Assistant Professor of Crop Physiology and Engineering - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

1. Introduction

Understanding and optimising the interactions between the genetics of crop plants and their physical growing environment has the potential to revolutionise agriculture by enhancing quality, sustainability, and resilience amidst climate change. Reaching this potential requires an interdisciplinary perspective on plant physiology and production technology that integrates AI, data science, image analysis and sensor technologies. 

2. Job description

RIBES is seeking to strengthen its team in the area of Crop Biotechnology and Engineering with two new positions (the other vacancy can be found here). As an assistant professor, you will contribute to our expanding research and education in the area of crop biotechnology and engineering.

The fields of crop production physiology and plant-environment interactions have advanced significantly in recent years and now integrate biology, technology and computational science. Studies of core processes such as plant growth, photosynthesis and nutrient and water use efficiency are supported by sophisticated technologies to monitor the plant and its immediate environment. Generated data is used in quantitative biology approaches, in which modelling is undertaken to predict plant behaviour under various growth conditions. It is expected that this combination of modern phenotyping and environmental sensing technologies will push the boundaries of our knowledge of how plants function and lead to precision agriculture and methods for systemic stress resilience and high resource use efficiency across a broad range of crops and growing environments.

As an assistant professor, your main goal will be to set up a strong Crop Physiology and Engineering research line. You will be stimulated to collaborate with the current team in the department of Plant & Animal Biology that work on, for example, plant meiosis and genome engineering, abiotic stress tolerance, plant developmental biology and gene regulation, as well as with other colleagues at the Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences. Within the Faculty of Science, Crop Physiology and Engineering has strong links to the sensor technology research at IMM, sensing and controlling research at the Donders Institute, and AI research across the campus. You will take a leading role in exploring possibilities for, and establishing, collaborations with national and international institutes. For instance, collaboration with Maastricht University's Brightlands Future Farming Institute in research and education is greatly encouraged.

With cutting-edge, internationally competitive research, a Crop Physiology and Engineering group will be able to exploit fundamental as well as strategic/translational science funding opportunities. You will embed your research in the Biology BSc programme at Radboud University and the new Crop Biotechnology and Engineering MSc programme to be delivered with Maastricht University. Depending on your career stage, you should be able to obtain your teaching qualification within the first period of appointment or have demonstrated excellent teaching abilities.

3. Profile

• You are enthusiastic about research and have a scientific reputation in plant physiology, plant modelling, plant genetics, or a related field.
• You have an extensive international research network and an appetite to link fundamental and applied plant biotechnological research.
• You will seek to attract research funding from diverse national (e.g. NWO, TopSector) and international funding (e.g. EU, ERC) instruments and stakeholders.
• You are passionate about teaching and have experience in the subject area. You would like to mentor BSc and MSc students and PhD candidates.
• You have social, organisational and management skills and are willing to participate in institutional and university committees and contribute to academic and administrative activities.
• You have a collaborative nature and are eager to work with colleagues within the Plant and Animal Biology department, across disciplines, and with external organisations including Maastricht University's Brightlands Future Farming Institute.
• You are committed to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in academia. You are proficient in English. 

4. We are

The world is facing unprecedented challenges that are leading to a loss of species diversity and pressure on the performance of natural and agricultural ecosystems worldwide. With its overarching mission 'Towards Healthy Ecosystems', the Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences (RIBES) aims to perform world-leading research in order to understand how life, from cell to ecosystem, is affected by the environment and vice versa, and apply this understanding to resolving pressing societal issues. The RIBES department of Plant and Animal Biology is currently expanding its research and education portfolio in the field of Crop Biotechnology to strengthen its impact on society. The Crop Biotechnology research line will combine high-level expertise in the areas of plant genome engineering, genomics, and plant-environment interactions. The new Radboud-Maastricht Graduate Programme in Crop Biotechnology and Engineering aligns with the research conducted by RIBES and Maastricht University's Brightlands Future Farming Institute. As Assistant Professor in Crop Genomics and Engineering at RIBES, you will strengthen the impact of the institute’s research by translating fundamental knowledge into practical solutions for sustainable production of plant-based food and biomaterials.

5. We offer

• We will give you a temporary employment contract of 18 months, with the prospect of an indefinite contract after one year. 
• At the start of your employment you will be appointed as Assistant Professor level 2 (salary scale 11) on a career track towards Assistant Professor level 1 (salary scale 12). The performance criteria and duration of the career track will be tailored to your background and track record. 
• You will receive an 8% holiday allowance and an 8,3% end-of-year bonus. 
• You will be able to use our Dual Career and Family Support Service. The Dual Career Programme assists your partner via support, tools, and resources to improve their chances of independently finding employment in the Netherlands. Our Family Support Service helps you and your partner feel welcome and at home by providing customised assistance in navigating local facilities, schools, and amenities. Also take a look at our support for international staff page to discover all our services for international employees.
• You will receive extra days off. With full-time employment, you can choose between 30 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the statutory 20. 

6. Practical information and applying

You can apply only via the button below. Address your letter of application to Charles Underwood. The application requires the upload of your CV, a letter of motivation, a research statement (max 2 pages) and an education statement (max 2 pages).

The first interviews will take place on 28 November. Any second interview will take place on 10 and 11 December. You will preferably start your employment as soon as possible.

We can imagine you're curious about our application procedure. It describes what you can expect during the application procedure and how we handle your personal data and internal and external candidates. If you wish to apply for a non-scientific position with a non-EU nationality, please take notice of the following information.