Tenure-track Assistant Professor position
Department of Physics – PUC-Rio
I. General Information
The Physics Department at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio) invites applications for one (1) full-time tenure-track Assistant Professor position in experimental physics. We look for outstanding applicants who will complement and expand the research activities of the Physics Department. All faculty members teach an average of 7 hours per week in the undergraduate and graduate programs. The University offers a thriving interdisciplinary environment for education and research.
The tenure-track assistant Professor position is a twelve-month appointment with an initial salary of R$ 12,167.65 (around US$ 3,200.00 a month) with an end of the year bonus corresponding to a 13th salary. A Professor at PUC-Rio is expected to develop his or her career there, exclusively.
As additional benefits the University offers to all faculty:
- a subsidized pension plan with contributions from the participant (faculty) and PUC-Rio;
- a collective health plan by membership, with coverage for medical and hospital care;
- a financial assistance with the costs of childcare or school tuition for the children until the month they turn seven (7) years (inclusive). This benefit is granted to female faculty, and exceptionally to male faculty who have legal custody of his children.
II. Qualifications
The candidate must hold a PhD in Physics, or a closely related field. The faculty member is expected to establish an externally funded research program in cutting edge experimental physics areas, using the infrastructure already available at the Department laboratories (http://www.fis.puc-rio.br/). Fluency in Portuguese is expected within one year after hiring.
III. Selection process
The selection procedure has two steps. A pre-selection phase based on the documents sent by the candidates. Those approved in this initial phase will be evaluated, at PUC-Rio, by a committee composed by five (5) professors, from outside the Physics Department and the University. This second phase will consist of: an oral presentation of the candidates’ research project; an analysis of their publications; and the presentation of a 50 minutes basic physics class (all candidates shall present a class on the same topic). The topic for the class is to be drawn from the list in section IV. Unfortunately, the department cannot guarantee travel expenses for the selection process.
IV. List of topics
- KINETIC ENERGY AND WORK
- CENTER OF MASS AND LINEAR MOMENTUM
- ROLLING, TORQUE, AND ANGULAR MOMENTUM
- OSCILLATIONS
- THE KINETIC THEORY OF GASES
- ENTROPY AND THE SECOND LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS
- ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
- INDUCTION AND INDUCTANCE
- MAXWELL’S EQUATIONS; MAGNETISM OF MATTER
- ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES
- THEORY OF RELATIVITY
- PHOTONS AND MATTER WAVES
Suggested bibliography:
Fundamentals of Physics, Vol. 1
Fundamentals of Physics, Vol. 2
David Haliday, Robert Resnick, and Jearl Walker
9th edition, Willer (2012)
V. Application
Applications may be submitted in English or Portuguese, by sending a PDF file to concurso@fis.puc-rio.br including:
- a letter of interest;
- curriculum vitae;
- list of publications;
- statements of past and proposed research;
- a statement of teaching interests.
At least two letters of reference must be sent in support of their application to the head of the Physics Department at prioli@puc-rio.br.
All application material must be submitted by May 31, 2019. The review of applications will begin in June 3, 2019 and the list of pre-selected candidates will be announced by June 07, 2019. The second phase of the selection process should start no earlier than June 17. Note that, the starting date of the second phase is negotiable.
VI. Final Considerations
- Applicants being evaluated in the second phase of the selection process cannot attend another applicants’ oral presentation or class during examinations.
- In case of applicants equally qualified for the tenure-track Assistant Professor position, the Physics Department will give preference to the candidate with a research expertise and proposal in the areas of Biophysics or Magnetic Characterization of Materials.
- Candidates with PhD diplomas issued by non-Brazilian Universities need to revalidate their diplomas in Brazil before the hiring process.
- The desired starting date for the job is August 1, 2019 but that is flexible and negotiable.