UNIVERSITY OF GLAMORGAN
PRIFYSGOL MORGANNWG
Faculty of Advanced Technology
Research Assistant x 0.1 - (Ref: FAT 584)
Fixed-Term until July 2012
£22,325 - £25,854 per annum, pro rata
Glamorgan Computational Biology group is seeking a qualified Oracle and GUI developer to contribute
to the public outreach genomics project funded by Welsh Crucible.
The RA will develop Oracle database to store genomic data, gene-phenotype association data, and
other information. The RA will also be developing a user-friendly GUI aimed to promote public
awareness about all things gene related.
GUI interface development will consist of three steps for which the RA will be responsible for:
1. Installation of advanced genome browsers and other related components on the existing Linux
server.
2. Design and develop a functional user friendly web portal to make use of the genome browsers and
fulfill public engagement goals of the project.
3. Design an smooth and fully functional shopping cart for the web portal.
The ideal candidate needs to have extensive experience in bioinformatics, Oracle, Java, Perl, PHP, and
Unix.
CLOSING DATE: 20th January 2012
FURTHER PARTICULARS FOR THE POST OF RESEARCH ASSISTANT x 10 %
ELIGIBILITY TO WORK IN THE UK
The University of Glamorgan has a legal responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live
and work in the UK.
For academic and research vacancies or those that require highly specialised skills and qualifications,
we will often be able to obtain a ‘Certificate of Sponsorship’ for a suitably qualified applicant who is not
currently eligible to work in the UK, if there are no suitable ‘resident’ candidates i.e. European Economic
Area.
For vacancies that are not academic, research or highly specialist, however, it is extremely unlikely that
a certificate of sponsorship would be granted. It is an essential requirement that before submitting an
application form you confirm your eligibility by visiting the Home Office website
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/workingintheuk/. Here you will find useful information on the Points
Based Immigration System, along with a convenient Points Calculator.
FACULTY/DEPARTMENT DETAILS
FACULTY OF ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY
Introduction
The Faculty of Advanced Technology combines the disciplines of Built Environment, Computing &
Mathematics, and Engineering. The Faculty was created in August 2006, bringing together the former
School of Computing, and parts of the Schools of Electronics and Technology. The Faculty is located on
the University of Glamorgan’s Trefforest Campus, near the historic market town of Pontypridd.
(http://fat.glam.ac.uk/)
Faculty Structure
The Faculty has a student body of approximately 3,550 undergraduate students and 700 postgraduate
students enrolled on taught courses and research degrees, and approximately 200 academic, technical
and administrative staff.
The Dean of the Faculty leads a Faculty Executive which comprises the Associate Dean, the Heads of
the four Departments within the Faculty, the Head of Research, the Head of Learning, Teaching &
Collaboration, the Head of Knowledge Transfer, and the Head of Administration. The Faculty Executive
meets fortnightly and advises the Dean on key strategic performance matters within the Faculty,
including delivery of income and expenditure targets, staff performance, student recruitment, retention,
progression and achievement, academic and research developments, and adherence to University and
national quality assurance standards.
Faculty Structure
Dean
Associate Dean
Environmental
Technology,
Construction and
Management
Engineering
Electronics and
Computer
Systems
Engineering
Computing
&
Mathematical
Sciences
Advanced Control
and
Applied Engineering
Construction and
Real Estate
Computer Systems
Engineering
Maths and Statistics
Materials,
Mechanics and
Structures
QUENSH
Telecoms
Information Systems
Microelectronics
and Embedded
Systems
Computer Science
Head
of
Research
Head
Of
Knowledge Transfer
CEREA , WTRC and
CEPE
Head Of
Learning, Teaching
and Collaboration
Teaching
All the Faculty’s courses are relevant to the rapidly-developing industries that students will enter after
graduation and new courses are continually being developed in consultation with industry to reflect the
rapidly-changing nature of advanced technologies. The Faculty offers over 150 courses in a number of
subject areas falling within the main headings:



Engineering & Technology
Computing & Mathematics
Built Environment
Engineering & Technology
The Faculty has courses that span an exciting and dynamic range of subject areas, from
Mechanical Engineering and Lighting Technology to Civil Engineering and Mobile
Telecommunications. Engineering staff have been preparing students for the workplace for
over eight decades, so the Faculty’s courses are designed to give students the skills to make
an impact on employers.
The Faculty has been training civil engineers since the late 1950s and since then, almost
10,000 civil engineering students have graduated and are working in the industry – many of
them company directors, CEOs, principal engineers and professors. There are excellent links
with employers in Wales, the UK and beyond and regular consultation with practising
professionals ensures that the Faculty’s courses keep up with industry trends.
