Research professor in Experimental Biophysics (BOFZAP)

The Science, Engineering and Technology Group, Faculty of Science, Department of Physics and Astronomy of KU Leuven, invites scholars to apply for a full‐time research professorship in Experimental Biophysics. This position is funded by the Special Research Fund (BOFZAP), established by the Flemish Government.

The Department hosts a vibrant community of roughly 400 researchers working across the full spectrum of physics – from the smallest constituents of matter to the largest structures in the universe. Organized into seven research units, the Department pursues a research strategy built around four major initiatives, including a strong focus on the Physics of Life, which studies the physical principles underlying living systems. The advertised position is intended to strengthen this Departmental “Physics of Life” research initiative by fostering a competitive and internationally visible research program in the interdisciplinary field of molecular and cellular biophysics.

We are looking for motivated and internationally oriented candidates with an excellent research record and with educational competence in the field of experimental molecular and cellular biophysics. The appointment is expected to start on September 1, 2027. Applications will be evaluated in parallel and independently by 1) the KU Leuven Research Council in a competitive process across academic domains and 2) the faculty advisory committee. During the first 10 years, the teaching obligations as a research professor will be limited. Afterwards, the position will be transformed into a regular professorship.
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Duties

Research

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 physics perspective; 
• establishes and leads an independent research group within the Department and the Laboratory of Soft Matter and Biophysics; 
• plays a central role in building interdisciplinary collaborations within KU Leuven, including the Departments of Chemistry and Biology, biomedical research groups in the Faculties of Medicine and Bioscience Engineering, as well as with partners abroad; 
• has a strong interest in fundamental research, while also valuing applied research programs that address societal challenges; 
• supervises master students, Ph.D. candidates, and postdoctoral researchers at the highest international level; 
• actively seeks and secures competitive research funding from national and international agencies and prepares high‑quality research proposals to support these efforts.

Teaching

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, and Life Sciences. Since physics forms an essential foundation across the natural sciences, the ability to communicate core physical principles clearly and engagingly to students with diverse backgrounds is crucial. The Department places strong value on teaching as a bridge between disciplines, and the candidate is expected to reflect this in his or her educational activities.
This includes: 

• teaching physics courses tailored to students in chemistry and life‑science programs;  
• only if applicable for PBOF-ZAP: developing new course materials and actively contribute to curriculum development;
• demonstrating how physical reasoning underpins chemical, biological, and physiological processes;  
• integrating cross‑disciplinary examples that highlight the central role of 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 to guide students in interdisciplinary bachelor’s and master’s programs and contribute to training the next generation of scientists capable of navigating seamlessly across disciplinary boundaries.  

Service

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

• taking on service roles within the Department, Faculty, and University, contributing to strategic planning, educational committee work, and the development of shared research infrastructure;
• promoting the visibility of the Department’s biophysics activities through outreach, science communication, and engagement with scientific stakeholders;  
• strengthening KU Leuven’s international profile by participating in scientific networks, organizing workshops or conferences, and serving on editorial boards or scientific advisory panels;  
• actively contribute to a collegial and collaborative departmental culture, supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion in research and education.  

Requirements

• A Ph.D. in Physics or a closely related discipline, with a strong background relevant to molecular or cellular biophysics. If you have recently obtained your PhD, it is important that you support your research and growth potential with academic references.
• Demonstrated research excellence in experimental biophysics, evidenced by innovative experimental work and a clear scientific vision and an indisputable research integrity.
• A strong international academic track record, including high‑quality peer‑reviewed publications and recognized contributions to the field.
• Proven ability to conduct independent research, being able to attract research funding and develop a competitive (externally funded) research program.
• Commitment to high‑level teaching, mentoring, and engagement with students across Physics, Chemistry, and Life Sciences.
• Strong communication skills and readiness to participate in interdisciplinary collaborations both within KU Leuven and internationally.
• Your spoken and written English is excellent. The official administrative language used at KU Leuven is Dutch. If you do not speak Dutch (or do not speak it well) at the start of employment, KU Leuven will provide language training to enable you to take part in administrative meetings. Before teaching courses in Dutch or English, you will be given the opportunity to learn Dutch resp. English to the required standard.

Offer

• We offer full-time employment in an intellectually challenging environment. KU Leuven is an research-intensive, internationally oriented university that carries out both fundamental and applied scientific research. Our university is highly inter- and multidisciplinary focused and strives for international excellence. In this regard, we actively collaborate with research partners in Belgium and abroad. We provide our students with an academic education that is based on high-quality scientific research.
• Depending on your qualifications and academic experience, you will be appointed to or tenured in one of the grades of the senior academic staff: assistant professor, associate professor, professor or full professor. In principle, junior researchers are appointed as assistant professor on the tenure track for a period of 5 years; after this period and a positive evaluation, they are permanently appointed as an associate professor.
• You will work in Leuven, a historic and dynamic and vibrant city located in the heart of Belgium, within twenty minutes from Brussels, the capital of the European Union, and less than two hours from Paris, London and Amsterdam.
• KU Leuven is well set to welcome foreign professors and their family and provides practical support with regard to immigration and administration, housing, childcare, learning Dutch, partner career coaching, …
• In order to facilitate scientific onboarding and accelerate research in the first phase a starting grant of 110.000 euro is offered to new professors (subject to eligibility criteria).

More information

Call Research professorships (BOFZAP)
Procedure application and selection

Interested?

More information on the guidelines, regulations and application file is available from Ms. Kristin Vermeylen ([email protected]) or Ms.  Martine van Nierop ([email protected] , tel. +32 16 32 76 98).

KU Leuven strives for an inclusive, respectful and socially safe environment. We embrace diversity among individuals and groups as an asset. Open dialogue and differences in perspective are essential for an ambitious research and educational environment. In our commitment to equal opportunity, we recognize the consequences of historical inequalities. We do not accept any form of discrimination based on, but not limited to, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, ethnic or national background, skin colour, religious and philosophical diversity, neurodivergence, employment disability, health, or socioeconomic status. For questions about accessibility or support offered, we are happy to assist you at this email address.