Further Particulars
LECTURER IN FORENSIC SCIENCE: BIOLOGY & ANTHROPOLOGY
Ref Number: AC16/08
1. Keele University
Keele University is a world-class campus-based university committed to providing the highest
quality learning and living environment in which our students and researchers can flourish. The
University makes a unique contribution to higher education in its continued commitment to
encouraging interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary education and research. The University is
consistently in the top ten UK universities for student satisfaction and Keele graduates are highly
prized for their flexibility of thought and the maturity of their social skills.
Keele was the first new post-war UK University of the 20th century and exemplified the innovation
and idealism of the post-war generations, offering a bold, alternative vision for Higher Education.
The University College of North Staffordshire was founded in 1949 and received its Charter as the
University of Keele in 1962. There was a deliberate aim to break away from the pattern of the
specialized honours degree, avoiding as far as possible the divisions between different branches of
study. While there have been changes, the coherence of Keele’s academic vision remains. Half of
our undergraduate students still study two subjects to honours level.
Keele research also helps shape the world – whether it is battling malaria or discovering new
planets. The most recent REF classified 97% of the University’s research as world leading and of
international importance. The innovations and discoveries of Keele academics are key contributors
to wider social and global issues.
A key strategic aim of the University is to promote a campus environment that embraces and
promotes sustainability, and to become a sustainable community. Keele campus has a range of
energy sources that provide a unique test-bed for research, which can make important
contributions to the development of knowledge and new technologies in this area. The
Sustainability Hub, located in a restored 19th Century farm to the north of the campus, is a flagship
building for teaching and learning. The Hub brings together universities, researchers, local
communities, schools, national and international experts, and those wishing to learn about
sustainability.
As a world class university, Keele has connections across the globe. The University is in contact
with more than 45,000 of its alumni in 139 countries. This global network includes senior diplomats
and politicians, leading business people and officials in international NGOs, such as the UN. Our
research is also increasingly international in its partnerships, with strong links in every continent.
On campus there is the opportunity to experience a truly international flavour, as the diversification
of our student population now sees more than 120 countries represented at Keele, while nearly all
undergraduate students get the opportunity to spend a semester abroad as part of their studies at
one of the University’s 50 plus partner universities worldwide.
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Facts and Figures:
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Keele was ranked 1st in the 2015 National Student Survey of UK universities for overall student
satisfaction with an exceptionally high score of 95%.
In the most recent national Research Assessment Exercise, 97% of our research was
classified as world leading or of international importance.
Keele has been placed amongst the world’s top universities in the Times Higher Education
World University Rankings, positioned in the top 2% (based on approximately 10,000
institutions recognised by UNESCO).
Ranked 5th for our great community atmosphere and 4th for our students having a good
personal relationship with teaching staff (Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey
2015).
Keele is 44th in the prestigious Sunday Times University League Table 2014 for UK
universities.
We are the UK’s largest, and one of its most attractive, university campuses, with 617 acres of
landscaped parkland, fields, woodlands and lakes.
We are ranked 6th place in the Daily Telegraph’s ‘Britain’s most beautiful universities’ guide
and 5th for our good campus university environment by Times Higher Education Student
Experience Survey 2015.
We are the safest campus in the West Midlands in the BBC news league tables for crime rates.
Ranked 8th for best Students’ Union (Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey
2015).
In the last 10 years alone we have invested over £115 million in our campus and infrastructure.
There are over 3,000 bedrooms on campus and we have one of the highest proportions of
student rooms owned and managed by a university.
We are in contact with more than 45,000 alumni living in 146 countries.
96% of students who graduated in 2014 found employment or continued on to further study
within six months.
2. School of Physical and Geographical Sciences
Forensic Science forms part of the thriving School of Physical and Geographical Sciences (SPGS).
The School is responsible for running eighteen individual degree programmes and also contributes
to a number of programmes run by other Schools, as well as working closely with the Faculty
Research Office to provide an excellent infrastructure to enable staff to pursue high-quality,
internationally-recognised research.
