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Gresham College Professorship in Astronomy November 2018

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Gresham College Professorship in Astronomy November 2018 Gresham College Professorship in Astronomy November 2018 Gresham College Barnard’s Inn Hall Holborn London EC1N 2HH www.gresham.ac.uk 1 Dear Applicant: Thank you for your interest in the role of Professor of Astronomy at Gresham College. The mission of Gresham College is to provide free public lectures of the highest possible standard in a range of academic disciplines. As the term of office of the current holder of the Gresham Professorship in Astronomy Professor Joseph Silk comes to an end, a new appointment will be made to this position with effect from 1 August 2019. The college is seeking a Professor of Astronomy who will continue to educate and inspire audiences, building on the 400-year-old traditions of Gresham College, at the same time as developing innovative ideas for the transmission of knowledge. In aiming to fill the post, we are seeking an exceptional candidate with the necessary qualifications and experience to follow in the footsteps of a long tradition of Gresham Professors since 1597. Previous postholders have included Sir Christopher Wren, Sir Martin Ryle, Lord Rees, and Heather Couper. The successful candidate will have a record of high-level scholarship, and a demonstrable ability to communicate complex ideas to an intelligent and interested public. In recent years, the professorship has expanded to consider other physical sciences, and a range of topics from particle physics to astrophysics has been covered. Gresham Professors are contracted to provide six one-hour lectures annually, as well as participating in occasional promotional filming, and engaging in a small number of meetings and social events, including attendance at the College’s Academic Board. It is common to hold a Gresham Professorship (with its specified commitments) alongside a permanent position at a University, professional institution or other body, but the home institution’s agreement must be secured in advance. The term of office is three years, renewable for a fourth and final year. Applications will be judged against the job description and person specification that follow, and applicants should clearly state how their skills and experience combine to meet these criteria. The selection and interview process will be conducted by an interview panel comprised of Gresham College Council members and other persons who will make an appointment recommendation to Council. Candidates invited to interview will be asked to give a 10-minute presentation on their topic (such as an overview of their proposed series, or an excerpt from a lecture), presented as if to a Gresham public audience. The final appointment will be made subject to satisfactory references, formal Sponsor and Council approval, and any other necessary document checks (eg right to work in the UK). Please contact the Academic Registrar, Dr M. Clare Loughlin-Chow, if you have any queries or require any additional information that is not covered below. Yours sincerely, Dr M. Clare Loughlin-Chow Academic Registrar Gresham College Barnard's Inn Hall Holborn, London, EC1N 2HH 020 7831 0575 [email protected] www.gresham.ac.uk 2 Introduction Gresham College is an independently funded educational institution, and Gresham Professors have given free public lectures in the City of London for over 400 years. Gresham College was established in 1597 according to the Will of the Tudor financier Sir Thomas Gresham, who nominated the City of London Corporation and the Worshipful Company of Mercers to manage his estate through the Joint Grand Gresham Committee. The College is a company limited by guarantee and has charitable status with its own Council acting as its Board of Governors. Gresham College has taken various forms since its foundation, but the major continuing activity has been the appointment of distinguished Professors “sufficiently learned to reade [sic] the lectures” in Astronomy, Divinity, Geometry, Law, Music, Physic and Rhetoric. To these, in 1985, was added the Mercers’ School Memorial Chair of Commerce (renamed ‘Business’ in 2017). The Frank Jackson Professorship of Commerce was added in 2014, and the IT Livery Company Chair of IT was added in 2015. The scope of the disciplines originally identified by Sir Thomas Gresham has changed slightly over time, and appointments now reflect the ways in which knowledge has expanded. So, for example, the Chair of Physic now extends to all the medical and biological sciences; Astronomy represents the physical sciences; Geometry the mathematical sciences; Rhetoric the arts, humanities (except Music) and the social sciences. Since 1991, the College has been based at Barnard’s Inn Hall, where the premises provide for lectures and seminars, but a wide range of other venues are also used. Gresham College has no registered students, runs no courses and does not confer degrees or diplomas. All Gresham lectures (about 130 pa) are open to the public, without charge, on a ‘first come first served’ basis, with attendances in person numbering ,up to 20,000 each year. All lectures are live streamed and recorded, and made available globally, free-of-charge via the internet, with the College constantly seeking to increase its outreach (currently several million online views annually). All lectures are live-streamed and archived on the Internet, where there are now over 2,000 Gresham lectures accessible through the College website. Vision, Mission and Aims of Gresham College Vision The original Vision of Sir Thomas Gresham, is encapsulated in his Will dated 1575: To entrust the City Corporation and the Mercers’ Company to ensure that a succession of academics should be nominated and appointed as Professors ‘to read Lectures in Divinity, Astronomy, Musick and Geometry, … and also Law, Physick and Rhetorick, for the benefit of the Mayor and Commonalty and Citizens of London, henceforth and so long as they or their successors shall by any means or title have, and hold and enjoy the said Royal Exchange, Shops, Pawns, Vaults, Houses and all other the Premisses with the Appurtenances for ever.’ Mission 1. To continue to provide free public lectures of the highest possible standard, focused on the maintaining of Gresham Professorships in an extensive range of academic disciplines, in accordance with the Vision of Sir Thomas Gresham as expressed in his Will in 1575 2. To provide free and open access to new learning of contemporary relevance and interest in the widest possible international sense 3. To contribute to society through the provision of stimulating free education, learning and debate, linked to the core value of freedom of thought and expression 3 Aims 1. To foster study, learning and research, particularly (but not exclusively) in those disciplines represented by the Gresham Professorships 2. To supplement the seven original disciplines (and the three others subsequently added) with a range of relevant additional series and one-off lectures in subject areas as considered appropriate in the twenty-first century 3. To foster academic consideration of contemporary issues and problems (such as the environment) 4. To challenge those who live and work in London and elsewhere to engage in intellectual debate on those subject in which the city has a proper concern 5. To make a contribution to society (academia and the community) through the pursuit, dissemination, and application of knowledge, by means of innovative collaboration and partnerships 6. To be open and all embracing, encouraging diversity both in disciplines and the profile of Professors, lecturers and audiences 7. To publicise and communicate the work of the College and its Professors, sharing information and new learning to an ever widening and increasing audience in London, the UK and beyond through the internet 8. To recognise and reward academic contributors and staff, encouraging the furtherance of academic work and career development for all involved. Governance The governance of the College is based in the Articles of Association (rev. 2007). The Articles specify powers of Council and procedures for its general meetings, the appointment of Professors, Fellows and the Provost, and other procedural matters. The College is registered with the Charity Commission and at Companies House. Its main sources of funding is the rental income from the Royal Exchange, administered jointly by the Mercers’ Company and the City of London Corporation. The Gresham College Council (equivalent to a Board of Directors) is comprised of a maximum of 15 persons, of whom 4 each are appointed by the City of London Corporation and the Mercers’ Company, with others being co-opted by Council itself. The Council may delegate certain powers to Finance and Remuneration Committee and the Nominations Committee. Academic Board is comprised of Gresham Professors (Visiting Professors are also invited), and Gresham Fellows, its main function being oversight of the academic programme of the College, including quality assurance and monitoring. The Gresham Fellows are former professors appointed for a fixed term. Visiting Professors are usually appointed for a three- or four-year period to deliver three or four lectures per year. Staff For Academic Year 2018-19: President The Lord Mayor of London Provost Professor Sir Richard Evans FBA Academic Registrar Dr M. Clare Loughlin-Chow Accounts and Facilities Manager Ms Maxine Plunkett Head of Communications Technology Mr James Bull Head of PR and Media Ms Lucia Graves Communications Officer Mr Richard Taverner Communications Assistant Mr Oliver Endersby Office and Events Administrator Ms Mariam Ismail 4 Job Description: Professor of Astronomy Professors are appointed periodically, normally initially for a three-year term, which may be extended for a fourth year (maximum). The appointment of the Professor of Astronomy is subject to the official approval of the City of London Corporation Side of the Joint Grand Gresham Committee. An honorarium of £7,000 is paid (plus reasonable travel expenses etc). Honoraria are normally subject to tax and NI contributions, and professors are responsible for ensuring that a self-assessment is made for the appropriate amounts.
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