Call for Application for Director Position at the “Academy of Immunology and Microbiology” of IBS

The Institute for Basic Science (IBS) is a Korean government-funded research institute established in November 2011 with the purpose of driving forward the development of basic science in Korea through large-scale, long-term, group research. IBS consists of autonomous research centers (Centers) in all fields of basic sciences and has so far established 28 Centers: Please visit http://www.ibs.re.kr/eng.do. We are pleased to announce that our call for applications for the Director position at Academy of Immunology and Microbiology (AIM) of the IBS is now open as detailed below. We look forward to your applications.

■ Introduction of the Research Center and Research Areas

The Academy of Immunology and Microbiology (AIM) is one of the first research centers established by IBS in 2012. The center is located at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) and we are searching for a new director to succeed a former director, the late Dr. Charles D. Surh. AIM’s current goals are to discover novel mechanisms on how commensal microbes and food antigens contribute to the development of the host immune system and the establishment and maintenance of immune tolerance and homeostasis. Emphasis is also being placed on developing novel immunotherapy treatments for cancer and chronic inflammatory diseases, including allergy and autoimmune diseases.

- For more information
    https://www.ibs.re.kr/en/research/microbiology/microbiology.jsp
    http://aim.ibs.re.kr/html/aim_en/

■ Information of the Director Position

  1. Job description

- The AIM Director will conduct and/or oversee independent research programs that are compatible with the overall goals of the research center. The Director will have freedom to collaborate with other investigators who currently work on the following research topics: (i) molecular and cellular mechanisms affecting the innate and adaptive immune systems in regulation of immune homeostasis to self-antigens, commensal microbiota and dietary components, (ii) role of key transcription factors and effector molecules in development, tolerance, homeostasis, regulation and function of the immune system in the context of immune intestinal homeostasis, (iii) mechanisms involved in dysregulation of the immune system that lead to chronic inflammatory diseases, and (iv) mechanisms involved in interactions between the host immune system and pathogenic microbes. The Director will also have freedom to develop his/her own research program in immunology relevant for human diseases, pathogens and commensals-related research in microbiology.

- The successful applicant will have access to all the infrastructure of the Research Center, including the mouse facility that houses germ-free, antigen-free and SPF mice and all the other modern facilities, including the flow cytometry, Fluidigm + C1 single cell analysis, Mi-Seq DNA sequencer, and confocal microscopy facilities.

- Candidates should have an outstanding record of scholarly achievement recognized at an international level, an excellent record of securing external funding, and evidence of strong leadership skills.

- Candidates must have demonstrated an ability to manage and inspire a group of staff to perform a relatively large and robust research program in an academic setting and be able to articulate a strong vision to advance the research and outreach programs in the Research Center.

- The successful applicant needs to acquire a full professor position at POSTECH in a separate independent process at POSTECH.

  2. Requirements

- Candidates must have an exceptional track record of research.

- Candidates must possess proven experiences in managing and directing a large-scale scientific research program.

- Candidates must be committed to conducting research and operating their research center groups at IBS for the long term.

- Candidate must be able to work closely with the Principal Investigators at the Research Center and to conduct collaborative projects.

- Candidates must be fluent enough with the relevant scientific and policy issues to be a highly credible representative of the Research Center to audiences ranging from the general public to the uppermost levels of scientists and policymakers. The position calls for vision, breadth, and good judgment; proven intellectual leadership skills; a keen sense of public policy, as well as competence in financial and staff management skills.

  3. Research Budget

- Proposed amount of research budget on the application form will be reviewed when selecting director and once the selection of directors is finalized, it may be adjusted and confirmed by the Research Review Committee.

- Start-up expenses for the initial establishment of the Center research group, including costs for purchasing large-scale facilities and equipment should be requested separately on the application form and will be determined by the Research Review Committee.

  4. Details of the Director Position

- Director is required to work full time in their Center research groups and labor costs will be negotiated with the IBS president and will become effective upon the signing of the contract.

- Director is not allowed to apply for other Korean government-funded research projects.

- Director will be given autonomy in organizing their research groups including personnel, research plan and budget distribution.

- An evaluation of Centers and research groups will take place every three years and will determine whether to provide continued support. If it is decided that a Center or a Center research group should close down based on the evaluation results, a one-year transition period will be given.

  5. Application Details

- Complete the attached application form in English and save it as a pdf file.

- Submit your application via email to apply@ibs.re.kr (Please make sure the title of your email contains the word “AIM”, e.g. applicant name_AIM_submission date.)

- Application Deadline: Sunday, June 24, 2018

- Candidates for in-depth evaluation will be notified individually.

  6. Inquiries

Selection and evaluations of IBS director / application submission:
  JEONG Naeyang
  Research Evaluation Team
  Tel: +82-42-878-8190
  Email: nyjeong@ibs.re.kr