The School consists of 65 academic staff, 10 research-related posts, 11 administrative staff and 14
technical staff, and provides an excellent environment for both teaching and research, a significant
proportion of which is interdisciplinary. The School prides itself on the approachability and quality
of its staff and has a strong commitment to providing high quality educational programmes, with a
nationally leading reputation for innovation in teaching, recognised by many awards, invited talks
and teaching innovation grants. Staff within the School have strong connections with the Higher
Education Academy and have an impressive track record of receiving grants for developing
innovative teaching activities and pedagogical research. Two members of the School hold National
Teaching Fellowships and others have been nominated by the University. Many Teaching
Innovation Awards have been obtained and numerous members of staff within the School have
been recipients of the Keele Teaching Excellence Award. The post-holder will be expected to
share in the culture of teaching excellence and innovation, and to demonstrate a commitment to
the teaching and development of our Forensic Science programmes, and the promotion of these
programmes through a range of recruitment and outreach activities.
The School has close links with the Faculty Research Office to provide an excellent research
infrastructure, with many staff pursuing internationally recognised research. The School is also
very active in delivering the University’s Widening Participation strategy and many staff members
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have an outstanding reputation for promoting their subject areas to the public via outreach
activities, supported by substantial external grants. Additionally, the School has been awarded an
Athena SWAN Bronze Award for excellence in recruiting and progressing women in science,
engineering and technology (SET).
The School is divided across two buildings: Lennard-Jones (Chemistry, Forensic Science and
Physics/Astrophysics) and William Smith (Geography, Geology and the Environment). They are
semi-independent but closely linked units in terms of teaching, research and student
administration. These buildings contain very well equipped laboratories and teaching rooms to
cater for the delivery of teaching on the School’s programmes. In addition, they allow students to
identify with a specific “home” within the University.
3. Forensic Science at Keele
Our Forensic Science degree course was introduced in 2004 and has been very successful with
buoyant student numbers and has a nationally leading reputation for its quality. For example, an
overall satisfaction rating of 96% (5th nationally within the Forensic and Archaeological Sciences
category) was recorded in the 2015 NSS survey, which inevitably puts us at the top of any league
table of Forensic Science courses.
Keele offers a Dual Honours degree programme in Forensic Science which requires the study of
another subject for at least two years. The most popular combinations include Forensic Science
with Chemistry, Human Biology and Psychology. In their third year, students may choose to focus
entirely on Forensic Science through the major route. A Single Honours BSc Forensic Science
programme is currently under development to allow undergraduate students to focus on forensic
science throughout the three years of their degree studies. In addition, a four-year integrated
Masters course, MSci in Forensic and Analytical Investigation, and an MSc in Analytical Science
for Industry have been introduced in 2015-16. The major route in the Forensic Science degree
programme is accredited by the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences, with the dual-honours
routes having a recognised status.
The Forensic Science course at Keele has a strong emphasis on the chemical, physical and
biological analysis of forensic evidence. Students employ state of the art analytical, spectroscopic
and specialist forensic instrumentation in a new laboratory space that has resulted from significant
financial investment. Students in forensic science also benefit from an in-house scene of crime
facility and a suite of darkrooms for forensic imaging. There is a strong emphasis on practical work
throughout the course where students gain hands-on experience of the methods and techniques
that they learn about in lectures. In addition to the core analytical science, the course includes
modules on forensic genetics, drugs of abuse, forensic toxicology, fire and explosives, bloodspatter, documents’ analysis and marks and impressions. Option topics are available in the final
year of which Forensic Geoscience proves to be very popular. We also deliver elective modules in
‘Crime, Science and Investigation’ to students across the University who are not studying forensic
science as part of their degree.
