SCHOOL OF MATHEMATICS

Faculty of Science

Brunel Postdoctoral Fellowship in Statistical & Stochastic Systems Biology

Further Particulars

Reference 15807

Contents

1 Summary

2 The University and the City of Bristol

3 The Faculty of Science

4 The School of Mathematics

5 The Statistics Group

6 The Post

7 The University’s Positive Working Environment

8 Academic Career Pathways

9 Terms and Conditions

10 Application Procedure

11 Additional Information

2 1. Summary

The Fellowship

Applications are invited for a Brunel Postdoctoral Fellowship in Statistical & Stochastic Systems Biology, ideally tenable from 1st April 2011. The post will give an ambitious researcher an outstanding opportunity to develop and extend their research interests (see the “Post” section for details).

The successful applicants will be expected to undertake a programme of research in any area of Statistical & Stochastic Systems Biology, working in association with Dr Clive Bowsher who is Lecturer and EPSRC-MRC Fellow in Bioinformatics & Systems Biology within the Statistics Group. In addition, although the Fellow will spend nearly all of the time engaged in research activities, he or she will also be required to carry out limited teaching duties, providing valuable teaching experience (see “The Statistics Group / Teaching” section for details).

The appointments will be at Level b in Pathway 2, according to qualifications and experience, are fixed term for 18 months and subject to the University's standard probationary procedures. More details can be found at http://www.bris.ac.uk/personnel/

The deadline for applications is 15th December 2010.

Before applying, please read the “Application Procedure” section towards the end of this document carefully.

Research Environment Mathematics at Bristol has an outstanding international reputation, recognised most recently by high ratings in the 2008 UK Research Assessment Exercise; it attracts the best researchers from around the world as faculty members, visitors, postdocs and students. It is part of a highly-distinguished Faculty of Science, which has several centres of excellence, and a strong ethos of inter- disciplinary collaboration.

3 In 2006, Statistics at Bristol won a substantial capacity-building Science and Innovation award from the UK EPSRC for the SuSTaIn programme (Statistics underpinning Science, Technology and Industry), which has funded many new appointments and studentships, and will continue to support new activities including research workshops, a visitor programme, and postgraduate training.

Developments in the biological sciences in recent decades provide exceptional career opportunities for creative and talented researchers combining a mathematical and physical approach with understanding of cellular and biochemical systems. Bristol is well placed to take full advantage of these opportunities. Within the School of Mathematics there are permanent faculty members whose current research focuses, inter alia, on theoretical and mathematical systems biology, biochemical kinetics and statistical mechanics, statistical genetics and genomics, mathematical biology and behavioural biology. The Wolfson Bioimaging Facility (School of Biochemistry, www.bris.ac.uk/biochemistry/postgrad/mrc) and Bristol Centre for Complexity Sciences (http://bccs.bristol.ac.uk) represent cognate interests, are each associated with Research Council- funded doctoral schemes, and provide excellent collaborative opportunities for mathematical systems biologists. The School of Biological Sciences plays a prominent role in the Predictive Life Sciences Group, has a number of labs with a systems biology emphasis, and a chair, Prof A Hetherington, who is current head of the BBSRC strategy panel for Integrative Biology.

Taken together, Bristol therefore provides an outstanding environment for an ambitious researcher in Statistical & Stochastic Systems Biology, described more fully in the following paragraphs.

4 2. The University and the City of Bristol

The University of Bristol (www.bristol.ac.uk) is an international powerhouse of learning, discovery and enterprise. Its vision is of a university whose excellence is acknowledged locally, nationally and globally.

The University was rated by the Times Good University Guide 2009 as one of the top ten universities in the UK and in 2008 it was ranked within the top 35 in the world by The Times Higher Education/QS World University Rankings. The Sunday Times (September 2008) described the University of Bristol as ‘one of the jewels of British higher education’ and ‘at the cutting edge academically’. The University is a member of the Worldwide Universities Network, a grouping of 18 research-led institutions of international standing, and of the Russell Group of universities, an association of 20 major research- intensive universities of the UK.

The University of Bristol is dedicated to academic achievement across a broad range of disciplines. It is made up of more than 30 departments or schools, organised in six faculties: Arts; Engineering; Medical and Veterinary Sciences; Medicine and Dentistry; Science; and Social Sciences and Law. It has approximately 12,000 undergraduate and 5,000 postgraduate students from around 100 countries. The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, which carried out an institutional audit of the University in 2004, awarded Bristol the highest rating available for its management of education and the academic standards of its awards. It has 31 Fellows of the Royal Society and nine of the British Academy – a remarkable achievement for a relatively compact university.

