Associate Senior Lecturer (DDLS Fellow) in data-driven research in Precision Medicine and Diagnostics
Uppsala University is a comprehensive research-intensive university with a strong international standing. Our ultimate goal is to conduct education and research of the highest quality and relevance to make a long-term difference in society. Our most important assets are all the individuals whose curiosity and dedication make Uppsala University one of Sweden’s most exciting workplaces. Uppsala University has over 54,000 students, more than 7,500 employees and a turnover of around SEK 8 billion.
General description of the DDLS Fellows programme
Data-driven life science (DDLS) uses data, computational methods and artificial intelligence to study biological systems and processes at all levels, from molecular structures and cellular processes to human health and global ecosystems. The SciLifeLab and Wallenberg National Program for Data-Driven Life Science (DDLS) aims to recruit and train the next-generation of data-driven life scientists and to create globally leading computational and data science capabilities in Sweden. The program is funded with a total of 3.1 billion SEK (about 290 MUSD) over 12 years from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg (KAW) Foundation.
The DDLS program will recruit 39 high-profile young group leaders and launch over 210 postdoctoral positions and establish a research school for 260 PhDs, including industry PhDs and postdocs. Fellows will be recruited to the 11 participating host universities/organizations, but brought together under a national DDLS program coordinated by SciLifeLab. The DDLS program has four strategic areas: cell and molecular biology, evolution and biodiversity, precision medicine and diagnostics, epidemiology and biology of infection. For more information, please see www.scilifelab.se/data-driven.
During 2022-2023, the first round of 20 young group leaders joined us as DDLS Fellows, and now we are looking to recruit an additional group of 19 fellows. Each DDLS Fellow will receive a recruitment package of 17 MSEK (about 1.6 MUSD) for a 5-year period, covering their own salary and other resources, such as two PhD students and postdoc positions. The Fellow positions are tenure-track with the host organizations assuming responsibility of the long-term faculty appointments following a tenure evaluation .
The future of life sciences is data-driven. Will you be leading that change with us? Apply now!
Description of the subject area: Data-driven precision medicine and diagnostics encompasses data integration, analysis, visualization and data interpretation for patient stratification, discovery of biomarkers for disease risk, diagnosis, drug response and health monitoring. Research in precision medicine is expected to use existing strong assets in Sweden and abroad, such as molecular data (e.g. omics), imaging techniques, electronic healthcare data, longitudinal patient and population registries and biobanks. The subject concerns research in the broad field of precision medicine and diagnostics with a strong computational profile. The overall aim is for the subject area to lead to innovative development and/or use of new data-driven methods based on machine learning, artificial intelligence or other computational techniques.
Duties: The position includes research, teaching and administration. Duties includes conducting research that reinforces and supplements ongoing research in the subject area. Responsibility for the development, coordination and implementation of teaching at the first, second and third-cycle levels within both the own and related research areas is included. Duties may also include administration, as well as internal and external commissions of trust. It also includes following development of the subject area for the position, as well as development of society in general.
Term of employment: Employment as an associate senior lecturer is a six-year career-development position. If there is special reason, however, the term of employment may be renewed for no more than two years. An associate senior lecturer may apply and be considered for promotion. A written application to be considered for promotion to senior lecturer must have been received by the board for the Disciplinary Domain of Medicine and Pharmacy no later than six months before the employment as associate senior lecturer ends. If the associate senior lecturer is assessed as suitable and meets the criteria for promotion, he or she shall be promoted and employed as a senior lecturer under a permanent contract.
Qualifications: According to chapter 4, section 4a of the Higher Education Ordinance, a person who has been awarded a PhD or has the corresponding research expertise is qualified for appointment as an associate senior lecturer. Primary consideration should be given to a person who has been awarded a PhD or achieved the equivalent expertise within five years of the deadline for application. According to section 5 of the Appointment Regulations for Uppsala University (AR), having the personal characteristics required to perform the duties of the post well is a general eligibility requirement for teachers.
The applicant must have a documented ability to teach in Swedish or English. Upon promotion to a higher teaching position, the applicant must demonstrate adequate skills in both Swedish and English to be able to contribute to the university’s internal work. See section 6, AR.
