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Updated on October 29, 2025

We are hiring! September/October 2025:
The UNC School of Medicine is seeking a tenure-track junior faculty member in Biochemistry and Biophysics.

This posting can be accessed directly by applicants at https://unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/307160 Submit by October 27, 2025 for full consideration.

Large group of diverse employees standing together in the woods

Why Biochemistry and Biophysics (BCBP) at UNC?  BCBP is a premier department for basic mechanistic research into the molecular basis of biological systems with a long history of success. The well-established culture of generous cooperation in BCBP and at UNC fosters and rewards collaboration. Faculty collaborate in research projects, in mentoring students and postdocs, in team teaching, and in building a vibrant and supportive research community. In addition, UNC and the School of Medicine make substantial investments in many technologically sophisticated core facilities, in graduate and postdoc recruitment and training, and in ensuring that every individual can thrive. The Department provides professional development and leadership opportunities for students, postdoctoral scholars, and faculty of all ranks. Most BCBP labs are housed in the modern Genetic Medicine Building with extensive shared equipment and an open lab format. As part of a proudly public University, we celebrate working together to build community and enhance opportunities while making ground-breaking discoveries that push the boundaries of modern science for the benefit of human health.

This outstanding research environment is embedded in Chapel Hill, part of the Research Triangle area of North Carolina. The Research Triangle includes Chapel Hill (UNC), Durham (Duke), and Raleigh (NC State), surrounding a pharmaceutical, biotech, and high-tech industry hub, plus a branch of the NIH and the EPA. We enjoy reasonable costs of living, outstanding public schools, a highly educated population (top 10 PhD/capita in the US), a local community that welcomes people from across the country and the world, mild weather, and a wide range of cultural activities (music, theater, award-winning dining, arts, sports, etc.). We are 3-4 hours from the beautiful Appalachian Mountains to the west, and we are similarly close to destination NC beaches to the east.

our buildingGenetics Medicine Building interiorposter session looking down at a busy Lobby in Genetic medicine building with researchers sharing posters and discussing new findingsRodney Park winner of the retreat presentation talks in 2022

FAQ about BCBP

  • How are junior faculty supported?
    • Each junior faculty member assembles a formal mentoring committee and also receives frequent informal mentoring from peers and senior faculty.
    • Clear standards for promotion and tenure are made available to faculty.
    • Training in mentoring is provided by the BioStar office in the School of Medicine. Additionally, workshops in leadership, grantsmanship, and teaching are available through other centers at UNC.
    • Junior faculty are not assigned classroom teaching or major service commitments during their first year.
    • New faculty receive salary support and funds to establish their laboratory. Pre-tenure faculty are expected to work towards extramural salary support of 40% or more. The School of Medicine has higher funding expectations for tenured faculty.
  • How do faculty recruit graduate students?
    • BCBP is one of 15 programs in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program (BBSP). Students apply to BBSP and participate in 3 laboratory rotations during the first academic year. When they choose a thesis lab, they also choose a PhD program, and that program does not have to be tied to the primary academic appointment of their dissertation lab. BBSP students matriculate each year from across the US and around the world.
  • What is the typical teaching load for BCBP faculty?
    • Most teaching is in graduate classes that are usually small, discussion-based, and focused on primary literature. Most graduate classes are team-taught by several faculty.
    • BCBP has minimal responsibility for undergraduate classroom teaching, although many undergraduates participate in research in BCBP labs through UNC research for credit, federal work-study, and summer internships. BCBP faculty may contribute to professional education in the MD or health sciences on an as-needed basis.
    • BCBP faculty participate in many research training programs, including undergraduate and post-baccalaureate programs, in addition to post-doctoral training.

2025 Fall retreat photo at MBRB when Jean Cook was the chair

FAQ about the 2025-2026 faculty recruiting season. Our goal is to build upon our existing strengths in biochemistry, molecular biology, and biophysics and to continue to focus deeply on molecular mechanisms.

