[NHCOLL-L:2897] Palaeobiology/Biology post in Museum Studies

[Knell, Professor S.J.]

Dear all

I attach info for a range of posts available in this University but most notably including a new opening for a natural scientist in the Department of Museum Studies. I would appreciate it if this could be passed to colleagues and others who might be interested.

Many thanks

Simon

Professor Simon Knell
Director and Head
Department of Museum Studies
University of Leicester 
105 Princess Road East
LEICESTER, UK
LE1 7LG
 
Tel: (General Office) +44 (0)116 2523963
Tel: (Barbara Lloyd) +44 (0)116 2523962
Tel: (direct) +44 (0)116 2523969
Fax: +44 (0)116 2523970
sjk8 at le.ac.uk
Web: www.le.ac.uk/museumstudies/
 
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Particulars of Appointment	

20 New Blood Lectureships

Lecturer B

£28,829 - £36,959 per annum, exceptionally to £41,294 per annum


New Blood Lectureships are an exciting new development at the University of Leicester. We seek to appoint 20 high quality individuals into these positions who will enjoy reduced teaching loads, guaranteed study leave and start up funding for travel.

Applications are invited from well qualified candidates with high quality research records for New Blood Lectureships in the 19 major areas of academic development described in detail below.  Successful applicants will require two publications likely to be judged as being of 3 * or 4* RAE quality by the appointment and shortlisting panels.

In return the successful applicants will benefit from:

1.	Reduced teaching during the first four years of employment in order to facilitate continued high-quality research:-

*	First year - No teaching. Guaranteed study leave from teaching duties in order to conduct research
*	Second year - 1/3 of normal departmental teaching load
*	Third year - 2/3 of normal departmental teaching load
*	Fourth year - 1/3 of normal departmental teaching load. Eligibility to apply for further study leave.

2.	Funding for research travel for four years.

The University

The University of Leicester is one of the UK's leading research and teaching universities.  The University was founded as a University College in 1921 and granted a Royal Charter in 1957.  It has an estate of approximately 232 acres that includes a fifteen-acre Botanic Garden, an arboretum and a range of residences in the suburbs that are set in attractive gardens.

The University has 18,005 students including 8,514 at postgraduate level.  There are 34 academic departments located in five faculties: Arts, Law, Medicine and Biological Sciences, Science and Social Sciences.  There is a University-wide Graduate School and an Institute of Lifelong Learning.  The University employs approximately 3,500 staff.

Leicester is a leading University rated highly for its research and teaching. The University had 25 ratings of 5*, 5 or 4 in the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise when 84% of the staff were in units of assessment of national and international excellence.  The University has been awarded the Queen's Anniversary Prize in Higher and Further Education in 2002 for its work in Genetics. In this year's National Student Survey, organised by the UK funding councils the University was ranked 1st in the UK for teaching quality, academic support, personal development and overall satisfaction amongst universities teaching full-time students. Our student completion rate is in the top 10 nationally. Leicester is home to two Centres of Excellence in Teaching and Learning and plays an important part in a third.

Leicester was one of 4 institutions short listed for the award of Higher Education Institution of the Year 2005, organised by The Times Higher Education Supplement.  The award aims to recognise and celebrate the achievements of universities and the academics who work with them and the THES was in particular looking for HEIs which had been "imaginative and innovative" in their initiatives.  

The University is committed to producing research and teaching of the highest quality, to promoting undergraduate and postgraduate studies through campus-based and distance-learning programmes and to developing close collaboration with the local and regional community.

Areas for Appointment to New Blood Lectureships

*	Ancient History (Ref: A2416)
*	Archaeology (Ref: A2417)
*	Biological Sciences
*	Biochemistry (Ref: A2418)
*	Biology (Ref: A2419)
*	Cell Physiology and Pharmacology (Ref: A2420)
*	Genetics (Ref: A2421)
*	Economics (Ref: A2422)
*	Engineering (Ref: A2423)
*	English (Ref: A2424)
*	History (Ref: A2425)
*	Law (Ref: A2426)
	*	Mathematics (Applied) (Ref: A2427) 
*	Mathematics (Pure) (Ref: A2428)
*	Medicine
*	Cardiovascular Sciences (Ref: A2430)
*	Microbiology and Immunology (Ref: A2431) 
*	Museum Studies (Ref: A2429)
*	Palaeobiology in Geology (Ref: A2432)
*	Physics and Astronomy (Ref: A2433)
*	Victorian Studies (Ref: A2435)
	