Bristol is a research-intensive university, supporting both individual scholarship and interdisciplinary or thematic research of the highest quality. In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, 93% of research at Bristol was deemed to be of international standard. Over 61% of the research work assessed in 48 research fields was awarded either the top 4* rating, defined as ‘world leading’, or the 3* rating, classified as ‘internationally excellent’.

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A key element of the University’s vision is to ensure that its research and education contribute to regional and national society and the economy. The University works hard to build effective links with the community and its industries, through high-quality research collaboration and productive knowledge exchange, the creation and support of new companies and enterprises, and the licensing of intellectual property.

Engaging the public is a vital part of university life and an area in which staff and students are actively involved. It is part of the University’s core business and is integral to research and teaching that is grounded in societal need and that promotes lifelong learning. It is also vital to widening participation and fair access; and for students involved in volunteering, engagement is an aspect of the distinctive ‘Bristol experience’.

Public engagement at the University of Bristol includes all the ways in which University staff and students interact with members of the public, encompassing talks, debates, festivals, performances, widening participation, research with, and driven by, communities, volunteering, lifelong learning, action research and engaged learning. Public engagement shares some of the same goals and principles as engagement with the business community; for example, in the need to be two-way, and not assume a top-down approach, and is part of a continuum with knowledge exchange.

The University is committed to operating in a sustainable manner, working constantly to reduce carbon emissions and improve the sustainability of the physical estate. Its ambitious capital programme plans to invest in the most cost-effective way in new buildings and facilities over the next few years to support research, teaching and learning.

The University of Bristol is a stimulating and supportive environment for all students and staff, distinguished by a commitment to high standards, respect for the individual and a strong sense of collegiality. It is also is an integral part of a beautiful, historic city that has been selected as European City of the

6 Year 2008, Provincial City of the Year 2008 and Britain’s most sustainable city 2008. It has been officially designated a ‘Centre of Culture’ and a ‘Science City’ by the Government. It is also the only UK city to be shortlisted for the European Green Capital Award 2010, and is England’s first ‘Cycling City’.

With a population of over 400,000, Bristol is the largest city in the South West and the region’s leading centre for business, culture and education. It has a long tradition of trade and engineering, and is also home to many of the newer financial services and creative and media industries. The historic docks in the city centre, now a thriving focus for leisure and the arts, retain many echoes of Bristol’s maritime history. Theatre, music, the fine arts and cinema are all well represented, and the neighbouring city of Bath also offers a wide range of cultural activities. Bristol is well provided with open space and parkland and is within easy reach of attractive coast and countryside, including the Cotswolds and several National Parks. The city has an international airport and offers easy rail and motorway links.

More information about the city of Bristol is available at www.visitbristol.co.uk and www.bristol.gov.uk

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7 3. The Faculty of Science

The Faculty of Science is the largest Faculty within the University, with around 2,900 undergraduates, 850 postgraduates, 248 permanent academic staff, 350 research staff and over 200 support staff. It consists of the Schools of Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Geographical Sciences, Earth Sciences, Experimental Psychology, Mathematics and Physics. The individual successes of these departments have played a major part in the University of Bristol's excellent reputation.

The Faculty has established good cross-departmental and cross-faculty links in teaching and research, and offers an outstanding intellectual environment for both its staff and its undergraduate and postgraduate students. Research Centres within the Faculty are the Colloid Centre, Glaciology, Behavioural Biology, Organic Geochemistry, Environmental & Geophysical Flows, Interface Analysis, IT and Law, the Laboratory for Advanced Computation, and Quantum Information. There is also BRIDGE (Bristol Initiative for the Dynamic Global Environment) in Geographical Sciences, and COGNIT (Cognition and Information Technology Research Centre) in Experimental Psychology. The very successful Molecular Recognition Centre links Science with the Faculty of Medical and Veterinary Sciences particularly well; the Quantum Information Group links Science with the Faculty of Engineering; and the School of Geographical Sciences provides an important interaction with the Faculty of Social Sciences and Law. There are strong and successful cross-faculty interactions in Climate Change, Cognition and Vision, Interface Analysis, Nanotechnology and Neuroscience.

