"Assistant Professor - Plant Resilience to Climate Change - Department of Plant and Microbial Biology"

The Department of Plant and Microbial Biology in the Rausser College of Natural Resources at the University of California, Berkeley (UCB) invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor faculty position in Plant Resilience to Climate Change: Abiotic Stress.

The department is a community of scholars whose research advances knowledge in plant and microbial systems in terms of biochemistry, cell and developmental biology, genetics and genomics, ecology, evolution, and pathogenesis, and their applications to ecosystems, agriculture, bioenergy, biomedicine, and biotechnology. Our undergraduate students have a choice of vibrant majors that span the disciplines in the department, and we administer top-ranked Ph.D. programs in plant biology and microbiology. Our researchers benefit from having access to extensive greenhouse and field space and opportunities for interactions and collaborations with other biological science departments and units on campus, including the Innovative Genomics Institute, the Energy & Biosciences Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (https://biosciences.lbl.gov/) and the Berkeley Food Institute, as well as additional local research centers, including the Plant Gene Expression Center (http://pgec.berkeley.edu), the Joint Genome Institute (https://jgi.doe.gov), and the Joint Bioenergy Institute (https://www.jbei.org).

The department seeks applicants conducting fundamental research to provide knowledge on how plants acclimate and adapt to climate change-related abiotic stress factors (warming temperature, drought, flooding etc.). The candidate's research will be expected to integrate a broad spectrum of classical and cutting-edge genetic, genomic, physiological, quantitative analysis and modeling, systems biology, and/or synthetic biology approaches. Applicants should also have strong interests in teaching and mentoring the next generation of scientists in plant biology. Candidates whose research programs include translational research bearing on crop improvement or on management and/or conservation of naturally occurring populations, particularly in the context of adaptation to climate change, are especially encouraged to apply.

The Department of Plant and Microbial Biology recognizes the intrinsic relationship between diversity and excellence in all our endeavors; we embrace open and equitable access to opportunities for learning and development of all members as our obligation and goal.

The Department of Plant and Microbial Biology is committed to addressing the family needs of faculty, including dual career couples and single parents. We are also interested in candidates who have had non-traditional career paths or who have taken time off for family reasons, or who have achieved excellence in careers outside academia.

Qualifications

Basic qualifications: PhD (or equivalent international degree) or enrolled in PhD or equivalent international degree-granting program at the time of application.

Preferred qualifications: The ideal candidate will demonstrate evidence of strong research productivity, potential for funding, and a commitment to excellence in teaching and research mentoring of undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral scholars. Demonstrate evidence of expertise and scholarship within a relevant field such as genetics, cell and molecular biology, genomics, quantitative analysis and modeling in researching mechanisms underlying plant responses to environmental changes. Demonstrate strong research skills and a potential to establish an innovative research agenda, to communicate their work effectively to a broader public, and to work with other researchers from diverse disciplines.

Application Requirements

Document requirements: Curriculum Vitae, Cover Letter (up to 2 pages), Statement of Research (up to 5 pages), Statement of Teaching and Mentoring (up to 2 pages), Statement of Service, Authorization to Release Information Form, and optional Publications/Documents (up to 5).

Reference requirements: 3-5 letters of reference required.