Tenure Track Assistant/Associate/Full Professor Flyway Ecology, Scientific Director of BirdEyes, Centre for Global Ecological Change
Apply nowTenure Track Assistant/Associate/Full Professor Flyway Ecology, Scientific Director of BirdEyes, Centre for Global Ecological Change
We are searching for an Assistant, Associate or Full Professor, who can strengthen our position in the field of Flyway Ecology of migratory birds. The new staff member will be embedded in the Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES) of the Faculty of Science and Engineering, and is expected to lead the research centre BirdEyes, Centre for Global Ecological Change, as scientific director.
Tenure Track Assistant/Associate/Full Professor Flyway Ecology, Scientific Director of BirdEyes, Centre for Global Ecological Change
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What are you going to do?
As scientific director of BirdEyes, you are expected to ensure the continuation, sustainability, and excellence level of the existing transdisciplinary research portfolio, as well as further develop the scientific program of the centre aligned with the current long term ecological, evolutionary and societal research focus of BirdEyes and related projects. Within GELIFES you will connect with ongoing research and teach courses and supervise research projects at the BSc, MSc,PhD and postdoctoral level.
You will:
- develop and lead a strong research group that contributes to the profile of the research institute
- supervise BSc, MSc and PhD students
- acquire external funding
- promote the societal relevance of your research
- teach in and contribute to the development of the degree programmes, e.g., in Biology, Ecology & Evolution, Marine Biology and/or others
- contribute to university service, e.g., for participation in working groups and committees, in the domains of teaching, research and management.
At the stage of Assistant Professor with a research focus 60% of your time is for research, 30% for teaching activities and 10% for organizational tasks. At the stage of Associate / Full Professor with a research focus 40% of your time is for research, 40% for teaching activities and 20% for organizational tasks.
In addition, you will, in your role as scientific director of BirdEyes:
- lead the management team within the centre responsible for guiding the centre, and ensure the implementation of the vision and mission of the research centre
- provide scientific guidance to several research lines and groups operating within BirdEyes, across two faculties (see below)
- oversee the development and implementation of BirdEyes’ fundraising strategy
- coordinate and ensure the alignment of the ethical and scientific approach of the multiple projects in BirdEyes’ portfolio with the centre’s vision
- promote a transdisciplinary approach within BirdEyes by incentivising the close collaboration with the realm of the arts, and with stakeholders from nature conservation, policy, and local communities
- maintain close relationships with academic partners (e.g. NIOZ, UvA-IBED and the Fryske Akademy).
This position is opened by the Faculty of Science and Engineering in the context of their wish to make the interfaculty research centre BirdEyes-Centre for Global Ecological Change sustainable. The position falls within the attractive framework of ‘Career Paths in Science and Engineering’, which outlines the criteria and timeline for promotion. For more information about Career Paths in Science and Engineering, see: rug.nl/fse/cpse. Please consult the career path with a focus on research for the criteria for promotion.
Who are you?
An important part of the position is leading BirdEyes as scientific director, therefore we are looking for an experienced candidate. We have a preference for candidates at the associate or full professor level, but we also invite more senior candidates at the assistant professor level to apply.
We encourage you to apply if you have:
- a PhD degree in Ecology or other relevant field
- at least two years of postdoctoral experience outside of the Netherlands, preferably in a different country than where you received your PhD (can be compensated for after the appointment via extended research visits abroad)
- a relevant international network
- excellent research qualities, as shown by a publication record in international peer-reviewed journals and proceedings of renowned conferences
- a good track record in teaching, particularly ecology courses, appropriate to your career stage
- strong track record with involvement in creative communication of scientific data and outputs
- demonstrable societal engagement of key stakeholders
- demonstrable organizational competences
- cross-cultural sensitivity
- excellent command of spoken and written English
As Associate/Full Professor level, you should also have:
- received substantial research grants from external sources
- experience in leading a research group, and have shown capabilities in stimulating junior researchers and providing adequate supervision of PhD students
- teaching and organizational experience appropriate to your career stage
And you are/have:
- a team player with good communication skills
- excellent research qualities, as shown by a publication record in international peer-reviewed journals and proceedings of renowned conferences
- demonstrable potential / experience in managing a research group
- eager to work with citizen scientists, and popularize research
- able to acquire substantial research grants from external sources
- willing to obtain a University Teaching Qualification (Dutch: BKO) within three years
- able to speak the Dutch language or motivated to learn it
What can you expect from us?
- In accordance with the collective labor agreement for Dutch universities, we offer a salary of at least € 4.728 (schaal 11) up to a maximum of € 10.441 (hoogleraar 2) gross per month for a full-time employment contract.
- 232 vacation hours per year, based on a 38-hour workweek (1.0 FTE). You can also work more or fewer hours in exchange for more or fewer free hours. For example, with a 40-hour workweek, you save 96 extra free hours, and with a 36-hour workweek, you lose 96 hours.
- End-of-year bonus of 8.3% and 8% holiday allowance.
- Extensive opportunities for personal and professional development.
