Associate Professor (Research and Education) in Plant Biology - School of Biosciences - 103687 - Grade 9

Position Details

School of Biosciences

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £56,021 to £64,914 with potential progression once in post to £84,644

Grade: 9

Full Time, Permanent

Closing date: 14th April 2024

Please note: We are advertising both an Assistant Professor (103674) and an Associate Professor (103687), however there is only 1 post available.

Background

The School of Biosciences carries out world-leading research in fundamental and applied biological science and develops impact from this research to provide crucial improvements to society. Given the fact that plants are the starting point for all food on the planet, and are essential for ecosystem function and vitality, fundamental and applied plant science research has been identified as a priority area for Biosciences at the University of Birmingham. This post is allied to the school’s Plant Science and Food Security (PSFS) research theme, comprised of a high-performing group of researchers with sustained excellence in grant income, publications, and teaching innovation. We seek to reinforce our outstanding research portfolio, and particularly welcome applications from researchers who work in the following priority areas: 

• Food security/nutrition - i.e., plant genetics and development, with a focus on yield, nutrition, and/or climate-related (a)biotic stress tolerance. 
• Engineering/synthetic biology - i.e., plant molecular and cell biology, with a focus on signalling in model species or crops to further build our capacity around engineering biology and ‘programmable plants’.
• Structural biology - plant molecular structure-function studies, with a strong crossover into other areas of biosciences, chemistry and beyond.

Our vibrant interdisciplinary research environment will provide you with unique career development opportunities, enabling you to realise your ambitions in research and teaching, and enhance your leadership and management skills. You will initiate, conduct, and disseminate original research, which will have measurable outcomes reflected in your growing national and international reputation. In teaching, you will make substantial contributions to the management, development and delivery of teaching and assessment, and to enhancing the student experience and employability. It is anticipated that the post holder will be able deliver teaching across of the biological sciences and biochemistry degree programs. The specific areas of teaching can be adapted to suit the expertise of the successful applicant but are likely to involve teaching in the broad areas of plant sciences, genetics and biochemistry. Management and administration activities will allow you to make important contributions at School level and to managerial/leadership activities (e.g., working groups) across the wider University.

The School of Biosciences and wider is a collegiate community. You will demonstrate academic citizenship, develop and maintain generous, mutually respectful and supportive working relationships within the School and wider University.

Role Summary

You will contribute at a senior level to teaching, research, and administration. In addition you will be expected to contribute to academic citizenship, likely to be demonstrated through generous, mutually respectful and supportive working relationships with all staff and students.

Teaching is likely to include: (a) development and leadership of major teaching programmes or equivalent; and (b) enhancement of the student experience or employability.

Research is likely to involve an established national and international reputation through significant original research work and a clear record of impact.

Management and administration is likely to include Departmental/School leadership and management activity with University wide involvement – for example through sustained high value research, knowledge transfer, enterprise, business engagement, and public engagement or similar activities. 

Main Duties

Education

You will contribute across the range of teaching and learning activities:

• making a significant contribution to the pedagogical knowledge base of the subject that advances teaching through the enhancement of practice, the development of teaching resources and/or through practice-based research; 
• leading on the management and the development of approaches to teaching and learning, including designing innovative approaches to digital resources/environments and supporting colleagues to use them that are innovative to the subject area or institution;
• leading on curriculum design at module and programme level to ensure it is contemporary, inclusive, engaging and academically challenging;
• actively engaging students in curriculum design and sharing evidence of “what works”;
• making an impactful, high quality contribution to debates about education policy, methods and practices through internal and external publications, subject societies and conference activity;
• developing an external profile evidenced through engaging in external quality assurance activities related to teaching, eg. external examining and engaging with/supporting education in other institutions;
• playing an important and sustained role in the recruitment and admission of students; 
• co-supervising doctoral students to completion; 
• leading the development of teaching, learning and assessment policies and strategies;
• acting as an education mentor to colleagues in the School/Department/College or more widely;
• leading the development of new and appropriate approaches to learning and teaching. This may be underpinned by research and evaluation of teaching methods and systems; 
• leading sustained high value impact in knowledge transfer and enterprise (including business engagement, public engagement) that enhances the student experience and/or or employability, and is of manifest benefit to learning and teaching in the College and the University;
• undertaking own teaching, which will include teaching and examining courses at a range of levels, planning and reviewing own teaching approaches, developing programme proposals, supervision, marking and examining. You will ensure that your teaching practice is informed by discipline based research, through participating in the research culture of the School. 

