Assistant Professor (Research) -Research Fellow in Hydrogen Innovation

Working at Durham University  

As one of the UK’s leading universities, Durham is an incredible place to define your career while enjoying a high-quality work/life balance. We are home to some of the most talented scholars and researchers from around the world who are tackling global issues and making a difference to people’s lives.  

Find out more about the benefits of working at the University and what it is like to live and work in the Durham area on our Why Durham? information page.  

The Department 

The Department of Engineering is consistently one of the very best UK engineering departments with an outstanding reputation for excellence in teaching, research and employability of our students.  The Department is ranked 4th in the Complete University Guide, 5th in the Guardian University Guide and 6th in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022 in the UK for General Engineering.  Ranked in the top six in the UK for overall profile in REF 2021 (with 95% of publications rated as 4* and 3*), this dynamic Department is an excellent place to work.  The strategic vision for the Department includes a growth plan of over 50% over the next five years, with a significant enhancement of the research challenge portfolio and a drive to enrich our undergraduate, postgraduate taught and postgraduate research provision.  It is an exciting time to join this expanding Department and make your mark.

Professor Tony Roskilly leads a large Energy Systems Group in the Department of Engineering which includes academic, post-doctoral research staff, administration and technical personnel. A number of researchers from Anthropology, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Biological Science and Durham University Business School also support the Group’s collaborative research activities directly. The group has a successful track record of attracting funding, primarily from Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Innovate UK, EU and industry. Professor Roskilly is the Academic Lead for the Teesside Industrial Cluster and is working closely with Teesside University on a ground-breaking project to accelerate decarbonisation and the use of hydrogen through supporting industrial research and development and capacity building in the Tees Valley. Researchers from both universities will harness their complementary strengths in the ambitious four-year project, Growing Teesside’s Hydrogen Economy and Catalysing a Just Transition to Net Zero. The £11m project is led by Teesside University and funded from the Research England Development (RED) Fund, part of UK Research and Innovation, as well as funding from Teesside University, Durham University, and industrial partners. This new joint project will bring together a large cohort of industrial and policy research fellows who will work together with industrial partners to identify challenges and develop innovative solutions to overcome them. Examples of challenges include fuel switching to hydrogen for high-grade heating, the use of hydrogen in flexible and resilient power systems, and hydrogen fuelled heavy-duty transportation.

The Department of Engineering at Durham University seeks to appoint two Assistant Professor (Research) – Research Fellow in Hydrogen Innovation positions and would welcome applications from those with experience and expertise in energy research, especially related to hydrogen technology innovation.

These posts offer an exciting opportunity to make an important contribution to the development of the Department of Engineering’s research while allowing you excellent opportunities to develop your career in an exciting and progressive institution.

For more information, please visit our Department pages at Department of Engineering – Durham University   

The Assistant Professors (Research) – Research Fellow in Hydrogen Innovation positions are funded jointly by Research England and Durham University to work with industrial partners within the Teesside Industrial Cluster to support the development of Teesside’s Hydrogen Economy and Catalyse a Just Transition to Net Zero.

The successful candidates are to be line-managed by Professor Tony Roskilly but will be independent researchers and expected to carry out high quality work closely with academic colleagues and industrial partners. They will contribute to a number of industrial research projects and will be responsible for them to be successfully delivered on time, within budget and meeting all objectives.

Candidates will focus on assisting innovation through research through direct engagement with industrial partners but will also interact with other stakeholders, such as policy makers and the general public, as part of the project.

Assistant Professors (Research) at Durham

The University is committed to enabling all of our colleagues to achieve their full potential. We promote and maintain an inclusive and supportive environment to ensure that all colleagues can thrive.  Academic colleagues are supported to publish world-class research in their area of interest with a focus on quality in high impact journals, rather than quantity. We will fully support your research needs including practical help, such as resources to attend conferences and to fund research activity, as well as a generous research leave policy and a designated mentor.

All of our Assistant Professors (Research) are encouraged to focus on research but also to engage in wider citizenship to enhance their own development, to support their department and wider discipline.

Assistant Professor (Research) – Research Fellow in Hydrogen Innovation 

Applicants must demonstrate research excellence in the field of energy research, especially related to hydrogen technology innovation, with the ability to fully engage in the services, citizenship and values of the University.  The University provides a working, research and teaching environment which is inclusive and welcoming and where everyone is treated fairly with dignity and respect. Candidates will be expected to demonstrate these key principles as part of the assessment process.

Key responsibilities: 

·         To undertake advanced research in the relevant discipline area, using or developing appropriate methods and/or techniques in collaboration with external partners and is commensurate with the Department’s continuing emphasis on international excellence.

·         To play a significant role in the delivery of a portfolio of collaborative research projects relating to innovation in the hydrogen economy. This will include working with partners from industry, the public sector and the third sector, as appropriate to the projects.

·         To engage in networks relevant for future collaboration and funding opportunities across the agreed project research domains, developing clear plans for the pursuit of suitable national and international funding opportunities to support research and end-user engagements.

·         To develop proposals for research projects which will make a significant impact by leading to an increase in knowledge and understanding and the discovery or development of new explanations, insights, concepts, processes related to hydrogen.

·         To work closely with the external partners involved in each research project, including spending time working at partner sites as required.