Archaeology

The School of Archaeology and Ancient History has a strong research record at Leicester with a 5A grading in the 1996 and 2001 RAEs. Candidates for the present New Blood lectureship in Archaeology are encouraged from areas which complement its existing research strengths in prehistory, landscape archaeology, historical archaeology, material culture, theory, identity and representation. The School has recently moved into new accommodation which it shares with the University's Archaeological Services, one of the largest university-based contract units in the UK with which it has strong research links. Good facilities and collections are available for science-based archaeology especially in ceramics, archaeobotany and archaeozoology. Research projects range from the Palaeolithic to later historical archaeology and, although focused on Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, also include Australasia and the New World. These have attracted funding from a wide range of sources including the Wellcome Trust, NERC, AHRC, Leverhulme Trust, the British Academy, the Society of Antiquaries, Society for Libyan Studies and the Council for British Research in the Levant. It has a lively research culture, over 50 research students and is frequently host to international meetings and workshops, recently ranging chronologically from the Roman Archaeology Conference to the conference on Contemporary and Historical Archaeology and Theory.
Ancient History

The discipline of Ancient History is fully integrated into the Grade 5 School of Archaeology and Ancient History which offers exciting possibilities for integrated projects between the two disciplines. Research covers most areas of ancient Greek and Roman cultures, with geographical focuses in Italy, southern Greece, Magna Graecia, North Africa and the eastern Roman empire and specialisations ranging from historiography, epigraphy and civic institutions to landscape, geography and agricultural and monetary economies. Ancient History has many international links, particularly with the British Schools of Athens and Rome, as well as with the Council of University Classical Departments. Research projects have attracted funding from AHRC, Leverhulme Trust, the British Academy and the Humboldt Foundation. The School recently gained an RCUK Fellowship in Roman history, and wishes to complement this success with a New Blood appointment in any area of ancient Greek history and culture.

Biological Sciences

The School of Biological Sciences comprises the Departments of Biochemistry, Biology, Cell Physiology & Pharmacology and Genetics, all rated 5 or 5* in RAE 2001; it has 85 academic staff, including 27 professors. A number of members of staff hold prestigious independent fellowships from the Lister Institute, the Wellcome Trust and the Royal Society. The School has an outstanding international reputation for research and teaching and offers a stimulating and collaborative intellectual environment and excellent facilities. The School is host to 540 undergraduate students following a range of 10 BSc degree courses, 62 students on MSc courses, and over 160 postgraduate students registered for a research degree; postgraduate training to PhD is a major activity within the School, with studentship funding available mainly from BBSRC, MRC and charities. Its wide-ranging research programme attracts external funding, in the form of research grants and contracts from Research Councils, Charities, Industry and other sources, in excess of  £10 million per annum. The School is in the top ten Biological Sciences Departments in the UK both for research income per member of staff and for publication impact (measured by citations). Recent substantial investments have included major equipment, laboratory refurbishment and, notably, a new £20m research building, the Henry Wellcome Building, housing 200 staff in state-of-the-art laboratories. Following the completion of current refurbishment work, all members of the School will occupy either newly built or newly refurbished accommodation. There is a wide range of expertise and equipment in cutting-edge technologies in the School including: transgenic, RNAi and antisense strategies for specific protein manipulation in vivo; DNA & protein sequencing, microarrays and protein mass spectrometry; confocal and deconvolution fluorescence microscopy for studies of second messenger concentrations and of protein localisation; patch clamp and other advanced electrophysiological methods; transient kinetic and single-molecule approaches to the dynamics of signalling events; and structural biology, including crystallography, NMR and computer modelling and simulation. A key feature of the School of Biological Sciences in Leicester is its collaborative ethos - an approach which will be essential to the development of an integrated structural and dynamic picture of the complex machinery of the cell - and there is a wide range of well-established collaborations between members of all Departments in the School as well as with members of Departments in the School of Medicine and the Faculty of Science.
		Biochemistry

		The Department has internationally recognised research strengths across the range of molecular cell biology, the biochemistry of gene expression, and structural biology & protein science. We wish to recruit an outstanding scientist in any of these areas to complement the current strengths of the Department, but are particularly keen to attract individuals with interests in Chemical & Structural Biology.  Such a scientist would be applying chemical ideas and tools, including synthetic, physical or computational chemistry, to specific biological questions, and would join the Centre for Chemical Biology, comprising members of the School of Biological Sciences and of the Department of Chemistry. This position provides an exciting opportunity for an ambitious scientist to develop an independent research group in a supportive environment, with excellent opportunities for collaboration with colleagues in the School and elsewhere in the University. 
		Biology

		The Department of Biology is engaged in internationally competitive research across a wide range of topics in plant and animal biology. Research in the Department is focused in three areas: Cell and Molecular Biology, Behavioural Biology and Biodiversity, Evolution & Ecology. We are seeking to recruit an outstanding plant scientist to join and complement the Cell and Molecular Biology group. Current strengths in the group include the molecular genetics of light signalling, plant reproductive cell development, chloroplast protein import, plastid division and molecular cytogenetics. 
		Cell Physiology & Pharmacology

