This title will apply to newly qualified Post-Doctoral Researchers and will be considered as a period of training as the researcher will have dual goals in terms of the research project and their own career development.  The researcher will be mentored by a Principal Investigator (PI).  It is expected that a researcher would spend not more than 3 years at the Post Doctoral level, subject to the term of the project and would then be eligible to compete for a Senior Post Doctoral post advertised by the University.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

The primary focus of the Postdoctoral Researcher will be research however a particular emphasis during this stage should include;

• Experience with culturing gut anaerobes.
• Hands on experience with in vivo and/or ex vivo models, such as fermentation.
• Experience with investigating the microbiome and the necessary wet-lab skills to do such (e.g. Nucleic acid extraction, qPCR, NGS library preparation).
• Proven ability to design, manage and conduct independent research to a high level.
• To conduct a specified programme of research under the supervision and direction of a Principal Investigator/Project Leader.
• To engage in appropriate training and professional development opportunities as required by the Principal Investigator, School, or College in order to develop research skills and competencies.
• To gain experience in grant writing.
• To engage in the dissemination of the results of the research in which they are engaged, as directed by, with the support of and under the supervision of a Principal Investigator.
• To become familiar with the publication process.
• To acquire generic and transferable skills (including project management, business skills and postgraduate mentoring/supervision).
• To engage in the wider research and scholarly activities of the research group, School, or College.
• To interact closely with postgraduate research students who are studying for a Masters or a PhD and possibly have an agreed role in supporting these students in their day to day research in conjunction with an academic supervisor.
• To carry out administrative work to support the programme of research.
• To carry out additional duties as may reasonably be required within the general scope and level of the post.
• To contribute to costing research grant proposals and assist in the financial management of a research project.

Health & Safety

In addition to the statutory safety duties of all employees (as prescribed in safety legislation and the relevant local safety statement) each staff member is responsible for:

• Discharging any safety functions delegated to them by their Head of College / School / Department / Centre / Unit, in relation to the areas / activities under their control.
• Co-operating and assisting the University and the Head of College / School / Department / Centre / Unit in the discharge of their statutory safety responsibilities.
• Ensuring that all work under their control, is undertaken safely and without risk to health and complies with the provision of all relevant statutory legislation.

Criteria

• A PhD qualification, focused on molecular cloning, genomics, and wet-lab microbiology.
• Appropriate research experience.
• Appropriate technical competence and accomplishment.
• A capability of working within a project team to achieve results.
• Good communication, organisation and interpersonal skills.
• A commitment to gaining practical experience working on a research project.
• Ability to work well within a team.

Please note that Garda vetting and international police clearance check may form part of the selection process.

Applications must be submitted online via the University College Cork vacancy portal (https://ore.ucc.ie/). Queries relating to the online application process should be referred to [email protected], quoting the job-title and project name.

Candidates should apply, in confidence, before 12 noon (Irish Local Time) on Friday, 12th of July 2024.

No late applications will be accepted.

Please note that an appointment to posts advertised will be dependent on University approval, together with the terms of the employment control framework for the higher education sector.

UCC is committed to creating and fully embracing an inclusive environment where diversity is celebrated.  As a University we strive to create a workplace that reflects the diversity of our student population where people from a wide variety of backgrounds learn from one another, share ideas, and work collaboratively. UCC is committed to being an employer that recognises the value of diversity amongst its staff.  We encourage applicants to consult our policies at https://www.ucc.ie/en/edi/policies/ and initiatives at https://www.ucc.ie/en/edi/implementation/ and we welcome applications from everyone, including those who are underrepresented in the protected characteristics set out in our Equal Opportunities & Diversity Policy.

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CORK IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES EMPLOYER