KOÇ UNIVERSITY IS SEEKING A SENIOR LEVEL RESEARCHER TO SERVE AS THE ERA
CHAIR OF TRANSPLANT IMMUNOLOGY
The ERA Chair will be recruited by Koç University in Istanbul, Turkey for the duration of sixty
months (5 Years) under a full employment contract with a follow-up opportunity for tenure.
THE ERA CHAIR PROJECT
Koç University Transplant Immunology Research Center of Excellence “TIREX” project is
funded by Horizon 2020 ERA Chair program and it aims to foster excellent interdisciplinary
research in the field of Transplant Immunology. TIREX will not only bring Turkish research in
Transplant Immunology closer to Europe but will also constitute an important regional Center of
Excellence for South-Eastern Europe, connecting ERA with Asia and Middle East countries,
while also meeting the regional, national and European priorities. The TIREX ERA Chair project
is expected to create an example and a point of reference, generating great opportunities for
Koç University and becoming a leading research destination for top-class researchers.
For more information please visit https://kutirex.ku.edu.tr/
JOB DESCRIPTION
Details on the role of the ERA chair holder (ECH position) is provided below:
• Leads R&D activity of the ERA chair of Transplant Immunology
• Holds general responsibility for the strategic development and operational management
of the ERA Chair
• Holds responsibility for establishing and supervising his/her own research team
• Builds research excellence and institutional capacity of the ERA Chair
• Ensures international recognition and visibility for the ERA Chair and Koç University in
general
• Supports the process of turning research results into socially and economically relevant
solutions
Koç University will offer full autonomy to the hired ECH so that he/she structures his/her team as
he/she deems appropriate for achieving the scientific and sustainability goals of the Lab. The ECH
will be free to choose the Lab’s composition and specify requirements for the researchers (i.e. the
team, profile and experience of researchers etc.).
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
• The applicants must possess a curriculum vitae reflecting scientific excellence, according
to highly demanding international standards, in the Transplant Immunology research or
related fields. They are expected to be active leading researchers, with a track-record of
significant research achievements in the last 10 years.
• Applicants must be scientifically independent and have a recent research track-record and
profile which identify them as leaders in Transplant Immunology (i.e. R4: Leading
Researcher). They should be international leaders in terms of originality and significance
of research contributions, holding a PhD title.
• The applicants should demonstrate high level performance in clinical and translational
research areas, training program development, supervising graduate students,
international research
• Proven record in securing international research funding and experience with industry
cooperation
• Proven experience in management of faculty, personnel, research teams and resource
allocation
CRITERIA AND SELECTION PROCEDURE
Selection Committee
The received applications will be reviewed and scored by a Selection Committee that will
comprise of the members of the International Advisory Board, Koç University Management,
TIREX Project Coordinator, Project and Quality Manager, and members of the project’s Steering
Committee.
The selection process will consist of two stages:
1. Remote evaluation (weight of 70%): analysis of the CVs of the candidates and a draft
Scientific & Management Plan for the Transplant Immunology Lab
2. Interview evaluation (weight of 30%): Interview and presentation of the candidates’ draft
Scientific & Management Plan.
Criterion Elements to be considered
Scientific performance 1. Number of publications as the first author. 2. Number of
publications as the corresponding author. 3. H-index.
Management and
securing funds
1. International research projects (as a project coordinator). 2.
National research projects (as a project coordinator). 3. Number
of Patents. 4. Cooperation with industry. 5. International projects
in cooperation with industry (as a coordinator). 6. National
projects in cooperation with industry (as a coordinator).
Teaching coordination
1. Experience in teaching. 2. Research team leadership. 3.
Administrative duties (director etc.). 4. MSc supervision/
mentoring. 5. PhD supervision/ mentoring. 6. Mobility (e.g. length
of stay) secondments to the private sector; number of countries
Scientific and
Management Plan
Adequacy and competitiveness of the proposed SMP for the Lab;
SMP describing the applicant’s scientific strategy for the
implementation of the Lab and his/her needs/expectations in
terms of research capacity.
Interviews will be conducted via web conference or face-to-face meetings, as may be deemed
appropriate.
BENEFITS
Salary/Contract Information: Contract will be for five years (the length of the EU supported ERA
Chair project) with a competitive salary that is commensurate with experience of the applicant.
The expected starting date is April 2021.
HOW TO APPLY
The application will be made online. Applications, including a cover letter, curriculum vitae,
statements of teaching and research interests, publication list, and at least three reference letters,
must be directly sent to vprd@ku.edu.tr by e-mail.
Deadline for applications is December 15, 2020. |