		The Department has a strong record of internationally competitive research in receptors, channels and cell signalling. We are seeking to recruit an outstanding individual who can complement these strengths but who also has the ambition and potential to interact with groups both within and outside the Department who have interests in cardiovascular and respiratory sciences. It is desirable that the research programme of the successful applicant has a clear translational element that will facilitate links with Clinical Departments, for example in the molecular and cellular physiology/pharmacology of asthma, cardiac ischaemia, hypertension, or heart failure. This post provides an exciting opportunity for an ambitious scientist to develop an independent research group in a collaborative and supportive environment.  
		Genetics (two posts)

		The Department is world leading and was the only Genetics Department rated 5* in the last RAE. There are 25 research groups with interests in: Behavioural genetics; Evolution and genome variability; Human and medical genetics; and Microbial genetics. We want ambitious individuals to join us and develop independent research programmes which complement these areas.  Applicants with an interest either in epigenetics or in the exploitation of large-scale genome diversity from a mathematical / bioinformatics perspective would be particularly welcome. Groups are not mutually exclusive and they interact intellectually, technically and financially in a productive and mutually supportive manner. We provide a stimulating environment where synergy between research and teaching leads to world class science and innovative teaching programmes. This has been recognised by the prestigious Queen's Anniversary Prize (2002) and the award of £4.5 million from HEFCE (2005) to establish a Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) in genetics. Genetics research at Leicester extends beyond the Department in an Institute of Genetics involving a network of 64 groups and over 350 individuals across the University using genetics in a wide range of biological and medical research, providing yet further exciting opportunities.

Economics

The Department of Economics at Leicester is one of the largest in the UK. It has an international reputation for both research and teaching at all levels. It has built upon its grade 5 RAE rating in 2001 with a range of appointments in all the mainstream areas of economic research. 

Research in the Department is conducted within three broadly-defined groups that span the discipline, namely macroeconomics and financial economics, microeconomics and economic theory and applied and theoretical econometrics. The first group contains researchers on behavioural finance, empirical finance, financial crises, financial development, economic growth, macroeconomic modelling, macroeconomic theory and private and public investment.  The second group embraces work on auctions, behavioural economics, contract theory, economics of education and training, economics of illicit activities, economics of organisation and industrial organisation, economics of transition, game theory, labour economics and public economics. Members of the third group work on Bayesian econometrics, financial econometrics, forecasting, panel data econometrics and time-series econometrics. 

Engineering

The Department of Engineering seeks to appoint a Lecturer to work within any of its existing research groups: 
*	Control and Instrumentation involving the development and application of advanced control design methods and the construction of novel instrumentation, including the Centre for Bioengineering and the Embedded Systems Laboratory.
*	Electrical & Electronic Power Engineering covering areas from reliable and renewable energy generation, life extension of transmission systems and its insulating materials, to efficient use in motors, storage in batteries and capacitors. 
*	Mechanics of Materials including novel computational methods in mechanics, process modelling underpinned with experiments, multiscale modelling, materials processing, surface engineering, structural integrity 
*	Thermofluids and Environmental Engineering involving computational and experimental work seeking to investigate and predict those aspects of unsteady, transitional and reacting flows that are of interest to industry
*	Radio Systems covering  experimental studies of the influence of the propagation medium and on the development of techniques to circumvent propagation related system performance limitations
We welcome applications from individuals who wish to undertake interdisciplinary research.  Such opportunities are available across all research groups and may involve one of the cross-University interdisciplinary centres, including the Advanced Microscopy Centre and the Mathematical Modelling Centre.

English 

The Department of English, which was awarded a 5A rating in RAE 2001, is a rapidly expanding community of twenty-two academic staff with internationally recognised research expertise in most areas of English Studies from Old English to Contemporary Writing. It has enjoyed success in attracting research support from a range of national and international bodies, including the AHRC, The British Academy, the Leverhulme Trust and the Association of Commonwealth Universities, and hosts the AHRC-funded 'Production and Use of English Manuscripts, 1060-1220' project, the internationally-renowned Leicester  Victorian Studies Centre (see below), and the Medieval Research Centre. There is a flourishing community of postgraduate students in English, providing ample opportunities for the supervision of doctoral students and for teaching on a range of discipline-specific and interdisciplinary MAs. 

The Department welcomes the opportunity to appoint a scholar of outstanding ability to one of its areas of particular research strength: Medieval Studies (including Old English language and literature, Old Norse, the study of early Middle English manuscripts, poetry, prose and drama), Renaissance Literature and Culture (including popular and academic drama, sixteenth and seventeenth-century cultural history, verse and prose); Victorian literature (see separate details below) and Literature from 1945 to the present (including literary biography, post-war fiction, Women's Writing, American and Post-Colonial Literature).  

