We are looking for an early-career academic who is interested to start a tenure-track that focuses on education and who can strengthen our teaching and research in the field of Behavioural Neurosciences.

The field of behavioural neurosciences seeks to understand how neuronal circuits and associated genetic, cellular and molecular mechanisms integrate both environmental and interoceptive information to drive complex behaviours and endocrine/physiological processes that are necessary for survival. Although these responses are aimed at adaptation, challenges can go beyond the capacity to adapt leading to disruptions in the molecular regulation of neural and neuroendocrine systems resulting in disease. Research in this area is inherently multidisciplinary and collaborative and clearly spans both fundamental and applied aspects. As such, behavioural neurosciences attract a large number of students from a range of backgrounds including biology, pharmacy, psychology and medicine. This requires the design of advanced-level education that is tailored for a multidisciplinary field comprising fundamental and applied aspects going from evolution and function to physiology and pathology. A current challenge is to apply innovative teaching methods to effectively teach the large and increasing number of students in our programs. Another urgent innovation in teaching required in this field is the development of methods to train students to think and act in a multi-disciplinary manner (e.g. both from a proximate (mechanistic) and ultimate (evolutionary) perspective), covering both the broad array of scientific principles involved in the integrative approach of behavioural neuroscience while at the same time reaching sufficient depth of knowledge.

As Assistant Professor with an education profile you will:

• teach in the degree programs BSc Biology, Pharmacology and Life Science and Technology
• play a significant role in the development of education at FSE, both at the course and the program level
• contribute to current research lines in the GELIFES institute and/or develop your own research line within a relevant research group of the Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (for example, the expertise group Neurobiology)
• contribute to the supervision of Master and PhD students in the research group you will be embedded in
• contribute to the organization of the faculty, for example by participating in working groups and committees, especially in the domain of education

At the stage of Assistant Professor 60% of your time is for teaching and education development, 30% for research and 10% for organizational tasks. After five years you will be assessed for tenure and promotion to the level of Associate Professor (see Conditions of employment).

We offer you the opportunity to start a career path that focuses on education and to become an educational leader in time. We encourage you to apply if you have:

• a passion for teaching and education development
• demonstrably excellent teaching qualities
• a PhD degree in Biology or a related field (specialized in behavioural neuroscience research), obtained at most 8 years ago (at the time of appointment)
• a good track record in research, as shown by publications in international peer-reviewed journals and proceedings of renowned conferences
• at least two years of relevant work experience after your PhD
• a relevant international network and preferably international experience
• demonstrable organizational competences
• good command of spoken and written English

And you are:

• if not yet in possession, willing to obtain a University Teaching Qualification (Dutch: BKO) within three years and a Senior Teaching Qualification (Dutch: SKO) within five years
• able to work well in an international, culturally diverse, environment
• a team player with good communication skills who is able to inspire students and colleagues
• able to speak the Dutch language or motivated to speak it within five years (B1 level).

Fixed-term contract: 60 months.

We offer you a full-time tenure-track position as Assistant Professor and:

● a salary, depending on qualifications and work experience, from € 3,746 up to a maximum of € 5,127 gross per month (scale 11) for a full-time position
● a starting package of € 40k to travel, organize workshops, etc., as well as access to additional resources for education development projects
● 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 personal development trajectory and a mentor program
● dual career support for partners of new faculty members moving to Groningen

Consider our website for more information about the working conditions at the University of Groningen: https://www.rug.nl/about-us/work-with-us/that-is-why/

In case of a full-time contract, you will initially be appointed for 7 years and your performance will be assessed after 5 years. This moment may be extended with at most one year in case of a life event (e.g. prolonged illness or maternity leave). If your assessment is positive, you will get a tenured appointment as Associate Professor with an education profile. Please consider the following link for more details on the criteria for promotion: https://www.rug.nl/webvernieuwing/world/fse/tenure-track-positions-education-profile/assistant-professor-with-an-education-profile-def.pdf

The continuation of the career path after the level of Associate Professor with an education profile is currently being developed. It will include the possibility of applying for promotion to the position of Full Professor with an education profile.

Faculty of Science and Engineering

The 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 biology, mathematics, astronomy and mechanical engineering, to interdisciplinary fields such as artificial intelligence, pharmacy, life sciences 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 Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES). GELIFES aims to enhance the understanding of adaptive processes and the maladaptive consequences of their limitations, across all levels of biological organization (from molecules and genes to individuals and ecosystems), to inform the society and contribute solutions to societal problems. GELIFES specifically aims at the integration of mechanistic, evolutionary and ecological approaches. The institute is coordinating one of the four Faculty strategic themes called Adaptive Life. The institute further has tight connections with the Faculty of Medical Sciences (FMS) and University Medical Centre Groningen (UMCG).