Job – Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Sustainability & the Social, Western University

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The Faculty of Social Science at The University of Western Ontario invites applications for a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Sustainability and the Social. The successful candidate will be appointed at the rank of Assistant Professor, Probationary (tenure-track) or Associate Professor, Probationary (tenure-track or tenured) in any department in the Faculty of Social Science. Candidates will have a PhD or equivalent, and postgraduate research experience in any area of specialization that examines sustainability from a social science perspective. Salary and rank will be commensurate with educational qualifications and experience. The anticipated starting date will be January 1, 2024 or as negotiated. The successful candidate will be expected to apply for a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in the first available competition after their appointment.

About the Chair – The challenge to create sustainable futures and transitions in the face of rapidly changing, extreme and unpredictable weather patterns, human destruction of the natural environment, the loss of arable land, food insecurity, limited availability of clean water, the devastation of species and biospheres, is ultimately a political and social issue that requires a wholistic approach deeply engaged with social relations and cultural processes as they inform, frame, and transform the natural world. We seek a CRC in Sustainability and the Social who will lead research projects, enable dialogue, and engage students at the cutting edge of interdisciplinary thinking across the social and natural sciences about the central issues facing our planet.

The Chair will advance research at the intersection of the social and natural worlds that will benefit the University’s broader initiatives towards increased knowledge sharing across disciplines, integrated learning and education, innovation, and public dialogue. The Chair’s specialization may cover a range of areas including, but not limited to, sustainable development and climate transition, the climate crisis, decarbonisation, green finance and manufacturing, health and well-being, corporate environmental responsibility, political action, biodiversity depletion, geopolitical environmental risks, and equity and environment. The Chair will complement existing strengths within our Faculty ranging from big data to qualitative ethnographic analysis. The Chair will provide empirically based analysis through already present strengths across an expansive social science and science methodological terrain to open research frontiers, enhance wider public discussions and/or stimulate student experiential engagement. They might also bring interdisciplinarity to these specializations by catalyzing conversations and collaboration across the Faculties of Science, Engineering, Health Sciences, Arts and Humanities, Ivey School of Business, and more.

We seek a Chair whose research has the potential to be world-leading and who shows evidence of top-tier research excellence through knowledge production and mobilization. The candidate will be appointed within one or more of our Social Science departments, research centres, research institutes, and the Indigenous Studies interdisciplinary program. As appropriate, the successful candidate may also demonstrate a record of interdisciplinary collaborations nationally or internationally; show a record of early leadership through collaborative research, the establishment of networks, esteem, and connections in their field of work; or demonstrate a record of engagement of knowledge users outside academia such as with government non-governmental organizations, educators, and the general public.

In accordance with the CRC regulations set for Tier 2 Canada Research Chairs, Tier 2 chairs are intended for exceptional emerging scholars (i.e. candidates must have less than 10 years of experience as an active researcher in their field at the time of nomination).  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; please contact Research Development at The University of Western Ontario at ResearchWesternCRC@uwo.ca for more information.  Please consult the Canada Research Chair website for full information, including further details on eligibility criteria. 

As chairholder, the candidate must have the potential to attract, develop and retain excellent students and trainees, and be proposing an original, innovative research program of high quality fundable through Canada’s Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

About Western – Western University is located on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lunaapéewak and Chonnonton peoples, on lands connected with the London Township and Sombra Treaties of 1796 and the Dish with One Spoon Covenant Wampum. This land continues to be home to diverse Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Métis, and Inuit) whom we recognize as contemporary stewards of the land and vital contributors of our society.

With annual research funding exceeding $220 million, and an international reputation for success, Western ranks as one of Canada’s top research-intensive universities. Our research excellence expands knowledge and drives discovery with real-world application. Western also provides an exceptional employment experience, offering competitive salaries, a wide range of employment opportunities and one of Canada’s most beautiful campuses.

Western University recognizes that our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion is central to the University’s mandate as a research intensive situation of higher learning and a community leader.  Western understands that our pursuit of research excellence and our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion are mutually supporting.  As such, Western is committed to achieving and maintaining an equitable representation amongst our Canada Research Chair holders, as well as within Western’s broader research enterprise.

The University of Western Ontario recognizes the potential impact that career interruptions can have on a candidate’s record of research achievement.  Potential candidates are encouraged to explain within their application the impact that career interruptions have had on their record, and to submit a full career or extended CV to a chairholder position in cases where they have had career interruptions.

The University of Western Ontario’s Recruitment and Retention Office is available to assist in the transition of successful applicants and their families.

This position includes a comprehensive benefits package.  Further details can be accessed at here.

About The Faculty of Social Science – Western is home to one of the largest and most diverse Social Science Faculties in Canada. We have eight core Departments, Anthropology, Economics, Geography, History, the DAN Department of Management & Organizational Studies, Political Science, Psychology and Sociology, as well as co-hosting the Indigenous Studies interdisciplinary program and the Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies. Research excellence in each of these departments is supplemented by multiple interdisciplinary Research Centres, Institutes and Groups.

Application Form

Application must include the following:

  • Application for Full-Time Faculty Position form, which can be found here.
  • Cover Letter;
  • Curriculum Vitae;
  • Research Statement;
  • Statement on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in relation to your research, teaching and/or service;
  • Names, addresses, and email addresses for three referees (we do not solicit letters until the interview stage).

Please combine all components, ordered as above, in a single PDF file named YOURLASTNAME_UWO_FSS_CRC_T2 and email the file to:

Chair, Search Committee, Tier 2 CRC in Sustainability and the Social

c/o Karen Foullong, Faculty Coordinator

Faculty of Social Science

Western University

Email: kfoullon@uwo.ca

Consideration of applications will commence August 31, 2023.

Positions are subject to budget approval. Applicants should have fluent written and oral communication skills in English.

The University invites applications from all qualified individuals. Western is committed to employment equity and diversity in the workplace and welcomes applications from women, members of racialized groups, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, persons of any sexual orientation, and persons of any gender identity or gender expression. In accordance with Canadian immigration requirements, priority will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents.

Accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities throughout the recruitment process. If you require accommodations for interviews or other meetings, please contact Karen Foullong kfoullon@uwo.ca

Feature Image: Western University.
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Alan MacEachern

Professor at Western University
I am the author of Becoming Green Gables & the companion website GreenGablesDiary.ca (2024), The Summer Trade (with Edward MacDonald, 2022), & The Miramichi Fire (2020). I'm also the editor of the print/open-access Canadian History & Environment series at University of Calgary Press. I was Director of NiCHE, 2004-15. Contact me at amaceach@uwo.ca.