Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in

Northern Governance and Public Policy

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Date posted online: November 14, 2022

Closing Date: December 16, 2022

The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Memorial University is undertaking an open search to recruit and nominate an accomplished scholar for a SSHRC Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Northern Governance and Public Policy. For this opportunity, appointments will be at the level of Assistant Professor or Associate Professor. Those at the level of Assistant Professor should have qualifications that will warrant promotion to the Associate Professor level within three years of the nomination. The start date is contingent upon timing of the successful Canada Research Chair application, with January 2024 the likely earliest possible start date.  Salary will be competitive and commensurate with the qualifications of the candidate. In addition, for the duration of the Chair term (5 years, renewable once for a further 5 years), the Chair will receive guaranteed research funding and a reduced teaching load (equivalent of 2 courses per year).

The Chair’s mandate will be Northern Governance and Public Policy, open to any disciplinary or interdisciplinary perspective within the humanities and/or social sciences. The Chair may develop a research focus at a variety of geographic scales, including the local, regional, national, and global contexts in which northern governance and policy processes occur. The Chair position is also open to a variety of thematic areas, including (but not limited to) Indigenous governance, land claims processes, resource policy, social policy, gender and politics, regional governance, education, wildlife co-management arrangements, environmental policy, and international relations. The Chair will be expected to play a leadership role developing northern research capacity within the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, and will have opportunities to forge research links with the School of Arctic and Subarctic Studies, https://www.mun.ca/labradorcampus/school-of-arctic-and-subarctic-studies/, at Memorial’s Labrador Campus. The successful candidate will hold a Ph.D. and have an excellent publication record in a field relevant to the Chair’s mandate. The candidate will be expected to work well in an interdisciplinary environment and have a record of public engagement and knowledge mobilization. 

The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences has maintained a strong commitment to northern research and public policy work. Faculty members have developed northern research projects in the area of coastal archaeology, changing ice thickness (the SmartICE project), mining history, energy and resource development, wildlife conservation, homelessness and housing, boreal ecology, and pollution. Governance, Ethics, Rights and Security are research strengths in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. Memorial is committed to strengthening Indigenous research, in part through the implementation of The Strategic Framework for Indigenization 2021-2026. The faculty also maintains a strong commitment to public policy in governance research, and faculty members have carried out a variety of research programs related to local elections, gender and politics, economic development, and resource governance.  The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences will soon launch a redesigned undergraduate program in Law and Public Policy (housed in the Department of Political Science) as well as a Diploma in Public Policy, with participating faculty in Geography, Economics, Political Science and Sociology.  

Tier 2 Canada Research Chairs are intended for exceptional emerging scholars (candidates must have been an active researcher in their field for no longer than 10 years at the time of nomination). Applications who are more than 10 years from having earned their highest degree due to career breaks, such as 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 program. Memorial University acknowledges that career paths can be diverse and that certain circumstances may legitimately affect a nominee’s record of research achievement. Applicants are encouraged to explain, in their cover letter, any personal circumstances resulting in career interruptions, if applicable.

Memorial University is committed to employment equity and diversity and encourages applications from all qualified candidates including women; people of any sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression; Indigenous peoples; visible minorities, and racialized people; and people with disabilities. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply, however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

As part of Memorial University’s commitment to employment equity, all applicants are invited to identify themselves as a member of a target group(s) as appropriate. Applicants cannot be considered as a member of a target group(s) unless they complete an employment equity survey. If you do not receive a survey or have any questions, please contact equity@mun.ca. 

Memorial University’s policy on Workplace Accommodation respects people’s different needs and will take all reasonable steps to ensure accommodation for applicants where appropriate, https://www.mun.ca/policy/browse-or-search/browse-policies/university-policy/?policy=287. If you require an accommodation to participate in the recruitment process, please notify the Employment Equity Officer at equity@mun.ca.

Memorial University is Newfoundland and Labrador’s only university, www.mun.ca, and plays an integral role in the educational and cultural life of the province. Offering diverse undergraduate and graduate programs to over 18,000 students, Memorial provides a distinctive and stimulating environment for learning. St. John’s is a safe, friendly city with great historic charm, a vibrant cultural life, and easy access to a wide range of outdoor activities.

Memorial’s Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, https://www.mun.ca/hss/, has over 160 faculty members in 15 academic departments and a wide variety of interdisciplinary major, minor and diploma programs. Counting around 5000 students with declared majors or minors, and with strong graduate programs, the Faculty is committed to providing solid teaching and research support to new appointees. The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences houses, among other units, the Nexus Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Humanities and Social Sciences, the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER), and Memorial University Press. It is also home to outstanding archival collections, including the Maritime History Archive, the Folklore and Language Archive and the Indigenous Language Laboratory and Archive.

The deadline to receive applications is Friday, December 16, 2022, and should include the following:

-A letter of application describing how the applicant meets the criteria for the position;

-An up-to-date curriculum vita;

-The names and addresses of three referees;

-Copies of or links to three recent and influential research publications;

-A comprehensive Canada Research Chair vision statement of no more than 1,500 to 2,000 words, including a specific, personal research plan, including plans for attracting, developing and retaining graduate students; a plan for developing or fostering research intensification across boundaries and/or disciplinary strengths; and a plan for the development of externally funded large-scale strategic research projects and/or other programs appropriate to the field.

Please send applications electronically as a single PDF file, with the subject heading: “CRC applicant_(YOUR NAME),” and quoting the reference number to:

Dr. Nat Hurley, Dean

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Memorial University of Newfoundland

St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada, A1C 5S7

E-mail: deanofhss@mun.ca

Phone: 709-864-8254

REFERENCE: F01520-2022-121

Feature Image: “Memorial University (Newfoundland and Labrador)” by Raul P is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.