Assistant Professor in geology with a focus on critical mineral deposits - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

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 Earth Sciences at Uppsala University is Sweden’s largest and most versatile department of its kind with approximately 250 employees. Our activities are interdisciplinary and combine natural science and technology with social science. We have research programs in air, water and landscape science; geophysics; natural resources and sustainable development; petrology, mineralogy and tectonics; paleobiology, and wind energy.  The research fields cover various aspects on the Earth history and how the planet has evolved over time and is applied to obtain a sustainable development. Further information about the department can be found at www.geo.uu.se.

The department coordinate a nationwide research centre for exploration of critical raw materials (for 2024-2029), supported by the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research (SSF) and global players in this field. While the focus will be on new solutions covering a wide range of topics and scales from geology, geophysics, geochemistry, mineral economy, drilling, tech-type solutions for effective exploration, to nanotech for geometallurgical applications, there are also aspects related to ESGs (environmental, social and governance). The centre has a number of core partners from Stockholm University, Lund University and University of Gothenburg as well as Tyréns, Epiroc, Smarkand2015, Amkvo, BitSim, Nordic Iron Ore, Eurobattery Minerals and First Quantum Minerals and is supported by Nordic Geological Surveys and several global exploration and mining companies. The assistent professor position will be placed within the Mineralogy, Petrology and Tectonics program of the Department.

Description of subject area of the employment:
The successful candidate will conduct research within a series of planned innovative works inside and outside Sweden funded by a number of industry and research funding organizations (e.g., The Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research, SSF) and within the recently established Smart Exploration Research Centre for sustainable and responsible exploration of critical raw materials. While the topic of the project is broad, we are looking for candidates with interest on petrological investigations of mineralized systems, mineralogy of mine waste and tailings, lithospheric characteristics on ore forming processes and instrumentation, in its widest sense, linked to mineral exploration. The candidate will work within a larger research team, including experts from different institutions and companies partnered in the research center. A major component of the work will be on mineralogical and petrological protocols from methodological to experimental approaches and will include joint interpretations with other geological and geophysical data. The project includes fieldwork, and the candidate should be willing to spend time in the field for sample and data collection alone or with other people involved in the Smart Exploration Research Centre.

Duties:

• Teaching, research and administration. Teaching duties include course responsibility and course administration and supervision of second- and third-cycle students. Research on petrological investigations of mineralized systems, mineralogy of mine waste and tailings, lithospheric characteristics on ore forming processes and instrumentation, in its widest sense, linked to mineral exploration.
• 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 coordination of the Master Program in Earth Science.
• Fieldwork, optical and electron microscopy and other analytical methods for petrological and mineralogical investigations.

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 mineralogy or petrology or structural geology. 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 unless special reasons prevail. Some command in Swedish is advantageous.
• Personal qualities required to perform the job well.

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 mineralogy, petrology, and structural geology, including geothermobarometry and phase equilibrium modelling, research on rare earth-bearing phosphates, and other economically important minerals, experience in electron microprobe analysis  and Raman spectroscopy.

The position requires a strong publication record and a documented skill in attracting external funding.

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 teaching on mineralogy, petrology, analytical methods, and field courses.

Collaboration Expertise is important and will be afforded high consideration.  

Other Expertise: driving license is desirable. Knowledge of Swedish is desirable.

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

For further information about the position, please contact Associate Professor Karin Högdahl, e-mail: karin.hogdahl@ge.uu.se and/or Professor Jaroslaw Majka, e-mail: jaroslaw.Majka@geo.uu.se.

Please submit your application by 7 August 2024, UFV-PA 2024/1932.

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