·         To write up results of research work, present information on research progress and outcomes to internal and external partners in a clear and accurate manner.

·         To deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines by discussing with the Professor Roskilly and offer creative or innovative solutions.

·         To demonstrate a willingness to contribute to the administrative word, citizenship and values of the Department.

·         To fully engage in and enhance the values of the Department.

·         To carry out such other duties as specified by Professor Roskilly.

Durham University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion 

Our collective aim is to create an open and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential and we believe our staff should reflect the diversity of the global community in which we work.  

As a University equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are a key part of the University’s Strategy and a central part of everything we do.  We also live by our values  and our Staff Code of Conduct.   At Durham we actively work towards providing an environment where our staff and students can study, work and live in a community which is supportive and inclusive. It’s important to us that all of our colleagues are aligned to both our values and commitment to EDI. 

We welcome and encourage applications from members of groups who are under-represented in our work force including disabled people, women, and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.  

We are committed to equality: if for any reason you have taken a career break or periods of leave that may have impacted on the volume and recency of research outputs, such as maternity, adoption or parental leave, you may wish to disclose this in your application.  We also understand that the Covid-19 pandemic will have had differential impacts on different people and welcome information on this if you wish to share it. The selection committee will recognise that this may have reduced the quantity of your research accordingly 

The University has been awarded the Disability Confident Employer status. If you are a candidate with a disability, we are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. We will make adjustments to support the interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, reasonable adjustments will be made to support people within their role 

Person Specification  

Candidates applying will have completed their PhD and they must outline their experience, skills and achievements to date which demonstrate that they meet the essential criteria.

Research  

Candidates must have the capacity for and be progressing towards the independent development of internationally excellent research that produces high-quality outcomes, including some work that is recognised as world-class or that has world-class potential.   

Essential Research Criteria 

Service, Citizenship and Values 

This post is focused on research but candidates will be expected to actively engage in the administrative requirements of the Department, notably related to their research, and/or the research and research environment of the department.

Candidates must positively contribute to fostering a collegial environment; as well as demonstrating their commitment to equality diversity and inclusion.

Essential Service, Citizenship and Values criteria 

Desirable Criteria  

The desirable criteria for this post (for which candidates should provide evidence of some if not all criteria) are:

Contact Information 

Department contact for academic-related enquiries 

For informal enquiries please contact Professor Tony Roskilly ([email protected]).  All enquiries will be treated in the strictest confidence. 

Contact information for technical difficulties when submitting your application 

If you encounter technical difficulties when using the online application form, we prefer you send enquiries by email.  Please send your name along with a brief description of the problem you’re experiencing to [email protected]  

Alternatively, you may call 0191 334 6801 from the UK, or +44 191 334 6801 from outside the UK. This number operates during the hours of 09.00 and 17.00 Monday to Friday, UK time.  We will normally respond within one working day (Monday to Friday, excluding UK public holidays).  

How to Apply  

We prefer to receive applications online.    

Please note that in submitting your application, we will be processing your data.  We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement https://www.dur.ac.uk/ig/dp/privacy/pnjobapplicants/  which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.  

If you are unable to complete your application via our recruitment system, please get in touch with us on [email protected] .  

What to Submit 

All applicants are asked to submit:

• A CV (maximum 4 pages and 10 most recent publications)
• A covering letter which details how your experience, strengths and potential fit the essential and desired criteria for the position set out above (maximum 4 pages with explicit examples). 
• Personal research plan. 
• Four of your most significant research publications, where possible published since January 2021, however previous work may be submitted where candidates have had career breaks. 
• An EDI & values statement – (of no more than 500 words) which outlines work which you have been involved in which demonstrates your commitment to EDI and our values. i.e. involvement in quality, diversity, and inclusion activities such as mentoring, volunteering, or attending conferences 

Where possible we request that you provide accessible web links to your publications, which the hiring Department will use to access your work.  The application form contains fields in which to enter each of the web links. Please note we are unable to access publications behind a paywall.  

Your work should be uploaded as PDFs as part of your application in our recruitment system. Please ensure that your PDFs are not larger than 5mb. Please note that your work may be read by colleagues from across the Department and evaluated against the current REF criteria; 

Please save all application documents with your name and document type as PDF files. 

We will notify you on the status of your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system.  Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to ensure you receive all emails. 

Referees 

You should provide 3 academic referees they should not (if possible) include your PhD supervisor(s).  The majority should be from a University other than your own (save for early career applicants applying for their first post). 

References will be requested for candidates who have been shortlisted and will be made available to the panel during the interview process. 

As part of your application, you will be asked whether you give your consent to your academic references being sought should you be invited to attend an interview. We will only request references where permission has been granted.  

Next Steps 

All applications will be considered; our usual practice is for colleagues across the Department to read the submitted work of long-listed candidates.   

Short-listed candidates will be invited to the University, either virtually or in-person and will have the opportunity to meet key members of the Department.  The assessment for the post will normally include a presentation followed by an interview and we anticipate that the assessments and interviews will take place on or around 7 or 8 September 2023. 

In the event that you are unable to attend in person on the date offered, it may not be possible to offer you an interview on an alternative date. 

Applicant Guidance  

For further guidance on your application please see HERE