2018-2019 Call for Applications - NSERC Tier 2 Canada Research Chairs

The CRC program aims to attract and retain in Canada accomplished and promising researchers. The allocation of the 2000 Canada Research Chairs (CRC) to Canadian universities by the Tri-Agency Institutional Programs Secretariat (TIPS) is conducted every 2 or 3 years and is based on research funding received by researchers from the 3 federal granting agencies. Each university receives a CRC allocation that it can use according to a set of rules. The decision to name Canada Research Chairholders is made by the university.

Tier 2 or “junior” Chairs are intended for exceptional emerging researchers. These chairs are 5-year positions worth $100,000 per year and can be renewed once. The first 5 years (first term) of Tier 2 Chairs also include a 20 000$ per year Tier 2 stipend to be used to support the research program and direct costs of research.

For more information about the program, consult the CRC website.

In keeping with its recruitment policies (including the “Equal Employment Opportunity Program,” which was adopted in 2008), Université Laval is committed to promoting excellence in research and research training and guaranteeing equal opportunity for all qualified candidates. Université Laval upholds the principle that excellence and equity go hand in hand and recognizes that best practices with regard to employment equity will result in the broadest possible pool of competent candidates.

As required by the CRC program, Université Laval has published an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan (PDF, French only) with a view to increasing the representation of women, persons with disabilities, and members of visible minorities among Canada Research Chairholders at our institution.

In order to fulfill these commitments, only individuals identified as a member of at least one of the 3 underrepresented groups will be selected at the end of this competition.

Applications must be submitted by faculty deans. Each faculty can submit a limited number of applications. The table in Appendix 1 of the PDF document shows the number of applications that each faculty can submit for this competition.

• VRRCI submission deadline: March 2019 (no delay accepted)
• Results announced by the VRRCI: February 2019
• TIPS (federal) submission deadline: April 24th, 2019 or sooner if possible

Candidates interested to apply are asked to contact the research advisor in their Faculty (or the one corresponding to their expertise) for details about the Faculty competition.

Eligibility

Faculties can submit applications for current Université Laval professors or outside candidates.  

Applicants for Tier 2 Chairs should have assistant or associate professor status or have the necessary qualifications to hold such positions. In addition, applicants must have been active researchers in their fields for least than ten years at the time of their application.

Applicants who obtained their most advanced degree more than ten years ago (and whose career was interrupted because of maternity or parental leave, a prolonged medical leave, or clinical training) can check their Tier 2 Chair eligibility using the program’s Tier 2 Justification Screening Form. For more information, please contact Jean-Phillippe Marquis.

Université Laval acknowledges that career interruption (e.g. maternity or parental leave, leave for prolonged illness or clinical training) as well as a disability may have an effect on productivity and contributions in research. Applicants are invited to explain, as appropriate, these effects so that they are taken into account in the assessment of their applications. In addition, accommodation can be offered to people with disabilities according to their needs in this competition, including accessibility. If you need accommodation, we invite you to contact the equity officer using contact information below.

Excellence of the Applicant

The Canada Research Chair program is based on an unwavering commitment to excellence in research and training. Applicants must demonstrate a significantly greater contribution compared to other researchers working in the same field in Canada (Tier 2) or internationally (Tier 1). This contribution is defined by:

• A publication record that is superior to the reference group average
• Supervision of graduate students; diversity and inclusion of students and research staff will be considered an asset
• Higher levels of funding than the reference group average
• International collaborations (publications, research funding, and knowledge transfer activities); Tier 2 Chairholders must have shown their ability to assert themselves on an international level
• A larger number of knowledge transfer activities than the reference group average: e.g., attendance at scientific conferences, radio interviews, publication of results in scientific journals and major newspapers, and knowledge transfer to a community of practice
• Leadership, as evidenced by significant contributions to the development and transfer of knowledge in the applicant’s field of expertise and contributions to the university’s flagship multidisciplinary research platforms

A committee, composed by peers, will assess the applications, produce a report, and make recommendations to the vice-rector of research, creation, and innovation, who will decide which applications will be forwarded to TIPS based on strategic and institutional priorities, including the university’s commitments to diversity and inclusion.

In addition to being diverse, the assessment committee is composed of established professors, the equity officer, the director of the Bureau des chaires et des entités structurantes, and the advisor responsible for the CRC program, who serves as the committee secretary. All committee members receive clear instructions with regard to their role and mandate, the definition of excellence, and the impact of career interruptions on application assessments. Committee members are also required to take training on unconscious bias and peer review.

Assessment Criteria

Applications are assessed based on the following criteria and sub-criteria (see the assessment grid in Appendix 2 of the PDF document – text only available in French):

• Quality of the candidate
• Quality of the research program
• Capacity-building impact
• Community involvement

The application package must include the following items.

Letter of support from the dean of the faculty

The letter must:

• Show that the applicant is a emerging world-class researcher who has demonstrated particular creativity in research and has the potential to forge an international reputation in their field over the next 5 to 10 years (Tier 2 Chair).
• Present the chair’s contribution in terms of capacity building and added value for the faculty and the university, notably with respect to faculty and university strategic priorities.
• Describe clearly the contributions and support (financial or other in-kind) from the faculty and department.
• Confirm, for applicants that do not have a regular position at UL, that the Faculty will ask to open a position within [name of department] to integrate the candidate in accordance with the procedures laid down in collective agreements.
• Be accompanied by the written report of the faculty selection Committee, signed by all the members of the Committee, and indicating how the requirements relating to the recruitment and nomination of the Canada Research Chairs program have been filled.
• Be accompanied by the form Institutional Attestation – Recruitment and Nomination Process signed by the dean or a vice-dean.

The letter must complement the letter from the Director of the research unit and must be limited to the aforementioned points. 

Letter of support from the Director of the research unit where the candidate will be integrated

(director of affiliated institute/research center, axis director, UL Institute, research center, or department director)

This letter must :

• Present how the chair application will fit into the existing scientific program of the research unit.
• Present the chair’s contribution in terms of capacity building and added value for the research unit. Reflecting the applicant’s vision for the research chair, the letter must explain how the chair will help build capacity in an emerging field or strengthen capacity in a developed field; how the chair will serve as a lever taking research to a higher level; how the chair will help disseminate research; what steps will be taken to help establish Université Laval as a leader in the field in question.
• Describe clearly the contributions and support (financial or other in-kind) from the research unit.

Only one letter of support from the research unit can be presented. In case of affiliations with multiple research units, one joint letter will be accepted and must complement the letter of support from the dean. 

Other items

• A curriculum vitae. Use the CRC CV which includes 2 sections :
  • The CRC CV form available in the CRC Portal
  • CV attachment as set out by the CRC (see the format on pages 4–8 of the CRC CV form)
• The UL self-identification form (see Appendix 3 – text only available in French). The information provided is kept confidential.
• A complete or summary description of the research program (3–6 pages) as set out in sections 2a to 2f of the CRC nomination form.