Schools in the Faculty have also been successful in external links and awards. Earth Sciences is host to the NERC QUEST Centre on quantifying earth systems processes, and Mathematics is working in partnership with GCHQ on the Heilbronn Institute for Mathematical Research. In addition, Bristol ChemLabS in the School of Chemistry is one of HEFCE's Centres of Excellence in Learning and Teaching. The Faculty is also involved in the Academic Innovation Centre (AIC) at Emerson’s Green, a joint venture

8 company set up by Bristol and Bath Universities, which will provide accommodation and business support for high-tech companies spun out from the Universities' research.

Research Assessment

RAE2008, the UK Government’s audit of research quality, has confirmed that the University of Bristol's Faculty of Science is one of the UK’s leading centres of research excellence. The Faculty was ranked 3rd among its peers in the UK, after Oxford and Cambridge, as judged by the volume weighted "grade point average" of its units of assessment. Two thirds of the Faculty’s research activity was rated at the highest 4* or 3* levels (“world leading” or “internationally excellent”) and 95% at least internationally recognised (2* or better).

Doctoral Training Centres

Bristol University, and the Science Faculty especially, has proved highly successful in winning competitive funding from EPSRC and other agencies to develop Doctoral Training Centres, focussed on areas of national need and emerging and interdisciplinary research themes. The Bristol Centre for Complexity Sciences admitted its first students to a 4-year MRes/PhD programme in 2007, and 4 new DTCs in Functional Nanomaterials, Chemical Synthesis, Composites and Systems Engineering were announced by EPSRC in December 2008. There are also several similar new doctoral training programmes funded by MRC, including the Bristol Centre for Systems Biomedicine which involves collaborations within the Science Faculty.

4. The School of Mathematics

The post will be held in the Statistics Group within the School of Mathematics, one of the leading centres for research and teaching across the mathematical sciences in the UK. There are groups working in Statistics, Applied Mathematics and Pure Mathematics. In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), all three groups were highly placed: Applied Mathematics

9 was ranked 3rd in the UK, Statistics joint 4th and Pure Mathematics joint 5th. In all, over 70% of submitted work was judged internationally excellent, including over 25% assessed as world-leading. (In the 2001 RAE, Statistics was graded 5*A, Applied Mathematics 5*A, and Pure Mathematics 5B. Statistics and Applied Mathematics were subsequently up-graded to the so-called 6* rating.) The School is keen to continue to enhance its research profile and to ensure that its teaching and learning programmes remain at the cutting edge.

The School receives outstanding levels of support from the EPSRC, the BBSRC, the EU, the NSF, the Royal Society, the Leverhulme Trust, the Ministry of Defence, the UK Government and a number of commercial organizations including Hewlett-Packard, Unilever, Toshiba, Shell Research and QinetiQ. On the staff there are three EPSRC Advanced Research Fellows (Tim Browning, Harald Helfgott, and Andreas Winter),an EPSRC Leadership Fellow (Andrew Booker), and an EPSRC-MRC Fellow in Bioinformatics and Systems Biology (Clive Bowsher).

The School has a powerful network of servers, workstations and peripherals, including two clusters of workstations (32 bit and 64 bit) with a total of 48 processors. The School has 3 full-time Computer Officers who provide technical support. The University has recently commissioned a 3328 core supercomputer to which members of the Statistics Group have full access. The new supercomputer, BlueCrystal, was ranked 86th in the November 2008 edition of the Top 500 list which identifies the most powerful computers in the world. See http://www.acrc.bris.ac.uk/ for further information.

A cross-faculty team, including members of the Statistics group, was recently awarded an "eScience Centre of Excellence" grant by the EPSRC, which includes funds for Access Grid Nodes one of which is now located within the School and used for distance learning. The University has a strong central computing service, providing a communications infrastructure, training courses, purchasing deals, maintenance contracts, etc. The University provides excellent library and information service facilities.

