Group Leader – Biological mechanisms underlying neuropsychiatric disorders

Max hours per week: 38.00
Max salary: 8.025
Apply until: 30-06-2024

Are you interested in developing an innovative research group through a combination of core and extramural funding to study the biological mechanisms underlying neuropsychiatric disorders? Would you enjoy working in close collaboration with other research groups in an exceptionally collegial and synergistic institute? Do you look forward to focusing your time on research without teaching obligations? Then this job may be for you.

Research at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience (NIN) is aimed at understanding the neural circuits and molecular mechanisms that generate our mental functions and how they change in brain disorders. Our institute is in a unique position to achieve this aim by synergizing diverse research groups harnessing state-of-the-art neurotechnologies across the human, primate and rodent brain. The NIN is also home to the Netherlands Brain Bank, providing access to unique post-mortem human brain tissue, including an extensive and well-documented psychiatric cohort.  The NIN aims to strengthen the synergy between the institute’s expertise on neural circuits and the Netherlands Brain Bank and to understand the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders. It has opened a new group leader position to help achieve these goals.

What you will be doing?

We are looking for a candidate who will apply cutting-edge molecular or computational neuroscience tools to unravel biological mechanisms responsible for dysfunctions encountered in psychiatric disorders. You will work together with fellow research groups and clinical researchers on understanding psychiatric symptoms from molecules to brain circuitry. A background in molecular or computational psychiatry is preferred, but researchers with different expertise may apply as well if they have a strong case for collaborative utilization of the unique facilities and expertise present at the NIN to understand mechanisms of psychiatric disorders.

You would have the following responsibilities:

• Coordinate and conduct fundamental research relevant to psychiatric disorders.
• Acquire external research funding.
• Mentor PhD students and postdocs and manage other personnel related processes of your group.
• Make an inspiring and complementary contribution to the NIN mission.
• Who are we looking for?

You preferably have obtained your PhD degree no longer than 10 years ago. We will deduct a 1.5 year period for each child when comparing productivity across candidates to account for the family investment involved in maternity/paternity. You have an excellent and demonstrable track record in scientific research, and publications in relevant journals. Experience in acquiring external funding for research. Excellent communication skills. Ability to work and troubleshoot independently and collaboratively.

What do we offer?

• Lab funding (startup and yearly lump sum)
• Access to state-of-the-art research facilities
• Good terms of employment, such (depending on education and experience) a minimum salary of € 5.247 and a maximum
• salary of € 8.025 gross per month for a full-time appointment (scale 12 to 14 Collective Labor Agreement Dutch
• Universities/KNAW). This is exclusive of 8% vacation allowance, 8.3% year-end bonus, travel allowance, internet
• allowance, home working allowance and pension accrual with ABP. Salary does not depend on grant funding.
• Excellent secondary benefits: A package that meets the different needs of employees depending on their stage of life,
• lifestyle or career ambitions. For example, by working an extra two hours a week, it is possible to increase the number of
• days off from 29 to 41 days a year (with full-time employment).
• For a complete overview of the terms of employment, please refer to the web page: Work for the Academy – KNAW.

Applying for a Certificate of Good Conduct is part of the employment procedure.

More information

For further information on our institute or this position please  contact Prof. Dr. Christiaan Levelt c.levelt@nin.knaw.nl, General Director.

How to apply?

Please submit your motivation letter, curriculum vitae via the button Apply now, before July 1st, 2024.

About the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience

The Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience is an institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW)  and one of the country’s leading fundamental neuroscience research institutes. It conducts basic and strategic research. The NIN has a strong and highly collaborative research program focusing on cross-species approaches to fundamental and cognitive neuroscience. Its groups have achieved seminal discoveries in fields relating to social cognition, sleep, motivation, learning, movement, vision, and decision making. It also studies how brain disorders can disrupt these functions. As a pure research institute, employment does not require teaching.

