Postdoctoral fellow/researcher in molecular biology and bioinformatics at the Faculty of Health Science. The Faculty of Health Sciences at UiT The Arctic University of Norway represents a newly created entity gathering almost all possible health study programs. This facilitates an unique interdisciplinarity and innovation in health education and research. We work closely with the services in the North to solve tomorrow’s challenges. Read more about us at www.uit.helsefak.
The Department of Medical Biology at the Health Sciences Faculty UiT The Arctic University of Norway, The Faculty of Health Sciences has a vacant position as postdoctoral fellow/researcher in molecular biology and bioinformatics. The successful applicant will be appointed for a period of three years.
The main objective of the appointment as postdoctoral fellow is to qualify for work in senior academic positions. No one may be appointed to more than one fixed term period as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the same institution.
The position is attached to the Department of Medical Biology and the research group Host-Microbe Interaction.
Further information about the position is available by contacting senior scientist Kristin Hegstad, +47 77 64 63 51, email:Kristin.Hegstad@uit.no or senior scientist Ørjan Samuelsen, +47 77 62 70 43, email: Orjan.Samuelsen@unn.no
The position’s affiliation
IMB provides education for students studying programmes in medicine, dentistry, biomedical laboratory sciences, biomedicine and pharmacy.
The postdoctoral fellow/researcher will mainly function within a collaboration between Research Group for Host-Microbe Interaction (HMI) at Department of Medical Biology and Reference Centre for Detection of Antimicrobial Resistance (K-RES) at UNN.
The scientific community in the field of microbiology in Tromsø has a leading position with respect to antimicrobial resistance (AMR)-research in Norway. Both the Norwegian Surveillance System for Resistant Microbes (NORM) and the Norwegian National Advisory Unit for Detection of Antimicrobial Resistance (K-res) is located at the Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital of North Norway. Moreover, the Research Group for Host-Microbe Interactions (HMI) and the Microbial Pharmacology and Population Biology Research Group at the Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT – The Artic University of Norway are focusing on research within the field. There is a strong ongoing collaboration between these centres and groups with national and international partners.
The position’s field of research/field of work
The World Health Organisation has listed AMR as one of the three greatest threats to human health for the next decades. To meet this challenge there are several international initiatives to expand the research on antimicrobial resistance including specific themes in Horizon 2020, Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) and the Joint Programming Initiative on Antimicrobial Resistance (JPI-AMR). Aims of these programs are to combine and increase the resources, infrastructures, and research strengths of multiple countries in order to overcome global spread of antibiotic resistance. The Norwegian research council supports research initiatives and scientific collaborations with different countries.
Routine genotypic prediction of bacterial antimicrobial susceptibility is currently used only in limited contexts, typically with single gene targets known to be highly associated with resistance. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) is a tool to identify and predict the resistant genotypes/phenotypes. The NGS empower the use of whole genome sequencing (WGS) to perform real-time antibiotic resistance tracking of transmission and intercontinental spread. WGS holds great promise for rapid, accurate, and comprehensive identification of bacterial transmission pathways in hospital and community settings.
This postdoctoral fellow/research position in molecular biology and bioinformatics will play a key role in developing competence in NGS and WGS in AMR-research and strengthening of international collaborations.
The postdoctoral fellow/researcher will be involved and work in the research environment described above with respect to existing projects, but also have a central role in developing new projects and acquire external funding. Competence development and implementation of new technology in NGS and bioinformatics will be the major task for the postdoctoral fellow/researcher. This will be done though the use of NGS technology in ongoing and new research projects and in collaboration with research groups at the local, national and international level. Travel and visiting collaborative research groups to acquire new competence might be required if the competence cannot be developed locally. It is expected that the postdoctoral fellow/researcher will lead and be a co-worker in projects and contribute to publications originating from the projects. The postdoctoral fellow/researcher will also have the possibility to pursue his/her ongoing research activities and develop research collaborations within the AMR-field in agreement with the supervisors.
Qualification requirements
Postdoc position in molecular biology and bioinformatics, Norway (2015), Postdoctoral fellow/reseaFor appointment the applicant requires:
- Norwegian doctoral degree in the subject area concerned or a corresponding foreign doctoral degree recognised as equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree
When applying for a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, the applicant shall submit a project proposal for the qualifying work. This proposal shall include a progress plan. It is required that the applicant will be able to complete the project during the period of appointment.
The applicant must be able to document high academic qualifications and experience in molecular biology and bioinformatics, preferably at post-doctoral level. Further, it will count favourably if the applicant can document qualifications in bioinformatics and research experience in microbiology and antimicrobial resistance.
The position requires an ambitious person with the desire to develop a career within the field of antimicrobial resistance as well as ability and willingness to travel and develop international collaborations. Further, excellent communication skills and command of the English language, proven ability to work as a member of a team as well as ability to present and communicate research results through scientific publications in international scientific peer-reviewed literature will be essential. Personal qualifications and suitability also include the ability to work independently in the laboratory and a developed way of critical thinking and creativity.
Assessment
The applicants will be assessed by an expert committee. The committee’s mandate is to undertake an assessment of the applicants’ qualifications based on the written material presented by the applicants, and the detailed description drawn up for the position.
The applicants who are assessed as the best qualified will be called to an interview. The interview shall among other things aim to clarify the applicant’s personal suitability for the position. A trial lecture may also be held.
UiT The Artic University of Norway wishes to increase the proportion of females in research positions. In the event that two or more applicants are found to be approximately equally qualified, female applicants will be given priority.
Application
The application must be submitted electronically via the application form available on www.jobbnorge.no.
The application must include following documents:
- Letter of application
- CV (containing a complete overview of education, supervised professional training and professional work)
- Certified* copies of diplomas and references
- List of academic works and description of these. The list of works shall contain the following information:
- author(s), the work’s title
- for articles: the journal’s name and volume, the first and last page of the article, year of publication
- for publications: publisher, printer, year of publication, number of pages
- The works (published or unpublished) which the applicant wishes to be taken into consideration during the assessment process must be submitted
Applicants shall also refer to the
- Supplementary regulations for appointment to postdoktor (Postdoctoral Research Rellow), stipendiat (PhD) and vitenskapelig assistent (Research Assistant) positions at UiT.
- Regulations concerning terms and conditions of employment for posts of postdoktor (Postdoctoral Research Fellow), stipendiat (PhD), vitenskapelig assistent (Research Assistant) and spesialistkandidat (Resident)
- Supplementary regulations for appointment and promotion to teaching and research positions at the University of Tromsø
- Regulations concerning appointment and promotion to teaching and research posts.
Questions concerning the organization of the working environment, such as the physical state of the place of employment, health service, possibility for flexible working hours, part time, etc. may be directed to the telephone reference in this announcement.
Application deadline: 02.11.2015