10 Each member of the School is supplied with a desktop computer (Windows, Mac or Linux) as standard equipment.

Other Groups in Mathematics As well as the Statistics group (see next section), the School has internationally leading research groups in Algebra (led by Professors Jeremy Rickard and Aidan Schofield), Analysis (led by Professor Michiel van den Berg), Dynamical Systems (led by Professor Steve Wiggins), Fluid Mechanics (led by Professors Jens Eggers and Rich Kerswell), Logic (led by Professors Philip Welch), Mathematical Physics (led by Professors Jonathan Keating, FRS and Jens Marklof), Number Theory (led by Professors Brian Conrey and Trevor Wooley, FRS), and Quantum Information (led by Professors Noah Linden and Andreas Winter) and Director of the Heilbronn Institute, Professor Malcolm MacCallum. These groups include a number of researchers working on algebraic geometry, aspects of combinatorics and graph theory, discrete geometry, and connections between number theory, random matrix theory and quantum chaos.

Outside the School, in addition, there is a group working on number theory and cryptography in the Department of Computer Science (led by Professor Nigel Smart), and one working on number theory and quantum chaos in the School of Physics (led by Professors Sir Michael Berry FRS and John Hannay). There is also an Artificial Intelligence Group in the Engineering Mathematics Department (led by Professor Nello Cristianini) and in Computer Science (led by Professor Peter Flach), groups in Medical Statistics and Epidemiology and in Social Medicine (led by Professors Jonathan Sterne, Tony Ades and George Davey Smith), and the Centre for Multilevel Modelling (led by Professors Fiona Steele, Harvey Goldstein and Kelvyn Jones).

The Mathematics Dept is working in partnership with GCHQ on the Heilbronn Institute of Mathematical Research. Established in October 2005, the Heilbronn brings together high-calibre mathematicians from various disciplines to conduct theoretical research into key areas of mathematics. The Institute has about 30 members including both established researchers on

11 secondment and some with recently awarded PhDs; their fields of expertise include topics in number theory, algebraic geometry, combinatorics and probability.

Much further information about the School of Mathematics may be found at the website www.maths.bris.ac.uk 5. The Statistics Group

This is an exciting time for the Statistics Group, which has won significant strategic funding from the EPSRC, complemented by strong investment by the University to expand and further strengthen Statistics at Bristol. The Group has an outstanding international reputation for research, confirmed by excellent results in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), in which 25% of the submitted work was assessed as world-leading, 45% as internationally excellent, and all of the remainder worthy of international recognition. The written feedback included the comment: On the basis of the textual information provided in the submission about the overall activity, vitality and sustainability of the department, most aspects of the research environment were judged to be world- leading, and almost all of the rest to be internationally excellent. There was particular strength in strategic vision. This strong performance, placing Bristol joint 4th nationally in statistics, probability and OR, has been achieved thanks to a supportive research environment, excellent facilities, low teaching loads, and of course by a continuing record of successful academic appointments: the Group has expanded from 10 faculty members in 2002 to 18 now and is set to grow further with another in Probability.

SuSTaIn In 2006, the Statistics Group won major strategic funding in the form of an EPSRC Science and Innovation Award. This multi-million pound grant – one of the largest ever awarded to a UK mathematics department – is funding a new initiative entitled SuSTaIn (Statistics underpinning Science, Technology and Industry), led by Professor Peter Green, FRS, Professor Guy Nason,

12 Professor Christophe Andrieu and Dr Sean Collins. It is supporting an ambitious programme to conduct and disseminate internationally-leading research in mathematical statistics, equipping the discipline to face the challenges of future applications. Specifically it is funding four Lectureships, eight two-year Brunel Postdoctoral Fellowships and several graduate studentships. The award is in partnership with the University of Bristol which (i) has provided high-quality co-located accommodation for the entire Statistics Group until our new building is ready and (ii) will fund a permanent Chair in Statistics. SuSTaIn has also embarked on an exciting research programme including workshops and research kitchens, visitor support, an international conference and a comprehensive programme of research training for graduate students. See www.sustain.bris.ac.uk for further information.

Academic staff in Statistics The Statistics Group has been expanded and strengthened in recent years, and enjoys a high international profile. There are currently 18 permanent faculty members in post: Professors Christophe Andrieu, Mark Beaumont, Peter Green FRS, John McNamara and Guy Nason, Drs Ayalvadi Ganesh, and Stanislav Volkov (readers), Drs Clive Bowsher, Li Chen, Sean Collins, Vanessa Didelez, Oliver Johnson, Arne Kovac, David Leslie, Jonathan Rougier, Vladislav Tadic and Feng Yu (lecturers and senior lecturers). There are additionally 8 postdoctoral research staff and a lively group of 25 research students.

