Employment opportunities

The Faculty of Science at the University of Waterloo is seeking an exceptional scholar and researcher to internally fill a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair (NSERC, CIHR), established by the Government of Canada to enable Canadian universities to foster research excellence (www.chairs- chaires.gc.ca) with an anticipated CRC start date of May 2026. To be eligible, candidates must identify as a woman or gender equity-seeking group, which is defined to include individuals who self-identify as a woman, transgender, gender-fluid, nonbinary and Two-Spirit people.

The Faculty of Science is looking for candidates within the University of Waterloo with a PhD or equivalent in one of the following research areas – Health and Biomedical Sciences; Environment and Ecology; Sustainable Materials and Sensing; Discovery and Exploration. Candidates should be at the rank of Full Professor or be an Associate Professor who is expected to be promoted to the rank of Full Professor within one to two years of the nomination. The candidate will propose an innovative program of high-quality research that will attract external funding and excellent graduate students. Evidence of an actively developing research program with emphasis on one of the following topics: Health and Biomedical Sciences; Environment and Ecology; Sustainable Materials and Sensing; Discovery and Exploration and a successful record of Tri-Agency funding (NSERC or CIHR) is required. Ability and desire to partner with faculty in closely related fields is required.

Duties include research, teaching at the undergraduate and graduate level, service to the unit, and the supervision of graduate students. Experience developing an array of traditional and on-line courses for a diverse student body is required. The successful candidate will have a reduced teaching load during the term of the CRC. Applicants whose research aligns with the strategic plan of the Faculty, https://uwaterloo.ca/science/about/science-strategic-plan and our Mission Statement – To lead in learning and discovery by fostering an inclusive environment that pushes boundaries through curiosity and leverages different perspectives to magnify our impact, would be preferred.

The successful candidate will be appointed as a regular member of the appropriate Department/School and will be subsequently nominated for a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair. Nominations for Canada Research Chairs (CRC) are subject to review by the CRC Secretariat and appointment as a CRC is conditional on their approval (see the CRC website for full program information). The University of Waterloo is committed to providing the candidate with support to secure the CRC.

To meet the criteria for a Tier 1 CRC, successful candidates must be outstanding and innovative world-class researchers whose accomplishments have made a major impact in their fields and be

recognized internationally as leaders in their fields. They must also 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. The University of Waterloo understands the impact that legitimate career interruptions (e.g. parental leave, leave due to illness) can have on a candidate’s record of research achievement and encourages potential candidates to explain in their application the impact this may have on their record; this information will be taken into careful consideration during the assessment process. Please consult the CRC website and the Office of Research for full program information, including further details on eligibility criteria.

Applications received by February 1, 2025 will be given full consideration. However, applications will continue to be reviewed until the position is filled. Three letters of reference will be requested for applicants invited for an interview. Send curriculum vitae, cover letter, teaching and research statements and up to three sample publication materials to: Professor Chris Houser, Dean, Faculty of Science, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1 Canada, chouser@uwaterloo.ca.

The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is centralized within our Indigenous Initiatives Office (https://uwaterloo.ca/human-rights-equity-inclusion/indigenousinitiatives).

The University values the diverse and intersectional identities of its students, faculty, and staff. The University regards equity and diversity as an integral part of academic excellence and is committed to accessibility for all employees. The University of Waterloo seeks applicants who embrace our values of equity, anti-racism and inclusion. As such, we encourage applications from candidates who have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including applicants who identify as Indigenous peoples (e.g., First Nations, Métis, Inuit/Inuk), Black, racialized, people with disabilities, women and/or 2SLGBTQ+.

In keeping with the principles of employment equity and the CRC program’s equity targets, this particular selection process will follow the provisions for a special program as described by the Ontario Human Rights Commission in order to address the underrepresentation of individuals from equity-seeking groups among our Canada Research Chairs, which has been identified through research (Canadian Association of University Teachers, 2018; Council of Canadian Academies, 2012; Henry et al., 2017; and Witteman, Hendricks, Straus, & Tannenbaum, 2019) to be systemic in nature. As such, this opportunity is open only to individuals who self-identify as a woman or member of a gender-equity seeking group, which is defined to include individuals who self-identify as a woman, transgender, gender-fluid, nonbinary and Two-Spirit people. Improving the representation, participation and engagement of equity–seeking groups within our community is a key objective of Waterloo’s Strategic Plan 2020-2025.

All applicants to this CRC opportunity are required to self-identify using the self-identification applicant survey at https://uwaterloo.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_08RcdJzz6YAh4TX. Because