Job Description and Selection Criteria

Transcription

1 Job Description and Selection Criteria Post Professor of Translational Cognitive Neuroscience Department/Faculty Department of Psychiatry and Department of Experimental Psychology Division College Medical Sciences Division St Catherine s College Overview of the post The University intends to appoint a Professor of Translational Cognitive Neuroscience as soon as possible. This Professorship is a key appointment for the Departments of Experimental Psychology and of Psychiatry in their efforts to integrate developments in multimodel brain imaging in translational cognitive neuroscience. The post will capitalise on opportunities provided by the new NIHR Cognitive Health Research Programme and Working Group of the Biomedical Research Centre and the NIHR Oxford Cognitive Health Clinical Research Facility (OCHCRF). The post holder will be located both at the Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity (OHBA) and in the Department of Experimental Psychology. The post holder will be a cognitive neuroscientist with an outstanding record of research, and with leadership skills at national and international levels. S/he will be able to run a worldleading programme of research on attentional control in the human brain, develop and direct a new multi-modal brain-imaging facility for translational cognitive neuroscience research, and co-ordinate translational cognitive neuroscience research-related activities across the University. The post is associated with St Catherine s College. Founded in 1962, its striking modern architecture and new ideas reflected a move towards the open, contemporary culture that is still fundamental to St Catherine s approach today. The College s Grade 1 listed buildings, and their fittings and furniture, were designed by the Danish architect Arne Jacobsen and attract visitors from around the world. They are located in a peaceful setting adjacent to the University Parks. Queries about the post should be addressed to Professor Glyn Humphreys (Department of Experimental Psychology) at glyn.humphreys@psy.ox.ac.uk or telephone +44 (0) or Professor John Geddes (Department of Psychiatry) at john.geddes@psych.ox.ac.uk or tel:

2 All enquiries will be treated in strict confidence; they will not form part of the selection decision. The University of Oxford is a member of the Athena SWAN Charter to promote women in Science, Engineering, Technology and Medicine. The University holds an Athena SWAN bronze award at institutional level. Contact equality@admin.ox.ac.uk for further information about Athena SWAN at the University of Oxford. Duties of the post The Professor of Translational Cognitive Neuroscience will be a member of both the University and the College community. S/he will be part of a lively and intellectually stimulating research community which performs to the highest international levels in research and publications and will have access to the excellent research facilities which Oxford offers. S/he will have a role to play in the running of St Catherine s College as a member and trustee of its Governing Body. The main duties of the post are as follows: Research & Leadership The professor will be expected to play a major leadership role in the research activity of the Departments of Experimental Psychology and Psychiatry, to undertake original work independently and/or in collaboration with others. The professor will lead a major programme of research in the field of cognitive health, with a particular focus on understanding attention functions in the human brain and how they interact with other perceptual and cognitive functions. Major goals will be to develop advanced phenotyping using cognitive and multi-modal imaging methods, as well as cognitive training methods for neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric conditions. S/he will be required to lead a productive research group as well as to develop appropriate collaborations with other members of the academic staff in the Division and the rest of the University. The professor will take the lead in establishing the new multi-modal imaging facility for translational cognitive neuroscience at the Warneford site, where a new 3T MRI will complement the magnetoencephalography (MEG) scanner and other electrophysiological methods at the Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity (OHBA). S/he will provide scientific leadership, by acting as the scientific director of the centre, and integrating the activities of the centre with those at and OCHCRF. The professor will be required to play a leading role in the development and co-ordination of translational cognitive neuroscience in the University of Oxford, which is a major area for growth in the Medical Sciences Division. S/he will be responsible for integrating research programmes in ageing, dementia (e.g. Alzheimer s and Parkinson s diseases), and other neuropsychiatric and psychological disorders across the University. Sourcing Funds The professor will be required to obtain research grants and other funding to carry out a programme of research. Teaching The professor will also be expected to play a role in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching. 2

