of the [name of consortium]’, and the members of the consortium are listed elsewhere in the publication. This type of participation in consortium research can be mentioned elsewhere in the curriculum vitae. The list of publications must be based on the Vancouver system (e.g., Wilson DH, Thyson WT: Title of article. Am J Clin Patol 1991; 29:762–770). Each publication must be followed by: 1. The impact factor of the publication series (Journal Citation Reports) 2. The rank of the publication series in publications in the field (Journal Citation Reports) 3. Information on how many times the publication has been cited in the literature (Web of Science) The above information can be obtained from the Meilahti Campus Library Terkko. 4. Open access publications must be indicated by adding the words ‘open access’ in bold at the end of the citation. Only peer-reviewed open access publications are considered original publications, and they are assessed on a case-by-case basis. Applicants themselves must assess their experience of the publication process and its scientific nature.