History

The School of Historical Studies is one of Britain's leading Centres of Historical Research.  Its Centre for English Local History is internationally acclaimed for its pioneering research and teaching; at present it has a staff of three, an active MA programme and a large cohort of research students.  It organises a seminar series, conferences and receives major grants from AHRC, ESRC and charities.  The School seeks to strengthen the Centre's already flourishing research culture by appointing an outstanding researcher to a 'New Blood' Lectureship.  The appointee will have an outstanding record of innovative publication in the Social, Cultural or Religious History of the Early Modern Period to complement strengths in medieval landscape history and late modern social history.

Law

If you secure an appointment in the Faculty of Law at the University of Leicester, you will be joining a vibrant law school which has a top rating for its research, a commitment to excellence in teaching undergraduates and postgraduates, and an international outlook reflected in its programmes, its staff and its student community.

The Department achieved a 5A rating in the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise. All members of staff were entered and the RAE Panel's view was that the research output of a significant number of the staff attained international excellence and that virtually all the remaining outputs were of national excellence. 

Research output is energetic and impressive. Research grant income has increased significantly in recent years. Several members of staff are on the editorial boards of the leading law journals. There are also two research centres in the law school: the Centre for European Law and Integration and the Centre for Utility Consumer Law. 

The law post is open to established researchers with interests in any field of law who have impressive and ambitious plans for their research output in the immediate future. 

Mathematics (Pure)

Leicester has a strong, established research group in Pure Mathematics covering a range of algebraic, topological and geometric topics, and with a particular emphasis on the relationships between these areas and other parts of mathematics. The group is currently or has recently enjoyed funding for specific projects from many sources including the EU, EPSRC, Leverhulme Trust, Nuffield Foundation, British Council, Royal Society and the LMS, and is frequently host or organiser of international meetings and workshops. 

In response to its grade 5 RAE success in 2001, the group has continued to grow with recent and forthcoming appointments. Candidates for the present New Blood lectureship are encouraged from all areas of Pure Mathematics including those that increase the scope of the existing group, for example, from areas such as algebraic geometry, algebraic K-theory, geometric representation theory, noncommutative or differential geometry, geometric topology, dynamics or other subjects which link to the group. 

Mathematics (Applied)

Applied Mathematics at Leicester has an international reputation for computational modelling and algorithm development excellent in applied dynamics, from molecular dynamics to modelling of complex materials, chemical and physical kinetics, stochastic models with physical and financial applications, and approximation theory.

The Applied Mathematics Group achieved a grade 5 in the last Research Assessment Exercise. It works within a nexus of strong research groups at the University of Leicester, gathered together at the University's Centre for Mathematical Modeling (MMC). The MMC supports a number of interdisciplinary research projects linking mathematics with groups in physics, engineering and other sciences. National and international seminars and workshops are regularly run by the Group, many of these linking to other areas of the sciences. The Group has expertise in mathematical biology, bioinformatics, data mining and image processing, fluid dynamics, non-equilibrium statistical physics, kinetics, molecular dynamics, as well as in many aspects of numerical mathematics. The MMC operates a 160 Opteron CPU computer cluster. The Group has a strong track record of developing excellent young numerical mathematicians.

The Group is currently developing stronger research links with the grade 5 departments of Physics and Astronomy, and Engineering, and the grade 5* Department of Genetics.

Medicine

The School of Medicine brings considerable intellectual resources to bear on a range of vital medical challenges and reflect the priorities of the National Health Service.   It is committed to maintaining and improving on the existing high standards of research in its five departments, which are defined primarily by their research interests and span the traditional clinical subject areas. They provide a stimulating environment for research and for study at all levels, and offer a wide range of opportunities for professional training and development.  

		Cardiovascular Sciences

		Cardiovascular research in Leicester is internationally recognised for its excellence. Major areas of interest in the Department of Cardiovascular Sciences include molecular genetics, atherothrombosis and platelet biology, ischaemic preconditioning, hypertension and vascular biology, angiogenesis, stroke and baroreceptor function, and heart failure. Novel areas being developed include functional genomics, myocardial protection and regeneration and biology of cardiovascular ageing. There is a strong emphasis on translational research and excellent interactions between basic and clinical scientists, both within the Department and also with staff across the University, especially in Genetics, Cell Physiology and Pharmacology, and Biochemistry. The Department has over 160 staff including 46 academic staff and has a BHF-funded Chair. There are excellent laboratory facilities for research, which will be further enhanced by the opening of a state-of-the-art Cardiovascular Research Centre in 2008.

