Special Call for CRC Applicants from Federally Designated Groups (Tier 1 and Tier2)

October 22nd, 2018

The University of Toronto invites applications for nomination to a Canada Research Chair in all fields of study identified in the Institutional Strategic Research Plan. Applicants must hold a full-time faculty appointment as an Assistant, Associate or Full Professor in the tenured/tenure-stream, clinical or status-only categories at the University of Toronto. Those in the clinical or status-only categories must be employed by an affiliated institution. Individuals who have a firm offer of employment in one of these categories to the University or its affiliated institutions that takes effect by July 1, 2019, are also eligible.

The University anticipates that this posting will result in the selection of up to 19 candidates for nomination to the Canada Research Chairs Program, the majority of which are expected to be Tier 2 Chairs.

In order to address the under-representation of members of equity-seeking groups among our Chairholders, this initiative follows the provisions for a special program as described by the Ontario Human Rights Commission.  This opportunity is open only to exceptionally qualified individuals who self-identify as members of one or more of the four federally designated groups: women, visible minorities/persons of colour, persons with a disability, or Indigenous Peoples. The identification of outstanding candidates from the designated groups is central to the University’s public mission and its pursuit of excellence and equity, as well as to its capacity to fulfill the objectives of the Canada Research Chair Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan.

Tier 1 Chairs are for outstanding established scholars. To meet the criteria of the program, nominees must be outstanding and innovative world-class researchers whose accomplishments have made a major impact in their fields; be recognized internationally as leaders in their fields; have superior records of attracting and supervising graduate students and postdoctoral fellows (taking into account different practices in the relevant field or discipline) and, as Chairholders, be expected to attract, develop and retain excellent trainees, students and future researchers; and be proposing an original, innovative research program of the highest quality.

Tier 2 Chairs are for emerging scholars, and the successful nominee should be within ten years of receiving their PhD [or Highest Degree]. 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.

Applicants who are more than ten 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 two-page letter of interest describing qualifications and research plans for the position; and 2) a curriculum vitae. If you are applying to a Tier 2 opportunity and are more than ten years from having earned your highest degree, please include an explanation of why you feel you qualify for a justification, as described in the link above.

All materials should be submitted to crc@utoronto.ca by November 26, 2018. The adjudication of application materials and the identification of successful candidates will be determined by a central selection committee chaired by the Vice-President, Research and Innovation, and including representation from divisions across the University and its affiliated institutions.

Further information regarding nomination and eligibility criteria may be found here.

For more information about this opportunity, please contact Judith Chadwick, Assistant Vice-President, Research Services, at crc@utoronto.ca. For more information about the CRC nomination process at the University of Toronto, contact crc@utoronto.ca or visit www.research.utoronto.ca/crc.

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 is committed to the principles of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). The office of Health & Wellbeing Programs and Services assists with providing accommodation to persons with disabilities in the workplace. Requests for workplace accommodations and related issues can be addressed to this office.

All applicants to this CRC opportunity are required to self-identify using the form available here. Self-identification data is important to the University’s ability to accurately respond to equity targets set by the Canada Research Chairs Program. Because this is a special opportunity for members of the four federally designated equity groups, applicants will be asked separately to provide their consent to use their self-identification information for the purposes of screening and consideration. Please note that this information will be securely accessed only by members of a central selection committee and, for nominees selected, by the Canada Research Chair Program office, on a need-to-know basis and will otherwise be kept confidential.