- The Faculty of Science and Engineering of the University of Groningen was the first on the European mainland to introduce a tenure track career policy, 20 years ago, and with significant success. We have attracted great talents that have contributed strongly to the worldwide leading position of our faculty’s ten research institutes. Our career system has helped our staff members to develop highly successful and rewarding academic careers. For more information about Career Paths in Science and Engineering, see: http://www.rug.nl/fse/cpse Please consult the career path with a focus on research for the criteria for promotion from associate professor to more senior positions.
Where will you be working?
At the University of Groningen (UG), researchers from all fields of academia and technology are working on academic challenges and societal questions. Lecturers prepare their students for meaningful careers within or outside the academic world. Interdisciplinary research and teaching, sharing of knowledge, collaboration with businesses, government institutions, and societal organizations are aspects that are of the utmost importance to this European top university. The UG aims to be an open academic community with an inclusive and safe working climate that invites you to add your value.
The Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE) provides teaching and research across a wide range of disciplines, from physics and biology to artificial intelligence, mechanical engineering, and pharmacy. In close collaboration with partners from industry, healthcare, and society, we contribute to the urgent challenges of our time, such as energy, sustainability, digitization, and medical technology. Our community is open and informal, with more than 7,000 students, 1,000 PhD students, and 1,400 staff members from all over the world. If you would like to learn more about the Faculty of Science and Engineering, visit rug.nl/fse.
The Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE) is the largest faculty within the University. We offer first-rate education and research in a wide range of science and engineering disciplines, from classical disciplines such as mathematics, astronomy and mechanical engineering as well as interdisciplinary fields, such as artificial intelligence, pharmacy and evolutionary life sciences. Our community is open with an informal atmosphere among students and staff from around the world.
The Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES) fills a special niche in the life sciences with an overall aim to integrate research in evolution and ecology that are traditionally studied in isolation in order to improve our understanding of fundamental biological processes. GELIFES is coordinating Adaptive Life (AL); one (of four) FSE-wide strategic research themes. AL specifically addresses the growing realization that proximate and ultimate approaches are connected and thus both necessary to advance our understanding and ability to predict adaptation across a wide array of systems by integrating neurobiological, physiological, behavioural, ecological and evolutionary perspectives.
BirdEyes is the transdisciplinary Centre for Global Ecological Change, a collaboration between the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE) and the Faculty Campus Fryslan (CF) of the University of Groningen, with FSE as “home faculty”. Due to the nature of its work and the strong connections to the region, BirdEyes has Leeuwarden in the province of Fryslan as its main location. BirdEyes started in 2022 with the intention to bridge three networks of scientific endeavour: (1) the Dutch institutions already collaborating tightly in the field of flyway ecology, especially with respect to meadow- and Wadden Sea birds (i.e. NIOZ, IBED-UvA and GELIFES-RUG), (2) the international networks of professional scientists and citizen scientists along the East Atlantic Flyway and other global flyways, and (3) the interdisciplinary connections between a variety of scientific institutions in Leeuwarden and the northern Netherlands (thus contributing within RUG to the Rudolf Agricola School for Sustainable Development and the Universiteit van het Noorden more broadly). In order to achieve its aims, BirdEyes to a large extent relies on third party funding; regional, national and international. BirdEyes has 15-20 staff members.
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Application procedure
After submitting your application, you will receive a confirmation by email.
The selection committee assesses your application and you will be notified as soon as possible whether you are invited for an interview.
We would like to get to know each other better in a first interview, which can take place either online or on location.
We may schedule a second interview with you. Depending on the position, this interview can be complemented with an assessment or guest lecture.
After a positive interview, we will discuss the terms of employment together. When everything is completed, we are happy to welcome you at the University of Groningen!
Interested?
Does this vacancy appeal to you? If so, click on the button below and apply straightaway.
Please add the following documents to your application:
- A cover letter in which you describe your motivation and qualifications for this specific position.
- A curriculum vitae, including:
o a list of your publications, highlighting five self-selected ‘best papers’
o your ORCID and/or ResearcherID
o a list of awarded grants with year, granting agency, title, as well as your role (single applicant, lead applicant or co-applicant) and the amount awarded
o summary of teaching experience: course name, teaching year, number of students, course level (BSc/MSc/PhD), and your role (e.g., coordinator/developer, lecturer, examiner, teaching assistant)
o summary of supervision: number of BSc/MSc/PhD students and postdocs, and your role (main supervisor, co-supervisor, daily supervisor, examiner). - A description of your scientific interests and plans (research statement), especially with regards to research on flyway ecology.
- A vision (1.5 pages maximum) on the role of BirdEyes in science, teaching and society, and how BirdEyes’ approach and mission fits into your scientific and professional
career and ambitions. - A list with names of three references, complete with title and contact information.
Do you have any questions or need more information?
-
Questions about the content of the job?
C Both
Full Professor
C.Both@rug.nl -
Questions about your application process?
Helena Rico Vasco da Silva
Policy Officer
Helena.Rico@rug.nl
Information about applying
When scheduling meetings, we will take your schedule into account as much as possible.
The University of Groningen considers social safety important. We strive to be a university where staff and students feel respected and at home, regardless of differences in background, experiences, perspectives, and identity. For more information, see also our page about our diversity policy.
Acquisition is not appreciated.
Onze selectieprocedure volgt de richtlijnen van de NVP Sollicitatiecode
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