Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering - Special Call

 

January 26, 2026 

The Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering (FASE) at the University of Toronto invites applications for nomination to a Canada Research Chair. Applicants must be full-time tenure-stream Assistant or Associate Professors and hold a budgetary appointment in FASE. FASE invites applications for two (2) nominations for a NSERC Tier 2 Canada Research Chair. 

 

In order to address the underrepresentation of groups who experience systemic barriers in the CRC Program (as identified by the Tri-Agency Institutional Programs Secretariat), this special call is open only to individuals who self-identify as members of at least one of these three designated groups: women and/or members of gender equity-seeking groups (including persons who self-identify as trans, nonbinary, gender fluid and Two-Spirit), persons with disabilities, and Indigenous Peoples from Turtle Island/North America (First Nations, Métis and Inuit People - see CRC self-identification FAQ for context). This initiative follows the provisions for special programs as described by the Ontario Human Rights Commission. The identification of outstanding candidates from these designated groups supports the University and Faculty commitments to equity, diversity, and inclusion, and our public mission for the pursuit of excellence and equity, as well as the institutional capacity to fulfill the objectives of the University’s Canada Research Chairs Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan. 

 

Tier 2 Chairs are for emerging scholars, and the successful nominee should be within ten years of receiving their PhD. To meet the criteria of the program, nominees must be excellent emerging world-class researchers who have demonstrated particular research creativity; have demonstrated the potential to achieve international recognition in their fields in the next five to ten years; as Chairholders, have the potential to attract, develop and retain excellent trainees, students and future researchers; and be proposing an original, innovative research program of high quality. 

 

To be considered, the nominee must hold an active CRC-relevant tri-agency grant and/or be actively applying for tri-agency funding. The nominee’s research area must align with the subject matter eligibility of NSERC. 

 

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. 

 

Applications should include 1) a letter of interest (LOI) describing your qualifications and research plans for the position (see detailed instructions below); 2) a curriculum vitae (you must use the template provided to allow a fair assessment across candidates); 3) if you are more than 10 years from having earned your highest degree, an explanation of why you feel you qualify for a justification as described in the link above.  All materials should be submitted as a single PDF to vdr@engineering.utoronto.ca by March 2, 2026.  

 

 

Assessment of applications

Using the information provided in the LOI and the CV, reviewers will assess applicants’ qualifications and research excellence against CRC’s Tier 2 Chair selection criteria, linked here and outlined above. Note that Criterion 1 (research excellence and creativity) and Criterion 2 (potential for international recognition) should be addressed primarily in the CV, though your LOI should also demonstrate how your proposed CRC program may help you achieve this recognition. Criterion 3 (training) should be addressed in both documents – you should describe your training record in the CV, and your training plans as Chairholder in the LOI. Criterion 4 (research program) will be addressed in the LOI.

Instructions for completing the LOI

In a maximum of 2 pages, provide the following information:

1. An original, innovative research program of the highest quality

   • Describe your proposed research plan, highlighting the major issues you will address, their significance, and the excellence and originality of your approach.

   • Provide a clear research narrative, including the projected impact of the work.

   • Explain how your expertise, past research contributions, and leadership activities (note that you will have the opportunity to elaborate on these in the CV document) have positioned you to effectively lead this program.

   • Demonstrate how the proposed CRC program may help you achieve international recognition.

2. A plan to attract, develop and retain excellent trainees, students and future researchers

   • Describe your recruitment, training, and mentorship plans as a Chairholder.

     • Highlight the unique opportunities that will be available to trainees as part of the proposed research program.

For more information about this employment opportunity, please contact Elaine Footman, Director, Research Operations (director.research@engineering.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.

 

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. Nomination 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 embraces diversity and is building a culture of belonging that increases our capacity to effectively address and serve the interests of our global community. We welcome applications from members of the three designated groups and gender minorities who also identify with diverse sexual orientations.

 

The University is committed to the principles of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). As such, we strive to make our assessment and selection processes as accessible as possible, and provide accommodations as required for applicants with disabilities. Requests for workplace accommodations and related issues can be addressed to the office of Health & Wellbeing Programs and Services. 

 

The Canada Research Chairs Program requires institutions to collect self-identification data from all applicants, following the program’s best practices. All applicants for this opportunity are required to complete this self-identification form. The data collected via this form will be held confidentially, separate from all other employment or personal data, and will be accessed only by the University’s Manager, Inclusive Excellence & Research Development. This information will be reported only in aggregate to the selection committee chair and equity officer, as well as a small number of designated individuals in the Division of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation. No individual information will be shared with the committee members or others. Data collected via this form will be used solely for the purposes of this competition and may not be accessed or used for any other purpose.