3 The professor will deliver lectures or hold classes as required and assist students in their studies by advice or informal instruction. The professor will also be required to supervise a graduate student as and when required. Examining The professor will be required to take part in University examining as and when requested to do so. Administration The appointee would be expected to provide effective management leadership within her or his professional and academic areas and to contribute to divisional and central university committees on behalf of the department and the Division, as required. Headship of Department Every professor or reader who is employed by the University unless individually exempted has the obligation to accept the headship of the department in which her or his post is held if invited to do so by Council. The current head of the Department of Experimental Psychology is Glyn Humphreys and the current Head of the Department of Psychiatry is John Geddes. Selection Criteria Applications will be judged only against the criteria which are set out below. Applicants should make sure that their application shows very clearly how they believe that their skills and experience meet these criteria. Oxford is committed to fairness, consistency and transparency in selection decisions. Chairs of selection committees (known as electoral boards) will be aware of the principles of equality of opportunity and fair selection and there will be a member of each gender wherever possible. The successful candidate will demonstrate the following: Essential Criteria a proven track record as a first class internationally recognised researcher, with evidence of well-cited original publications in high impact journals in cognitive neuroscience evidence of securing significant independent research funding the ability to lead a well-established research group in the field of human attentional control strong potential to develop productive interactions with other scientists at the University of Oxford commitment and ability to provide effective teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate level interests that are synergistic with the existing strengths of the Departments of Experimental Psychology and Psychiatry excellent and effective written and oral communication skills 3

4 Desirable Criteria a track record of interest and involvement in translational research and development of cognitive neuroscience. How to apply There is no application form. Applications must include: your full contact details including and full postal addresses, and a telephone number a covering letter or statement explaining how you meet the criteria set out above a full CV and publications list an indication of where you first heard about this post the names and contact details (postal and addresses and telephone number) of precisely three referees. You should contact all three of your referees before applying, to ensure they are aware of your application and of the requirements for the post, and to ensure that they would be content to write a reference for you for this post, if they were asked to do so. Please note that references may be taken up before shortlisting, and the University will assume that it is free to approach your referees at any stage unless your application specifies otherwise. Therefore if you would prefer a referee or referees to be approached only with your specific permission or if you would prefer them to be approached only if you are being called for interview on the final short list, then you must state this in your application, alongside the details of the relevant referee(s). You should provide the names and full contact details of three referees even if you do not wish them to be contacted yet. If you are shortlisted but only Oxford references are available for you, you will be asked at a later stage to provide the name of an additional referee outside Oxford. Applications should be sent by to Mrs Anna Malkin, Personnel Officer, Senior Appointments at professorships@admin.ox.ac.uk. The deadline for applications is Monday 3 March Should you have any queries about how to apply, please contact Mrs Elaine Eastgate at professorships@admin.ox.ac.uk or telephone: +44 (0) The full membership of the board of electors will be published in the University Gazette ( when it is finalised. All applications will be acknowledged after receipt and will be considered by the board of electors as soon as possible after the closing date. The board is free to search for other candidates at this or any subsequent stage in its proceedings. All shortlisted candidates will be interviewed and will be asked to give a short presentation to the electors as part of the interview. The board s decision will be communicated as soon as possible after the interview but in some cases there may be a delay while deliberations are ongoing. 4