Research The existing research activities of the Statistics Group span a wide range of topics in probability and statistics. Dr Clive Bowsher is Lecturer in Statistics and EPSRC-MRC Fellow in Bioinformatics and Systems Biology. His research focuses on the dynamics and architecture of biomolecular networks inside living cells: the importance of stochasticity in biochemical kinetics, information processing by biochemical reaction networks, and methods of inference for intracellular dynamics. In statistics more broadly, there is current research in various aspects of computational statistics (e.g. wavelets in statistics, MCMC

13 methodology, particle filters), statistical genetics and genomics, Bayesian modelling, nonparametric regression, spatial statistics, time series analysis and applications in climatology, genomics, epidemiology and astronomy. Research in applied probability includes Markov decision theory and game theory, and their application to the modelling of biological behaviour and in operations research, information theory, stochastic optimization, stability of stochastic dynamics, and interacting stochastic systems.

The Group has access to a wide variety of seminar programmes. We have active main research seminar programmes in Statistics and in Probability. These currently run two seminars each Friday afternoon every week in the autumn and spring terms and for about 4 weeks in the summer term. There are about half a dozen more informal working seminars/reading groups within the Statistics group, and a postgraduate seminar series. There are many other relevant seminar programmes in other Schools (e.g. Biology, Biochemistry, Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Computer Science, and Artificial Intelligence); the Bristol Centre for Complexity Sciences runs a programme with input and interest from the Statistics Group. Finally, the Avon Local Group of the Royal Statistical Society also has an active programme of talks that are designed for a more general audience. The Group has its own small library of books, journals and reprints.

For more information on our research see our Research Themes web pages which are linked from our home page http://www.stats.bris.ac.uk

Interdisciplinary research by the Statistics Group The Group is regularly involved in substantial research collaborations with other departments within the University. Recently there have been significant joint projects (including jointly supervised research grants and studentships) with researchers in Biological Sciences, Biochemistry, Geography, Anatomy, Anaesthetics and Rheumatology; these cover both the computational statistics and applied probability aspects of the Group's research. Other major initiatives include

14  The mathematical biology collaboration has been formalised by the establishment of a University Research Centre for Behavioural Biology, currently directed by John McNamara.  Members of the Group recently participated with the Departments of Electronic Engineering and Experimental Psychology in a five-year Defence Technology Centre consortium on "Data Fusion" funded by the Ministry of Defence.  Members of the Group are participating in a five year “Applied Research” initiative, funded by GCHQ, with the Departments of Computer Science, Electronic Engineering and Experimental Psychology.  Collaborations are being developed with members of the University's Predictive Life Sciences group, a broad grouping of researchers in the faculties of Science and Medicine, with a new group in Genetic Epidemiology in the Department of Social Medicine, with the Centre for Communications Research in the Faculty of Engineering, and with the Centre for Multilevel Modelling.  The University was awarded £4million of strategic funding from EPSRC to establish the Bristol Centre for Complexity Sciences, an interdisciplinary doctoral training centre, which admitted its first students in 2007. Statistics is substantially involved in the ‘theory hub’, along with applied mathematics and computer science, interacting with scientists in the ‘spokes’ of life sciences, molecular sciences, and engineering.

There are well established contacts with industry and commerce, including joint research projects and substantial high-level consultancy agreements.

Teaching The Group is responsible for teaching a broad range of courses in statistics and probability to undergraduates in the School of Mathematics, ranging from introductory courses to options for the final year of the four-year MSci degree (including project work), and a postgraduate lecture series. Some of the

15 students on these courses are reading for joint degrees, for example, Economics and Mathematics, but most take degrees awarded solely by the School, such as Mathematics with Statistics. The BSc and MSci degrees in Mathematics with Statistics are accredited by the Royal Statistical Society. There is also a limited responsibility for the teaching of statistics to other students in the Faculty of Science. The Group takes pride in its teaching, with both curriculum content and delivery methods continually being enhanced.

From 2007 the Group embarked on a 1+3 programme for MRes/PhD students. The first year of this new programme consists of advanced level coursework and a master’s dissertation. Some of the courses are provided through the national APTS taught course programme of concentrated residential weeks. Students with less than 4 years funding will take an agreed reduced version of this programme. All have to pass agreed modules to a satisfactory standard to progress to their PhD research thesis work.

