University of Oslo

The University of Oslo is Norway’s oldest and highest rated institution of research and education with 28 000 students and 7000 employees. Its broad range of academic disciplines and internationally esteemed research communities make UiO an important contributor to society.

Department of Biosciences (IBV) is one of nine departments at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. Research in the department is organised in five sections covering topics within biochemistry, molecular biology, physiology, cell biology, genetics, aquatic biology, toxicology, ecology, and evolutionary biology. Education across these topics is offered for around 380 bachelor, 170 master, and 75 PhD students.

With 52 permanent professors/associate professors, post-docs, researchers, technical, and administrative personnel, the Department has a total staff of 340 from more than 30 different countries. The Department aims to maintain high international standards within both research and teaching. The new bachelor program in bioscience is the first of its kind to include programming and computational modelling as core elements.

Job description

Applications are invited for a permanent position as associate professor in protein biochemistry at the Department of Biosciences.

The successful candidate should be an active researcher with a strong publication record for an associate professorship within the field of biochemistry and molecular biology. The successful applicant should be on an upward trajectory and is expected to have a strong potential to execute research projects at a high international level and to perform research in areas that will have synergistic effects with current research in the Section and the Department. The ideal candidate should address fundamental questions related to the function of proteins, and would have a research activity centered around topics such as enzymology, protein modifications, protein engineering, protein-containing complexes, focused on functional mechanisms of proteins in specific cellular pathways or processes. Candidates for the position should supply a research plan, which demonstrates how the applicant’s research will strengthen or create synergy effects with current research at the Department as well as considerations for exploitation of available infrastructure. Candidates are encouraged to contact current faculty members.

Research in the Section for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology involves investigations on the biochemical and molecular mechanisms underlying various key biological processes. Research topics include chromatin structure, gene expression, immune regulation, as well as the functional and structural characterization of enzymes and other proteins. The relevant processes are studied in organisms ranging from bacteria to mammals, both under normal and pathological conditions. The research groups participate in a number of research initiatives and programs involving scientists at other Departments at the Faculty, at other Faculties at UiO and elsewhere.

The Department of Biosciences has core facilities for advanced confocal microscopy, scanning- and transmission electron microscopy, protein mass spectrometry, high-throughput DNA sequencing, and a newly established ancient DNA laboratory. Other common research facilities include a phytotron, an animal facility including an aquarium, as well as field stations. In our adjacent departments, there are also instrumentation for biophysics, NMR and crystallography as well as a newly established centre for bioinformatics.

Qualification requirements

To qualify for appointment, the applicant must have completed a PhD and a productive postdoctoral period.The person appointed should be able to carry out research-based teaching in biochemistry and molecular biology at the bachelor, MSc and PhD levels, and to supervise MSc and PhD students.

The person appointed will perform and supervise research and carry out research-based teaching in the relevant fields. As the Department's new bachelor program in bioscience includes programming and computational modelling among its core elements, it may be considered an advantage if the candidate can contribute to teaching based on computing in bioscience education. The successful candidate will be expected to attract extramural research funding. A teaching load of 50 % applies, including courses under bachelor and master programmes, and supervision of the research of master and doctoral students. The person appointed can also be requested to undertake administrative duties.

In the assessment of applicants, emphasis will be placed on the research potential and then teaching and other academic qualifications, as well as those for management and administration. Personal qualities, such as ability to collaborate, communication skills and scientific leadership will be emphasized. The quality and extent of the applicants’ scientific production during the last five years will be given particular weight, as well as experience in modern research methods and techniques.

We offer

• salary NOK 607 700 – 713 600 per annum depending on qualifications in position as Associate professor (position code 1011)
• a professionally stimulating working environment
• attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement, in addition to Oslo’s family-friendly environment with its rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities
• the opportunity to apply for promotion to full professorship at a later stage

How to apply

The application must include:

• Cover letter (statement of motivation, summarizing scientific work and research interest)
• Summary of up to 3 selected scientific publications the applicant wishes to include in the evaluation describing their significance and impact
• Research plan including possible synergies with the Department’s sections with a emphasis on BMB (up to 5 pages)
• Portfolio organized in the following order:
  • CV (including complete list of education, PhD diploma, positions, pedagogical experience, administrative experience, project acquisition and coordination experience, and other qualifying activities)
  • List of scientific publications
  • Documentation of teaching qualifications, experience, and teaching philosophy
  • Documentation of external fund raising
  • Other qualifications, including administrative experience, the applicant wishes to have included in the evaluation

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system. Please note that all documents should be in English (or a Scandinavian language).

As a general rule an interview will be used in the appointment process, and it may be appropriate to require trial lectures. The basis for assessment will be the scholarly production of the applicant, other qualifications, pedagogical or educational, the applicant’s qualifications within leadership and administration as well as the general personal suitability. In ranking the competent applicants, the full range of qualifications will be considered and explicitly assessed.

Formal regulations

The successful candidate who at the time of appointment cannot document basic teaching qualifications will be required to obtain such qualifications within a two-year period.

The successful candidate must demonstrate mastery of both English and one of the Scandinavian languages as working languages. If an appointee is not fluent in a Scandinavian language, the appointee will be expected within a two-year period to learn sufficient Norwegian to be able to participate actively in all functions the position may involve.

Please see the rules for Appointments to Professorships and Associate Professorships and Rules for the assessment and weighting of pedagogical competence.

According to the Norwegian Freedom and Information Act (Offentleglova) information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure.

The University of Oslo has an agreement for all employees, aiming to secure rights to research results etc.

The University of Oslo aims to achieve a balanced gender composition in the workforce and to recruit people with ethnic minority backgrounds.

Contact information

• Professo Pål Falnes, telephone: +47 22854840, email: pal.falnes@ibv.uio.no
• Head of Department, Rein Aasland, telephone: +47 844563, email: rein.aasland@ibv.uio.no

For technical questions regarding the recruitment system, HR Adviser Torunn Standal Guttormsen, telephone: +47 22854272, email: t.s.guttormsen@mn.uio.no

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