Professors and Research Group Leaders Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Vaccines and Immunity University of Copenhagen

The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Vaccines and Immunity (NCVI) seeks to appoint 4 Research Group Leaders, who will be employed at the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Immunology and Microbiology (ISIM) that hosts the new Center.  

The positions are a unique opportunity to join the newly established initiative that is a potential game changer in the field of vaccines. Joining now offers the opportunity to help shape NCVI.

Background
The Novo Nordisk Foundation Initiative for Vaccines and Immunity (NIVI) was recently established to harness knowledge of airway immunity to prevent airborne epidemics through innovative vaccine research and development. NIVI is comprised of two entities: the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Vaccines and Immunity (NCVI), a state-of-the-art research centre anchored at the University of Copenhagen, and the Novo Nordisk Foundation Vaccine Accelerator (NVAC), a company owned by the Novo Nordisk Foundation enables the translational efforts of NIVI by providing industry-level expertise in vaccine development and conducting clinical studies (Phase 1 & 2, including CHIM) for new vaccine candidates. Within the initiative, NCVI directs the research, discovery and educational aspects of the initiative, while NVAC provides industry-level expertise in vaccine development and conduct clinical studies for new vaccine candidates. NVAC will also lead robust development plans that ensure efficient handover to a partner for late-stage development of successful vaccines. Thus, NIVI’s unique structure is designed to bridge the divisions between basic science, innovation, clinical application, manufacturing, regulatory considerations, and development.

NCVI is now inviting applications for four Research Group Leader positions, Principal Investigators, at the professorial level in the following areas: (1) Airway Immunology, (2) Group A Streptococcus Vaccine Research, (3) Streptococcus pneumoniae Vaccine Research and (4) Influenza Virus Vaccine Research. The positions offer the opportunity to conduct world-class research with a strong translational potential, in an environment that fosters strong collaboration between internal, external and international partners. Successful candidates will have access to state-of-the-art facilities and research support that promotes cutting-edge innovation.

In addition to the necessary project and running costs, NCVI will provide robust funding for the Group Leader to build their research team under the direction of the Executive Director.

Job Descriptions

Professor, Group Leader of Airway Immunology
The incumbent will serve as Group Leader of Airway Immunology. The Group Leader will lead and supervise a multidisciplinary research group focussed on understanding the fundamental principles of airway immunity related to prophylaxis with a view to improving the efficacy of upper and lower airway administered vaccines. Specifically, research should aim to identify and optimise sites of innate and adaptive immunity suitable for the delivery of next generation vaccines. Important scientific questions include a fundamental understanding of B and T cell tissue resident memory in the airways and the ability to manipulate such immunity for durable prophylaxis; and the identification of systemic markers able to predict robust airway immunity. It is important that the incumbent leverages relevant animal models and 3D in-vitro models for a better understanding airway immunity, and a strong emphasis should be placed on the assessment of human airway immunology. The Group Leader will be encouraged to lead translational sciences for the team and work closely with NVAC on new innovations that will originate from the research including clinical evaluation and assessment of vaccines for improved airway immunity.

Professor, Group Leader of Group A Streptococcus (GAS) vaccine research
The incumbent will serve as Group Leader, responsible for championing NCVI’s GAS vaccine research program. This role includes leading pathogen-orientated research and antigen discovery that results in an enhanced understanding of how to generate and maintain protective immunity against GAS, to prevent pharyngitis and associated colonization/transmission (and potentially also scarlet fever, skin infections and invasive disease). The research will involve studies of host-pathogen interactions at the molecular level, with a focus on pathogenesis and the mechanisms leading to the establishment of infection in the oropharyngeal. This should facilitate research into how the immune system can be activated to prevent pathology, reduce carriage and elicit protective immunity through vaccination. A state-of-the-art application of bacteriology multi-omics, immunology, bioinformatics and machine learning tools will be essential to success.  The Group Leader will be expected to define and prioritize vaccine antigens and relevant delivery platforms and collaborate with NVACs translational teams to advance vaccines into clinical development. It is important that the incumbent leverages relevant animal models, 3D tissue models, non-interventional clinical studies and potentially controlled human infection models (CHIMs) to better understand protective immune responses and robustly assess immune responses elicited by vaccination. 

The Group Leader will be expected to work in close collaboration internally with other Group Leaders, experts in structural biology, protein- and glycol-chemistry, vaccine platforms, airway immunity and vaccine formulation, as well as with the wider GAS community, including global consortiums such as SAVAC.

