The Institute of Process Research and Development (iPRD) at the University of Leeds is a new cross-disciplinary research institute launched in 2008 as a strategic joint initiative of the School of Process, Environmental and Materials Engineering (SPEME) and the School of Chemistry (SoC). The Institute promotes and facilitates collaborative research aimed at making step-change improvements in the chemical processing and manufacture of high value-added materials, e.g. fine chemicals, agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals. The core vision of the Institute is to establish itself internationally as the automatic 'partner of choice' for joint industrial/academic process research.



In 2009 Professor John Blacker was appointed as iPRD's inaugural director and to a joint chair of Process Chemistry, following a 17-year industrial career with ICI, Avecia and Piramal. Building on this, and supported by a £2m investment by the University, as one of five institutional multi-disciplinary Transformation Fund projects, the Institute is now seeking to appoint a world-leading candidate to a new Chair in Chemical Process Engineering. Through this, iPRD plans to further enhance its critical mass of research activity at the interface between the disciplines of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. The new chair post will be supported by the subsequent appointment of two 5-year (academic tenure-tracked) research fellows with appropriate and complementary expertise together with high quality laboratory facilities and appropriate start-up costs. The new chair will be expected to lead the appointment process for the associated academic posts. All 3 posts will be jointly held between SPEME and the SoC.

Salary: Grade 10 Professorial (Minimum £58,917 - )