"Full Professor (W3) in Stress Resilience of Plants"

Full Professor (W3) in Stress Resilience of Plants at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences

RWTH Aachen University is one of Germany’s pre-eminent Universities of Excellence and is renowned for its high-quality teaching and world-class research. Assuming profound responsibility towards society, RWTH addresses bold scientific questions and translates its knowledge into meaningful applications. RWTH strives for the convergence of knowledge, methods, and findings and integrates in-depth disciplinary knowledge within the interdisciplinary research consortia established in its eight profile areas. The University’s dynamic, creative, and international environment encompasses efficient research networks and institutionalized collaborations. With its innovative RWTH Aachen Campus project, the University boasts one of the largest technology-oriented research environments in Europe.

We are inviting applications the position of full professor in the area of stress resilience of plants, to be filled by October 1, 2026. The professorship will be embedded in the area of plant molecular physiology, focusing on plant resilience. Biological core research areas in Aachen are the Integrated Bioeconomy, Stress Resilience and Computational Life Science. We thus search for a candidate who works at the intersection of cellular or molecular plant physiology and a biological question related to bioeconomy. A focus on plant resilience will be explored (e.g., acclimation or adaptation to biotic or abiotic stresses). Research approaches may combine eco-physiological, molecular biological/genetic, and biochemical methods. We place particular emphasis on interdisciplinary collaborations within the faculty, with other faculties within the university and with Forschungszentrum Jülich and the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME. We encourage involvement in the Bioeconomy Science Center (BioSC). We expect that the successful candidate continues to develop an already strong, original, and internationally visible research profile, enabling acquisition of competitive external funds. Teaching tasks comprise theoretical and practical education in plant physiology and the biology of resilience in the B.Sc./M.Sc. courses of study of Aachen Biology and Biotechnology, including contribution to general plant biological teaching in these courses of study. Involvement in academic self-administration is also expected.

The requirements include a doctoral degree and additional research experience, such as a habilitation (post-doctoral lecturing qualification) or equivalent achievements gained as a university researcher or professor or in a research position outside academia. Teaching ability and dedication are essential and the application should include proof of this. Fluent German is not required to start the position but the successful candidate will be expected to hold classes in German within the first 5 years.

Please submit your application online by January 5, 2026 through the RWTH appointment portal at: www.berufungsportal.rwth-aachen.de

For inquiries specific to the academic position, please reach out to Prof. Dr. Carsten Honerkamp at dekan@fb1.rwth-aachen.de. If you encounter technical issues with the appointment portal, please get in touch with our support team at berufungsportal@rwth-aachen.de.

This position is available on a part-time basis upon request. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender. RWTH Aachen University is recognized as a familyfriendly institution and provides a dual career program to support partner hiring. Our Family Services Center, part of the Equal Opportunities Office, is available to offer guidance on family matters, including childcare and caregiving responsibilities.

At RWTH Aachen University, we are dedicated to advancing women’s careers and strongly encourage women to apply. When candidates have equal qualifications, skills, and accomplishments, preference may be given to women, provided there are no overriding considerations in favor of another candidate. We also welcome applications from qualified individuals with disabilities and those with equivalent status, and we look forward to applications from international candidates.

For information on the collection of personal data under Articles 13 and 14 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), please refer to: www.rwth-aachen.de/gdpr-information.