Professor, Group Leader of Streptococcus pneumoniae vaccine research
The incumbent will serve as Group Leader, responsible for championing NCVI’s S. pneumoniae vaccine research program. This role includes leading pathogen-orientated research and antigen discovery that results in an enhanced understanding of how to generate and maintain protective immunity against S. pneumoniae, specifically to prevent community-acquired pneumonia and the reduction of associated carriage initially in older adults. The research would involve studies of host-pathogen interactions at the molecular level with a focus on pathogenesis and the mechanisms leading to the establishment of infection & disease in the airways. This should allow research into how the immune system can be activated to prevent pathology, what profile of immunity such as Th1/Th17 responses and how to elicit durable responses. The Group Leader would be expected to define and prioritise vaccine antigen targets, including mucosal-delivered protein-based vaccines, polysaccharide-conjugates and whole-cell attenuated vaccines used as a complementation (and potentially synergistic) to the administration of currently licenced polysaccharide vaccines (PCV) that protect against invasive disease through intramuscular delivery.  A state-of-the-art application of bacteriology, immunology, multi-omics, bioinformatics and machine learning tools will be essential to success. It is important that the incumbent leverages relevant animal models, 3D tissue models and potentially controlled human infection models (CHIMs) to better understand protective immune responses and robustly assess immune responses elicited by vaccination.

The Group Leader will be expected to work in close collaboration with other Group Leaders, experts in structural biology, protein- and glycol-chemistry, vaccine platforms, airway immunity and vaccine formulation, both internally, as well as within the wider S. pneumoniae community.

Professor, Group Leader of Influenza research
The incumbent will serve as Group Leader with responsibility for championing NCVI’s Influenza program. The influenza research will encompass three principal areas.  Firstly, the application of influenza for prototypic activities to fundamentally understand airway immunity in response to a viral infection, address the performance of vaccine platforms, and assess different adjuvant systems and formulations.  Secondly, to advance the next generation of Broadly Protective Influenza Vaccines (BPIVs) to improve efficacy against seasonal influenza due to the antigenic shift of circulating strains.  State-of-the-art applications in immunogen design, computational approaches and innovative structural protein biology may be required to elicit robust, broad and durable humoral and cellular effector responses, mucosal and systemic, as well as B and T cell tissue resident memory.  Rather than pursue a single immunogen approach the incumbent will be expected to tackle combinations of innovative haemagglutinin, neuraminidase and other influenza protein constructs to advance next generation BPIV. Thirdly, to apply such innovations to improve the breadth of protection elicited by H5N1 pre-pandemic vaccines able to protect against disease from a range of putative emergent clades, and crucially to reduce transmission.  In summary, this role includes leading pathogen-orientated research and antigen design that results in an enhanced understanding of how to generate and maintain broadly protective immunity against Influenza infection, disease and transmission. Other viruses may serve as model pathogens to further methods and innovations applicable for the influenza program and the totality of NIVI’s airway scientific agenda.

The Group Leader would be expected to define and prioritise vaccine antigens and in collaboration with NVACs translational teams bring successful vaccine candidates into clinical development following the demonstration of preclinical proof of concept. It is important that the incumbent leverages the most relevant animal models, state of the art immunological approaches, potentially 3D tissue models where applicable and potentially controlled human infection models for better understanding of protective immune responses and robust assessment of immune responses elicited by vaccination. The Group Leader will be expected to work in close collaboration with other Group Leaders, experts in structural biology, protein- and glycol-chemistry, vaccine platforms, airway immunity and vaccine formulation.

