Full Professorship (level W3, in employment relationship) for Translational Medical Oncology with focus on Patient Access to Precision Trials in Rural Areas
Kennziffer: 2025-0292
- Würzburg
- Full-time
- Management Board
The German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) is one of Europe’s largest cancer research centers. “Research for a life without cancer" is the mission of our world-class scientists and all our team members.
The DKFZ is a place where the brightest minds pursue bold ideas and seek answers to pioneering scientific questions through collaboration, innovation, and exploration across many disciplines. We provide a dynamic environment which empowers excellence with state-of-the-art technologies, cutting edge infrastructure, and a global scientific network.
Contribute your knowledge, vision, and dedication to create a space where scientific discovery in cancer research is transformed into benefits for human health.
The Faculty of Medicine at the Julius-Maximilians-Universität of Würzburg and the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg are seeking for the NCT WERA (site Würzburg) at the earliest possible date a creative and highly collaborative candidate (f/m/d) for a
The joint appointment follows the “Berliner model”, where the successful candidate will be appointed as a full professor at the Julius-Maximilians-Universität of Würzburg and obtain an assignment at the DKFZ to perform research and management tasks to lead the DKFZ/NCT Division “Translational Medical Oncology with focus on Patient Access to Precision Trials in Rural Areas”. The permanent position at the level of a DKFZ/NCT head of division is endowed with attractive core funding, including personnel, consumable and investments.
The National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) is a long-term cooperation between the German Cancer Research Center, excellent partners in university medicine and other outstanding research partners at various locations in Germany. With a focus on innovative clinical trials, the NCT enables new developments from the laboratory to be tested clinically quickly and to the highest standards, thereby making better diagnostic and treatment options available to patients. Special emphasis will be placed on personalized oncology, patient participation as research partners, rapid and fair patient access to advances in cancer research, and the training of future generations of clinical cancer researchers. As part of the National Decade against Cancer initiated by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), the NCT has been expanded for this purpose. There are four new NCT sites in addition to Heidelberg and Dresden: Berlin, SouthWest (Tübingen/Stuttgart-Ulm), WERA (Würzburg with partners Erlangen, Regensburg, and Augsburg), and West (Essen/Cologne). The NCT WERA is being established in collaboration between the DKFZ as an alliance of the four universities and university hospitals of Würzburg, Erlangen, Regensburg and Augsburg. The four WERA partners cover a healthcare area of around eight million residents.
The successful candidate is expected to be internationally renowned in clinical-translational precision oncology trials with special expertise in innovative immunotherapy trials/approaches. The candidate should have or develop a broad research program on tools and measures to improve patient access to clinical trials and innovations that complements and strengthens existing research on this topic within the NCT WERA and the ONE NCT. In particular, the professor will streamline the workflows for complex early clinical trial activities in the setting of NCT WERA, i.e., at 4 UMC sites, dispersed partner hospitals, and private practices in a large, sparsely populated area. Moreover, the professorship will expand trial access for underrepresented groups beyond rural residents, including those with a migration background, by improving patient access and methodology. Expertise gained in the NCT WERA site will be provided to the other NCT partners, e.g., through educational programs. The candidate is expected to actively participate in the acquisition of third-party funding and to contribute to the development of collaborative research programs. The professorship will have excellent opportunities to benefit from the strong local research and care environment of experienced immunologists/oncologists and infrastructure at NCT WERA and will interact closely, among others, with the Medical Faculty of the University of Würzburg, the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research, the Fraunhofer IZI branch, and the Max Planck Research Group for Systems Immunology in Würzburg, the Leibniz Institute for Immunotherapy in Regensburg, and the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light in Erlangen. The professorship will also benefit from being additionally embedded into the DKFZ faculty.
Your profile:
- MD degree, specialization in hematology/medical oncology
- Practical experience in the field of immunotherapy trials and fair and equal patient access to these (and other oncological) trials
- Excellent publication record
- Teaching experience
- Ability to manage and coordinate research projects and to develop ideas for IITs
- High motivation to independently initiate the acquisition of (national and international) third-party funding and a track record of acquiring external research funding
- Active participation/collaboration in national and international networks
- Experience in interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary cooperation
- Willingness to actively participate in NCT matters and committees
- Strong teamwork, management, and leadership skills
- Verbal and written English language fluency and ability to work in an international research environment; German language skills are not a prerequisite
Recruitment requirements include a relevant medical degree, academic teaching ability, scientific qualification, which is usually demonstrated by the quality of a doctorate, as well as additional academic degrees, as explained in more detail in Art. 57 para. 1 sentences 3 and 4 BayHIG. The additional academic achievements should be in the fields of hematology/medical oncology.
The University of Würzburg attaches great importance to the intensive supervision of students and doctoral candidates and expects a corresponding level of commitment from academic staff. Teaching in German and/or English language is an integral part of the professorial position, and relevant teaching experience is therefore expected. An active contribution to the NCT School of Clinical Cancer Research is also expected, as is active contribution to governance reviews and evaluations of NCT and DKFZ. Cooperation in the governance and administration of NCT WERA is also expected.
Application process:
The University of Würzburg and the DKFZ are convinced that an innovative research and working environment thrives on the diversity of its employees. Therefore, we welcome applications from talented people, regardless of gender, cultural background, nationality, ethnicity, sexual identity, physical ability, religion, and age. People with severe disabilities are given preference if they have the same aptitude. The University of Würzburg and the DKFZ are committed to increase the proportion of women in research and teaching and therefore particularly encourage applications from suitably qualified female academics.
Applications should be submitted by 09.01.2026, preferably electronically in the form of a PDF file together with the required documents (download at https://www.med.uni-wuerzburg.de/fakultaet/berufungsverfahren/) to Prof. Dr. med. Matthias Frosch, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Würzburg, Josef-Schneider-Str. 2/D7, 97080 Würzburg (berufungen@ukw.de), and additionally to Prof. Dr. med. Dr. h.c. Michael Baumann, Chairman and Scientific Director of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, exclusively in electronic form, stating the reference number via the DKFZ online application tool (https://www.dkfz.de/en/stellenangebote/index.php).
This text is an English translation; only the original German version of this announcement is the legally binding version, which is published on the website of the Faculty of Medicine of the Julius-Maximilians University Würzburg from November 28, 2025: https://www.med.uni-wuerzburg.de/fakultaet/berufungsverfahren/
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Prof. Dr. med. Dr. h.c. Michael Baumann
Telefon: +49 (0)6221/42-2850
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