Closed:Up to five associate professor positions in bioinformatics, University of Bergen, Norway

Question

[Michael]

The University of Bergen (UiB) is an internationally recognised research university with more than 14,000 students and close to 3,500 employees at six faculties. The university is located in the heart of Bergen. Our main contribution to society is excellent basic research and education across a wide range of disciplines.

Associate professors in bioinformatics - up to five positions

Computational Biology Unit - Departments of Biology, Chemistry, Clinical Science, Informatics, Molecular Biology

UiB has established the Computational Biology Unit (CBU – www.cbu.uib.no) as a centre for research and education within the field of bioinformatics. CBU hosts research groups from multiple linked departments at the faculties of mathematics and natural sciences and medicine and odontology. Together with the Department of Informatics, CBU offers bachelor, master, and PhD programs within bioinformatics. CBU performs fundamental bioinformatics research involving development of novel methods - either as a goal on its own or as a means to pursue a biological research topic. CBU leads the Norwegian Node of ELIXIR, the pan-European research infrastructure for bioinformatics – www.elixir.org, a national research school in bioinformatics, biostatistics, and systems biology (www.norbis.no), and plays a central role within the research centre Digital Life Norway (www.ntnu.edu/dln).

Check out the full job announcement on Jobbnorge for more information and to apply

Associate professors in bioinformatics - up to five positions

With support from the Bergen Research Foundation (http://bfstiftelse.no/?lang=en) CBU will be strengthened with five new group leader positions. The ambition is to boost bioinformatics and computational life science research and education at UiB – through a strong centre with critical mass at the CBU and through tight collaboration with linked UiB departments. The five positions are announced as associate professor ('førsteamanuensis') posts, each within one of 5 linked departments. Each of the appointed candidates will hold office both at CBU and at a relevant university department as specified in this call. We seek ambitious candidates who will contribute to research and educational activities both within CBU and at the relevant departments. When appointed, candidates may apply to be promoted to full professor – depending on qualifications. An applicant wishing to be considered for more than one position should address the relevant positions in the research plan and in the letter of motivation including a list prioritizing between the positions applied for.

Associate professor position at the Department of Biology

The Department of Biology (http://www.uib.no/en/bio) has a strong international position within biology, with research and education across a diversity of themes including phylogeny, molecular biology, microbiology, ecology, biodiversity, environmental toxicology, developmental biology, fisheries, aquaculture and fish health. More than 2/3 of the research activity at the department is marine. We seek a candidate with a PhD degree and a strong theoretical and practical background in computational biology and bioinformatics, and in related methods development. The successful candidate should in addition have research experience within one or more of the themes mentioned above. The candidate must also be clearly motivated to engage in research towards areas relevant for the Department of Biology.

For more information, see www.cbu.uib.noor contact Head of Department, prof. Ørjan Totland ([e-mail], phone [phone]) or Director of CBU, prof. Inge Jonassen ([e-mail], phone [phone]).

Associate professor position at the Department of Chemistry

The Department of Chemistry (http://www.uib.no/en/kj) is engaged in research on a wide range of topics within basic and applied chemistry and plays a pivotal role in research-based study programs in chemistry, pharmacy, medical technology, nanoscience and -technology, process- and petroleum technology, energy technology, environmental studies, and teacher’s education. The department hosts the Norwegian National NMR Platform and is presently acquiring specialized instrumentation for metabolomics studies.

We seek candidates with a demonstrated preference for molecular and structural concepts and models in their research and a strong track record in cheminformatics, metabolomics or computational chemistry. Documented experience and interests for methods development is an advantage, as is an interest and talent for applying their methods to real-world problems. The successful applicant must show ability and willingness to develop a line of research that interacts constructively with one or several ongoing activities at the Department of Chemistry. The department would in particular like to develop such interactions with activities within design of bioactive molecules and metabolomics studies.

For more information, see www.cbu.uib.no or contact Head of Department, prof. Knut Børve ([e-mail], phone [phone]) or Director of CBU, prof. Inge Jonassen ([e-mail], phone [phone]).

Associate professor position at the Department of Clinical Science

The Department of Clinical Science is one of five Departments at the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry. The Department of Clinical Science comprises 330 scientific and technical administrative staff serving 21 research groups within oncology, infectious diseases, hematology, cardiology, pulmonary medicine, endocrinology, geriatrics, microbiology, immunology, pediatrics, gynecology, pharmacy, pharmacology, and genetics.

We seek a candidate with a strong theoretical and practical background within computational biology and bioinformatics. The appointed candidate is expected to develop his/her own independent research related to human medicine and obtain funding for this. The candidate will be affiliated with a research group (groups) based on discussion with Head of Department.

For further information, see www.cbu.uib.noor contact Head of Department, prof. Per Bakke ([e-mail], phone [phone]), or Director of CBU, prof. Inge Jonassen ([e-mail], phone [phone]).