The Faculty’s innovative Network 75 scheme has created a network of companies that engage
with the University and each other. Through this scheme, students can 'earn while you learn',
getting experience in a rewarding career while studying for higher qualifications.
http://fat.glam.ac.uk/about/structure/engintech/
Computing & Mathematics
Computer Science at Glamorgan was awarded a Grade 4 (national excellence) at the 2001
Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), making Glamorgan one of the top six new universities
in the UK for this subject and in a recent subject review, Computing at Glamorgan received the
top grades in each category from the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA).
The Faculty has a range of expertise amongst its Computing & Mathematics staff, many of
whom are recognised as leading authorities in their field. Academics publish widely in journals,
present papers at international conferences and have represented the UK’s computing and
mathematics disciplines in many national developments.
Many of the Faculty’s computing courses are accredited by the British Computer Society (BCS)
and provide partial fulfilment of CEng accreditation requirements from the Engineering Council,
both industry benchmarks for excellence and integrity. The Faculty’s strong industrial and
commercial links help it tailor its courses to meet employers’ needs, and students graduate
with the right skills to develop an exciting, dynamic career.
Staff are constantly developing new courses to meet the needs of industry – a growth in
computer hacking and viruses, for example, so a range of security and forensics courses that
are pioneering in these areas have been developed. MI5 recruit the Faculty’s computer
forensics graduates and Glamorgan is identified as one of just a handful of universities
producing the calibre of graduates they seek.
A recent IMA graduate survey found that graduates in mathematics have the lowest levels of
unemployment and earn approximately 25% above the graduate average. Recent graduates
have progressed to careers in a variety of areas, from city financial institutions to teaching.
http://fat.glam.ac.uk/about/structure/Computing/
http://fat.glam.ac.uk/about/structure/mathsandstats/
Built Environment
The Faculty has been producing graduates from construction and property related courses for
over three decades. The construction industry is the UK's largest – and is set to get even
bigger with a high demand for suitably qualified professionals and the Faculty’s strong
industrial and commercial links help it tailor its courses to meet employers’ needs, and
students graduate with the right skills to develop an exciting, dynamic career.
The Higher Education Built Environment Forum (HEBE) is a developing partnership between
the University of Glamorgan, other Welsh Universities and industry. Glamorgan is committed
to this partnership, which aims to develop collaboratively with industry the highest quality
teaching and research in the disciplines of Built Environment.
All of the undergraduate courses are fully accredited by professional bodies – the degrees in
Project Management (Construction), Quantity Surveying and Real Estate Management all have
full exemption from all entrance examinations of the Chartered Institute of Building and the
Association of Building Engineers and student membership of these institutions is encouraged
to facilitate employability. The postgraduate award in Construction Project Management has
recently entered into Partnership with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and the
candidate will be expected to assist the team in the development of further Masters’ awards
within the RICS Partnership.
http://fat.glam.ac.uk/about/structure/environment/
Support Structure
The Faculty has four administrative offices, an Advice Shop, and three teams of technicians
The Student Administration Office, and the Student Advice Shop, are located together in the Rhondda
Building, and have been designed to provide students with a single point of contact. The Faculty has a
Quality Office which provides support for the quality assurance and accreditation of its awards. The
Resources Office provides support for the Faculty’s finance, space, facilities, timetabling, marketing,
recruitment, and applicant and open days. The Faculty also has a Research Office to co-ordinate the
research work of the Faculty and provides the Quality Assurance framework for its research students.
The Faculty’s technician support covers all of the laboratory areas, ensuring our teaching and research
activities are delivering the service levels expected by students and staff. An equipment replacement
policy ensures that the facilities supported by the technicians reflect current industrial and commercial
practice. Modern computer laboratories and engineering workshops secure the successful delivery of
the Faculty’s taught programmes.
Research
The Faculty of Advanced Technology has approximately 120 full-time academic staff and 165 research
students. In the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise, Computer Science was given a Grade 4 rating
and Glamorgan is among the top six new universities in the UK for this subject. This submission
included significant contributions from Mechanical and Electrical Engineering and Mathematics,
confirming the international standing of research across the Faculty. In addition, Civil Engineering was
confirmed to be of national standing, underlining the importance research has within the Faculty. In
2007, the Faculty submitted to four units of assessment in the RAE – Computer Science, Built
Environment, General Engineering and Mathematics.
Research Links with Industry
The Faculty has excellent industrial links, working with Fujitsu, IBM, British Telecom, Orange,
Welsh Assembly Government, Network Rail, Ordnance Survey and ESRI. The Faculty has a
proud tradition of collaboration with the commercial sector through projects supporting
technology transfer and applied research work. The Faculty has state-of-the-art teaching and
research facilities, the result of a recent multimillion pound investment programme.
