Job description
We are looking for an Assistant or Associate Professor who can strengthen our position in the field of technological and biopharmaceutical aspects of advanced dosage forms. With the ultrafast development and introduction of mRNA-based vaccines against COVID, a next step has been taken in the advanced administration of complex drugs and vaccines. However, this was not accompanied by a similar development of novel formulation technologies and dosage forms. Research into useful forms of administration and a deeper understanding of their biopharmaceutical performance are essential in order to be able to use the mRNAs as a therapeutic agent, in addition to being used as a vaccine. This transition to mRNA-based therapeutics would require the development of formulations and delivery systems that, in contrast to current mRNA vaccines (which are administered as non-targeted lipid nanoparticles), are able to specifically exert their effect in targeted cells, as well as simpler forms of administration that can be used safely and on a regular basis. The candidate is expected to (further) develop an excellent research line on the technological and biopharmaceutical aspects of advanced dosage forms, with the aim to open up new application fields (especially with regard to mRNA-based therapeutics and therapeutic proteins) and to establish collaborations with relevant industrial and academic stakeholders.
A successful candidate will be able to link various aspects of material science, chemical and physical technology and engineering, through dosage form design and formulation, to the application of drugs in patients using the most optimal dosage form regarding the biology, pathology, route of administration and convenience of use. Physicochemical research on pure compounds and excipients forms the basis for the design and characterization of novel dosage forms in vitro and in vivo, up to the level of testing in healthy volunteers and patients.
In this position you will:
- as an Assistant Professor, set up and develop your own research line and research group in the field described above
- as an Associate Professor, develop a strong research group that contributes to the profile of your research institute, incorporating the research themes described above
- supervise PhD candidates
- acquire research funds from external sources
- promote the societal relevance of your research
- teach in and contribute to the development of courses in the Bachelor and Master programs of Pharmacy
- contribute to the organization of the faculty, for example by participating in working groups and committees, in the domains of teaching, research and management.
At the stage of Assistant Professor 60% of your time is for research, 30% for teaching activities and 10% for organizational tasks.
At the stage of Associate Professor 40% of your time is for research, 40% for teaching activities and 20% for organizational tasks.
OrganizationThe University of Groningen is a research university with a global outlook, deeply rooted in Groningen, City of Talent. Quality has been our top priority for over four hundred years, and with success: the University is currently in or around the top 100 on several influential ranking lists.
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, to interdisciplinary fields such as artificial intelligence, pharmacy and nanoscience. Our community has an open and informal character with students and staff from around the world.
The position we offer will be embedded in the Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy (GRIP), and specifically in the research group Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmacy. Although GRIP is positioned within the Faculty of Science and Engineering, it is physically located within the University Medical Centre Groningen (UMCG) of the Faculty of Medical Sciences – hence, in ideal proximity to benefit from collaborations between the two faculties. Together with Medical Sciences, GRIP participates in the joint UMCG-FSE Research Institute GUIDE (Groningen University Institute for Drug Exploration). Pharmaceutical research within GRIP is highly multidisciplinary. It bridges the clinical and biomedical sciences on the one hand, and chemistry, mathematics (statistics) and physics on the other. The interaction between the pharmaceutical sciences and these fundamental and clinical sciences offers excellent opportunities for ground-breaking research.
Qualifications
We encourage you to apply if you have:
- a PhD degree in pharmaceutical or biomedical/life sciences or a related field, with a strong background in pharmaceutical technology and/or the development of advanced dosage forms, such as nanomedicines, or new dosage forms for therapeutic proteins or vaccines
- 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), or 4 or more years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry in an international R&D environment
- a relevant international network in academia and the pharmaceutical industry
- 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, appropriate to your career stage
- demonstrable organizational competences
- good command of spoken and written English.
At Associate Professor level, you should also demonstrate you have:
- independently supervised PhD students
- received substantial research grants from external sources.
And you are:
- a team player with good communication skills
- able to work well in an international, culturally diverse environment
- 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 to speak it within five years
- particularly at the Associate Professor level, you have shown to be an inspiring supervisor who stimulates their group members to get the best out of themselves.
Organisation
Conditions of employment
We offer you a full-time position as an Assistant Professor in our faculty’s tenure track system Career Paths in Science and Engineering and:
- a salary, depending on qualifications and work experience, from € 3,974 up to a maximum of € 6,181 gross per month (scale 11 or 12 CAO Dutch Universities, depending on your career stage) for a full-time position
- holiday allowance and end-of-year bonus of respectively 8% and 8.3% of your yearly salary
- a pension scheme
- maternity and parental leave
- the possibility to work part-time (0,9 fte or 0,8 fte)
- a mentor program and a broad range of opportunities for personal development
- dual career support for partners of new faculty members moving to Groningen.
Alternatively, if you would be appointed at Associate Professor level, we will offer you a full-time tenured position as Associate Professor in our faculty’s tenure track system Career Paths in Science and Engineering, under the same conditions as stated above, but with:
- a salary, dependent on qualifications and work experience, from € 5,506 up to a maximum of € 7,362 gross per month (scale 13 or 14 CAO Dutch Universities) for a full-time position
Consider our website for more information about the working conditions at the University of Groningen: https://www.rug.nl/(…)with-us/that-is-why/
As Assistant Professor you will enter a tenure track that, if followed successfully, will lead to a Full Professorship in approximately 10 years. Note that our career system has recently been updated and one of the most important changes is that Assistant Professors are appointed for six years and apply for tenure between one to three years after the start of their appointment. Assistant Professors and Associate Professors can apply for promotion to respectively Associate Professor and Full Professor at a time of their choosing, by default after having been appointed for at least five years. Please consider Career Paths in Science and Engineering for a complete description of our tenure track system, as well as the criteria for promotion: https://www.rug.nl/fse/careerpaths5
Application
We invite you to submit a complete application including:
- a cover letter in which you describe your motivation and qualifications for the position
- a curriculum vitae, including a list of your publications and a list with names of references
- a list of five self-selected ‘best papers’
- a statement of your teaching goals and experience
- a description of your scientific interest and plans.
You may apply for this position until 28 August 11:59pm / before 29 August 2023 Dutch local time (CET) by means of the application form (click on “Apply” below on the advertisement on the university website).
The first round online selection interviews will take place on the 26th of September 2023.
The University of Groningen strives to be a university in which students and staff are respected and feel at home, regardless of differences in background, experiences, perspectives, and identities. We believe that working on our core values of inclusion and equality are a joint responsibility and we are constructively working on creating a socially safe environment. Diversity among students and staff members enriches academic debate and contributes to the quality of our teaching and research. We therefore invite applicants from underrepresented groups in particular to apply. For more information, see also our diversity policy webpage: https://www.rug.nl/(…)rsity-and-inclusion/ Our selection procedure follows the guidelines of the Recruitment code (NVP): https://www.nvp-hrnetwerk.nl/nl/sollicitatiecode and European Commission’s European Code of Conduct for recruitment of researchers: https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/charter/code
We provide career services for partners of new faculty members moving to Groningen.
Unsolicited marketing is not appreciated.
Information
For information you can contact:
- Prof. Peter Olinga, p.olinga@rug.nl
Please do not use the e-mail address(es) above for applications.