Research

To pursue sustained research activity through original research and scholarship, including other research-related contributions through conference papers and presentations and/or consultancy projects and advice, including (as appropriate):

• contributing to the management of research activities and/or supervising other research staff;
• leading successful funding bids;
• consistently publishing internationally excellent research, with some research regarded as world leading, that results in a sustained, highly respected reputation of international quality;
• supervising and examining PhD students, both within the institution and externally;
• providing expert advice internally and externally;
• peer reviewing articles for peer reviewed academic journals and grant applications by research councils and/or other major funding bodies; 
• leading sustained impact activity including public engagement and makes a significant contribution to policy development at a national and international level;.
• supervising and examine PhD students, both within the institution and externally;
• as appropriate, managing research activities and/or supervising other research staff;
• developing novel methodologies and techniques appropriate to the type of research being pursued.

Management/administration 

Lead activities in the Department/ School and represent the School on College/ University committees or working groups. Where appropriate to the discipline, this is likely to include some but not all of the responsibilities listed below: 

• making an important contribution to the development and running of the Department or School, for example, leading activity on research and/or teaching assessment;
• leading a successful international engagement at School or College level;
• developing and managing staff and resources in support of major research and/or teaching activities;
• making important contributions to the development of the Department’s research and/or learning and teaching strategy;
• contributing significantly to the development and delivery of knowledge transfer, enterprise, business engagement and public engagement activities with sustained high value impact of manifest benefit to the College and the University;
• promoting a culture (including policies and procedures) that embeds equality and values diversity and inclusion;
• leading, serving on and assisting the work of committees and task and finish groups beyond School/ Research Institute, e.g., Senate, Council, University Education or Research Committee etc.;
• leading external committees, e.g., those associated with public/professional bodies or delivery of activities for an external body at an appropriate level, e.g., chairing sub committees associated with large elements of work;
• leading/project managing a team to devise and implement a new and/or revised process (e.g. a new research initiative, or a recruitment drive);
• making a sustained contribution to widening participation, schools outreach and/or public understanding of the discipline;.
• contributing to administrative activities within the University (e.g. appeals panels, working groups).

Citizenship

• identifying wellbeing issues within the School/College/University and developing appropriate solutions to address these;
• taking collective ownership of challenges faced by the School or College and working with colleagues to develop solutions;
• mentoring and coaching of colleagues, particularly those in the early stages of their career.

Person Specification

• Normally, a higher degree relevant to the research/teaching area (usually PhD) or equivalent qualifications.
• Demonstrated excellence in at least Research, with competence in Learning and Teaching and Management and Administration.

Learning and teaching requirements

An excellent teaching profile and performance in terms of both impact and quality. The teaching quality demonstrated to be informed by an appropriate level of scholarship. 

Where appropriate, evidence of success under the following headings:

• High national reputation for the development of teaching and learning excellence within the discipline
• Successful and sustained use of a range of appropriate teaching methods, and assessment strategies that promote high quality learning, including learning that is flexible, distinctive and current and stimulates learners’ natural curiosity
• Significant and sustained contribution to one or more of the following: strategic development of new programmes; approaches to learning; the development of learning resources
• High quality and sustained contributions to fostering excellence in teaching activities more widely, i.e. in the Department/School or College and/or externally
• Track record of substantial and sustained high value impact on the enhancement of the student experience, and/or employability
• Mentoring and expert advice which develops the skills of colleagues in teaching and in fostering learning

Research requirements

An excellent national reputation and a developing international profile through significant original research work and a clear record of impact. Evidence of success under the following headings, as appropriate to the discipline:

• High level peer esteem as evidenced by:
  • Excellent reputation in the UK and often internationally, reflected in sustained high quality output, level of innovation, impact on subject and recognition
  • An excellent and sustained record of peer reviewed research publications
• Successful and sustained supervision of doctoral students to completion
• Substantial and sustained research income generation, e.g. through research grants, contracts, research consultancy or other external funding
• Sustained high value impact knowledge transfer and enterprise that is of manifest benefit to the College and University

Management and administration-related requirements

Demonstrated significant achievement in management and administration-related activities, which may include leadership of activities/initiatives. Evidence of success under the following headings:

• Successful and sustained performance in significant administrative/managerial role (s) (e.g. exams officer)
• Significant and sustained high quality innovative contributions to the management/administration of the Department/School/College or University
• Successful and sustained contribution to the corporate life of the School/College/University, displaying willingness to contribute actively to committees, collaborative teaching and administrative tasks
• Actively promotes equality and diversity to internal and external stakeholders
• Able to use data to identify equality and diversity issues
• Experience of developing interventions to address equality and diversity issues

Informal enquiries to Daniel Gibbs, email:  

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy . You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone  on our website .