		We are seeking a dynamic colleague to enhance the research profile of the Department. The specific area of research is not prescribed but we are seeking to appoint a person who can enhance and complement on-going work in the Department, bring in new technologies and approaches (e.g. in functional genomics, gene/stem cell therapy, molecular/cellular cardiology or vascular physiology) and in due course establish and lead an internationally competitive programme of research.

Microbiology & Immunology

		Applicants are invited for a non-clinical lectureship in Microbiology or Immunology, two areas of internationally renowned research within the Department of Infection Immunity and Inflammation.  Applications will be considered from strong candidates from any area of Microbiology or Immunology. The successful candidate is expected to build an independent research group of international repute. It would be advantageous to have research interests connecting with the department's strengths in innate immunity, infectious diseases and diseases of the respiratory system and the kidney. An interest in translational research is also encouraged. The Department of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation is a research department, bringing together successful basic, applied and clinical research programmes. The opportunities for excellent science at the clinical interface are exceptional. The environment is ideally suited to ambitious scientists who wish to develop their skills and who can compete in the current funding environment. 

Museum Studies

Palaeobiology or Biology 

Joining a multidisciplinary team in the world-leading Department of Museum Studies, the appointee will also work closely with research communities in the Department of Geology or Biology. Entirely postgraduate and now 40 years old, the Department of Museum Studies has pioneered this field of studies. Its diverse staff include researchers in the history of geology, audiences and learning, material culture studies, digital technologies, Bronze Age technologies and many other areas. Although situated in the Faculty of Arts, the Department is composed of scientists, historians, archaeologists, anthropologists, educators and sociologists.  This makes for a highly creative, exciting and relatively unbounded academic environment. The Department is home to the Research Centre for Museums and Galleries which has been highly successful in attracting research funding from the EU, government, charities and research councils. This is a highly ambitious Department which is dedicated to its students and to pushing the boundaries of the field. Through research, teaching and intellectual leadership, the lecturer will contribute to the on-going renaissance in the museum natural sciences.

The 'New Blood'  lecturer will work closely with the Department of Geology's RAE 5* palaeobiology research group, which has an international reputation in areas including Palaeozoic lagerstätten, invertebrate and vertebrate fossils and high-resolution biostratigraphy, or with the RAE grade 5 Department of Biology, probably in the area of biodiversity, taxonomy, evolution or ecology. However, candidates are encouraged from all areas of palaeobiology and biology. Museum, or museum-related, experience is desirable but not essential. 

Palaeobiology in Geology

The Department of Geology is recognised internationally for its research and teaching. We now seek an active researcher for this New Blood Lectureship, to complement the department's strength in Palaeobiology, and to develop links with our other research strengths in Crustal Processes and Geophysics & Borehole Research.

Palaeobiology  was flagged 5* in the last RAE, with research focused on exceptionally preserved Palaeozoic biotas, systematics, evolution and palaeoecology. Research into Crustal Processes focusses on geological processes (volcanism, sedimentation and tectonics) and their controls on major climate change in the Phanerozoic and Proterozoic, using climate modeling, geochemical proxies and/or geochrononology to constrain those processes and controls. Geophysics & Borehole research focuses on crustal evolution, environmental geophysics, and petrophysics, focussing on gas hydrates, and reservoir characterization.

International collaboration is a characteristic of the Geology department, typified by our hosting of the NERC SEIS-UK facility, and petrophysics support for IODP.  We have over 35 research students, and substantial research support from NERC, EPSRC and industry.  The department's research facilities include state of the art XRF and SEM, ICP-OES, XRD, and Microprobe.

We particularly encourage applicants who will complement existing strengths and develop synergistic research across the department and collaborative links across the university.

Physics and Astronomy

The Department is internationally renowned for its research excellence, attracting external research grants and contracts in excess of £4 million per annum, and achieved a grade 5 rating in the last three Research Assessment Exercises. The main Physics building accommodates the Radio and Space Plasma Physics, X-ray and Observational Astronomy, Condensed Matter Physics and Theoretical Astrophysics Groups, as well as national centres for supercomputing, radar sounding and X-ray astronomy. The purpose-built Space Research Centre (SRC) in the Michael Atiyah building provides laboratories, engineering support, clean rooms and test facilities for instrument development, Planetary Science (including Earth Observation Science) and Bio-imaging. Leicester has a hardware involvement in five operational space missions, the last - the gamma-ray burst mission SWIFT - launched in November 2004. The Department has over 40 postgraduate students registered for a higher degree, funded mainly by PPARC, EPSRC and NERC. In addition, the department has recently received a £1M grant from the European Union to support postgraduate students from outside the UK.