Research Units
There are 15 Research Units within the Faculty and they reflect the diverse and
interdisciplinary nature of the Faculty. Many of the Research Units are acknowledged to be of
international standing.
Built Environment


Built and Natural Environment
Personal Safety
Computing and Mathematics







Hypermedia
AI Technologies Modelling
Applied Mathematics and Statistics
Computer-based Teaching and Learning
Geographical Information Systems
Data and Software Integrity
Medical Imaging
Engineering and Technology






Information Security
Medical Electronics and Signal Processing
Mobile Computing
Radio Propagation and System Design
Engineering Research Centre
Welsh Transport Research Centre
Funding
Projects are funded through the EPSRC, ESRC, NERC, the Nuffield Foundation, EU
Framework 5 and 6, WDA and other European sources and industrial partners such as
Ordnance Survey and Local Authorities.
http://fat.glam.ac.uk/research/
Consultancy
Centre for Engineering, Research and Environmental Applications (CEREA)
The Centre for Engineering, Research and Environmental Applications (CEREA) was first
established in August 2000. Its mission is to facilitate collaborative links with industry and the
business world and more specifically to provide high quality short and long-term solutions to
local, national and international organisations
Centre for Electronic Product Engineering (CEPE)
The Centre for Electronic Product Engineering (CEPE) was established to provide support for
enterprise, exploiting electronic technologies in both products and processes. It was awarded
the status of ‘Centre of Expertise’ by the WDA in 1994, and appointed as ‘Centre of
Excellence’ in 2001. CEPE supports industrial clients in Wales and elsewhere in the fields of
microelectronics, electronic product engineering, information technology and related fields.
Wales Transport Research Centre (WTRC)
The Wales Transport Research Centre (WTRC) was set up in 2001 to have an independent
transport analytical facility in Wales. Now in its 6th year, WTRC has grown into a significant
research resource for transport in Wales and elsewhere. The Centre’s research outputs have
been seen as independent and providing a clear unbiased analysis of the transport issues it
has been asked to undertake.
http://fat.glam.ac.uk/consultancy/
Investment in the Faculty
Computer Games Development
Brand new facilities have been fitted including a state of the art lab featuring five Microsoft Xbox 360s,
surround sound 40 inch LCD TV’s and cutting edge gaming PCs enabling students to develop computer
games and then play them on the big screen!
Forensics
The Faculty of Advanced Technology has a state-of-the-art forensic teaching facility. The specially
configured laboratory has the latest in forensic hardware and software, enabling students to image and
analyse a variety of storage media as part of project and course work relating to their studies. The
technology available in this laboratory enables students to tackle problems uncovered in the University’s
Computer Forensics Research Laboratory which handles cases police and commercial cases. The
research laboratory has handled cases for local and national police forces, business and government. In
addition to the consultancy work, research projects have included the reverse engineering of viruses,
and in the internationally recognised annual disk study into data disposal.
Lighting and Live Event
This new facility known as ‘The Cube’ has been developed in conjunction with industry experts Unusual
Rigging and includes traditional theatre flying and rigging; Hemp, winch and counterweight. Rigging for
the Live Events industries truss and motors, ground support, working at height. The Cube enables a
multitude of exercises to be undertaken, from Lighting and Sound Design, through staging of real
events.
Lighting & Live Event Technology Studios
To support delivery in ‘The Cube’ a suite of rooms has been equipped with the latest technology to
enable students to develop their knowledge in Live Event and Lighting. These include Optics, TV and
editing facilities, a sound proofed studio, lighting control laboratory fully equipped with a selection of the
latest moving lights and control surfaces and a generic lighting design/CAD studio.
Aerospace
The Faculty is investing £150,000 in a flight simulator for the Aeronautical and Aircraft awards to
accompany the £125,000 invested in facilities during 2007.
JOB DESCRIPTION
Responsible to: Dr Tatiana Tatarinova
Main Purpose of Job: Development of graphical user interface and Oracle database to support Adopta-Gene project
Principal Responsibilities and Duties:
The Research Assistant will develop Oracle database to store genomic data, gene-phenotype
association data, and other information. The RA will also be developing a user-friendly GUI aimed to
promote public awareness about all things gene related.
GUI interface development will consist of three steps for which the RA will be responsible for:
1. Installation of advanced genome browsers and other related components on the existing Linux
server.
2. Design and develop a functional user friendly web portal to make use of the genome browsers and
fulfill public engagement goals of the project.