Forensic Science at Keele is largely based in the Lennard-Jones building, which houses modern,
well-equipped teaching and research facilities. Recently refurbished teaching laboratories,
including an analytical science suite, are well equipped with modern forensic science and analytical
instrumentation. Our students gain hands-on experience with a wide range of equipment and
techniques working with professional and research grade instruments. These include: document
examination equipment, such as VSC-4 and ESDA-2, advanced fingerprinting facilities including
AFIS, a microscopy suite and analytical laboratories with FTIR spectrometers, UV-VIS
spectrometers, fluorescence spectrometers, HPLC and GC-MS instrumentation, an NMR
spectrometer, Inductively-Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometer (ICP-OES), Raman
microscope, microspectrophotometer etc. Forensic Science students have access to biochemical
laboratories, geophysics equipment, a dedicated Crime Scene Room and a large (70 computers)
networked PC facility. A range of software packages are available on these computers to support
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students’ daily work and data analysis. Students have access to a wide variety of on-line
databases and scientific journals. In addition to the information resources available from the main
library, a collection of textbooks and reference books is maintained within the Lennard-Jones
building, which students may borrow on a short-term basis. Each module within the course has a
dedicated section within the University’s virtual learning environment (the KLE), which hosts
teaching materials (lecture notes, laboratory scripts, assessments, past exam papers) and useful
links, which is accessible both on and off campus.
Staff within Forensic Science have a strong commitment to providing high quality educational
programmes, and have a nationally leading reputation for innovation in teaching which has been
recognised by numerous external awards. Staff are very active in promoting public awareness and
engagement in science, and in school outreach activities. These activities have been supported by
significant external funding from the government (EPSRC, ESRC, STFC, RCUK), Defra, the Royal
Society of Chemistry, the Institute of Physics, the British Association and the British Council,
Staffordshire County Council, as well as from industry. Additionally, the School is a leading
contributor to Keele’s Widening Participation activities, as well as being very actively involved in
school outreach activities. These have included a wide range of practical workshops and events,
as well as Higher Education Summer Schools, Science Masterclasses and special workshops.
Forensic Science staff and students regularly collaborate with the Potteries Museum and
colleagues at Staffordshire University on a number of public science events under the CSI Stoke
banner held at the museum in Hanley.
4. Job Outline
We wish to appoint a Lecturer in Forensic Science, due to the continued growth and development
of the Forensic Science programme at Keele. The successful candidate will join a dynamic and
thriving Forensic Science section, which has ambitious plans for further growth in teaching and
research, and, in particular, to build upon the University’s strong performance in REF2014 (e.g.
Keele's mainstream quality-related research funding allocation increased by 18% from its previous
allocation, which is the third largest increase amongst traditional research-intensive/led
universities).
This post is designed to further develop the biological elements of the Forensic Science
programme, particularly in the area of Forensic Anthropology. The post-holder will be expected to
deliver teaching sessions in other biologically related areas of the course, so a strong background
in teaching in these areas is essential. Research and/or teaching experience in areas such as
Forensic Archaeology and Taphonomy would also be advantageous as we look to develop the
course further. As a research led institution, we welcome applications from individuals with a strong
commitment to research. In particular, the post-holder will be expected to demonstrate an ability to
carry out high quality research and will be expected to develop an externally funded, internationally
competitive research programme that will complement and enhance our existing research profile in
forensic science.
The successful candidate will have a PhD (or relevant experience in a suitable forensic science
role) and, ideally, postdoctoral experience in a relevant area of forensic science and will be
expected to develop and deliver high quality undergraduate teaching, including supervision of
undergraduate and postgraduate research projects. In addition, the post-holder will have the skills
and enthusiasm for teaching across a range of forensic science topics, as well as contributing to
the delivery of other programmes, as appropriate. The successful candidate will also be expected
to play an active role in helping sustain recruitment to our Forensic Science programmes, as well
as contributing to administrative duties and playing an active role in the development and delivery
of new teaching initiatives.
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5. Applicant Information
The post offered is a Lecturer in Forensic Science and is available from 1st May 2016, or as soon
as possible thereafter.
6. Enquiries
Informal enquiries may be made to Dr David Thompson, Programme Director for Forensic Science
(Tel: 01782 734954; Email: d.f.thompson@keele.ac.uk), or to Dr Stuart Egan, Head of School (Tel:
01782 733174 or email s.s.egan@keele.ac.uk).
