Research professor in Experimental Biophysics (BOFZAP

Organisation/Company KU LEUVEN Research Field Physics » Biophysics Researcher Profile Established Researcher (R3) Final date to receive applications 1 Sep 2026 - 23:59 (UTC) Country Belgium Type of Contract To be defined Job Status Full-time Offer Starting Date 1 Sep 2027 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Reference Number BZI-2026-3 Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

It is part of the assignment of the appointed candidate to develop, within the domain of experimental biophysics an international, competitive research programme, to pursue excellent scientific results at an international level and to support and promote national and international research partnerships. The candidate must meet a strong research profile or have the potential to do so. In addition, the candidate is expected to have a multidisciplinary attitude and a willingness to cooperate intensively with other researchers and research units at KU Leuven.

The successful candidate:

• is internationally oriented, conducting a forefront research program that develops and applies innovative experimental techniques to study and characterize the structure and behavior of living systems from a physicsperspective;
• establishes and leads an independent research groupwithin the Department and the Laboratory of Soft Matter and Biophysics;
• playsa central rolein buildinginterdisciplinary collaborationswithin KU Leuven,including the Departments of Chemistry and Biology, biomedical research groups in the Faculties ofMedicineand
  
  Bioscience Engineering, as well aswith partnersabroad;
• has a strong interest in fundamental research, while also valuing applied research programs that address societalchallenges;
• supervises master students, Ph.D.candidates, and postdoctoral researchersat the highest international level;
• activelyseeksand secures competitive research fundingfrom national and international agencies and prepares high‑quality research proposals to support these efforts.

Although the position regards a research professorship at the start of employment, the candidate is expected to gradually contribute to state of the art teaching.

The successful candidate will contribute actively to the Department’s teaching mission, with a focus on providing high‑quality physics education to a broad and diverse group of students, including those enrolled in Physics,Chemistry, andLife Sciences.

Sincephysics forms an essential foundation across the natural sciences, the ability to communicate core physical principles clearly and engaginglytostudents withdiversebackgrounds is crucial.

The Department places strong value on teaching as a bridge between disciplines, and the candidate is expected to reflect this inhis or hereducational activities.
This includes:

• teaching physics courses tailored to students in chemistry and life‑scienceprograms;
• only if applicable for PBOF-ZAP:developing new course materials and actively contribute to curriculum development;
• demonstrating how physical reasoning underpins chemical, biological, andphysiologicalprocesses;
• integrating cross‑disciplinary examples that highlight the central roleof physics in contemporary science.

The candidate is committed to research‑informed, innovative teaching and contributes to curriculum development at the interface of physics, chemistry, and the life sciences.

He or she helps toguide students in interdisciplinary bachelor’s and master’s programs andcontributeto training the next generation of scientists capable of navigating seamlessly across disciplinary boundaries.

Scientific, societal and internal services (administrative and/or institutional) are also part of the assignment. The successful candidate is expected to contribute to the academiccommunity and the broader scientific landscapeby:

• taking on service roles within the Department, Faculty, and University, contributing to strategic planning, educational committee work, and the development of shared researchinfrastructure;
• promoting the visibility of the Department’sbiophysics activities through outreach, science communication,and engagement with…