Uppsala University, Department of Physics and Astronomy

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

The research conducted at the Department of Physics and Astronomy encompasses a wide range of physics topics, distributed over ten divisions.  Research in astronomy and astrophysics within the Division of Astronomy and Space Physics places particular emphasis on combining state-of-the-art instrumentation and observations with advanced physics-based modelling from first principles. The division has a broad teaching activity including popular astronomy courses for the public, core courses in astronomy and astrophysics, and highly specialised courses at the state-of-the-art of the field, as well as basic physics courses.  The division is active in public outreach activities.

Description of subject area of the employment
Astronomy and astrophysics research at Uppsala University studies the universe at all scales, far and near-by: galaxies far away, our own Milky Way, distant stars and their planets, our Sun, and down to processes at atomic scales.  Specifically, we have active research on atmospheric physics and chemical composition of the Sun and stars, atomic physics in astrophysical environments, characterisation of exoplanets and their atmospheres, evolved stars and their winds, Galactic archaeology, light sources and large-scale structure during cosmic dawn and the epoch of reionization, SETI, and stellar activity and magnetic fields.

To reach the scientific goals, astronomers at the division make use of a wide range of ground- and space-based observational facilities and missions, such as ALMA, ESO, Gaia, HST, JWST, and TESS, perform experiments at DESIREE accelerator and the Lund/Malmö FTS spectrometer to study atomic properties and processes, and use high-performance computing facilities at SNIC/UPPMAX to model astrophysical objects, observables, and processes, as well as to perform advanced analysis of observations. The division has been strongly involved in the development of the CRIRES+ instrument at the VLT, including the data reduction pipeline, and now in exploitation of the scientific data. The division is a full member of the 4MOST consortium and involved in several of the 4MOST surveys.  Further, the division has a leading role in maintaining the VALD database, has been involved in the VAMDC project, contributes to the preparation of the Plato mission, and leads the citizen-science Swedish Allsky Meteor Network project. Researchers at the division are involved in future projects/instruments/missions such as ANDES at the ELT, Ariel, Euclid, SKA, and the Terra Hunting experiment.

The division seeks candidates for an associate professor position in Astronomy and Astrophysics who will complement our research activities in one or more of the aforementioned established fields, and strengthen our teaching and supervision activities in astronomy and astrophysics in general (see detailed assessment criteria below). 

Duties

  • Teaching, research and administration. Teaching duties include course responsibility and course administration and supervision of second- and third-cycle students. Specifically, the holder of the position is expected to teach astronomy and astrophysics courses on basic and advanced levels, supervise students in astronomy and astrophysics across all levels, as well as to be able to teach basic physics courses.
  • Follow developments within the subject area and the development of society in general that is important for the work at the university.
  • The position may include leadership and administrative roles within the division, including actively maintaining and developing the work environment at the division.
  • Contribute to, and work for, the development of research, teaching, and outreach in astronomy and astrophysics in general, particularly in Sweden.

Qualifications Required

  • PhD in Astronomy, Astrophysics, Physics or a related field.
  • 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 must have completed teacher training of relevance to operations at the University, comprising 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.
  • Documented ability to teach in Swedish or English is a requirement unless special reasons prevail.
  • Personal capabilities necessary to carry out fully the duties of the appointment.

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, which will be given equal weight.

Research Expertise comprises research merits. In addition to academic merits, research merits from other activities, including technology development, may also be taken into account including research merits obtained outside the academy, which includes for example technology development and innovation ability. 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 studies of fundamental atomic processes, galaxies and cosmology (especially light sources and large-scale structure during cosmic dawn and the epoch of reionization), Galactic archaeology of the Milky Way, planetary systems and atmospheres (including exoplanets), or stellar physics (especially activity and magnetic fields, chemical compositions, atmospheres and winds).  Experience and interest in development of other research fields of the Division (e.g. instrumentation, telescope infrastructure, data analysis tools, data reduction software, and databases) is also a merit.  The candidate’s planned future research should overlap with the existing activity of the division.

Furthermore, consideration must be given to the capacity to plan, initiate, lead, and develop research and education in the third cycle, the ability to acquire funding for research in competition, as well as the demonstrated capacity to interact with others both within academia and in the wider community.

Teaching Expertise comprises educational and teaching qualifications. This expertise can have been achieved outside the academy through supervision, internal training, mentoring programs, etc. 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 teaching and supervision in astronomy and astrophysics.

Furthermore, consideration must be given to the capacity to plan, initiate, lead, and develop teaching and instruction, as well as the ability to connect research to teaching in respect to research in the subject at hand, subject didactics, as well as teaching and learning in higher education. 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.

Administrative Expertise is important for the employment and will be given consideration. Administrative expertise is demonstrated, for example, through the capacity to plan, organise, and prioritise work in an efficient and task-related manner as well as through the ability to assign and observe time frames. Expertise includes overall operational planning and the capacity to manage resources in a way that reflects operational priorities as well as the ability to work in a structured manner based on an awareness of goals and quality. Administrative expertise also includes entrepreneurship.

Management Expertise is important and will be afforded consideration. Management expertise is demonstrated through the capacity to lead operations and personnel, make decisions, take responsibility, and motivate others, providing them with what is needed for the efficient achievement of common goals. The abilities to coordinate the group and help create a sense of involvement, participation, and enjoyment in work and to deal with conflicts constitute further examples of demonstrated expertise.

Collaboration Expertise is important and will be afforded consideration. Collaborative expertise is demonstrated by the ability and skill of planning, organizing and implementing interaction with the surrounding community. Popular publications, public debate and lectures are examples of forms of interaction with the surrounding community. Other examples of collaboration are patent applications, commercialization and industrial cooperation. The ability to translate knowledge sharing with the surrounding community into activities of importance to the education's development and quality is part of the collaboration expertise.

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 permanent position (probationary period may be applied). Scope of employment 100%. Starting date as soon as possible or as otherwise agreed. Placement: Uppsala

For further information about the position, please contact: Prof. Paul Barklem, telephone: +46 18 481 5981, e-mail: paul.barklem@physics.uu.se.

Please submit your application by April 11 2023, UFV-PA 2022/5125.

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

If you are an international candidate, you will find a lot of information about working and living in Sweden at www.uu.se/joinus.

Type of employment Permanent position
Contract type Full time
First day of employment Soon as possible or as otherwise agreed
Salary Individual salary
Number of positions 1
Full-time equivalent 100%
City Uppsala
County Uppsala län
Country Sweden
Reference number UFV-PA 2022/5125
Union representative
  • Seko Universitetsklubben, seko@uadm.uu.se
  • ST/TCO, tco@fackorg.uu.se
  • Saco-rådet, saco@uadm.uu.se
Published 15.Feb.2023
Last application date 11.Apr.2023 11:59 PM CEST

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