7. Closing Date
The closing date is 27th March 2016.
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Post Ref:
AC16/08
LECTURER IN FORENSIC SCIENCE – ANTHROPOLOGY & BIOLOGY
Job Description
School/Ri/Directorate
:
School of Physical and Geographical Sciences
Responsible to:
Head of School
Grade:
Grade: 7a;
Incremental Scale: Yes
Starting Salary: £33,574 - £38,896
Hours:
Full-time
Role Summary:
To play a significant role in teaching and administration as part of the Forensic Science teaching
team, offering high quality teaching on the Forensic Science programmes, including supervision of
undergraduate and postgraduate research projects in these areas. To contribute to the delivery of
other programmes, as appropriate.
Main Duties and Responsibilities:
Work Processes and results
Teaching duties and responsibilities
 To develop and deliver high quality teaching and assessment in forensic science, and
engagement with teaching and learning related CPD.
 To run laboratory classes, problem classes and workshops in support of the forensic science
courses, as well as contributing to the delivery of other programmes, as appropriate.
 To contribute to teaching and assessment at all levels.
 To contribute to the School’s recruitment activities, including participating in the programme of
Visit and Open Days
 To co-operate with colleagues in the continuous review and development of the forensic
science curriculum, as well as contributing to the design, development and launch of future
programmes, including international collaborations.
 To comply with University standards and procedures for ensuring teaching quality and to
support and comply with the School’s standards and procedures.
Research duties and responsibilities:
 To actively pursue individual and/or collaborative pure and/or applied research of high quality in
forensic science that will enhance the research profile within forensic science at Keele and
contribute to Keele’s research and enterprise agenda.
 To publish research outputs in peer-reviewed journals of international standing and to
disseminate the results of research through other appropriate outlets.
 To present research findings at appropriate international conferences.
 To apply, individually, or in collaboration with others, for external research funding from a wide
range of sources (e.g. research councils, charities, industry) that will help to deliver research
outputs of international excellence.
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To contribute fully to the research culture of the School and University, and to undertake
supervision and training of research students.
To develop relevant external contacts that will enhance the reputation of the School and
University.
Administrative duties and responsibilities
 To contribute to the organisation and running of the forensic science degree programmes, and
recruitment activities associated with these programmes
 To undertake efficiently and effectively administrative duties and any specific task that may be
reasonably requested by the Head of School.
 To attend School and subject meetings, and to participate in other committees and working
groups within the School.
 To engage in continuous professional development (eg. through participation in relevant staff
development programmes and involvement with national professional bodies).
 To participate in relevant professional activities.
 To undertake, subject to School approval as appropriate, relevant external commitments that
will enhance the reputation of the School and University.
Team Work
 Liaise closely with colleagues to develop teaching and research areas as appropriate.
 Co-ordinate with other areas of the University and external parties as required.
Communication / Documentation
 Communicate effectively across a wide range of audiences.
 Liaise, establish and maintain positive links with external agencies and providers.
Personal Development / Performance
 Demonstrate a commitment to continuing Personal/Professional Development.
 Ability to observe and define priorities and timetables in the achievement of strategic and
operational objectives.
 Adhere to the University's environmental policy and procedures, and seek to promote
environmental sustainability within any area of responsibility.
Equality, Diversity, Health and Safety and Strategy
 Demonstrate a strong commitment to the principles and practice of equality and diversity.
 Show thorough understanding and application of the Dignity and Respect Framework.
 Take reasonable care of the Health and Safety of yourself and that of any other person who
may be affected by your acts or omissions at work.
 Co-operate with Keele University in ensuring as far as is necessary, that Statutory
Requirements, Codes of Practice, University Policies and School/Departmental health and
safety arrangements are complied with.
This is not intended as an exhaustive list of duties or a restrictive definition of the post but rather
should be read as a guide to the main priorities and typical areas of activity of the post-holder
These activities are subject to amendment over time as priorities and requirements evolve and as
such it may be amended at any time by the line manager following discussion with the post holder.