Victorian Studies

The Victorian Studies Centre was established in 1966 with a grant from the Leverhulme foundation to encourage interdisciplinary research and teaching on the Victorian period and more broadly on the long nineteenth century. Located within the English department, the Centre brings together staff and researchers from the School of Historical Studies, notably the Centres for English Local History and Urban History, and from the Department of History of Art and Visual Culture. The Centre's programme includes an internationally recognized M. A. in Victorian Studies, summer conferences, and a research seminar series. Members of the Centre are actively engaged in a range of research projects, and supervise a number of research students holding AHRC and ESRC awards, and Rotary and Commonwealth scholarships.  Applications are invited for a lectureship in Victorian Literature and Culture. The successful applicant will be a full member of the English department, and will contribute to the M. A. in Victorian Studies and to the research activities of the Centre.

Job Outline

After the fourth year the postholder will be expected to cover normal duties shown below. For the first four years the postholder will fulfil the duties specific to the New Blood lectureships outlined on the first page of these particulars. The postholder will be responsible to the relevant Head of Department, and will undertake research, teaching, administration and other activities supporting the work of the Department and developing and enhancing its reputation, both internally and external to the University.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
Research

1.	To contribute in a significant and meaningful manner to the Department's research profile by producing research of the highest standard, in line with the University's objective to further enhance its standing at the next RAE.
2.	To manage research projects within the university, including their financial control and to supervise research assistants and research students.
3.	To secure, in collaboration with colleagues, as appropriate, external research funding through research grants or contracts to support a well defined research agenda, which will deliver outputs of international excellence.
4.	Consistent with the resources available and departmental and other obligations, to attend and present research findings and papers at academic and professional conferences, and to contribute to the external visibility of the department
5.	To publish research articles in high quality peer-reviewed journals and volumes.
6.	To ensure that all research activities undertaken are in compliance with the 'Research Code of Conduct' operated by the University.
i.	Teaching

1.	To give lectures, seminars, tutorials and other classes, as appropriate in support of the required teaching obligations and to supervise project work by undergraduate and postgraduate students.  
2.	To co-operate with colleagues in the review and development of the curriculum and in the design and launch of new degrees or other academic awards where appropriate.
3.	To maintain a broad knowledge of up-to-date research and scholarship in relevant fields to ensure that teaching meets the standards expected within a research-led University.
4.	To undertake academic duties (e.g. setting examination papers, marking, invigilation and pastoral support of students) required to sustain the delivery of high quality teaching. 
5.	To support and comply with the University and departmental teaching quality assurance standards and procedures including the provision of such information as may be required by the Department or the University. 
i.	Administration

1.	To undertake such specific departmental roles and management functions as may be reasonably required by the Head of Department.
2.	To attend departmental meetings and to participate in other committees and working groups within the department, the faculty and the University to which appointed or elected.
3.	To engage in continuous professional development, for example through participation in relevant staff development programmes.
4.	To undertake, subject to agreement of the Head of Department and the University as appropriate, external commitments which reflect well upon and enhance the reputation of the University.
5.	To ensure compliance with health and safety requirements in all aspects of work.

Person Specification

Profile of personal skills, qualifications, knowledge, abilities, competencies and experience:

The successful candidate will have the following skills:

Essential

*	Two publications likely to be judged as 3* or 4* RAE quality.*
*	expertise in a relevant field*
*	the ability to initiate, develop, and deliver high quality research,*
*	an excellent record of research achievement as evidenced by a strong publications record in high quality peer-reviewed journals,*
*	the potential to generate significant research grant and/or contract income,
*	the ability to teach at undergraduate and postgraduate level,
*	good verbal and written communication skills.
*	The successful candidate will have expertise that complements and enhances the current programme of the department,
*	potential for academic leadership,
*	commitment to high quality teaching.

Desirable

*	success in attracting external research funds* 
*	experience of teaching and supervising PhD students
*	a doctorate*

*Criteria to be used to short-list for interview

Terms and Conditions

The appointment is subject to University Charter, Statutes, Ordinances, and Regulations.  A Lecturer may be required to serve a probationary period of up to three years.  Appointments on probation are reviewed annually.

Staff are responsible to the Head of the Department for such lecture courses, teaching, postgraduate supervision, examining and other work as may be allotted to them.  They are required to take a full share in all examining work and in the tutorial work of the Department (personal as well as academic) and in such general work of the Department as may be required from time to time by the Head of Department.  Staff are expected to attend regular Departmental Staff Meetings.

Members of the academic staff are expected to undertake scholarly work and research and the University endeavours to provide adequate resources for the research interests of its staff.  Staff are also expected to undertake adult and continuing education teaching as and when appropriate.

