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Assistant, Associate, or Full Project Scientist - Critical Assessment of Genome Interpretation, Lead Scientist - QB3 Institute

POSITION OVERVIEW

Salary range: The posted UC academic salary scales (https://www.ucop.edu/academic-personnel-programs/compensation/2022-23-academic-salary-scales.html) set the minimum pay determined by rank and/or step at appointment. See the following table for the salary scale for this position https://www.ucop.edu/academic-personnel-programs/_files/2022-23/july-2022-salary-scales/t37-b.pdf A reasonable estimate for this position is $68,400 - $120,100.
Percent time: Full-time position (100%). Part time (85%) position may be available in special cases
Anticipated start: 2023
Position duration: The initial appointment is for one-year with the possibility of renewal based on performance and availability of funding.

APPLICATION WINDOW

Open date: January 25, 2023

Next review date: Wednesday, Feb 8, 2023 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.

Final date: Tuesday, Jan 16, 2024 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

Critical Assessment of Genome Interpretation (CAGI)
Lead Scientist

Research Group of Steven Brenner
University of California, Berkeley

Establish the state-of-the-art in genome interpretation

We are seeking a leader for the Critical Assessment of Genome Interpretation (CAGI, /'k-j/), a community experiment to evaluate the prediction of phenotypes from genetic variation. CAGI objectively assesses computational methods for predicting the phenotypic impacts of genomic variation. In this experiment, modeled on the Critical Assessment of Structure Prediction (CASP), participants are provided genotypic data and make predictions of resulting molecular, cellular, or organismal phenotype.

These predictions are evaluated against experimental and clinical characterizations, and independent assessors perform the evaluations. Community workshops are held to disseminate results, assess our collective ability to make accurate and meaningful phenotypic predictions, and better understand progress in the field. From this experiment, we identify bottlenecks in genome interpretation, inform critical areas of future research, and connect researchers from diverse disciplines whose expertise is essential to methods for genome interpretation. The CAGI experiments have engaged hundreds of researchers and led to two journal special issues with >60 papers.

Responsibilities:
The CAGI Lead Scientist will be primarily responsible for operating the CAGI experiment, from developing challenges to managing prediction submissions and assessments to dissemination of results. Each new challenge requires extensive interactions with the data set provider to develop the most informative challenge. Supervision of assessment includes interacting with assessors, developing standard and automated assessment protocols, and ensuring that uniform standards are applied and that proposed assessment methods are appropriate, as well as reviewing assessment results and ensuring that the necessary technical support is provided.

Prediction management includes engaging a broad and diverse community, providing tutorials, editing necessary web resources, distributing challenges, robustly accepting predictions, providing comprehensive access to results and analysis, and ensuring data security. The CAGI Lead Scientist will organize the CAGI conference culminating each experiment, at which results are initially presented and other meetings. They will take a lead role in working with participants to coordinate publications about CAGI experiments and facilitate presentations to ensure broad dissemination.

Additional Responsibilities:
The CAGI Lead Scientist will write papers describing research findings; create effective figures, slides, and posters; and present research including travel as appropriate. They will draft grant reports and grant applications, as well as apply for fellowships, grants, and engage in other career development activities. They will work collaboratively in the research group and with collaborators and provide mentorship. They will promote diversity in science in the lab and CAGI experiment and through outreach. They will follow all University policies and lab practices such as: following all safety guidelines and ensuring safe conduct of research maintaining security of data and resources entrusted to us keeping meticulous detailed records of research in routine laboratory notebook entries and triennial reports participating in weekly group and subgroup meetings and performing lab jobs to facilitate lab operations.

Brenner Research Group:
The Brenner Laboratory is an interdisciplinary research group at the University of California, Berkeley, one of the world's premiere research universities. We are associated with the Center for Computational Biology, the Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, the Department of Bioengineering and the California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences. We are also affiliated with the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub; the Institute for Human Genetics and the Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco; and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab.

The University of California, Berkeley ranks first nationally in the number of graduate programs in the top 10 in their fields, according to the most recent National Research Council study. This year Forbes ranked UC Berkeley as the #1 Top College in America, and the Times Higher Ed placed UC Berkeley first among US public universities.

The Brenner Research Group is committed to creating an inclusive community of belonging that enables every member to achieve their potential. We value the diversity of our members' unique backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives; their synergy and complementarity is fundamental to our group's effort to advance our research-which aims to benefit all people.

QUALIFICATIONS

Basic qualifications (required at time of application)
Doctorate or equivalent international degree

Preferred qualifications
Ph.D., M.D. or equivalent international degree in computational biology, human genetics, or a related discipline.
-Demonstrated ability to work and communicate with an extensive array of collaborators.
-Experience in managing large data sets, developing standard and automated assessment protocols, managing data set QC, performing human genetic data analyses, ethics of human research participants, publishing in high quality journals, event organization.
-Ability to manage multiple and conflicting obligations and deadlines.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Document requirements
- Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.
- Cover Letter
- Statement of Research (Optional)
- Statement on Contributions to Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - Statement on your contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion, including information about your understanding of these topics, your record of activities to date, and your specific plans and goals for advancing equity and inclusion if hired at Berkeley (for additional information go to https://ofew.berkeley.edu/recruitment/contributions-diversity).
- Transcript

Reference requirements

• 3-5 required (contact information only)
  
  Apply link: https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF03799
  Help contact: brenner@compbio.berkeley.edu
  
  CAMPUS INFORMATION
  
  Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are core values at UC Berkeley. Our excellence can only be fully realized by faculty, students, and academic and non-academic staff who share our commitment to these values. Successful candidates for our academic positions will demonstrate evidence of a commitment to advancing equity, inclusion, and belonging.
  
  The University of California, Berkeley is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status. For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy see: http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/NondiscrimAffirmAct
  
  In searches when letters of reference are required all letters will be treated as confidential per University of California policy and California state law. Please refer potential referees, including when letters are provided via a third party (i.e., dossier service or career center), to the UC Berkeley statement of confidentiality prior to submitting their letter.
  
  As a condition of employment, you will be required to comply with the University of California Policy on Vaccination Programs - With Updated Interim Amendments. All Covered Individuals under the policy must provide proof of receiving the COVID-19 Vaccine Primary Series or, if applicable, submit a request for Exception (based on Medical Exemption, Disability, Religious Objection, and/or Deferral based on pregnancy or recent COVID-19 diagnosis and/or treatment) no later than the applicable deadline. All Covered Individuals must also provide proof of receiving the most recent CDC-recommended COVID-19 booster or properly decline such booster no later than the applicable deadline. New University of California employees should refer to Exhibit 2, Section II.C. of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Vaccination Program Attachment for applicable deadlines. All Covered Individuals must also provide proof of being Up-To-Date on seasonal influenza vaccination or properly decline such vaccination no later than the applicable deadline. Please refer to the Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Program Attachment. (Capitalized terms in this paragraph are defined in the policy.) Federal, state, or local public health directives may impose additional requirements.
  
  Positions that are represented by a collective bargaining unit or agent have particular contracts. For more information, please refer to the relevant contract: Lecturer contract, Postdoctoral contract, Research Series contract, and Librarian contract. Questions about represented positions can be directed to the hiring unit.
  
  JOB LOCATION
  Berkeley, CA
  
  To Apply, visit:
  https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF03799