It is the intention that the Brunel Fellow will spend nearly all of the time engaged in research activities. However, to encourage dissemination and to stimulate interchange of research ideas the Brunel Fellow will be required to teach at least one high-level course to graduate students and other interested researchers. Such a high-level course is likely to involve about 15 contact hours. In addition, as part of their career development, The Fellows will also be expected to be involved in limited small group teaching for the School. This is an opportunity to gain valuable teaching experience.

Environment and Facilities In December 2007, our working environment was substantially improved by the preferential co-location of all Statistics staff and postgraduates on the top two floors of the main department building. The University has also provided substantial, newly refurbished, purpose-designed expansion space - over 1000 m2 - to ensure that the facilities enjoyed by staff, students and visitors are of the highest quality. There are excellent facilities for research funded in part by many of the organizations listed above.

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The Statistics Group runs and benefits from exclusive use of SCONE: the Statistics Computing Network. This is a multiprocessor machine consisting of 120 AMD 64-bit Opteron cores. SCONE also runs CONDOR which is a system to manage multiple compute jobs. SCONE is supported by a part-time Statistical Computing Officer who looks after the statistical aspects of SCONE and is available to assist with Statistical Computing issues. SCONE’s operating system and hardware are supported by the School’s Research Computing Officer.

Much further information about the Statistics Group may be found at the website www.stats.bris.ac.uk

17 6. The Post

The Brunel Postdoctoral Fellow will undertake a programme of research in any area of Statistical & Stochastic Systems Biology in association with Dr Clive Bowsher. As part of the application process you will need to supply a four-page description of the proposed research programme (details on what this description should contain are supplied in the “Application Procedure” section), about which you may liaise with Dr Bowsher prior to application in order to establish joint research interests. The Brunel Postdoctoral Fellowship is intended to run along similar lines to the EPSRC Postdoctoral Fellowships in the Mathematical Sciences except that in this case it is restricted to Statistical & Stochastic Systems Biology, and can only be held in the Statistics group at the University of Bristol.

Research Area

Candidates with research interests in at least one of intracellular dynamics, stochastic kinetics, biochemical networks, cell signalling & decision making, and network inference are particularly encouraged. Prior experience in biology is, however, not a prerequisite.

Relevant research topics might include: new stochastic and spatial models for intracellular dynamics (e.g. trafficking); inference for rule- based representations of cell signalling networks; information theoretic approaches to signal transduction in cells; stochastic biochemical kinetics; non-standard diffusion in the crowded environment of the cell; inference for fluorescence-based and other imaging technologies such as FCS; and meta-analysis for stoichiometric network reconstructions. In connection with this Postdoctoral Fellowship, Dr Bowsher would be particularly keen to strengthen research collaboration with groups within the School of Biochemistry and Wolfson Bioimaging Facility in the area of data from live cell imaging.

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Benefits for, and responsibilities of, the Fellow are:

 18 month postdoctoral salary to permit the Fellow to undertake their proposed research in a recognized exceptional research environment.

 A £1500 research support fund to be used flexibly by the Fellow for research related expenses (e.g. conference, workshop attendance, other research related travel, purchase of special equipment). Note that a standard desktop computer (Windows, Linux or Mac) will be provided to the Fellow as standard equipment.

 Opportunities for additional funding over and above the £1500 research support fund (subject to approval by the SuSTaIN management).

 Opportunities and funding to propose and run workshops and other research events at Bristol (subject to approval).

 Opportunities to make use of SuSTaIn funding to invite academic visitors to Bristol (subject to approval).

 Mentoring and research career guidance (e.g. advice on research strategies and publication, on funding opportunities, on team-building etc.). The Fellow will be mentored by Dr Clive Bowsher.

 Teaching a short high-level, possibly interdisciplinary graduate course as well as small group teaching within the School to gain experience and, in most circumstances, to promote the Fellow’s research area.

Eligibility

There are no nationality restrictions on who may apply for a Fellowship. For successful candidates who are subject to immigration control to enter and work in the UK, the University will apply for a certificate of sponsorship from

19 the UK Border Agency to enable them to take up their Fellowship (the award of a Fellowship is subject to obtaining a certificate of sponsorship).

Applicants should have less than three year’s post-doctoral experience (i.e. in usual circumstances, fewer than three years should have passed since the candidate’s PhD was officially awarded by the University Degrees Board) at the time of the closing date for applications.

For successful applicants who have not yet completed their PhDs, the award of a Fellowship is conditional on their passing their PhD within three months of their appointment.