5 Essential Information for Applicants for the Professor of Translational Cognitive Neuroscience The University The University of Oxford aims to sustain excellence in every area of its teaching and research, and to maintain and develop its position as a leader amongst world-class universities. Placing an equally high value on research and on teaching, the colleges, departments and faculties of Oxford aspire both to lead the international research agenda and to offer a unique and exceptional education to our undergraduate and graduate students. Oxford s self-governing community of scholars includes university professors, readers, and lecturers, college tutors, senior and junior research fellows and over 2,500 other university research staff. The University aims to provide facilities and support for colleagues to pursue innovative research and outstanding teaching, by responding to developments in the intellectual environment and society at large, and by forging close links with the wider academic world, the professions, industry and commerce. The Strategic Plan, detailing strategy for the period , can be found at Research at Oxford combines disciplinary depth with an increasing focus on inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary activities addressing a rich and diverse range of issues, from deciphering ancient texts and inscriptions using modern scientific and computational methods developed in Oxford, through to global health, climate change, ageing, energy and the effects on our world of rapid technological change. Oxford seeks to admit undergraduate students with the intellectual potential to benefit fully from the college tutorial system and small group learning to which Oxford is deeply committed. Meeting in small groups with their tutor, undergraduates are exposed to rigorous scholarly challenge and learn to develop their critical thinking, their ability to articulate their views with clarity, and their personal and intellectual confidence. They receive a high level of personal attention from leading academics. Oxford has a strong postgraduate student body which now numbers about 10,000, nearly 45% of the full-time students. Postgraduates are attracted to Oxford by the international standing of the faculty, by the rigorous intellectual training on offer, by the excellent research and laboratory facilities available, and by the resources of the museums and libraries, including one of the world s greatest libraries, the Bodleian. For more information please visit The Medical Sciences Division The Medical Sciences Division is an internationally recognised centre of excellence for biomedical and clinical research and teaching, and the largest academic division in the University of Oxford. World-leading programmes, housed in state-of-the-art facilities, cover the full range of scientific endeavour from the molecule to the population. With our NHS partners we also foster the highest possible standards in patient care. For more information please visit: The Department of Experimental Psychology Experimental Psychology at Oxford is led by Professor Glyn Humphreys and is widely regarded as the leading psychology department in the UK and a major international centre for research in clinical psychology and cognitive neuropsychology. There are over 120 5

6 postgraduate and postdoctoral research and academic staff. It includes particularly strong research groups in the fields of human cognitive and sensory processes (Glyn Humphreys, Masud Husain, Jane Riddoch, Hannah Smithson, Charles Spence, Christopher Summerfield, Nicholas Yeung), brain mechanisms of human and animal behaviour (David Bannerman, Mark Buckley, John Duncan, Kia Nobre, Matthew Rushworth, Mark Walton), developmental (Dorothy Bishop, Kate Nation, Kim Plunkett, Gaia Scerif, Kate Watkins), clinical and social psychology (David Clark, Molly Crockett, Anke Ehlers, Miles Hewstone, Brian Parkinson). The Department has consistently received the highest possible ratings in the British Funding Councils Research Assessment Exercise recognising research of international standing. The Department has a wide portfolio of research grants from UK and international charities, Research Councils and government organizations, the EU Scientific Programme, and industrial sources. Much of the work is in collaboration with other departments and often includes work in hospitals, schools and industrial settings both locally and further afield. Many researchers in the Department also have collaborative research programmes with leading institutions elsewhere in the UK, in Europe, North America, and Japan. The Department of Experimental Psychology has laboratory facilities for cognitive neuroscience and human neuropsychology, with interests in both basic and translational neuroscientific research. It has two new centres the Oxford Centre for Anxiety Disorders and Trauma, (OXCADAT) and the Oxford Cognitive Neuropsychology centre (CNC) which form part of the NIHR Clinical Research Facility with the Warneford and Clinical Neurosciences in the Radcliffe Hospital West Wing. For more information please visit: The Department of Psychiatry Psychiatry is led by Professor John Geddes and is one of the largest and productive psychiatry departments in the UK. The Department is based at the Warneford Hospital provides highly rated undergraduate and postgraduate medical training in psychiatry. It has a substantial research programme, with major funding from Medical Research Council (MRC), Wellcome Trust and National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). There are over 180 staff and 21 principal investigators leading research groups investigating applying a wide range of approaches from translational neuroscience, experimental medicine, epidemiology, clinical trials and health services research to developmental disorders, mood disorders, cognitive disorders and self-harm and suicide. The Department s PIs have strong links with other departments and institutes both within and outside Oxford: these links are a particular strength of the Department and ensure that we can apply the best scientific methods to mental and cognitive disorders. PIs have access to high quality laboratory, imaging, and clinical research facilities. For more information please visit: The Oxford Collegiate system As well as working in the Departments of Experimental Psychology and Psychiatry the appointee will also be a fellow of St Catherine s College. There are 38 self-governing and independent colleges at Oxford, giving both academic staff and students the benefits of belonging to a small, interdisciplinary community as well as to a large, internationally renowned institution. The collegiate system fosters a strong sense of community, bringing together leading academics and students across subjects, and from different cultures and countries. St Catherine s College The post will be held in association with a non-stipendiary Professorial Fellowship at St Catherine s College, which confers full Senior Common Room membership and Common 6

