Assistant Professor in Physics

Assistant Professor in Physics

Uppsala University

Uppsala, Sweden

Subject area

The subject area covers the full spectrum of physics and astronomy in which the department conducts research. To build a strong research profile, it is essential that your research connects to at least one of the department’s research programmes, thereby strengthening, enhancing, and/or complementing existing activities at the international forefront. The department’s research programmes are: Applied Nuclear Physics, Chemical and Biomolecular Physics, Condensed Matter Physics of Energy Materials, High Energy Physics, Instrumentation and Accelerators, Materials Physics, Materials Theory, Nuclear Physics, Observational Astrophysics, Physics Education Research, Quantum Matter Theory, Space and Plasma Physics, Theoretical Astrophysics, and Theoretical Physics.

Duties

You will work with:

• teaching. Teaching includes responsibility for courses, course administration, and supervision of doctoral students, in both Swedish and English. If you are not initially able to teach in Swedish, Swedish language training aimed at achieving this competence will be included in your duties;
• research. Research includes establishing and leading your own research group; publishing research results in internationally recognized peer-reviewed journals and presenting them at leading international conferences; actively applying for and securing external research funding from national and international funding agencies and/or through interdisciplinary collaborations;
• administration. To participate in the general academic duties of the Department of Physics and Astronomy. This includes serving on committees, taking on responsibilities beyond your own research and teaching assignments, contributing to the evaluation and development of teaching and research activities, working collaboratively with colleagues, and providing support and constructive feedback to colleagues;
• keeping up to date in your subject area and following developments in society that are relevant to your work at Uppsala University;
• contributing to collaboration with the wider society;
• colleagues to ensure a healthy and supportive work environment.

In choosing between eligible candidates, emphasis will primarily be given to both research and teaching expertise, according particular weight to research expertise. In addition, attention will be given to administrative and management expertise, as well as collaboration and outreach expertise.

Qualifications required

You must have:

• a PhD within Physics or Astronomy or directly related field. Preference will be given to applicants who have completed their PhD or attained equivalent expertise no more than seven years before the deadline for applications;
• research expertise in Physics and/or Astronomy. In addition to academic qualifications, research merits gained outside academia may also be taken into account, such as development of technology and capacity for innovation;
• had your main employment and conducted your research activities outside Sweden for at least the past four years immediately prior to the application deadline. Shorter stays in Sweden of a total of no more than twelve months may be accepted;
• publications with high scientific impact in well-established international journals;
• documented ability to successfully compete for and secure external research funding;
• experience presenting research results at leading international conferences relevant to the field;
• documented skills and expertise in productive research collaborations and in successfully leading projects;
• a clear research connection to active research areas within at least one of the department’s 14 research programmes;
• a research plan that clearly demonstrates an independent research profile and shows how the proposed research will strengthen, enhance, and/or complement research within at least one specified research programme at the department;
• teaching expertise, according particular weight to teaching and supervision in Physics and/or Astronomy. In addition to academic qualifications, educational and teaching qualifications from other activities may also be taken into account, which include, for example, supervision, internal training or mentoring programmes. The ability to link teaching to research is important;
• a documented ability to teach in Swedish or English;
• completed at least five weeks of teacher training for higher education of relevance to the organisation and its activities or be considered to have acquired the equivalent knowledge. The required training for teachers in higher education may be completed during the first two years of employment, if there are special circumstances;
• ability to work with other people and otherwise meet the demands of suitability required to perform the duties well;
• teaching expertise and research expertise that are relevant to the subject area and the duties that the position involves.

Other desirable/valuable qualifications

It would be an advantage if you have:

• established an independent research profile, for example through the award of substantial competitive funding, such as a start-up or establishment grant for at least three years from a university or external funding body;
• administrative expertise. Capacity to plan, organise and prioritise activities and to work in a structured manner that demonstrates an awareness of goals and quality;
• management expertise. Developing, coordinating and leading operations and staff;
• collaboration and outreach expertise. Interacting with the wider community, disseminating and exchanging information and translating research and development results into practical benefits. Popular science publications and lectures and public debate are examples of interactions with the wider community. Other examples are patent applications, commercialisation, and industry collaboration.