Professor of Medical Biochemistry - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

The Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology (IMBIM) at Uppsala University constitutes a broad international environment for research and education. Research at IMBIM is conducted within three collaborative and partially integrated sections: cancer, infections and immunity, and genetics and genomics. A more detailed description is available at https://www.imbim.uu.se/research-areas/.

Subject area: The professorship in medical biochemistry is part of the section "Cancer" at IMBIM. The research within this section covers a wide spectrum including protein chemistry, molecular cell and tumor biology and glycobiology. Both research and education focus on molecular mechanisms with medical relevance, in disease as well as in physiology. The breadth of the subject area allows integration with other areas at IMBIM such as immunology, virology, bacteriology and genomics.

Duties: Research, teaching and administration. The applicant is expected to work within a subject area that complements and strengthens ongoing research within the section and which can develop collaboration within Uppsala University and in particular the Faculty of Medicine. Teaching includes responsibility for development and delivery of teaching at the first, second and third cycle levels in the subject area of medical biochemistry, which includes everything from structure and function of biomolecules to metabolism. Furthermore, the duties include course responsibility, course administration and supervision of doctoral students. The successful applicant should also follow the development in his/her subject area and its relation to the society.

Qualifications: To be eligible for employment as a professor, the applicant must have shown both research and teaching expertise (Swedish Higher Education Ordinance, Chapter 4, Section 3). Under the Appointment Regulations for Uppsala University, having the personal characteristics required to perform the duties of the post well is a general eligibility requirement for teachers (AR 5).

Research expertise must have been demonstrated by independent research work and by the fact that the applicant’s activities maintain a high international and national standard. The applicant must have demonstrated expertise in planning, initiating, leading, and developing research, have demonstrated the capacity to obtain research funding in competition, and demonstrate well-documented expertise in supervising third-cycle students. The applicant’s contributions to the international and national academic community must be assessed on the basis of, among other things, the quality and scope of their academic publications in international journals.

Teaching expertise must have been demonstrated by educational and teaching qualifications (see Section 23 AR). Furthermore, the applicant must demonstrate documented expertise in supervision in the first, second and third cycles. A prerequisite for having demonstrated teaching expertise is that applicants have completed a relevant teacher training for higher education at the University, comprising at least ten 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. The teacher training must also include third cycle supervision.

The applicant must have a documented ability to teach in Swedish and English. If special circumstances apply, applicants who are unable to teach in Swedish are expected to acquire this ability within two years.

Assessment criteria: In the assessment of more than one qualified applicant, research expertise will be assigned greater weight than teaching expertise. In the assessment of research expertise, particular weight will be assigned to research qualifications in areas that give a molecular understanding of cellular and physiological processes connected to medically relevant questions, and which can complement and develop ongoing research at IMBIM within the subject area. This includes the potential to collaborate with researchers in other areas within Uppsala University, particularly within the Faculty of Medicine, to initiate, run and participate in cross-disciplinary research projects. Furthermore, skills and experience in using experimental techniques will be considered important and developing and applying innovative experimental approaches is an additional merit. Particular weight will be assigned to scientific output from the last ten years.

Research expertise refers primarily to scientific quality. Consideration will also be given to the scope, i.e., the depth and breadth of the research. Furthermore, consideration will be given to the capacity to plan, initiate, lead and develop research and education in the third cycle, the ability to acquire research funding in competition, as well as the demonstrated capacity to interact with others in the wider community. (20 AR).

See also Guidelines and Assessment Criteria for Recruiting and Promoting Teachers at the Disciplinary Domain of Medicine and Pharmacy (GA, section 3).

In assessing teaching expertise, teaching quality will be the prime consideration. The scope of teaching experience, in terms of both breadth and depth, will also be considered. Furthermore, the capacity to plan, initiate, lead, and develop teaching and instruction, as well as the ability to connect research to teaching will be assessed. The ability to interact concerning issues of teaching and learning in higher education with actors inside and outside the University is also included in teaching expertise. See also § 4 of GA. 

When the university appoints new teachers those applicants must be selected who, following a qualitative holistic assessment of their competence and expertise, are judged to have the best potential to carry out and develop the relevant duties and to help advance operations. Personal suitability will be assigned importance in this respect.

Assessment criteria, other expertise: Administrative expertise and management expertise are important for the appointment and will both be assigned weight. The ability to collaborate with the surrounding community and to communicate information about research and development work will be taken into account.

According to the Appointment Regulations for Uppsala University, administrative expertise is demonstrated through, for example, the capacity to plan, organise and prioritise work in a manner that is effective and adapted to the purpose, as well as the ability to specify and adhere to time frames. This form of expertise includes overall work planning; ability to manage resources in a way that reflects operational priorities; and ability to work in a structured manner and on the basis of an awareness of goals and quality. See also section 5, GA.

Management expertise is demonstrated through ability to lead activities and staff, make decisions, assume responsibility, motivate others and provide them with what they require for the effective achievement of common objectives. Ability to coordinate a group and to help generate a sense of commitment, enhance participation and enjoyment of work, and ability to deal with conflicts, are further examples of how expertise is demonstrated. See also § 5 of GA.

When assessing collaborative expertise, experience with and expertise in education and outreach, editorships and other activities related to knowledge exchange between the University and the surrounding community, as well as experience with innovation and entrepreneurship, shall be of significance. See also § 6 of GA.

The gender equality aspect must be applied in connection with employment if it proves, after qualitative assessment, that two applicants of different genders have equivalent or near-equivalent qualifications and one of the genders is under-represented (accounts for less than 40 percent within the relevant position category and at the relevant workplace). The applicant’s parental leave, part-time work due to care of children or the like will be taken into account as qualifying work experience.

Salary: Salary will be set individually

Starting date: As agreed

Form of employment: Permanent position

Extent of employment: 100 %

Information regarding the appointment may be obtained from: Head of Department Catharina Svensson, 0046-(0)70-4250385.

Appointment Regulations for Uppsala University

Guidelines and Assessment Criteria

For instructions for applying for teacher positions, please refer to: Career portfolios 

We welcome your application, which should preferably be written in English, no later than 28 February 2022, UFV-PA 2021/3489.

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