Appointments, unless otherwise stated are full-time, but no fixed number of hours of work is prescribed for members of academic staff.  Extra-mural lecturing for the University and examining work may be undertaken without obtaining permission, and so may occasional lectures, broadcasts etc., but before engaging in other paid external work, members of the academic staff must consult the Vice-Chancellor who will, if he considers it necessary, bring the matter before Senate and Council.  This stipulation applies to all paid external work, whether it is undertaken in term time or during vacations, and in particular to consultancies and to work for any other University at home, or abroad, including the Open University.

The salary scale for Lecturer Grade B:

		£28,829 - £30,002 - £31,274 - £32,490 - £33,646 - £35,254 - £36,959 per annum
		Discretionary scale: £38,685 - £40,287 - £41,294 per annum.

The initial salary will depend upon qualifications and experience.

Academic and related staff eligible for membership may, immediately on starting their employment, join USS - the occupational pension scheme provided by this University.  Unless, prior to becoming an employee he/she declares in writing a wish not be a member of USS he/she will automatically be deemed to be a member from the start of the employment and contributions will be deducted accordingly.  Contributions at the rate of 6.35% of salary will be deducted from the date of entry to the Scheme, at which time full details of benefits, etc. will be forwarded by the University Superannuation Office, from whom further information can be obtained at any time.  The University contributes an amount equal to approximately 14% of salary.

Appointments of members of the academic staff may be terminated by one term's notice in writing by either side, such notice to be given not later than noon on the first day on any term or of the long vacation (which counts as a term for purposes of notice).

Members of the academic staff are entitled to six weeks of paid holiday (inclusive of 6 days when the University is closed), excluding public holidays, in each leave year (January to December). Members of staff are expected to undertake such departmental duties as may be necessary during vacations, e.g. in connection with admissions, supervision of field courses or vacation courses. A member of staff is expected to consult his/her Head of Department over his/her leave arrangements to ensure the smooth running of the Department. A member of staff may take as holiday a continuous four-week or such longer period as may be agreed with the Head of Department. On termination of employment paid holiday entitlement shall be deemed to have accrued in proportion to completed months of service in the leave year.

The Lecturer will be required to reside in or near Leicester unless otherwise especially permitted.  The University has a scheme whereby it is prepared to give some assistance towards removal expenses in certain cases.

Informal Enquiries

Academic Area	Name	Telephone Number	E-Mail Address	
Ancient History and Archaeology	Professor Marilyn Palmer	0116 252 2821	mai at le.ac.uk	
Biochemistry	Dr Timothy Harrison	0116 229 7036	tmh at le.ac.uk	
Biology	Professor Garry Whitelam	0116 252 3396	gcw1 at le.ac.uk	
Cell Physiology and Pharmacology	Professor Stefan Nahorski	0116 229 7145	srn at le.ac.uk	
Genetics	Dr Annette Cashmore	0116 252 3439	amc19 at le.ac.uk	
Economics	Professor Clive Fraser	0116 252 5364	cdf2 at le.ac.uk	
Engineering	Professor Sarah Spurgeon	0116 252 2531	eon at le.ac.uk	
English 	Professor Richard Foulkes	0116 252 2642 / 2620	rf24 at le.ac.uk	
History	Dr Peter Musgrave	0116 252 2592	mus at le.ac.uk	
Law	Professor Robin White	0116 252 2374	wyt at le.ac.uk	
Mathematics	Professor Jeremy Levesley	0116 252 3897	jl1 at le.ac.uk	
Museum Studies	Professor Simon Knell	0116 252 3963	sjk8 at le.ac.uk	
Geology	Professor Mike Lovell	0116 252 3798	mtl at le.ac.uk	
Cardiovascular Sciences	Professor Nilesh Samani	0116 256 3021	njs at le.ac.uk	
Microbiology and Immunology	Professor Peter Andrew	0116 252 2951	pwa at le.ac.uk	
Palaeobiology in Geology	Professor Mike Lovell	0116 252 3798	mtl at le.ac.uk	
Physics and Astronomy	Professor Martin Barstow	0116 252 3492	mab at le.ac.uk	
Victorian Studies	Professor Richard Foulkes	0116 252 2642 / 2620	rf24 at le.ac.uk	

Applicants are also encouraged to visit the University website for further information at www.le.ac.uk .  Click on the relevant academic department's link for detailed departmental information. 

Applications

Applications should be made on the form provided, using the relevant reference number as stated in on the second page of this document, and forwarded to reach Personnel Services not later than Thursday 19 January 2006.

Candidates who wish acknowledgement of their application should affix a first or second class stamp to a self-addressed postcard or envelope, stating on the reverse the reference number and title of the post, and return it with their application form.  It is anticipated that candidates short-listed for interview will be contacted within four weeks of the post closing.  If you do not receive a communication from Personnel Services by this date, then please assume that your application has been unsuccessful.