7 Table Right (i.e. breakfast, lunch and dinner are provided free of charge on weekdays and when the College is open; it is closed for 5 weeks each year), but not the right to a room in College. The successful candidate will be a member and trustee of the College s Governing Body. It is hoped that the person appointed will take a full part in the administration of the College; attending Governing Body meetings and acting as a member of College committees when called upon to do so. St Catherine s College is one of the largest colleges in Oxford, with around 65 Fellows (i.e. senior members), 80 lecturers, 270 graduate students, 490 undergraduates, and 50 visiting students. Its founding Master, Lord Bullock, established the College in the 1960s. Its striking modern architecture and new ideas reflected a move towards the open, contemporary culture that is still fundamental to St Catherine s approach today. St Catherine s admitted its first students in 1962, when it was founded as a College of the University of Oxford. Previously, the College existed as a non-residential society within the University. The College s Grade 1 listed buildings, and their fittings and furniture, were designed by the Danish architect Arne Jacobsen and attract visitors from around the world. They are located in a peaceful setting adjacent to the University Parks. In addition to the normal college facilities, St Catherine s has three lecture theatres, seminar rooms, a specially designed music house, and spacious common rooms. Medical Sciences at St Catherine s College Medical Sciences is a subject of major importance at St Catherine s. The College has five Fellows in Medical Sciences. Heidi de Wet is our Tutorial Fellow in Pre-Clinical Medicine and a University Lecturer in Physiology, Ashok Handa is a Fellow by Special Election in Clinical Medicine and the University Clinical Tutor in Surgery, Udo Oppermann is a Professorial Fellow and Professor of Musculoskeletal Sciences, Kerry Walker is a Fellow by Special Election in Biomedical Sciences and an Early Career Research Fellow in Physiology working on the neural basis of hearing, and Sumi Biswas is a Junior Research Fellow in Medical Sciences and Post-doctoral Scientist in the Transmission-blocking Malaria Vaccine Group at the Jenner Institute. Roger Gundle is a Research Associate in Orthopaedic Surgery, and Eleanor Stride, who is a leading member of the BUBBL laboratory investigating new methods of drug delivery to patients, is a Fellow by Special Election and Reader in Biomedical Engineering. There is a large and vibrant Medical Sciences community of around ninety students, making up a significant proportion of the College student body. Each year we admit 6 students to the pre-clinical course and the majority continue at the college for the clinical component of the course. At that stage they are usually joined by 1 or 2 students from Cambridge and/or other Oxford colleges. In addition, we typically admit 2-3 students each year for the graduate entry course, as well as 3 students each year for the undergraduate Biomedical Sciences course. There are also a similar number of graduate students registered for postgraduate taught courses or research degrees in Medical Sciences. The College is also home to Gaia Scerif, Tutorial Fellow and University Lecturer in Experimental Psychology, Philipp Koralus, Tutorial Fellow and University Lecturer in Philosophy of Mind and Cognitive Science, Matthew Parrot, Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow in Philosophy of Psychiatry, and John Charles Smith, Tutorial and Faculty Lecturer in French Linguistics. As well as admitting for the undergraduate Biomedical Sciences course we admit 4-6 students each year for the undergraduate Experimental Psychology and Psychology, Philosophy & Linguistics courses and are unusual in having Tutorial Fellows in all three branches of the latter course. Further information on St Catherine s College can be found at 7

