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Post Doctoral Training Scientist
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MRC Postdoctoral Research Scientist in Plant Bioengineering LMS 2610
Salary: £42,694 plus London allowances £5,560 per annum
Band (Grade): MRC 4 | Fixed term for 3 years | Full time
Additional allowances:
Additional allowances comprise a £1,000 lump sum Settlement Allowance plus a yearly Training Allowance of £850 in the first year, paid in monthly instalments. The Training Allowance increases to £1,300 in year two, and £1,800 in the third year.
About the Role:
Sarkisyan lab is a team of six people based at the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences. Our focus is on the design of novel plant traits. We are interested in learning how to design novel plant responses and development, and in the next several years we aim to progress towards generating increasingly complex and interesting traits, from crop protection to purely aesthetic traits. We love seeing our work going all the way from basic science discoveries to real-life technology or a product. In the last several years, we mainly worked on engineering bioluminescence in plants (https://light.bio), and understanding the structure-function relationship in proteins (https://www.nature.com/articles/nature17995). For more information about the lab, visit our website: https://www.designing.bio
The work in this role will include plant synthetic biology, plant transformation, experiments in plant tissue culture.
Key Responsibilities
- To take initiatives in the planning of research
- To identify and develop suitable techniques, and apparatus, for the collection and analysis of data
- To conduct data analysis
- To ensure the validity and reliability of data at all times
- To maintain accurate and complete records of all findings
- To write reports for submission to research sponsors
- To present findings to colleagues and at conferences
- To submit publications to refereed journals
- To provide guidance to staff and students
- To attend relevant workshops and conferences as necessary
- To develop contacts and research collaborations within the LMS and the wider community
- To promote the reputation of the Group, the Institute
- To provide guidance to PhD Students
- To conduct and plan own scientific work with appropriate supervision
- To maintain highly organised and accurate record of experimental work
- To actively participate in the research programme of the Group
- To publish in high quality journals and to present data at national and international meetings
- To participate in Group research meetings and internal seminars
- To collaborate with other allied scientists within UKRI, Imperial College and elsewhere in London and abroad, as appropriate
- To contribute to the smooth running of the Group’s laboratories and, facilities with other scientists, clinicians, technicians and students within the laboratories
- Assist in the supervision of undergraduate and postgraduate research students and research assistants as required
- To comply with the Institute, College, Division, and Unit safety practices and to attend courses on safety when appropriate
- Any other duties as may be deemed reasonable by Head of group as well as Head of Institute/ /Department/Section
Equality & Diversity
The MRC values the diverse skills and experience of its employees and is committed to achieving equality of treatment for all. Our objectives are that all individuals shall have equal opportunities for employment and advancement on the basis of their skills, aptitudes and abilities. The MRC is committed to the engagement and retention of the best possible talent and to creating an environment that encourages excellence in scientific research through good equality and diversity leadership and management.
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Corporate/Local responsibilities & requirements
The job holder must at all times carry out their responsibilities with due regard to the MRC’s:
- Code of Conduct
- Equality and Diversity policy
- Health and Safety policy
- Data Protection and Security policy
Job descriptions should be reviewed on a regular basis and at the annual appraisal. Any changes should be made and agreed between the post holder and their manager.
The above lists are not exhaustive and the job holder is required to undertake such duties as may reasonably be requested within the scope of the post. All employees are required to act professionally, co-operatively and flexibly in line with the requirements of the post and the MRC.
Person Requirements
Education / Qualifications / Training required (will be assessed from application form):
Essential:
- PhD (or equivalent experience) in research, industrial or commercial experience
Knowledge and experience (will be assessed from application form and at interview):
Essential:
- One first-author research article (not a review article) in a peer-reviewed journal or a preprint service.
- Knowledge of plant biology or molecular biology.
- Practical experience in molecular biology or plant biology.
Personal Skills / Behaviours / Qualities (will be assessed at the interview):
Essential:
- Ability to conduct a detailed review of recent literature
- Ability to develop and apply new concepts
- Creative approach to problem-solving
- Excellent verbal communication skills and the ability to deal with a wide range of people
- Excellent written communication skills and the ability to write clearly and succinctly for publication
- Ability to organise own work with minimal supervision
- Ability to prioritise own work in response to deadlines
- Advanced computer skills, including word-processing, spreadsheets and the Internet
- Willingness to work as part of a team and to be open-minded and cooperative
- Flexible attitude towards work
- Discipline and regard for confidentiality and security at all times
- Willingness to undertake any necessary training for the role
- Willingness to travel both within the United Kingdom and abroad to conduct research and attend conferences
- Willingness to work out of normal working hours (including weekends) if the requirements of the project demand
Additional Information:
Applicants should submit a CV, names and contacts of two scientific references along with a cover letter stating why you are applying for this role (providing evidence against the requirements of the job as per the job description and person specification). Applications without a cover letter will not be accepted. Please quote reference number LMS 2610.
Please note that applications may be reviewed by both LMS and Imperial staff
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Supporting some of the world’s most exciting and challenging research projects, we develop and operate some of the most remarkable scientific facilities in the world. We are pushing the frontiers of human knowledge through fundamental research and delivering benefits for UK society and the economy through world-class research, skills and business-led innovation.
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More information can be found at www.ukri.org.
Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. For more details, visit benefits of working for UKRI [https://www.ukri.org/about-us/work-for-us/working-at-ukri/benefits-of-working-for-ukri/].
How we support EDI in the workforce
At UKRI, we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community. For further information, please visit ‘How we support EDI in the workforce’. [https://www.ukri.org/about-us/work-for-us/edi-in-the-workforce/#contents-list]
Disability Confident Employer
As users of the disability confident scheme, any candidate who opts into the scheme and best meets the essential criteria, will be shortlisted for interview. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.
How to apply
Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for UKRI and the role. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered. Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted covering letter and CV and not the ‘experience’ section of the application.
UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness and inclusion – a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us.
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be rejected and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.
As part of the pre-employment checks there is a requirement to undergo Baseline Personnel Security Screening. BPSS is a pre-condition of employment and failure to achieve it may mean that the employment offer is rescinded. UKRI reserves the right to run, or re-run, security clearance as required during the course of employment.
The Laboratory Institute of Medical Sciences (LMS) is a Medical
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