Keith Julian
Registrar and Secretary
University of Leicester
University Road
Leicester LEl 7RH

Telephone	0116 252 2758
Fax		0116 252 5140

November 2005


POSTGRADUATE CERTIFICATE IN ACADEMIC PRACTICE IN HIGHER EDUCATION
In common with most universities in the UK, Leicester is providing an in-service training course for academic staff who have less than 3 years' experience in teaching in higher education. This programme forms part of the Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice and it offers an opportunity to engage with theories underlying learning, curriculum and assessment issues, and the professional and practical aspects of teaching in HE today. The aim of the programme is not to prescribe teaching methods, but rather to promote exploration of practices and approaches that can be adopted to ensure effective learning. The University's Staffing Committee has agreed that newly appointed staff with less than 3 years' experience in teaching in HE in the UK should successfully complete modules 1 and 2 of this programme as part of the probationary requirements.
The overall aims of the programme are to:
*	Enable participants to develop personally and professionally in their role as university educators.
*	Provide an in-depth understanding of learning theories underpinning teaching practices.
*	Develop an awareness of the values (e.g. respect for diversity, confidentiality, etc) underpinning teaching in HE.
*	Promote supportive and effective learning environments that value diversity.
*	Promote awareness of policies, regulations and resources in respect of accessibility, equality and diversity.
*	Encourage a reflective and scholarly approach to the study and practice of teaching in HE.
*	Encourage participants to embrace the notion of continuing professional development.
*	Encourage active engagement with pedagogical research.
*	Promote peer-learning and dissemination of good practice.
*	Provide access routes to membership and associateship of the Institute for Learning and Teaching.
The sessions for modules 1 and 2 are scheduled over semester 1 and semester 2 respectively of each academic year.  It is also possible to undertake module 1 in semester 2, thus giving colleagues time to settle in their department before embarking on the course. Contact time for the course is about 21 hours per semester. Both modules are assessed via a portfolio.
Please contact the Staff Development Centre  (email ls34 at le.ac.uk or telephone 0116 252 5021) for any further details you might require.
Module 1 synopsis
MODULE 1 - TEACHING AND LEARNING:  THEORIES AND PRACTICES 
This module introduces participants to the theoretical aspects of learning that underpin teaching practices. It addresses the needs of academic staff new to teaching in HE or other staff (technical, librarians, research students) who have an active role in supporting the learning process.
*	Contact time: 20 hrs
*	Notional Learning Hours: 150
*	Credits: 15 CATS
*	Level: M
Aims
The overall aims of the module are:
*	To explore the practical skills and theoretical knowledge in respect of teaching so as to promote active learning.
*	To develop a reflective and professionally aware practitioner. 
Outline of content
*	Introduction to Leicester and the wider HE context.
*	Teaching Practices (methods and tools, use of ICT, teaching audit).
*	Learning theories (behaviourism, cognitive theory, experiential learning, andragogy).
*	Introduction to course design (aims, objectives, learning outcomes, progression).
*	Effective student support. 
*	Peer observation.
*	Compiling a portfolio.
*	Continuing Professional Development.
*	Diversity. 
*	Disability Discrimination Legislation.
*	Professional values. 
Assessment
*	Portfolio: evidence file and reflective statement on at least 3 different ways of teaching. 
*	Peer Observation: 2 sessions to be completed by participant's mentor.

Module 2 synopsis
MODULE 2 - ASSESSMENT, FEEDBACK and SUPPORT
This module sets assessment issues in the wider framework of feedback and support.  It provides an insight into the theoretical and practical issues pertaining to assessing student work and shows how effective support and feedback can be provided and obtained. It promotes the notion of reflective evaluation of performance. It is addresses the needs of academic staff new to teaching in HE or other staff (technical, librarians, research students) who have an active role in supporting the learning process. 
*	Contact time: 20 hrs
*	Notional Learning Hours: 150
*	Credits: 15 CATS
*	Level: M



Aims
The overall aims of the programme are:
*	To explore the theoretical and practical issues pertaining to assessment, support and feedback with a view to promoting effective learning environments in a climate of diversity.
*	To promote reflection on assessment, support and feedback.
Outline of content
*	Assessment purpose and principles.
*	Assessment methods.
*	Assessment criteria.
*	Learning outcomes.
*	ICT in assessment, Computer-aided assessment (CAA), objective testing.
*	Seeking and using feedback to inform practice.
*	Evaluation and enhancement of assessment.
*	Dealing with dyslexic students.
*	Less traditional forms of assessment (eg peer and self-assessment).
*	Group work and oral presentations.
*	Student support and enhancement of practice.
NB Participants are expected to have attended the 'Supervising Research' seminars run jointly by the Graduate School and the Staff Development Centre.
Assessment
*	Portfolio: evidence file and reflective statement.







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