  • What is expected in the cover letter?
    • The cover letter should describe how prior and proposed research integrate with and complement the current Department and UNC-CH research. Applicants can briefly describe potential future contributions to the UNC and BCBP educational, training, and community-building missions. These can be expanded upon in the teaching, mentoring, and leadership statement. Describe your motivation for choosing BCBP as a future faculty home. The cover letter need not extensively duplicate information in the CV or other parts of the application, and 1-1.5 pages should be sufficient.
  • What is the purpose of the 3-page anonymized research plan?
    • The most important aspect of a BCBP faculty applicant is the research program they will build in the future. In the first scoring phase, the hiring committee will focus on the research plan before considering other aspects of the application. The second review phase will also consider letters of reference.
    • The plan can refer to the applicant’s experiences and qualifications but should not include the names of any researchers who performed the work, institutions where the work was done, specific publications or journals, or the award of past or current funding for the work; remove applicant name from the document header also.
      • Example traditional, non-anonymized: “As a [Named Fellowship] postdoc in Professor X’s lab at University of Z, I designed and optimized an assay that can [do something amazing]. I used this to discover [important finding].
      • Anonymized: “As a postdoc I designed and optimized a new assay that can [do something amazing]. I used this to discover [important finding].
    • A bibliography is not required and, if used, is not counted in the 3-page maximum. Citations in the bibliography to the applicant’s own work must also be anonymized to remove all journal and author names. For example, “Applicant, author #1 of 6 (1995). Reconstitution of human DNA repair excision nuclease in a highly defined system.”
    • Figures are allowed and encouraged.
    • Uploading documents as pdfs is highly recommended. All files are converted to pdfs by the system, and conversion from other file formats can change the pagination. Please adhere to the length limit.
  • Why should I “highlight 3-5 impactful publications” in my CV?
    • BCBP and the hiring committee are scientifically diverse, so article titles alone may not convey the importance of a publication to reviewers. Applicants can identify the works they are particularly proud of and/or form the foundation of their future research. Putting the work in the context of the field helps the committee appreciate the significance of the discoveries. Outlining the applicant’s specific role in studies with many authors is also useful for understanding the applicant’s particular expertise and experience in collaborative research.
    • Applicants can use any format for this highlighting including a separate section or adding text under the chosen studies.
    • Pre-prints should be included where relevant.
    • Do not include journal impact factors in the list of publications. Article-level metrics are allowed but not requested.
  • What should I include in the teaching, mentoring, and leadership statement?
    • Applicants can review current BCBP graduate courses for those they would like to contribute to or any perceived gaps they would like to fill. Include any previous experience with classroom teaching or one-on-one research mentoring of junior scientists.
    • List any trainings in teaching, mentoring, or leadership development.
    • All BCBP faculty contribute to our mission through activities that support the growth and improvement of the research community. Applicants can describe how they envision their contributions and any previous experiences in fostering research community, including science outreach, recruiting, and professional service to the field.
  • Do I need to send references now?
    • The hiring committee will solicit references shortly after the first phase of review. Applicants are encouraged to communicate in advance with reference letter writers about the importance of responding promptly to a committee request for a letter. The letter need not be tailored to UNC or BCBP but should provide specifics about the applicant’s strengths and qualifications for independent faculty responsibilities. The letter need not reiterate information from the CV or other application components.
  • Who is evaluating applications and how will applicants be judged?
    • The committee is comprised of faculty from all ranks, including fixed-term and tenure-track, plus BCBP traineeconsultants. The committee receives administrative support from Rhonda Strickland (rbrann@email.unc.edu).
    • Here is our scoring rubric, which is available for download. 2025 faculty search Rubric
  • Can established senior faculty applicants be considered?
    • We welcome applicants who are completing training as well as those who are early-career independent investigators. We may consider a very well-established applicant under specific circumstances. Candidates who are beyond the early career stage can apply, and they should also email BCBPSearch@med.unc.edu to identify themselves for separate review.
  • What is the expected plan for review?
    • We expect a rolling selection of applicants for Zoom interviews late in the fall semester, followed by invitations for campus interview visits starting after the winter break.
    • Campus visits will include a formal seminar to the department and other interested UNC scientists, individual meetings and meals with BCBP faculty/leaders, meetings with students and postdocs, and an informal “chalk talk” about future research.
  • Where can I get information about other aspects of working at UNC, such as support for specific situations or community resources?

We recognize that each individual has unique needs to succeed, and candidates may have questions about accommodations for special abilities, family care needs, resources for parents, community organizations, etc. To be connected to someone who can provide specific information privately, email Rhonda Strickland.

This posting can be accessed directly by applicants at https://unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/307160 Submit by October 27, 2025 for full consideration.