20 7. The University’s Positive Working Environment

The University’s Positive Working Environment (PWE) agenda is an ongoing process with the aim of making working life at the University of Bristol productive, rewarding, enjoyable and healthy for all colleagues. PWE describes the things we believe are important as an employer, and a series of actions to help us deliver them. As an employee of the University, you will have access to a range of benefits which includes, amongst others:

 For staff with families, those planning to have families, and those with other caring responsibilities, the University Family Life group, providing a combination of information, training and support; maternity/paternity coaching service, The University’s Early Years Nursery and a childcare voucher scheme;

 Professional training and support including an extensive programme of training & development courses, focus on work-life balance, tailored leadership and management workshops, flexible working policies, support groups such as the Women’s Research Group, careers guidance and a team of International Staff Advisers;

 For health, fitness and wellbeing, our Staff Wellness Programme, Staff Counselling Service, Staff Club, and staff member rates for the Sports Centres and the Swimming Pool;

 Travel to work benefits including interest-free bicycle loans, free cycle training and priority car parking spaces for car sharers, parents and carers, and a University bus shuttle.

To find out more about PWE please visit http://www.bristol.ac.uk/pwe/

21 8. Academic Career Pathways

As part of the process of modernising its pay and grading systems, the University has introduced career pathways for academic staff. This post is at Profile Level b in Pathway Two. The relevant role profile and a schematic diagram of the career pathways are attached below. Further information on the academic pathways can be found at: http://www.bris.ac.uk/personnel/acad-pathways/

9. Terms and Conditions

(a) The appointee will be required to undertake a self-directed programme of advanced research in Statistical & Stochastic Systems Biology.

(b) The appointee will be expected to undertake limited teaching duties as outlined in the “The Statistics group / Teaching” section.

(c) The start date will be set by mutual agreement but ideally will be around 1 April 2011 or earlier.

(d) The position to be filled will be at the Level b in Pathway 2, currently corresponding to the salary range £33600 - £37839 per annum (August 2009 scales). The exact salary will be decided upon appointment.

(e) All members of the academic staff may participate in the Universities’ Superannuation Scheme (USS). The contribution of a member of staff is 6.35% of salary. Unless newly appointed staff members declare in writing a wish not to participate in the USS, they will be deemed to be members from the start of employment, and contributions will be deducted accordingly. As a consequence of participating in this Scheme, University staff will be contracted out of the earnings-related part of the State Pension Scheme.

(f) The University will reimburse to newly appointed staff already in the United Kingdom up to one month’s gross salary to cover the costs of moving house. For new staff moving from outside the UK, costs as specified in the Relocation Expenses Policy up to a maximum of £5,000 or one month’s

22 gross salary will be covered in addition to standard travel costs. Further details of provisions for staff relocating to take up post are available from www.bristol.ac.uk/personnel/policies/relocationexpenses.pdf

10. Application Procedure

Requested documents in support of your application

Your application should consist of the following documents:

 The standard University of Bristol application form.

 A current curriculum vitae which should include the names and contact details of at least three referees (please do not ask referees to send letters of reference, we will contact them).

 A covering letter. This should be about 1 page in length and describe in general terms your future research direction, career plans and why you would benefit from a Brunel Fellowship.

 A description of your planned research programme if you were offered a Brunel Fellowship. You may take the opportunity to discuss the structure of the proposed research with Dr Bowsher prior to submission of the application. This description should cover no more than 4 pages in no less than 10-point type (including references, diagrams). Your description should include the following information. We are most interested in item 3, then 2, then 1. You should use no more than 0.5 of a page to cover items 4, 5 and 6.

1. What are your research achievements so far? What were they and have they been published or presented? What impact have they had?

2. A description of the background to your proposed research. What is the context of what you plan to do?

23 3. What research will you undertake? Why is it important? Why is it timely? What impact do you think it will have?

4. You should identify which areas of your proposed research are speculative and adventurous and which are more `safe’. Quantify the balance of risk/safe topics in your plans.

5. How dependent is your research plan on advisors or collaborators outside of Bristol?

6. What is your current plan for disseminating your research in the form of conference presentations, papers or other media?

How to apply? If you have received an application pack, please complete and return the enclosed application form in the envelope provided, together with a covering letter and a copy of your CV including the details requested on the ‘Information in support of your application page of the application form.

