R. Franklin Fellowship in Human Movement Sciences (Active and Healthy Lifestyle)

Job description

The University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) welcomes talented female researchers to apply for a Rosalind Franklin Fellowship and join our research community. This position offers the opportunity to develop your own research programme in connection to and embedded in one of the UMCG research institutes, and set your career path to full professorship.

The University of Groningen initiated the prestigious Rosalind Franklin Fellowship programme for the advancement of talented (international) female researchers at the institution’s highest academic levels. The programme has been running since 2002 and has financed over hundred Fellows.

The Rosalind Franklin Fellowship programme is looking for women in academia, research institutes and industry who have a PhD and would like an academic career towards full professorship at a European top research university. The Fellowship is awarded to outstanding researchers.

Candidates applying for a fellowship at the UMCG will establish a research programme in connection to and in collaboration with departmental, institutional and international colleagues, which is largely externally funded. They will also participate in and contribute to the development of the teaching programme of their discipline and organize their research and activities so as to create the best possible impact on society.

Within the Rosalind Franklin Fellowship programme, the UMCG has a Tenure/Talent Track position available for talented female researchers in the field of human movement sciences (Active and Healthy Lifestyle).

The position needs to strengthen the internal theoretical cross-fertilization and efforts in the UMCG that assign a key role to ‘exercise and physical activity’ in the prevention, cure and care of chronic diseases and the enhancement of public health. An important goal is to improve long-term sustained healthy behavior and to potentially reduce current demands on the health care system, for instance by substituting drug use by exercise and/or physical activity.

This position focuses on primary and secondary prevention through experimental and epidemiological research in a diversity of healthy and clinical populations. Institutional citizenship, i.e., the ability to collaborate across healthy populations and patient groups with the unifying element of human movement, is the hallmark of the position. Collaboration with the departments of Epidemiology and Health Sciences is obvious.

The position will contribute to the National Prevention Agenda, new health insurance policies for lifestyle interventions, recent lifestyle initiatives in the UMCG and the Public Health agenda of the Aletta Jacobs School of Public Health.

The talent track position Active and Healthy Lifestyle will actively contribute to the educational programs of the Department of Human Movement Sciences and contributes to teaching the benefits of physical activity and exercise in medical education. Tasks will involve course development in the area of exercise and health sciences, teaching and student assessment as well as supervision and evaluation of bachelor and master graduation projects. The position includes a representative and coordinating role of this specific domain in the curricula of Human Movement Sciences and Sport Sciences.

We invite ambitious female academics to apply. Under European jurisdiction it is lawful to specifically recruit underrepresented groups.

Qualifications

• Team player and demonstrable organizational qualities and communication skills.
• PhD degree in human movement sciences or health sciences with specific research expertise in one or more of the scientific domains of experimental and epidemiological physical activity and exercise-related research in healthy and clinical populations for at least 5 years on reference date 1 January 2021.
• Research and teaching profile in the human movement sciences or health sciences.
• Exemplary research record in the field of human movement sciences or health sciences demonstrated by:

• Original research papers in international top journals;
• Reviews, research opinions or other publications showing your contribution to the field;
• Other research output, e.g. patents, methods, databases;
• Citation record;
• Any means to show the value and influence of your research, e.g. uptake in policy documents or practice guidelines;
• Success in acquiring external funding for research projects.

• Proof of independence and international recognition in the area of physical activity, exercise and lifestyle, preferably in clinical settings.
• Capable of functioning in various working environments.
• An international network and international connections in your field.
• Ability to work in an interdisciplinary setting.
• A well-founded and motivated application with an innovative research plan for the first five years and a challenging outlook for the future which takes into account the international research landscape in your field of specialization.
• A good teaching record, including a university teaching qualification (UTQ) and experience in various educational roles, also at an organizational level, e.g. as member or chair of a board of examiners or program committee, or as a coordinator of specific educational tracks.
• Fluency in English, both written and spoken.
• Being able to speak Dutch at least passively within two years after appointment.

Organisation

The University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) is linked to the University of Groningen (UG). Research, teaching, professional training and patient care are closely integrated and the research facilities are excellent. The UMCG’s mission is ‘Building the Future of Health’ which is achieved by focusing its research on mechanisms of disease, innovative treatments and prevention.

The UMCG and UG jointly set up ERIBA, the European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing. Furthermore, research at the UMCG is embedded in five Institutes: GUIDE (Chronic Diseases and Drug Exploration), BCN (Behavioural and Cognitive Neurosciences), SHARE (Science in Healthy Ageing and health caRE), W.J. Kolff (Biomaterials), and CRCG (Fundamental, Clinical and Translational Cancer Research). More information about the research programmes.

The department of Human Movement Sciences (HMS) is a department within the UMCG. The main goals of the Department are: 1) to develop knowledge about the mechanisms of human movement and human performance, 2) to provide high-level education to bachelors, masters and PhD-students and 3) to contribute with our knowledge and education to solving current societal challenges. Our scientific knowledge is applied in order to optimize human movement and human performance in healthy and clinical populations through innovative prevention, cure and care over the life span (healthy ageing). The research program of the department of HMS is embedded in the research institute SHARE.

Conditions of employment

• Candidates who are awarded a Rosalind Franklin Fellowship can enter at the level of assistant professor or associate professor with ius promovendi, depending on their experience. The conditions of employment comply with the Collective Labour Agreement for the University Medical Centers. Salaries include an 8% holiday allowance, an 8.3% end-of-year bonus and participation in an employee pension scheme. Questions about the terms of employment can be sent to Mrs. Dineke ten Dolle, h.e.ten.dolle@umcg.nl.
• The Rosalind Franklin Fellowship lasts for 5 years. Following a favourable assessment of your research and teaching qualifications after 4-5 years of employment, you will be awarded tenure and the appropriate next academic step. Promotion to full professorship is aimed for as last step in the Tenure/Talent Track. In general, at the level of assistant professor it takes 5 years to reach the associate professor rank and at the level of associate professor it takes 7 years before reaching the rank of full professor. Internal candidates will be offered a customized contract because of legal restrictions in succeeding contracts.

In accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for the Dutch University Medical Centers, we offer:

• A Tenure/Talent Track position leading to full professorship.
• The possibility to enter the Tenure/Talent Track at the level of assistant or (preferably) associate professor.
• A start-up package for your research including a 3-year PhD position and € 250.000 research bench fee.

Application
You are invited to apply for a Rosalind Franklin Fellowship position before 15 March 2021 by means of the application form (click on "Apply" below on the advertisement on the university website).
Applicants should submit:
1. A full curriculum vitae including a complete list of publications and other research output (file 1.)
2. A letter of motivation (file 2.)
3. A 3-5 page statement of research accomplishments and future research goals (file 3.)
4. A list of five selected ‘best papers’ (preferably including copies) (file 4.)
5. A teaching statement
6. The names and contact information (including e-mail address) of 3 referees (file 5.)

The application files should be sent electronically in PDF format.

Applications with missing credentials will not be taken into consideration.

An assessment may be part of the selection procedure.

Unsolicited marketing is not appreciated.

Information
For information you can contact:

• Prof. Koen A.P.M. Lemmink, Head of Department Human Movement Science, k.a.p.m.lemmink@umcg.nl
• Ms Elizabeth Koier, PhD, e.koier@umcg.nl

Please do not use the e-mail address(es) above for applications.

Additional information
More information about the research programmes.

For questions about the position

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