Associate Senior lecturer at Umeå University

The Department of Ecology and Environmental Science has about 160 members including 50 PhD students and 15 Professors (for more information see the Department’s homepage: http://www.emg.umu.se/english/?languageId=1. See also the International office, http://www.umu.se/international_office/ for a general presentation of UmeÃ¥ and the University).

At this department, the research programme Ecosystem Change is an important research field which has been identified as a Strong Research Environment at Umeå University and includes ecologists, environmental scientists, evolutionary biologists, bio-mathematicians, and biogeochemists. The focus of our research is on the complex interplay between external drivers such as climate, energy and matter inputs, and physical habitat structure and internal mediators (biological transformers of energy and material) to predict community and ecosystem responses to environmental changes. We are now looking for two young and visionary scientists in the areas of ecological stoichiometry and paleoecology to complement and strengthen our expertise in the research environment.

Paleoecology (reference number 312-225-11)
http://www8.umu.se/umu/aktuellt/arkiv/lediga_tjanster/312-224-225-11.html#eng
The holder of the position should have one of two nonexclusive research profiles, both aimed at strengthening the integration between research in paleoecology, ecology and evolution in the research environment. One possible research profile is in aquatic paleoecology to study lake-ecosystem dynamics across limnological and paleolimnological timescales (Holocene), integrating geochemical and ecological/evolutionary research. Here, we particularly encourage applications from scientists using up-to-date paleolimnological approaches such as molecular genetic, spectroscopic or biogeochemical methods. An alternative research profile is in evolutionary paleoecology to address evolutionary questions with paleoecological methods, to enhance the ongoing integration of paleoecology with research in evolution and biogeography, and in collaboration with researchers in macroevolution, macroecology, phylogenetics or population genetics.

The duration of a position as associate senior lecturer is four years of research, and can be expanded to five years with 20 % of teaching. At the end of the employment period, an associate senior lecturer owns the right to be examined for a permanent position as senior lecturer at Umeå University. The assessment criteria for such an examination are described in the corresponding job profile.

To be eligible, in the first place, for the positions as associate senior lecturer you should have a PhD, or a corresponding degree, which is not more than five years old, in a relevant field such as ecology, evolutionary biology, environmental science or biogeochemistry.

An associate senior lecturer should primarily pursue research. The successful applicant is expected to create his/her own research group and to supervise graduate students as well as post-docs. He/she is also expected to attract research grants from external sources of funding and to have a vivid collaboration with scientists at both Umeå University and other universities. In the evaluation, particular emphasis will be given to scientific skills. Pedagogical and administrative skills and the ability to collaborate with other researchers in the Strong Research Environment will also be considered.

UmeÃ¥ University – with its 36,700 students and over 4,200 employees – is an organisation in constant change and development. UmeÃ¥ University conducts groundbreaking research within several areas – several in which we are among the best in the world – within others regarded as the leaders in Sweden. We are one of Sweden’s largest providers of education and offer a broad and attractive range of courses and programmes. Our campus constitutes an inspiring environment for everyone that studies and works here. We wish to co-operate with companies and organisations throughout the UmeÃ¥ region and all over the world.

Applicants should submit, electronically or in hard-copy form:

• a Curriculum Vitae,
• copies of relevant degree certificates and diploma,
• a statement of academic, interdisciplinary, and teaching qualifications,
• a publication list,
• copies of relevant articles, numbered according to the publication list,
• a research plan (maximum 5 pages) with a strong basic science approach that explicitly addresses opportunities for in house collaborations and
• a list of 3 references (with contact details).

All documents submitted in hard-copy form should be in three copies, and all electronically submitted material should be in MS Word or PDF format. Note, in order to be considered, applications must include copies of reprints.

If you apply for both positions, two separate applications must be submitted.

For further information concerning the position, please contact Professor Lennart Persson, phone +46-(0)90-786 63 16, e-mail: lennart.persson@emg.umu.se

For a general presentation of Umeå and the University, see the homepage of the International office: http://www8.umu.se/international_office/index.html

Union information is available from SACO, +46-(0)90-786 53 65, SEKO, +46-(0)90-786 52 96 and ST, +46-(0)90-786 54 31.

Your complete application, marked with the relevant reference number, should be sent to jobb@umu.se (state the reference number as subject) or to the Registrar, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden to arrive April 26, 2011 at the latest.

We look forward to receiving your application!