Open position: Assistant Professor in Genomics of adaptation to climate change – Deadline 31 January 2023

Uppsala University’s tenure track system grants assistant professors the possibility to be assessed for promotion to the position as associate professor. The university provides support in various areas, such as scientific and educational development, leadership development as well as patent and innovation support. 

The Department of Ecology and Genetics is an international environment with staff and students from across the globe. Our research spans from evolutionary ecology and genetics to studies of ecosystems. The interaction between organisms and between organisms and the environment is often studied in an evolutionary perspective. For more information, see this link.

SciLifeLab is an academic collaboration between multiple Swedish universities and a distributed national research infrastructure with a distinct focus on all aspects of life science, from health to environmental research. The core mission of SciLifeLab is to provide technologies facilitating the large-scale analysis of biological processes at the molecular level. The research infrastructure is closely intertwined with and promoted by our community of scientists in areas such as biomedicine, ecology and evolution. SciLifeLab brings scientists together across traditional boundaries and foster collaborations with industry, health care, public research organizations and international partners. As a SciLifeLab fellow the recruited assistant professor will be part of the vibrant SciLifeLab community both locally in Uppsala and in Sweden at large. For information about the SciLifeLab fellow program, see this link. SciLifeLab fellows are also part of a broad national fellows’ network of future academic leaders together with fellows from the Data-driven life science (DDLS) and Wallenberg centers for molecular medicine (WCMM) fellows. In close collaboration with EMBL, SciLifeLab recently launched a Planetary biology capability that together with the ongoing Data Driven Life Science program contributes to a strong development of Swedish research in areas relevant to the current position.

Description of subject area of the employment

In the face of the current global biodiversity crisis, we urgently need accurate predictions of how organisms and ecosystems respond to climatic change. Insights into the genomics of adaptation to climate change forms part of the foundation for making such predictions. For example, there are several knowledge gaps in predicting the potential for temperature tolerance to evolve, including interpretation of signatures left by natural selection on thermal adaptation in the genome, detection of which metabolic pathways are involved, revealing how interactions among genetic loci affect climate adaptation and how eco-evo dynamics affect higher level processes such as carbon cycles at the ecosystem level. By using amenable study systems, next generation sequencing methods and other omics methods, experiments and appropriate modelling, such gaps in knowledge can be filled. We search for an assistant professor with research experience within this field, that can capitalize on the breath of expertice at the department to develop their research profile at the department of Ecology and Genetics.

The position is funded by SciLifeLab and comes with a generous start up package that will allow for the recruitment of a team.

Duties

• Research, teaching, and administration. Teaching duties include course responsibility and course administration and supervision of second- and third-cycle students.
• Follow developments within the subject area and the development of society in general that is important for the work at the university.

Appointment Period
The position can be held for a maximum of six years. An Assistant Professor can apply for promotion to Associate Professor. If the Assistant Professor is deemed suitable and fulfills the criteria for promotion established by the Faculty Board he/she shall be promoted to and employed as Associate Professor.

Qualifications Required

• PhD in ecological or evolutionary genomics, microbial molecular ecology or related fields in biology. Applicants who have obtained a PhD degree or achieved the equivalent competence in five years or less prior to the end of the application period will be given priority.
• Research Expertise and Teaching Expertise. It is necessary that the pedagogical skills, the research expertise and the professional skills are relevant to the content of the employment and the tasks that will be included in the employment.
• Applicants should have completed teacher training of relevance to operations at the University, comprising five weeks, or have acquired the equivalent knowledge. If special circumstances apply, this training for teachers in higher education may be completed during the first two years of employment.
• Documented ability to teach in Swedish or English is a requirement.
• Personal capabilities necessary to carry out fully the duties of the appointment, and to contribute to the development of the department.

Assessment Criteria/Ranking of applicants that fulfil the above-mentioned qualifications required

The ranking of eligible applicants will be based primarily on research and teaching expertise, of which weight will be primarily given to research expertise.

Research Expertise comprises research merits as well as the applicant´s potential to contribute to the future development of both research and teaching. In assessing research expertise research quality must be the prime consideration. The scope of research, primarily in regard to depth and breadth, must also be afforded consideration. In assessing research expertise special weight will be attached to research merits in ecological or evolutionary genomics.

Teaching Expertise comprises educational and teaching qualifications. In assessing teaching expertise teaching quality must be the prime consideration. The scope of teaching experience, in terms of both breadth and depth, must also be afforded consideration. In assessing teaching expertise special weight will be attached to merits in relevant fields of biology.

All merits must be documented in a manner that makes it possible to assess both quality and scope.

In filling this position the university aims to appoint the applicant who, following a qualitative holistic assessment of her/his competence and expertise, is judged to have the best potential to carry out and develop the relevant duties and to help advance operations.

Further information
In an overall assessment of the applicant’s qualifications, parental leave, part-time work relating to care of children, union assignments, military service, or the like are to be regarded as work experience.

University appointment regulations

Faculty appointment regulations

Instructions for application

About the employment

The employment is a temporary position, longer than 6 months. Scope of employment 100%. Starting date as soon as possible or as agreed. Placement: Uppsala

For further information about the position, please contact: Head of department, Anna Rosling, +46(0)18 741 6444, Anna.Rosling@ebc.uu.se or Head of program in animal ecology, Frank Johansson, +46(0)18 741 6488, Frank.Johansson@ebc.uu.se.

Please submit your application by 31 January 2023, UFV-PA 2022/3232.

In the event of any disagreement between the English and the Swedish versions of this announcement, the Swedish version takes precedence.

Further information can be found here.