The NIN houses state-of-the-art equipment and expertise for in-vivo recordings in rodents (e.g., one- and two-photon microscopy, neuropixel recordings, opto- and chemo-genetics, ultrasound imaging), primates (e.g. 1000-contact point electrophysiology) and humans (e.g. 3T and 7T MRI at the Spinoza Centre, 256 chn HD-EEG sleep lab, TMS and tDCS). It also has excellent facilities for slice electrophysiology and viral vector technology and high-resolution in-vitro microscopy (STED, serial section two-photon, confocal microscopy and access to electron microscopy). Research at the NIN additionally involves human iPSC reprogramming and (single-cell) omics technologies. The NIN is home to the Netherlands Brain Bank, providing access to unique post-mortem human brain tissue. Collaboration with the Amsterdam University Medical Centra Department of Psychiatry, which is the largest in the Netherlands, provides excellent possibilities to access patient cohorts, as does our sleep registry pre-clinical cohort.

The NIN provides a critical mass of scientists in the neurosciences, has a particularly collaborative atmosphere to share the groups’ expertise and offers a dynamic multi-cultural environment. The research groups have members from more than 27 nations with backgrounds ranging from philosophy to engineering, but with an emphasis on biology and psychology. English is the working language of all research groups. Amsterdam is an internationally-oriented city and an attractive, progressive and easy-to-integrate environment.

Diversity & Inclusion

The KNAW considers a working environment in which everyone feels welcome and appreciated of great importance. A working environment in which attention is paid to individual quality and where development opportunities are paramount. Together we strive for an inclusive culture in which we embrace differences. We would therefore like to invite candidates who want to contribute to this through their background and experience. In the event of equal suitability, preference will be given to the candidate who thus enhances diversity within the Academy.

We will not respond to any supplier enquiries based on this job advertisement.

Over het Nederlands Herseninstituut

Het Nederlands Herseninstituut (NIN) is een instituut van de Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen (KNAW) waar ongeveer 200 mensen in dienst zijn. Er wordt fundamenteel wetenschappelijk onderzoek verricht naar de werking van de hersenen. Het onderzoek wordt uitgevoerd in zestien werkgroepen en de administratieve en technische ondersteuning vindt zoveel mogelijk binnen de diensten van het Herseninstituut plaats.

Arbeidsvoorwaarden

Het salaris bedraagt afhankelijk van opleiding en ervaring minimaal 6.305 en maximaal 8.025 bruto per maand bij een full time dienstverband (schaal 14 cao Nederlandse Universiteiten/KNAW) . Dit is exclusief 8% vakantiegeld, 8,3% eindejaarsuitkering, reiskostenvergoeding, internet- en thuiswerkvergoeding en pensioenopbouw bij het ABP.

De KNAW biedt haar medewerkers een uitstekend pakket aan secundaire arbeidsvoorwaarden. Een pakket dat voorziet in de verschillende behoeften die medewerkers afhankelijk van hun levensfase, levenswijze of loopbaanambities hebben. Zo is het mogelijk om door wekelijks twee uur per week extra te werken het aantal vakantiedagen van 29 tot 41 dagen per jaar (bij fulltime dienstverband) uit te breiden.

Voor een volledig overzicht van de arbeidsvoorwaarden wordt verwezen naar de webpagina: werken bij de KNAW.

Het aanvragen van een VOG kan onderdeel uitmaken van de indiensttredingsprocedure.

Diversiteit & Inclusie

De KNAW acht een werkomgeving waarin iedereen zich welkom en gewaardeerd voelt van groot belang. Een werkomgeving waarin aandacht is voor individuele kwaliteit en waar ontwikkelmogelijkheden voorop staan. Samen streven we naar een inclusieve cultuur waarin we verschillen omarmen. We nodigen dan ook graag kandidaten uit die door hun achtergrond en ervaring hieraan een bijdrage willen leveren. Bij gelijke geschiktheid gaat de voorkeur uit naar de kandidaat die de diversiteit binnen de KNAW op deze wijze versterkt.

Acquisitie naar aanleiding van deze advertentie wordt niet op prijs gesteld.