Assistant Professor, Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology

The Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology (APK) at the University of Florida (UF) invites applications for a faculty member at the rank of Assistant Professor (tenure track). The candidate will contribute to the academic area of Biobehavioral Science, with an emphasis on sensorimotor neuroscience. Candidates must possess an earned doctorate in exercise physiology/kinesiology, psychology, rehabilitation science, engineering, or a related field, and postdoctoral training is strongly preferred. The successful candidate must have a promising or distinguished record of scholarly accomplishments, success or promise in obtaining extramural funding for research, and promise for teaching excellence. Applicants should also have strong communication skills along with a commitment to integrity, academic excellence, professional service, and inclusion. The University of Florida is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and is committed to increasing the diversity of its faculty. The search committee welcomes nominations of and applications from anyone who would bring additional dimensions to the university’s research, teaching, and clinical mission, including women, members of minority groups, protected veterans, and individuals with disabilities.

We are seeking a candidate who can complement and extend our current department research strengths in biobehavioral science which include neural control of movement, movement disorders, aging, and spaceflight effects on the brain and behavior. With 31 full-time faculty, the Department is one of the premier applied physiology and kinesiology programs with nationally and internationally recognized research. It has an established history of research excellence: in 2023-2024 the Department had over $8.4M in total research expenditures supported by the NIH, NSF, NASA, DoD, industry, and foundations. The Department currently enrolls approximately 1,230 students (920 undergraduate, 310 graduate) and is housed in state-of-the-art research facilities and lecture halls. The extensive dedicated research space includes 8,869 sq. ft. for animal research and 7,839 sq. ft. for human research. Cutting-edge and ample laboratory space is available to support the candidate, alongside existing laboratories including several shared core facilities with state-of-the art equipment for electrophysiology, locomotion, exercise training and motor performance evaluation, cell culture, molecular biology, biochemical analyses, and neuroimaging analyses. Opportunities for collaborative research exist not only in the Department, but also across the University campus, where there is broad expertise in physiological disciplines organized through various centers and institutes including: Center for Respiratory Research and Rehabilitation, Center for Exercise Science, Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, Center for Integrative Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disease, the UF Diabetes Institute, UF Health Cancer Center, Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, Myology Institute, Institute of Aging, Southeast Center for Integrated Metabolomics, Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, Nanoscience Institute for Medical and Engineering Technology, the Astraeus Space Institute, and the McKnight Brain Institute. 

The University of Florida is the state’s oldest, largest, and most comprehensive land grant university. UF is a member of the Association of American Universities, an organization comprising the top public and private institutions in North America, and UF is in the Top 6 of Public Universities in the United States. With an enrollment of over 50,000 students annually, UF is home to 16 colleges and more than 200 research, service and education centers, bureaus and institutes. The Applied Physiology and Kinesiology Department seeks to recruit and retain a diverse workforce as a reflection of our commitment to serve the diverse people of our community, to maintain the excellence of the University, and to offer our students richly varied disciplines, perspectives, and ways of knowing and learning. 

Thousands of projects were funded with a record $1.26 billion in research spending at the University of Florida for the last fiscal year. The University has established a vigorous umbrella organization, UF Innovate, to enable investigators to translate their research into licensed technology, startup companies, and to partner investors with faculty. UF is located in Gainesville, a city of approximately 150,000 residents in North-Central Florida, 50 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, and 67 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. It has abundant wildlife, mature forests, prairies, lakes, and opportunities for many outdoor activities, with moderate temperatures almost all year round. Gainesville has an excellent school system, with a number of public schools ranked highly in the state and nation.

Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.  

Postdoctoral training is strongly preferred.  The successful candidate must have a promising or distinguished record of scholarly accomplishments, success or promise in obtaining extramural funding for research, and promise for teaching excellence. Applicants should also have strong communication skills along with a commitment to integrity, academic excellence, professional service, and inclusion. The ability to contribute significantly to graduate education and the mentoring of graduate students is expected.

This is a 9-month (1.0 FTE) tenure-accruing position. UF has a competitive benefits package, and department faculty are eligible for summer salary. We will begin evaluation of candidates October 15, 2024, but will accept applications until December 31, 2024. All applications must be submitted on-line at jobs.ufl.edu and should include a copy of the following: (1) a letter of application summarizing the applicant’s qualifications, (2) complete curriculum vitae, (3) a description of research interests and goals, and (4) names, addresses, e-mail addresses, and telephone numbers of at least three references. The start date is August 16, 2025, or as negotiated at time of contract.

Send inquiries and nominations to the Chair of the Search Committee, Rachael Seidler, rachaelseidler@ufl.edu.

The final candidate will be required to provide official transcript to the hiring department upon hire. A transcript will not be considered "official" if a designation of "Issued to Student" is visible. Degrees earned from an education institution outside of the United States are required to be evaluated by a professional credentialing service provider approved by National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES), which can be found at http://www.naces.org/   

If an accommodation due to a disability is needed to apply for this position, please call 352-392-2477 or the Florida Relay System at 800-955-8771 (TDD). Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the US. Searches are conducted in accordance with Florida's Sunshine Law.  

The University of Florida is an equal Opportunity Employer dedicated to building a broadly diverse and inclusive faculty and staff. The University of Florida invites all qualified applicants, including minorities, women, veterans, and individuals with disabilities. The University of Florida is a public institution and subject to all requirements under the Florida Sunshine and Public Records laws.