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Assistant Professor Theoretical Biophysics (1.0 FTE)


Job description
We invite applications for a faculty position in the Department of Physics of Utrecht University to strengthen and broaden the research programme of the Institute for Theoretical Physics (ITP) in the area of Theoretical Biophysics. A strong commitment to teaching is imperative. In view of the gender balance we especially encourage qualified female scientists to apply.

The successful candidate will join the ITP of the Department of Physics of Utrecht University. In the ITP, research is conducted in areas that range from quantum and soft condensed-matter physics to particle physics, string theory, and cosmology, often in direct collaboration with experimental physicists, chemists, and mathematicians. The new staff is expected to develop a new research line in the direction of theoretical biophysics, in particular bio-inspired materials and devices, an area in which a full professor is concurrently being recruited to lead experiments in the Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science (DINS) in the Department of Physics. The new research line is expected to be complementary to the existing theoretical and experimental biophysics and soft-matter research activities at the ITP and DINS, and could possibly form connections with other biophysical research activities on the UU campus, for instance, in the Department of Biology, the University Medical Center Utrecht, or the Hubrecht Institute.

The ITP also shapes a vibrant and internationally oriented MSc programme Theoretical Physics and strongly contributes to the UU BSc programme Physics and Astronomy. The successful candidate is expected to actively contribute to these teaching activities on general physics. This includes developing and lecturing courses on biophysics, possibly also in the international BSc-programme Molecular and Biophysical Life Sciences that will start in 2021 in the Faculty of Science and in the minor Biophysics in the BSc-programme Physics & Astronomy. Moreover, the successful candidate is also expected to supervise BSc and MSc students with research thesis projects. On top of this we expect an enthusiastic attitude towards fund acquisition and outreach.

Qualifications
The successful candidate holds a PhD in Theoretical Physics (or a closely related field) and has a proven track record in the area of Theoretical Biophysics. The new staff is expected to start and lead a vigorous and independent research group largely based on external funding, and to be able to initiate and foster local, national, and international collaborations.

Moreover, a strong commitment to high-quality teaching at BSc, MSc, and PhD level is required and the candidate is therefore expected to acquire a basic teaching qualification (BKO).

Offer
This is an appointment of 1.0 FTE for the duration of five years. The successful candidate is offered a Tenure Track position, which will be subject to a mid-term evaluation after approximately 2,5 years and a final evaluation after four years. If the evaluations are positive, the position becomes permanent. The criteria to be met and the details of the track will be mutually agreed upon before the start of the appointment; the criteria will include success in research and education. Starting date of the appointment is envisaged to be as soon as possible but no later than September 1st, 2020. The starting date will be determined by mutual agreement. In case of a good performance, an indefinite employment is one of the possibilities. 

The minimum gross salary, depending on previous qualifications and experience, is €3,255 and the maximum gross salary is €5,656 per month (scale 10/11/12 of the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities) for a full-time employment. Besides that, you will receive a holiday allowance of 8 % and a year-end bonus of 8.3 %. Utrecht University also has an appealing package of terms of employment, including the choice for a good balance between work and private (a good arrangement for leave, among other things), possibilities for development and an excellent pension scheme. More information on working at Utrecht University can be found here.

About the organization
A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major societal themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Sustainability.

The Faculty of Science consists of six Departments: Biology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Information and Computing Sciences, Physics and Astronomy, Chemistry and Mathematics. The Faculty is home to 6,500 students and nearly 1,500 staff and is internationally renowned for the quality of its research. The Faculty's academic programmes reflect developments in today's society. Read the overall impression 2018 of the Faculty of Science.

The ITP is one of the four institutes in the Department of Physics and fosters close ties with several other research groups in the Faculty of Science. In the context of condensed-matter research strong connections already exist with the research groups within the Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science active in areas including soft-condensed matter, physical and colloid chemistry, biophysics, cold atoms, and nanophotonics. Joint grants, seminars, group meetings, and PhD- and MSc-projects shape mutual collaborations. The successful candidate is invited to strengthen and/or extend these collaborations, for instance also in the context of the Utrecht Focus Area Foundations of Complex Systems or the UU strategic themes Life Sciences and Sustainability, e.g. with the Department of Biology or other departments and institutes at the Utrecht Science Park.

The ITP is also part of the Delta-ITP, a consortium that joins theoretical physicists from the Universities of Amsterdam, Leiden and Utrecht. The primary aim of the D-ITP is to deepen the collaborations between the associated researchers, and the new staff is expected to actively contribute to this aim.

Additional information
For more information about this position, please contact Prof. Dr. R.H.H.G. (René) van Roij (Chair of the Selection Committee), via r.vanroij@uu.nl or +31 30 253 75 79. Please use "TT-UD theoretical biophysics" as subject header of e-mails.

Apply
To apply, please send your curriculum vitae, including a letter of motivation via the ‘apply’ button below.

All applications should include a cover letter, a detailed curriculum vitae with a list of publications, a research statement, a teaching statement, and three names and contact details of referees who may be approached by the selection committee. Please attach all material in a single .pdf file. As part of the selection procedure, invited candidates are expected to give an outline of their research plans in a written report and an oral presentation.

The application deadline is December 15, 2019, although invitations for an interview may be sent out prior to this date and the position remains open until it is filled.

Everyone deserves to feel at home at our university. We welcome employees with a wide variety of backgrounds and perspectives.  


The application deadline is
15/12/2019
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