8 Standard Terms and Conditions Standard duties (i) to lecture, or hold classes, as required; and (ii) to undertake research and original work and the general supervision of research and advanced work in your subject and department, and to assist students in their studies by advice or informal instruction. It is expected that professors will generally participate in the business and affairs of the relevant faculty or department. Salary, benefits and pension The salary of the person appointed will be determined by the Vice-Chancellor, after appropriate consultation. In addition the professor will be eligible for consideration, in regular reviews, for one of a number of additional salary awards which may be made in recognition of outstanding academic distinction and/or contribution to the academic work of the University (e.g. in leadership in, or in the development of, some field of study). The salaries of professors at Oxford are generally above the average of those in other leading UK universities. An additional pensionable allowance will be payable in respect of any period during which the professor is Head of Department/Faculty Board Chairman. (Any allowance payable for a period of less than three years will not, however, be pensionable.) Eligible staff may join the Universities Superannuation Scheme. Details are available on the website at Length of appointment The professorship is tenable until retirement. For all academic staff the University has adopted a retirement age of 30 September before the 68th birthday. There is a procedure for requesting an extension of employment beyond that date. Sabbatical leave and outside commitments All professors may apply for sabbatical leave to allow them to focus on their research. In general, one term of leave is available for each six terms worked. This leave may either be taken as one term of leave after 6 terms of service, or accumulated and taken as one year of leave after 6 years of service. Professors may also spend up to 30 working days in each year on projects outside their employment duties, such as consultancy, spin-out activity and membership of research councils and other bodies. There is no limit to the amount of money which staff may earn from these activities. Full details are available on the university website at Guidance on ownership of intellectual property ( and managing conflicts of interest ( is also available on the university website. Residence Professors are required to reside within the University (i.e. within twenty-five miles of Carfax, the central point of Oxford) during at least six months in each academic year, between 1 October and 1 August, and in particular during not less than six weeks of each term. 8

9 Relocation expenses Subject to HMRC regulations and the availability of funding, a relocation allowance may be available. Further details are available on the website at Family support The University has generous maternity and adoption leave arrangements, and also offers support leave to fathers and partners. Additional paternity leave of up to 26 weeks (for children born or placed for adoption after 3 April 2011) is available where parents decide to share the 52 week maternity leave entitlement. Details are available on the website at All staff are eligible to apply to use the University nurseries (although there is a long waiting list for nursery places), and the full range of tax and National Insurance savings scheme is in operation. Details are available on the University s childcare website at The University will try to accommodate flexible working patterns as far as possible and there is considerable flexibility in the organisation of duties. More information on family support and flexible working policies is available on the website at Information for parents and carers is available at Facilities and services The University has a range of facilities and benefits for its staff; more details are available on the website at The University Disability Office provides support to staff and students with a disability and may be contacted through its website at Equality of opportunity The policy and practice of the University of Oxford require that all staff are offered equal opportunities within employment. Entry into employment with the University and progression within employment will be determined only by personal merit and the application of criteria which are related to the duties of each particular post and the relevant salary structure. In all cases, ability to perform the job will be the primary consideration. Subject to statutory provisions, no applicant or member of staff will be treated less favourably than another because of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation. Medical questionnaire and the right to work in the UK The appointment will be subject to the satisfactory completion of a medical questionnaire and the provision of proof of the right to work in the UK. Applicants who would need a work visa if appointed to the post are asked to note that they may need to enter the UK under the Tier 1 (Exceptional talent) category of the UK s pointsbased system. Further information is available at: Particular arrangements Oxford welcomes applications from candidates who have a disability. These documents will be made available in large print, audio or other formats on request. Applicants invited for 9

10 interview will be asked whether they require any particular arrangements to make the interview more convenient and effective for them. Data Protection All data supplied by candidates will be used only for the purposes of determining their suitability for the post 1 and will be held in accordance with the principles of the Data Protection Act 1998 and the University s Data Protection Policy (available on the website at 1 But NB if the person appointed to the post is a migrant sponsored under the UK s points-based migration system, we are required to retain the applications of all shortlisted candidates for one year or until a UK Border Agency compliance officer has examined and approved them, whichever is the longer period. 10