Assessment criteria: In the selection among more than one qualified applicant, research expertise will be assigned greater weight than teaching expertise. In the assessment of research expertise, particular weight will be assigned to research qualifications that illustrate the applicant’s capacity to make a strong contribution to the development of data-driven research in precision medicine and diagnostics. In addition, particular weight will be assigned to research that reinforces, augments and provides the prerequisites for collaboration with other research within the Faculty of Medicine or the Faculty of Pharmacy.
Research expertise refers to research qualifications. In assessing research expertise, research quality must be the primary consideration. The scope of research, primarily in regard to depth and breadth, must also be given consideration. Furthermore, consideration must be given to the capacity to plan, initiate, lead and develop research and education in the third cycle, the ability to acquire funding for research in competition, as well as the demonstrated capacity to interact with others both within academia and in the wider community. See section 20 AR. See also Section 11 of Guidelines and Assessment Criteria for Recruiting and Promoting Teachers at the Disciplinary Domain of Medicine and Pharmacy (GA).
Teaching expertise refers to teaching qualifications. In assessing teaching expertise, teaching quality must be the prime consideration. The scope of teaching experience, in terms of both breadth and depth, shall be given consideration. Furthermore, consideration must be given to the capacity to plan, initiate, lead, and develop teaching, as well as the ability to connect research to teaching based on research in the subject at hand, subject didactics, as well as teaching and learning in higher education. Collaborative teaching capacity and the ability to interact with actors inside and outside the University in relation to teaching and learning in higher education is also included in teaching expertise. See section 22 AR. See also chapter 12 GA.
The applicant should have completed at least five weeks training in teaching and learning in higher education relevant to the area, or have equivalent skills. If the applicant was unable to complete such a qualification prior to employment, the qualifying training in teaching and learning in higher education must be completed during the first two years of employment. See section 39 AR.
Assessment criteria, other expertise:
Administrative and management expertise are also significant to the position and will be assigned weight. The ability to collaborate with the wider community and to communicate information about research and development work will be taken into account.
Administrative expertise is demonstrated through, for example, the capacity to plan, organise and prioritise work in a suitable and effective manner, as well as the ability to specify and adhere to time frames. This form of expertise includes overall work planning; ability to manage resources in a way that reflects operational priorities; and ability to work in a structured manner and on the basis of an awareness of goals and quality. See also chapter 28 AR. See also chapter 13 GA.
Management expertise is demonstrated through the ability to lead operations and staff, make decisions, take responsibility and motivate others and provide them with the prerequisites for effectively achieving common goals. Further examples of demonstrated expertise include the ability to coordinate the group, foster commitment, encourage participation and create job satisfaction, as well as the ability to manage conflicts, cf. §§ 30 and 31 of the Appointment Regulations and § 13 of the Guidelines and Assessment Criteria.
When assessing collaborative expertise, experience with and expertise in education and outreach, editorships and other activities related to knowledge exchange between the University and the surrounding community, as well as experience with innovation and entrepreneurship, shall be of significance. See also § 14, GA.
When the University appoints new teachers those applicants will be selected who, following a qualitative holistic assessment of their competence and expertise, are judged to have the best potential to carry out and develop the relevant duties and to contribute to a positive development of the operations. See section 4 AR.
The gender equality aspect must be applied in connection with employment if it proves, after qualitative assessment, that two applicants of different genders have equivalent or near-equivalent qualifications and one of the genders is under-represented (accounts for less than 40 percent within the relevant position category and at the relevant workplace).
All qualifications must be documented to permit assessment of both quality and scope. Personal circumstances (such as parental leave) that may be in the applicant’s favour in the evaluation of qualifications should be stated in the list of qualifications and experience.
We welcome your application, no later than October 15 2023, UFV-PA 2023/2217.
In the event of any disagreement between the English and the Swedish versions of this announcement, the Swedish version takes precedence.
Are you considering moving to Sweden to work at Uppsala University? If so, you will find a lot of information about working and living in Sweden at http://www.uu.se/joinus. You are also welcome to contact International Faculty and Staff Services at ifss@uadm.uu.se.