References
You are asked to provide details of two referees (three if you are applying for an academic or
research post), including your current or most recent employer, on your application form. Referees
should be able to comment on your work and/or educational background and may be approached
before interview. In providing these details you are giving the University permission to request
personal information about you from your referees, which may include confirmation of your
previous salary, disciplinary and work history.
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Please note this appointment is subject to medical clearance and on-going medical
surveillance by the University Occupational Health provider.
Two Ticks Scheme
Keele University is committed to taking positive steps to employ, keep and
develop the abilities of disabled staff and has been awarded the disability symbol.
We undertake to offer all applicants with a disability and who meet the minimum
essential criteria an interview. If you wish to be considered under this scheme,
please state this, providing specific information of any requirements/adjustments you may require
to assist you during the recruitment process or to enable you to carry out the duties of the post,
within your supporting statement of your application.
The information you provide on your application will be forwarded to the recruiting area so that they
may consider whether they can facilitate your requested adjustments. Please note that if you do
not state that you wish to be considered under the Two Ticks Scheme in your supporting
statement, you will not be considered under this Scheme.
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Post Ref:
Evidence Key
A=
Application
I =
Interview
R=
References
T=
Test
P=
Presentation
AC16/08
(or a combination)
LECTURER IN FORENSIC SCIENCE: BIOLOGY & ANTHROPOLOGY
Person Specification
Criteria
Headings
Education
/ Training
Essential
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Experience
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Evidence
d by:
Degree or equivalent
qualification in Forensic
Science or a closely
related area.
PhD in Forensic
Science or a closely
related area (or relevant
experience in a forensic
science role)
A
Experience of teaching
forensic science in a
range of learning
environments, including
lectures/seminars and
laboratory classes
Experience of teaching
Forensic Biology and
Anthropology either in a
similar educational
environment or a
professional context
Experience of carrying
out high quality research
in a forensic relevant
field
A, I, P
Desirable

A qualification in
teaching and learning in
Higher Education, or
Fellowship of the Higher
Education Academy
(FHEA)
A, I

Experience of
developing and
delivering outreach and
public engagement
activities.
Teaching and/or
research experience in
areas related to
Forensic Anthropology
such as Forensic
Archaeology and
Taphonomy
Experience of delivering
enterprise activities.
Experience of
submitting grant
applications
Experience of acting as
an expert witness
Publications in journals
with high impact factor,
and presentations at
international/national
conferences
Postdoctoral experience
in Forensic Science or a
closely related area.
A, I, P
A

A, I, P
A, I, P
Evidence
d by:
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


A, I, P
A, I, P
A, I, P
A, I, P
A, I, P
A, I
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Skills /
Aptitudes/
Competencies
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Possess a broad
knowledge of
scholarship in forensic
science to facilitate the
development of the
forensic science degree
programmes.
Excellent
communication,
presentation and
interpersonal skills
An ability to initiate,
develop and deliver high
quality independent and
collaborative research
within the framework of
existing research
centres and themes
An ability both to initiate,
work independently (and
with minimal
supervision) and to work
as part of a team on
teaching and research
programmes
Ability and willingness to
contribute to the general
administration of the
School.
Competence in IT and
familiarity/aptitude with
a virtual learning
environment
Ability to identify new
opportunities for
collaborations.
A, I, P, R
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

A, I, P
Innovation in teaching
and assessment
methods.
Competencies in the use
of appropriate media
technologies.
Knowledge and
understanding of making
grant applications
A, I
A, I
A, I, P
A, I, P
A, I
A, I
A, I, P
Ability to interact with
non-academic sectors
through academic
enterprise, business,
and community
engagement.
A, I
A, I
For full post details and to apply, please visit: http://tinyurl.com/AC16-08
Closing date for applications: 27th March 2016
Interviews will be held on: TBC
Post reference: AC16/08
Promoting Equality, Valuing Diversity.
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