Research Group Leader Responsibilities

• Scientific/Research Leadership & Management: As Group Leader, the incumbent will be responsible for the hiring the group, and will subsequently lead and manage the multidisciplinary group, providing in depth guidance and supervision. It is envisaged that this position will lead to the generation of both scientific knowledge and intellectual property which will be used extensively by other groups within NIVI and hence the ability to collaborate is quintessential to the role.
• Research Facilities: Design, implement and maintain state-of-the-art facilities for the purposes of discovery, and research. Early development activities maybe applicable through collaborations with NVAC. Play a key role in maintaining such facilities according to national and international quality standards applicable for the research activities.
• Cross Collaboration:  Provide collaborative leadership and participate in cross-cutting project teams to ensure research will be closely integrated with NCVI’s other research groups. Ensure collaboration with the rest of the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences and the University of Copenhagen.
• External Partnerships & Collaborations: Working closely with NCVI’s Director of External R&D, and NVACs Chief Business Officer, partner and collaborate with external groups to gain access to model systems and related technologies which could apply to NIVI’s mission. 
• Design: Design, discover and optimise new methods, technologies and innovations to further the scientific agenda of NCVI. 
• Strive for Translational Sciences Excellence: Lead close collaborations with NVAC to ensure that research activities on disease pathogens and/or airway immunity have a strong basis in translational sciences and that future development requirements are considered as research innovations are moved into clinical trials.
• NCVI Leadership: Working closely with the NCVI’s Executive Director on the alignment of activities with NIVI’s & NCVI’s mission.
• Research-based teaching, in the form of supervision and course-based teaching in relevant fields.
• Representation: Act as a representative externally for NCVI and NIVI at scientific events and congresses internationally, as well as support NCVI’s Leadership Team. The incumbent will also play a crucial role supporting the governance of NCVI.
• Obligation to share knowledge with the rest of society, including participation in public debate.
• Publication: Responsible for the publication strategy for the group, striving for the highest impact publications and presentations at key congresses.
• Affiliation: This position will be employed at the University of Copenhagen as a Professor.
• Network: Build and maintain a Key Opinion Leader network.
• Performance: Drive efficiencies to ensure new and improved ‘Ways of Working’.

Qualifications and Requirements:
Six overall criteria apply for professor appointments at the University of Copenhagen. These criteria (research, teaching, societal impact, organisational contribution, external funding and leadership) are considered a framework for the overall assessment of candidates. Please find information about each criterion here: https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/criteria-for-recognising-merit.

Furthermore, the candidate must be able to document:

• Ph.D. and/or M.D. in a relevant field of biology for the aforementioned positions.  
• Documented research outputs at the international level, including considerable contributions to the development of the discipline and ideally with relevant vaccine related experience.
• Familiarity with leading a research group of scientists and technicians located within state-of-the-art facilities.
• Strong leadership skills able to champion NIVI and NCVI’s values and motivate diverse teams.
• Agile ways of working, with an appetite for change and challenging dogma.
• Experience of working on complex projects across multiple geographical locations.
• Having a Key Opinion Leader (KOL) network in relevant fields.
• Management of research and other management functions, such as engagement with university external academic activities.
• Familiarity with knowledge and technology transfer.
• Possession of appropriate research-based teaching experience.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills and experience in complex organizations.  Strong profile of collaborative activities.

Terms of employment
A fixed-term position, or an open-ended contract will be negotiated with the candidate.

The average weekly working hours are 37 hours per week. Starting date is 1. March 2025, or after agreement.

Salary and other terms and conditions of appointment are set in accordance with the Agreement between the Ministry of Taxation and AC (Danish Confederation of Professional Associations) or other relevant professional organisation.  Candidates who have never worked in Denmark before are normally eligible to apply for a significant tax reduction.

The position is covered by the Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities 2020.

Questions
For further information, please contact the CEO and Executive Director of NIVI, Dr. Nicholas Jackson, email: nicholas.jackson@sund.ku.dk

Foreign applicants may find this link useful: https://www.ism.ku.dk/ (International Staff Mobility).

Application
The application must be submitted in English and must include the following documents:

• Application, including motivation for applying for this position (Maximum 2 pages)
• Curriculum vitae, including information about external funding
• Diplomas (Master’s, PhD and other relevant certificates)
• A complete list of publications
• Research plan (3‐5 pages)
• Uploads of maximum 10 publications to be considered in the assessment
• Teaching plan
• Teaching portfolio (Guidelines: https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/job-application-portfolio)

Application procedure
After the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorized recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the Appointments Committee.  All applicants are then immediately notified whether their application has been passed for assessment. The Dean then appoints an expert assessment committee in order to make an assessment of the selected applicants for the specific post. Selected applicants are notified of the composition of the committee and each applicant will have the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that relates to the applicant him/herself. You can read about the recruitment process at https://jobportal.ku.dk/.

Please note that the applicant will be contacted if the assessment committee requires further documentation.

The applicant will be assessed according to the Ministerial Order no. 242 of 13 March 2012 on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities.

The University of Copenhagen encourages all interested applicants to apply for this position.

Please submit the application with the required attachments using the online application system. 

The closing date for applications is 23.59 p.m. CET, Sunday, 5 January 2024.