We are looking for an Assistant Professor who can strengthen our position in the field of Pharmacology of host-pathogen interactions. As evidenced by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the globally increased awareness of antimicrobial resistance, it is clear that research on host-pathogen interactions is of paramount importance and of the highest urgency. As such, one of the biggest scientific and societal challenges will be to identify new ways of therapeutically targeting host-pathogen interactions underlying infections and chronic diseases. This is particularly true for interactions with viruses, bacteria and fungi.

The research profile of the new tenure-track assistant professor aims to address the molecular mechanisms underlying host-pathogen interactions and to identify novel druggable targets focusing on such interactions. This can include molecular immunopharmacology, the use of novel screening platforms for antimicrobial drugs, in vitro disease modelling technologies such as organoids and stem cells technologies, and in vivo modeling of host-pathogen interactions.

As Assistant Professor you will:
- set up and develop your own research line and research group in the field described above
- supervise PhD candidates
- acquire external funding
- promote the societal relevance of your research
- teach in and contribute to the development of courses in the Bachelor programs of Pharmacy, and Life Sciences and Technology, and the Master programs of Pharmacy, and Medical Pharmaceutical Sciences
- 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.

We encourage you to apply if you have:

- a PhD degree in Pharmacology, Biocheamistry, Systems biology or other related fields
- 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)
- a relevant international network
- 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
- cross-cultural sensitivity
- good command of spoken and written English.

And you are:

- a team player with good communication skills
- 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 speak it within five years.

Fixed-term contract: 84 months.

We offer you a full-time position as Assistant Professor in our faculty’s tenure track system Career Paths in Science and:

- a salary, depending on qualifications and work experience, from € 3,974 (salary scale 11) up to a maximum of € 6,181 gross per month (salary scale 12), 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.

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/

As Assistant Professor you will enter a tenure track that, if followed successfully, will lead to a Full Professorship in approximately 10 years. 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 an Associate Professor. After another 4 to 7 years you will be assessed for promotion to the position of Full Professor. Please consider Career Paths in Science for a complete description of our tenure track system as well as the criteria for promotion: https://www.rug.nl/fse/organization/vacatures/vacatures/career-paths-in-science-edition-4?lang=en.

Unsolicited marketing is not appreciated.

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 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 Molecular Pharmacology (link: https://www.rug.nl/research/molecular-pharmacology/). 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.