Associate Professor to lead a research line in the field of cardiovascular risk factors and brain health*

*TEMPORARY CONTRACT “Contrato de investigador/a distinguido/a” Art. 23 Ley 14/2011 de la Ciencia, la Tecnología y la Innovación)

The Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (F.S.P.) CNIC has been conceived to develop research of excellence, competitive and of international relevance in relation to cardiovascular diseases. The CNIC has a research center of 24,000 m², located in Madrid, with more than 6,000 m² for laboratories equipped with a state-of-the-art infrastructure and equipment.

The CNIC is searching for an excellent Group Leader at the Associate Professor level, to lead and develop a research line aligned with the objectives and mission of the Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Brain Health Program of the Center (https://www.cnic.es/en/research-programs).

Functions:

The successful candidate will establish a competitive research laboratory and develop projects in one or various of the following areas: 1) blood-brain barrier and/or neurovascular complex in cerebrovascular diseases; 2) vascular risk factors and neuroimmune interfaces disbalance; 3) obesity and brain dysfunction; 4) imaging of brain vasculature and blood-brain barrier; 5) (pre)hypertension and dementia; 6) cerebral small vessel disease; 7) cerebral arterial stiffness and cerebral pulsatility; 8) glymphatic system/meningeal lymphatics; 9) biomarker development for neurovascular pathology.

Candidates should have a strong track record of independent research in the area of interest and present a solid plan for internationally competitive research integrated in CNIC.

As group leader in the rank of Associate Professor, the selected candidate will be responsible for the development of the research lines of the laboratory. Moreover, she/he will be expected to obtain extramural funding from the most competitive national and international sources to finance such projects, and to publish scientific results in international journals of the highest impact factor in the cerebrovascular/cardiovascular field, and/or general medicine field, and/or multidisciplinary sciences field. The selected candidate will supervise the work of all members of the group, including research and technical staff. Other tasks include the coordination and management work requested by CNIC leadership including participation in committees and helping in other needs that may arise.

Mandatory requirements:

1. PhD in the field of Life Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Medicine, etc.).

2. Independent research experience in the cerebrovascular field in an internationally recognized research center with a strong publication track record, fulfilling at least one of these 3 criteria:

     a) ≥ 4 original articles as corresponding author (or co-corresponding author) published in the last 5 years (i.e., since July 2019) in journals ranked in the first decile (year of publication) of their field.

     b) ≥1 original articles as corresponding author (or co-corresponding author) published in the last 5 years (i.e., since July 2019) in journals ranked in the TOP3 (year of publication) of their field.

     c) ≥1 original articles as corresponding author (or co-corresponding author) considered highly cited according to WOS in the last 5 years (i.e., since July 2019).

3. Experience as Principal Investigator and/or Coordinator in competitive research grants in the last 5 years (i.e. official start date of projects July 2019 onwards).

4. Main topic of research in any of the 9 areas described in the “functions” section of this call.

Valuable requirements:

• C1. Scientific production: publications (original articles) as corresponding author (or co-corresponding author) in journals ranked as first decile in their fields in the previous 5 years (i.e. date of publication since July 2019). Only published papers (or available online ahead of print in the journal) will be evaluated.

The CV must include the complete list of authors and the journal´s impact factor and ranking in the year of publication for each publication published since July 2019.

This criterion will be valued as a whole, according to the scientific impact of the papers (journal ranking and citation record) and according to the number of papers published as corresponding or co-corresponding author.

• C2. Fundraising (international): Competitive projects obtained from international* funding sources as principal investigator or coordinator in the previous 5 years (i.e. official start date of projects: July 2019 onwards).

*funder based outside Spain

This criterion will be valued as a whole, according to the relevance of the funding source (being European Commission-funded projects considered the highest), the amount granted, and the number of projects.

The CV must include each project, indicating the role of the candidate in the grant, amount granted, period of funding, and funding agency.

• C3. Fundraising (national): Competitive projects obtained from national funding sources as principal investigator or coordinator in the previous 5 years (i.e. official start date of projects July 2019 onwards).

This criterion will be valued as a whole, according to the relevance of the funding source, the amount granted, and the number of projects.

The CV must include each project, indicating the role of the candidate in the grant, amount granted, period of funding, and funding agency.

• C4. Training and mentoring: Experience in training and mentoring of young researchers (PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, MD trainees, etc.), and participation in training courses in the previous 5 years.

This criterion will be valued as a whole, according to the number of PhD thesis directed (defended in the evaluation period), number of postdoctoral fellows supervised with subsequent research position in other centers and the relevance of such positions (which should be indicated in the CV), and role in training courses.

• C5. Impact on society: Translation of research discoveries to the clinics, invention of patents, relation with industry, and outreach activities in the previous 5 years. This criterion will be valued as a whole, according to the relevance of research for society/patients, number and relevance of patents, research interactions with industry, and outreach activities.
• C6. Cerebrovascular focus: Cerebrovascular disease relevance of the papers published as main author (first/co-first/corresponding/co-corresponding author, giving more weight in the evaluation to articles published as corresponding or co-corresponding author) and of the projects as principal investigator or coordinator in the previous 5 years*. Experience in blood-brain barrier and/or neurovascular complex modelling and imaging; neuroimmune interfaces dysregulation; brain hypometabolism; brain vascular plasticity and neural interactions; hypertension and dementia; obesity and brain dysfunction; cerebral small vessel disease; cerebral arterial stiffness; glymphatic system/meningeal lymphatics; and biomarker development of neurovascular pathology will be valued.
• C7. Interview
• C8. Underrepresentation of gender by category, in accordance with Action S1 of the 2021-2024 Equality Plan, POSITIVE ACTION IN CALLS FOR POSTS.

We offer:

• A research position in a consolidated Research Centre of international scientific relevance.
• Access to state-of-the art infrastructures and advanced technologies.
• Integration into an excellent scientific environment.
• Immediate incorporation adaptable to the candidate circumstances
• 5-years temporary position as “Contrato de investigador/a distinguido/a”. Distinguished investigator contract regulated by the article 23 of the Spanish Law, on Science, Technology and Innovation (texto refundido Ley 14/2011, de 1 de junio, de la Ciencia, la Tecnología y la Innovación), as long as the selected candidate complies with the legal requirements for the formalization of the contract in accordance with the Spanish labor law.

The position can be covered by an interim contract until the resolution of the selection process.

Selection Plan

The candidate with the highest score will be hired given the total score is higher than 85 points (C1-C8).

Evaluation Process:

Mandatory criteria will be evaluated by HHRR assisted by the scientific leadership of CNIC if needed. Candidates not fulfilling any of the mandatory criteria will be notified and allowed to make allegations (enclosing supporting material). Only candidacies fulfilling all mandatory criteria will pass to the evaluation by the commission here described. The evaluation commission will only evaluate valuable criteria.

The evaluation commission will be composed by 3 members of CNIC’s Scientific Advisory Board, and two members of CNIC’s Scientific Direction.

"In the event of absence of any of the evaluators an alternate evaluator will be appointed"

The CNIC guarantees, within its field of action, the principle of equal access to employment, and may not establish any direct or indirect discrimination, based on grounds of origin, including racial or ethnic origin, sex, age, marital status, religion or beliefs, political opinion, sexual orientation and identity, gender expression, sexual characteristics, trade union membership, social status, language within the State and disability, provided that workers are fit to perform the work or job in question.

By participating in the selection process, the participant agrees that their data appear in the public resolutions of the selection process. Such resolutions (provisional list of admitted and excluded, definitive list of admitted and excluded and resolution of the process) are published on the CNIC website.