The Department of Plant Sciences hosts significant synthetic biology research including OpenPlant and the SynBio SRI. It is currently welcoming independent research fellows who wish to apply to join the Department.
We welcome approaches to host candidates who are applying for independent Fellowships, such as Royal Society University Research Fellowships, BBSRC Sir David Phillips, NERC or EU Marie Curie awards. The Department has an excellent tradition for supporting Research Fellows in terms of providing financial support for laboratories and equipment, and PhD studentship opportunities, as well as promoting career development and collaborative expertise.
Potential candidates should contact the Head of Department, Professor Alison Smith (hod@plantsci.cam.ac.uk) or Department Administrator, Catherine Butler (cek31@cam.ac.uk) initially, after which they should approach Group Leaders from the Department (http://www.plantsci.cam.ac.uk/research) who are most closely allied to their area of research interest. Applications will be co-ordinated by the Department Resources Committee. Contact should be made at least 6 months before any deadline for submission. We welcome applications from individuals who wish to be considered for part-time or other flexible working arrangements.
The Department of Plant Sciences sits within the School of Biological Sciences, with undergraduate teaching integrated through the Natural Sciences Tripos (NST). Postgraduate recruitment and training is offered either directly or indirectly via BBSRC or NERC Doctoral Training Programmes (http://www.plantsci.cam.ac.uk/grads/). The Department maintains teaching and research specialisms across a wide range of plant science disciplines (from molecular and developmental biology, through cell-signalling, biochemistry and physiology to epidemiology, ecology and ecosystem modelling) with 18 academic staff leading active research groups, 4 independent research fellows (funded by the Royal Society, EC and NERC), 4 senior research associates, 55 post-doctoral researchers and 42 support staff. Research grant income in 2014/15 was £6M, with the Department currently administering a total of 68 grants with a combined value of £26.5M from a variety of sources, including research councils, Royal Society, charities, EU, industry and government agencies.