Associate Professor - Medicinal Chemistry
September 8, 2022
The Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) invites applications for a full-time, tenure stream position in the broadly defined area of Medicinal Chemistry. The appointment will be at the rank of Associate Professor, with an expected start date of July 1, 2023.
As part of the University of Toronto’s implementation of its Canada Research Chairs Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Action Plan, the successful candidate in this search MAY BE eligible for nomination for a CRC Tier 2 Chair if they self-identify as a member of one or more of the four designated groups, as defined by the Employment Equity Act (women, visible minorities, persons with disabilities, and Indigenous Peoples), or as trans, non-binary, or Two-Spirit.
Tier 2 Chairs are intended for exceptional emerging scholars. Nominees should be within ten years of receiving their PhD. Applicants who are more than 10 years from having earned their highest degree (and where career breaks exist, such as maternity, parental or extended sick leave, clinical training, etc.) may have their eligibility for a Tier 2 chair assessed through the program’s Tier 2 justification process. The nominee’s research area must align with the subject matter eligibility of CIHR.
UTM is one of the three University of Toronto campuses and the incumbent will also be a member of the tri-campus graduate unit, the Department of Chemistry. The incumbent will be one of several planned hires associated with the Centre for Medicinal Chemistry (CMC), a multi-disciplinary research consortium housed at UTM that will advance drug discovery initiatives in partnership with researchers across the University of Toronto and affiliated research hospitals.
Applicants must have earned a PhD in Chemistry or a closely related field, with a clearly demonstrated exceptional record of excellence in research and teaching. We seek candidates in the broadly defined area of Medicinal Chemistry, with an emphasis on synthesis and evaluation of medicinally relevant compounds with the potential for commercialization. Examples include but are not limited to: novel drug scaffolds, combinatorial and fragment-based drug discovery, structure-based drug design, phage-based libraries, covalent drugs, nucleotide-based drugs, conjugates, bitopics, and warheads, in any number of disease areas. We seek individuals who will contribute to the growth and excellence of the Centre for Medicinal Chemistry and related research initiatives across the University of Toronto. The CMC will provide over 8,000m2 of new research space for wet and biological chemistry in addition to a small animal facility, with the hope of supporting commercial and academic research initiatives that will connect the University of Toronto and affiliated research hospitals. We further seek individuals whose research and teaching interests complement and strengthen our existing departmental strengths in medicinal chemistry, biological and protein chemistry, biophysical chemistry, and organometallic chemistry.
Candidates will have an established international reputation and will be expected to sustain and lead innovative and independent research at the highest international level and to maintain an outstanding, competitive, and externally funded research program. Candidates must provide evidence of research excellence which can be demonstrated by the submitted research statement including a vision for future research, a record of sustained high-impact publications in top-ranked and field-relevant journals, impactful patents, presentations at significant conferences, distinguished awards and accolades, a record of outstanding external funding or industrial equivalent, a record of successful mentorship of students or personnel, and other noteworthy activities that contribute to the visibility and prominence of the discipline, as well as strong endorsements from referees of high standing.
Evidence of excellence in teaching in both traditional and non-traditional settings will be demonstrated through teaching and mentoring accomplishments, the teaching dossier submitted as part of the application, as well as strong endorsements by referees. The teaching dossier should include a statement of teaching philosophy, sample course materials, and course or teaching evaluations. Additional evidence of superior performance in teaching-related activities that can be included in the application are pedagogical publications, conference presentations or posters, experience leading successful workshops or seminars, mentorship, and disciplinary-related outreach activities.
At UTM we are committed to fostering an environment of diversity and inclusion. With an enviably diverse student body, we especially welcome applications from candidates who identify as Indigenous, Black, or racially visible (persons of colour), and who have experience working with, teaching or mentoring diverse groups of students. Candidates must demonstrate, in their application materials, an ability to foster diversity on campus and within the curriculum or discipline, and must show evidence of a commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and the promotion of a respectful and collegial environment. Candidates, therefore, must submit a statement describing their contributions to equity, diversity, and inclusion, expanding on their knowledge about and their track record and plans for advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion, which might cover topics such as (but not limited to): teachings that incorporate a focus on underrepresented communities, efforts undertaken to develop pedagogies, collaboration and engagement with, and service to, underrepresented communities, or the mentoring of students from underrepresented groups. If you have questions about this statement, please contact Prof. Lindsay Schoenbohm at cpschair.utm@utoronto.ca.
For further information on the federally endowed Canada Research Chairs Program, open to all nationalities, including eligibility criteria, please consult the Canada Research Chairs website. For more information about the CRC nomination process at the University of Toronto, contact Judith Chadwick, Assistant Vice-President, Research Services, at crc@utoronto.ca.
Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.
All qualified candidates are invited to apply online by clicking the link below. Applicants must submit: 1) a cover letter briefly addressing their research record, research plans, teaching interests and plans, demonstrated opportunities for synergy with ongoing departmental and institutional research and teaching, and their commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion; 2) a current curriculum vitae; 3) a research statement outlining current and future research interests; 4) a teaching dossier to include a statement of teaching philosophy, sample course materials, and course or teaching evaluations; and 5) an equity and diversity statement as outlined above (1-2 pages).
Applicants must provide the name and contact information of three references. The University of Toronto’s recruiting tool will automatically solicit and collect confidential letters of reference from each referee once an application is submitted (this happens overnight). Applicants remain responsible for ensuring that referees submit letters (on letterhead, dated and signed) by the closing date.
Submission guidelines can be found at http://uoft.me/how-to-apply. Your CV and cover letter should be uploaded into the dedicated fields. Please combine additional application materials into one or two files in PDF/MS Word format. If you have any questions about this position, please contact Ekana Mc Alister, Assistant to the Chair, at cps.utm@utoronto.ca.
All application materials, including reference letters, must be received by late November 9th, 2022.
The University recognizes that scholars have varying career paths and that career interruptions due to personal circumstances can be part of an excellent academic record. Search committee members have been instructed to give careful consideration to, and be sensitive to the impact of, career interruptions in their assessments.
The University of Toronto is strongly committed to diversity within its community and welcomes applications from racialized persons/persons of colour, women, Indigenous/Aboriginal People of North America, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ2S+ persons, as well as others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.
The University is committed to the principles of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). As such, we strive to make our recruitment, assessment, and selection processes as accessible as possible, and provide accommodations as required for applicants with disabilities. If you require any accommodations at any point during the application and hiring process, please contact uoft.careers@utoronto.ca. In addition, the office of Health & Wellbeing Programs and Services assists with providing accommodation to persons with disabilities in the workplace.
The Canada Research Chairs Program requires institutions to collect self-identification data from all applicants, following the program’s best practices. This data is important to the University’s ability to ensure that researchers from diverse groups are able to benefit from participation in the program. As part of your application, you will be required to complete a brief Diversity Survey, accessed via the online application system. Applicants are encouraged to self-identify in any of the groups where applicable. While submission of the survey is required, providing answers to the individual survey questions is voluntary, and applicants can log a response indicating that they decline the survey. For more information, please see http://U of T.me/UP.
Any information directly related to you is confidential and cannot be accessed by search committees or human resources staff. Aggregated and anonymized data regarding the applicant pool will be reported only to the chair of the selection committee, the committee’s equity advisor, and a small number of staff members in the Division of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation, for purposes of program administration and to meet reporting requirements.
All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.
