Associate Professor in Seismology with Specialization in Crustal and Lithospheric Studies

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 Department of Earth Sciences at Uppsala University is Sweden´s largest and most versatile department of its kind. We have approximately 280 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. By investigating the history of Earth, we understand how our planet has developed over time and how sustainable development benefits from this knowledge.

The Geophysics Program at the Department of Earth Sciences is Sweden’s largest and broadest such university program housing expertise in earthquake seismology, reflection seismology, electromagnetic methods, petrophysics, rock mechanics and geodynamic modelling among 45 staff members.  The program runs the Swedish National Seismic Network (SNSN), consisting of 67 permanent broadband seismographs and an instrument pool for passive seismic field studies, providing a platform for crustal and lithospheric studies in Fennoscandia and elsewhere.  The program has extensive instrumentation for active-source reflection/refraction seismology and leads the Smart Exploration Research Centre developing seismic, electromagnetic and interpretation methods for near-surface and crustal-scale studies for critical-mineral exploration. The program operates petrophysical and geomechanical labs and is part of a national drilling infrastructure program with access to a drilling rig and downhole probes for physical properties and in-situ-stress measurements. Further information about the department and program can be found at https://www.uu.se/institution/geovetenskaper/.

Description of subject area of the employment
The subject area for this position includes seismology with an emphasis on regional structures and seismicity, who can complement and strengthen ongoing geophysical research on crustal and lithospheric architecture and processes. Some emphasis is expected on exploiting data from SNSN and other temporary collaborative projects in the Fennoscandian region to evaluate the imprint of early processes in this ancient region. We seek a person with documented ability to communicate on a multidisciplinary level to conclude seismological studies with process models and hypotheses.

Duties

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

Qualifications Required:

• PhD in geophysics/seismology or related geosciences.
• 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 seismology and lithospheric processes. Experience and expertise in organizing and conducting seismological field experiments are considered advantageous.

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 may 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 seismology, geodynamics and training students in the field.

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.

Other 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 position
The position is permanent, probationary period may be applied. Full time position. Starting date by agreement. Placement: Uppsala

For further information about the position, please contact: Professor Olafur Gudmundsson, +46 18 471 2788, olafur.gudmundsson@geo.uu.se

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

Please submit your application by 15 January 2025, UFV-PA 2024/3750.

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