Researcher/Group Leader in Wood Biology
Researcher/Group Leader in Wood Biology
SLU - Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Umeå, Sweden
A position as a group leader (principal investigator) is available in the field of wood biology at the Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Biology, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Umeå. The Department is part of Umeå Plant Science Centre (UPSC) which is a centre of excellence for experimental plant research and forest biotechnology. Our mission is to perform excellent and innovative basic research and generate knowledge that benefits forestry, agriculture, environment and society. We work across a wide range of disciplines in plant science reaching from cell biology to ecophysiology and from basic research to industrial applications. Our common goal is to understand plants’ ability to grow, adapt and acclimate to a changing world and how we can breed better plants.
UPSC hosts several large research grants from the European Research Council, Wallenberg Foundation, Novo Nordisk Foundation, and Swedish Research Council. State-of-the art infrastructure consists of facilities for plant growth, microscopy, bioinformatics, metabolomics and photosynthesis. Work within wood biology is facilitated by automatic phenotyping platform of trees, tree transformation platform, biopolymer analytical platform and atomic force microscopy. Easy access to several other technologies, such as biochemical imaging, cryo electron microscopy, small molecule screening, and vibrational spectroscopy, is facilitated by the Chemical Biological Centre.
Research area
The planned research topic of the applicant should focus on a specific aspect of wood formation, such as wood analytical chemistry, genetics and genomics, growth and development, or interactions with the surrounding environment.
About the position
The candidate should
- develop and lead internationally outstanding research;
- apply external research grants;
- publish in peer-reviewed scientific journals;
- collaborate with other research groups within UPSC;
- develop and maintain national and international networks with academia, industries, organisations and society;
- contribute to the strategic development of the department and UPSC;
- communicate research results and other relevant subject information to the surrounding community.
Your profile
The applicant must meet the following eligibility requirements
- PhD;
- Postdoctoral studies;
- expertise in the research area;
- experience with teaching and supervision;
- good knowledge of English.
Assessment criteria
The following will be assessed
- completed and ongoing research;
- scientific quality and feasibility of the research proposal;
- complementarity of the research project to the UPSC environment;
- ability to independently initiate and conduct outstanding research;
- ability to obtain external research funds in competition;
- planning and implementation of teaching;
- supervision and examination of Master’s or doctoral students;
- ability to develop and lead activities and staff within the academy;
- collaborations with external stakeholders and the surrounding community;
- ability to communicate research and development work.
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