Associate professor position at the Department of Informatics

The Department of Informatics is hosting CBU, the appointed candidate will have an office at CBU. The Department of Informatics (http://www.uib.no/en/ii) received the best evaluation among computer science departments in Norway in the 2012 ICT evaluation. The research is organized in six research groups: algorithms, bioinformatics (CBU), optimization, programming theory, reliable communication, and visualization. We seek a candidate with a PhD degree and a strong theoretical and practical background in computational biology and bioinformatics.

For more information, see www.cbu.uib.noor contact Head of Department, prof. Petter Bjørstad ([e-mail], phone [phone]) or Director of CBU, prof. Inge Jonassen ([e-mail], phone [phone]).

Associate professor position at the Department of Molecular Biology

The Department of Molecular Biology (http://www.uib.no/en/mbi) has a broad research and teaching portfolio with major competences in protein sciences, cell signaling, metabolism and computational biology. The department is organized into research programs hosted in shared laboratory spaces and using common instrumentation and facilities. These facilities include tissue culture, DNA-sequencing, a zebra-fish facility as well as a protein analytical laboratory. The Department has state-of-the-art equipment for biomolecular research such as surface plasmon resonance, ITC and LC-MS/MS. A new NMR core facility is situated in the neighboring building, and offers excellent accessibility and support.

The Department seeks to recruit a scientist with strong interest and experience in developing and applying computational methods relevant to experimental molecular biology. The successful candidate is expected to engage in intra-departmental collaborations or set up own experimental activities with the aim of combining computational and experimental approaches. Applicants with a research focus on protein modifications, metabolism (including lipid metabolism) or RNA biology or who will strengthen the Department's research activity within biomolecular structure-function relationships or signaling and regulation in biological systems will be preferred.

For more information, see www.mbi.uib.noor contact Head of Department, prof. Mathias Ziegler ([e-mail], phone [phone]) or Director of CBU, prof. Inge Jonassen ([e-mail], phone [phone]).

Qualification requirements

• Doctoral degree in relevant field (see each position description above)
• Proven theory competence in bioinformatics
• Proven experience in development and application of bioinformatics methods
• Interest and ability to contribute to research activity at CBU and at the relevant department (see each position description above)
• Independent research experience
• Interest and experience in teaching (bachelor and/or master levels) and supervising students (master/PhD)
• Ability to work independently and in a structured manner, and to cooperate with others
• Fluency in both written and oral English
• Basic pedagogical training is a requirement for the position. The successful applicant will be offered training if this requirement is not met prior to employment

The teaching language will normally be Norwegian. The successful applicant will be required to teach in Norwegian or another Scandinavian language within two years of being appointed.

We can offer

• A good and professionally challenging working environment
• Starting salary for associate professors is at level 64-72 (code 1011/pay framework 24.8); currently NOK 556 700 – 648 100 gross p.a. Automatic salary increases will occur at fixed intervals within the pay framework. In the case of particularly highly qualified applicants higher salaries will be considered.
• Enrolment in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• A position in an inclusive workplace (IA enterprise)
• Good welfare benefits
• Associate professors have the opportunity to apply for personal promotion to a full professorship. The annual closing date for such applications is 15 September.
• Each position as associate professor will be awarded one PhD position (4 years).

For more information regarding what the University of Bergen can offer its employees, please visit: http://www.uib.no/en/poa/74243/what-can-university-bergen-offer-its-employees General information

Closing date for applications: 15 April 2017

Requirements to teaching

The teaching language will normally be Norwegian, but may also be English. The successful applicant must be able to teach in Norwegian or one of the other Scandinavian languages within two years of his/her appointment.

Basic teaching training is also a requirement, but the successful applicant who does not have such competence at the time of his/her appointment will be offered training and will be required to produce evidence of such training within one year of the date of appointment. This deadline is extended to two years for the successful applicant who does not master a Scandinavian language at the time of appointment.

Please note that the holder of the position may be requested to undertake teaching, supervision and exam-related work outside the organizational unit they belong to, as stipulated in the general guidelines and rules provided by the University of Bergen.

At the University of Bergen teaching qualifications are to be given real weight in appointments to middle and top academic positions.

Applicants must produce evidence of their own teaching qualifications. This can be done by submitting, for instance:

• evidence of completed teaching training
• evaluation reports of the applicant's teaching
• overview over scope and level of teaching
• overview over supervision of post-graduate and doctoral candidates, and results obtained
• student awards received
• own teaching publications
• own teaching compendia and material
• reports showing participation in projects related to the development of teaching, such as alternative forms of teaching, supervision or teaching environments

Appointment takes place based on the recommendation of an expert committee and an independent assessment from the appointing authority including interviews and any testing of teaching competence.