The posts and the candidates

We are recruiting a multi-disciplinary team to develop and launch the Aston Digital Futures Institute (ADFI), which will be led by an overall Director of ADFI at Professor level.

The Director of ADFI will have international credentials in AI and Data Science and will provide academic, managerial and strategic leadership to the institute.

In addition to the Institute Director, we are seeking up to four professors, who are outstanding, internationally recognised research leaders, with interests in the following areas:

• AI in Health
• Data Science and Bioinformatics
• Gamification
• Digital Society

The successful candidates will have exceptional research track records and will be able to work across disciplinary boundaries. They will be committed to the highest standards of research culture, including research integrity and creating an inclusive research environment. They will have international research networks and excellent links with businesses. As part of their application, candidates are invited to suggest with which areas of Aston University’s existing portfolio they would seek to align more closely.

Each of the four Professors will be supported by a three-year Post-doctoral Research Fellow, as well as three fully funded PhDs (depending on discipline). Where appropriate, support for research capital will also be available. Applications are welcome from any discipline within Aston University’s current academic portfolio.

Reflecting the nature and strategic importance of these appointments, a sector-leading salary will be available to the right candidates. We particularly welcome expressions of interest from candidates from under-represented groups in Higher Education.

The recruitment process

Professor Aleks Subic, Aston University’s Vice-Chancellor and CEO, is overseeing the recruitment process of the five new roles in the new ADFI. This reflects the strategic significance of the investment in this new research institute.

Recruitment to these new posts will begin in January 2023, with final interviews scheduled to take place before Easter 2023. Successful candidates will join Aston University by the start of the 2023/24 academic year.

Informal enquiries about the five roles may be directed to the following colleagues, using the DigitalFutures@aston.ac.uk email address:

• Professor Simon Green, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research)
• Professor Stephen Garrett, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean of the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences
• Professor Anthony Hilton, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean of the College of Health and Life Sciences