CLINICAL SCIENTIST - RESEARCH PROFESSOR (AC.05.3)

Wits University; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 1 000 000 - 1 500 000; Full time

Job summary

A South African university in Johannesburg is seeking a Research Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences. The role focuses on enhancing leadership in clinical research and includes responsibilities for supervising postgraduate students and teaching. Applicants should possess a specialist degree and demonstrate high levels of original research output. The position is fixed-term for five years, renewable based on performance.

Benefits

Pensionable annual salary

Secretarial or technical support

Seed funding for initial years of research

Qualifications

• High level of original scientific work at an international level.
• Experience in research leadership and PhD supervision.
• Eligibility for appointment as Full Professor.

Responsibilities

• Conduct and lead research in specified fields.
• Supervise postgraduate students and other researchers.
• Teach undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Skills

Research expertise

Teaching experience

Interpersonal skills

Communication skills

Education

Specialist degree in relevant field

Sub-specialty qualification

PhD (preferred)

Job description

Overview

Brief Description

Research Professor in The Faculty of Health Sciences (fixed-term, 5 years, renewable based on performance) - AC04 / AC05. The Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, seeks to appoint a Research Professor / Senior Clinician Scientist. The focus of the researcher can be in any of the following fields:

• Cardiology with special focus on Hypertension and Cardiovascular Prevention.
• Endocrinology with a special focus on Obesity and Diabetes.
• Immunology, with a focus on cellular immunity in relation to infectious diseases or more broadly.
• Lung disease: including focus on childhood and / or adult acute or chronic respiratory diseases.
• Oncology, preferably with a focus on the nexus of Cancer and Infectious Diseases.
• Maternal and Child Health including focus on addressing stillbirths and premature labour.
• Infectious Diseases: including focus on antimicrobial resistance and hospital-acquired infections; emerging infections and pandemic threats.
• In addition, applicants who are involved in research, excluding HIV and TB, on other health-care priorities in South Africa will be considered.

The focus of the position is to strengthen leadership in clinical research and teaching (undergraduate and postgraduate level).

Duties and Responsibilities

In the consideration of applications for the professorship, the main emphasis will be on the applicant's ability to document a high level of original scientific work at an international level within their field of expertise.

• Research in the field of expertise, including publication / academic dissemination.
• Research leadership, including guidance and supervision of PhD and Masters of Medicine students and other researchers, including Joint staff employed by the Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH).
• Teaching of undergraduate and postgraduate students (maximum of 15% effort).
• Academic assessments.

The position is open to internal and external applicants.

Qualifications

• Applicants must hold a specialist degree in their relevant field of study. A sub-specialty qualification will be preferable. A PhD, although not essential, will be given appropriate weight.
• Applicants must be at the level of or meet the requirements to be appointed at least at the level of associate professor based on Faculty Staffing and Promotion criteria.
• South African based applicants should be registered by the Health Professions Council of South Africa. Non-South Africans will be considered, although will be exempt from patient service.
• Applicants should be eligible for appointment at the level of a Full Professor at the University of the Witwatersrand (or on track to be promoted within a three-year period).
• The criteria (research, teaching, societal impact, organisational contribution, external funding and leadership) for eligibility of a Personal or Research Professor at the University of the Witwatersrand is available here: Promotion.

Further Eligibility

• Document a high degree of original academic production at an international level, including considerable contributions to the development of the academic discipline.
• Manage research and other management functions, e.g. engage in the university’s external academic activities, as well as knowledge and technology transfer.
• Provide research-based teaching.

The candidate is also required to possess good interpersonal and exceptional communicative skills.

Procedure

After the expiry of the deadline for applications, the HR Department will embark on a selection process, in line with University policy, upon which an appropriately constituted appointments committee will screen applicants and conduct interviews for the appointment of the candidates.

Conditions

Salary and conditions of employment will be based on the University of the Witwatersrand terms and conditions of employment.

For the professorship, the appointee will receive a pensionable annual salary at the level of a Senior Consultant in GDoH.

The clinical professors will receive secretarial or technical support by a core secretariat employed by the University. Additional support and details on the working conditions will be negotiated with the Academic Head of Department and the Clinical Heads of the respective Department that the candidate will be linked to. Applicants will be responsible for raising funds for their planned research activity. Some seed funding will be provided in the first two years of the tenure.

Applicants will need to restrict any clinical practice to the equivalent of a maximum of one day per week, with the understanding it would not impact on their research productivity.

Terms of Employment

The position is a fixed-term position, limited to a period of five years. This will be renewable subject to demonstrating success in research throughput (including minimum of an average of six manuscripts per annum in international peer-reviewed journals reporting on original research as the primary or senior author), supervision of postgraduates and success in obtaining significant grants to support the research activities, including the possibility of self-funding of the applicant's salary at the end of the five year period.

Closing Date : Rolling applications, with the next closing date 14 November 2025

Contact and Applications

For further information, please contact. All eligible candidates are encouraged to apply for these positions.

The awarding of the title Professor / Associate Professor will depend on the successful candidate's qualifications, research and other academic criteria as determined by the faculty guidelines.

Additional Details

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