Alternatively, you can complete the form and submit your covering letter and CV online or download a copy of the form from our web site at www.bristol.ac.uk/vacancies . To access the online and downloadable versions of the form simply enter the vacancy reference number in the search facility.

Please note the following:  We will only be able to consider you for this vacancy if you complete the application process outlined above - a CV alone will not be considered.

 Only include the information requested – copies of qualifications, certificates, letters of reference, journal articles and any other additional documents are not required at this stage.

 It is important that you quote the reference number 15807 on the application form.

24  In order to receive full attention, applications should be received by 9.00am on 15 December 2010. We anticipate undertaking the final stages of the selection process during January 2011.

11. Additional Information

Further information For further specific queries, or an informal discussion about the post, please contact Dr Clive Bowsher

Name Dr Clive Bowsher

Address School of Mathematics University of Bristol University Walk Bristol BS8 1TW

Telephone (0131) 651 9016 E-mail address [email protected]

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Appendix 1 : Role Profile for Research Associate (Level B)

(This profile assumes that all the qualifications, skills and experiences required of a Level A researcher have been acquired. It also assumes that the responsibilities of a Level A researcher will have been fulfilled satisfactorily. Only the additional requirements are spelled out below)

B1.1 Role holders at this level will be experienced and professional researchers and will be subject specialists, drawing upon knowledge gained from postgraduate research and/or working within a Level A role. B1.2 They will be associated with a particular project (or projects) and will contribute ideas, and/or enhancement of techniques or methodologies B1.3 They will be expected to do some writing for dissemination outside the School. B1.4 They will still be working under supervision, but they will be expected to take significant initiatives in their work and consult with the Principal Investigator over the details of the project. B1.5 They may contribute to the School’s teaching, through supervision of projects, overseeing practical classes, or taking small group tutorial classes. B1.6 They will be provided with academic and pastoral support within the School and training will be available designed to develop their competences (including counselling on realistic career opportunities) and prepare them to take on more responsibilities associated with a higher grade.

Additional qualifications, skills and experience needed for appointment to Level B

B2.1 Some experience of research or clear transferable skills and some experience or awareness of the research environment B2.2 A postgraduate research degree or equivalent professional experience in the research area required and usually at least three years experience B2.3 Detailed subject knowledge in the area of research B2.4 Likelihood of advanced skills directly related to their research project B2.5 Presentations at Conferences and some publications in reputable outlets B2.6 Fully aware of the ethical issues involved in their research work B2.7 They will, therefore, be able to bring individual skills and insights to the research project, justifying the appellation ‘associate’

Additional responsibilities

B3.1 Although working under the general guidance of a senior academic or Principal Investigator, they will contribute ideas, including enhancements to the technical or methodological aspects of the study, to the research project, thus providing substantial ‘added value’ B3.2 Determine appropriate methodologies for research, with advice and support B3.3 Assess research findings for the need/scope for further investigations B3.4 Contribute to the writing up of the research project and its dissemination, either through seminar and conference presentations or through publications B3.5 Present research findings, either at conferences or through publications in reputable outlets appropriate to the discipline B3.6 Contribute to grant applications submitted by others B3.7 May (consonant with the terms of their funding) contribute to the teaching of students in the School on a small scale, usually within their own field of expertise and knowledge of research methods

26 B3.8 May be involved in the supervision, with guidance, of final year undergraduate research projects and in providing some support to research students B3.9 May (consonant with the terms of their funding) identify personal research objectives, develop a plan for personal research and initiate research that leads to a development of knowledge and theoretical understanding B3.10 Start to develop an awareness of university structures, policies and procedures and relevant issues in the higher education, research, social and political environment. B3.11 Begin to write, with appropriate support, bids for individual research funding or, where funders do not permit this, contribute to the writing of collective bids B3.12 They may contribute to events celebrating the public engagement of science/social sciences/humanities B3.13 Where the research is apposite, begin to develop entrepreneurial links either with external organisations or with in-house companies B3.14 Where appropriate, register patents to protect intellectual property

Relationships and Contacts

B4.1 They will be line managed by a senior member of the School, normally the Principal Investigator. B4.2 They may work within teams and should contribute to the academic life of the School through participation in research seminars B4.3 They will need to work with the support staff and, on occasions, with students, as well as relate intellectually to other academic members of the School B4.4 They will begin to relate to researchers in other institutions and start to develop research networks B4.5 They will communicate with users of research and, as appropriate, the subjects of their research

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Appendix 2

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