3. Design a smooth and fully functional shopping cart for the web portal.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
SKILLS AND ABILITIES
Essential
a) BioPerl
b) Perl, PHP, C++
c) Java programming
d) Oracle Database Administration
e) Dynamic Content Management System
KNOWLEDGE
Essential
f) Human Genome Data Analysis
g) Gene ontology
h) Computational Biology Research
i) Knowledge of academic research activity
EXPERIENCE
Essential
j) Web development and Oracle maintenance
TRAINING
Essential
OTHER REQUIREMENTS
Essential
k) Effective writing skills for tutorial and other
knowledgebase articles
l) Competent in generic IT packages
Desirable
m) HE Qualification with a upper second class,
first degree or equivalent in mathematics,
engineering or computing
Desirable
n) BLAST 2
o) Linux Administration
Desirable
Desirable
p) Database Administration
Desirable
q) Advanced ECDL or equivalent training
It is essential that when making an application, candidates specifically address the criteria set
out in the Person Specification. This information will be used in deciding those to be
shortlisted.
CONDITIONS OF SERVICE
The successful applicant will be appointed to the post of Research Assistant, in the service of the
University of Glamorgan.
CONTINUOUS SERVICE
Your continuous service will commence on your first day of employment at the University of Glamorgan.
The University does not recognise continuous service with other employers in any respect except in
accordance with the Redundancy Payments (Continuity of Employment in Local Government, etc)
(Modification) Order as amended.
TENURE
This is a Fixed term until July 2012
STAFF APPRAISAL AND DEVELOPMENT
You will be required to participate in the Staff Appraisal and Development Scheme for Support Staff.
This Scheme is the means by which your individual work objectives will be set, annually. It is also the
means by which your learning, training & development needs will be identified to support you,
throughout your employment with the University, in the achievement of your objectives. The University
expects a commitment to such personal development from all its staff, and it is intended that this should
be planned, and effectively evaluated to assess its impact upon performance.
In February 1999, The University of Glamorgan became the first University in Wales to achieve the
prestigious Investor in People Award.
Staff Training & Development is therefore recognised as a fundamental part of the University’s Human
Resources Strategy and is an important key to the achievement of the University’s Vision and Strategic
Goals.
GRADE/SALARY
This post is graded Grade D and the range of this grade is £22,325 - £25,854 per annum, pro rata.
Common practice is to appoint people to the minimum of the grade.
PROBATION
New entrants to the service of the University of Glamorgan are appointed subject to a probationary
period of not normally more than 6 months, during which time we will seek to confirm their suitability for
the post.
MEDICAL CLEARANCE
All posts in the University of Glamorgan are offered subject to medical clearance. If appointed, you will
be required to complete a questionnaire (confidential to the University’s Medical Adviser) detailing your
medical history, and you may be requested to attend a medical examination.
HOURS OF WORK/WORKING ARRANGEMENTS
The post-holder will be contracted to work 8 hours per week, pro rata and as part of this contract can be
requested to teach up to 6 hours per week.
LEAVE
The annual leave entitlement is 35 days per annum, pro rata plus nine statutory and other holidays.
PENSION ARRANGEMENT
You will have the option of joining the Local Government Pension Scheme and contributions will be
made at rates of between 5.5% and 7.5% of gross salary dependent into which pay band your salary
falls; or you can take out a personal pension with an approved provider.
TERMINATION
Your appointment shall be terminable, except in the case of probation or dismissal for gross misconduct
by the institution giving you 3 months notice in writing, or by you giving the institution two months notice
in writing.
HEALTH & SAFETY RESPONSIBILITIES
ALL STAFF
All staff are responsible for the health and safety of both themselves, and others upon whom they may
have an effect. All staff must co-operate with the University in achieving its Health and Safety
objectives. More detailed generic responsibilities are included in Appendix 7.3 of the University health
and safety policy.
LINE MANAGERS
All staff are responsible for the health and safety of both themselves, and others upon whom they may
have an effect. All staff must co-operate with the University in achieving its Health and Safety
objectives.
Additionally, each Line Manager is responsible for the detailed adoption of the University's Health and
Safety Policy, within their span of control. More detailed generic responsibilities are included in
Appendix 7.3 of the University health and safety policy.
APPOINTMENTS PROCEDURE
Referees
Candidates should note that the University normally contacts referees for those shortlisted without
further advice to candidates.
If you do not wish a referee/s to be contacted, prior to interview, you should state this clearly.
Internal candidates should supply details of one referee only, being their Head of Department or Line
Manager.
External candidates will be asked to supply three referees.
Progress of Application
If you are successful in being selected for interview for the above post, you will be notified within 6
weeks of the closing date. If you have not heard by this date, then you should assume that your
application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.
In the meantime, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in the University of
Glamorgan, and to wish you luck in your application.
CLOSING DATE: 20th January 2012
Ref: FAT 584