Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Exposure Science and Environmental Risk

Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Exposure Science and Environmental Risk

The (USask) and (SENS) are pleased to invite applications for a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Exposure Science and Environmental Risk.

The is the flagship of a national strategy to make Canada a world-leading country in research and development.

Chemical contamination of the environment and the resulting health impacts on humans, animals, and other biota represent one of the major challenges of the 21st century.

Assessing the cumulative risk associated with environmental contaminants requires an integrative and accurate assessment of exposure and hazard.

However, in the face of ever-increasing complexity in dynamics of exposure (, complex mixtures, time-variable exposure, climate, and land-use change) and drivers of hazard (, multiple stressors, interactive effects, physiological status), this task has become increasingly difficult.

Therefore, advances in the field of exposure science require a holistic understanding of the abiotic and biotic processes that drive external exposure, uptake into biota, internal distribution, target site activity, and the interaction of chemicals.

This CRC in Exposure Science and Environmental Risk aims to attract an interdisciplinary scientist that is uniquely qualified to advance the field of exposure science by fusing modern systems biology approaches with advanced analytical technologies for advanced risk assessment.

The ideal candidate will work at the intersection of biology and chemistry, will use cutting-edge technology and approaches to advance the science of chemical exposure in toxicology, and will synergize the current world-class expertise in environmental toxicology and chemistry at the University of Saskatchewan.

The successful nominee will initiate and lead an innovative and impactful program of research, foster extensive interdisciplinary and multi-sector collaborations, and raise the profile and impact of USask through an innovative research program and knowledge mobilization within and beyond academia.

The academic home of this position will be in SENS and the chair would be based in the Toxicology Centre.

The is home to a diverse and interdisciplinary group of faculty who engage in collaborative and community-engaged scholarship to solve pressing issues that concern our planet, including complex sustainability challenges related to global water security, regenerating and sustaining healthy ecosystems, conserving biocultural diversity, assessing and managing pollution, improving energy security, and advancing good environmental governance all aligned with and several of the .

The , established in 1982, is the hub of USask toxicological research and provides administrative support for the interdisciplinary toxicology undergraduate and graduate programs.

Laboratories at the Centre are well equipped with a comprehensive array of modern research infrastructure, including full analytical chemistry and molecular biology capabilities.

The Centre also houses the 650 m2 Aquatic Toxicology Research Facility for culturing and experimentation with aquatic animals.

The Centre enables highly interdisciplinary research that unleashes discovery to tackle complex problems and seek sustainable solutions that benefit society.

The University of Saskatchewan is one of Canada’s top 15 research-intensive universities and houses superb specialized analytical facilities (, the , the ).

Its main campus is situated in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, a city on the banks of the South Saskatchewan River known for its quality of life, diverse and thriving economic base, affordability, a vibrant arts community, and a full range of leisure opportunities.

The University has a reputation for excellence in teaching, research and scholarly activities, and offers a full range of undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs to a student population of over 26,000.

Qualification

We aim to recruit a rising research star to continue the legacy of world-class research conducted by the USask Toxicology Centre.

The ideal candidate will link environmental exposure of organisms (incl. humans and animals) to contaminants with health outcomes by exploring how long-term exposure dynamics cumulatively perturb biomolecular processes that drive health phenotypes.

The successful candidate should be able to link chemical exposure to apical outcomes using state-of-the-science analytical, molecular and biochemical tools, and novel experimental approaches.

The candidate should ideally have advanced analytical and instrumental skills for exposure assessment of chemicals with complementary expertise in biology and toxicology, allowing them to focus on mechanistic and forensic toxicology problems.

The reverse expertise profile is also acceptable (, training in biology and toxicology with expertise in analytical, molecular and instrumental methods).

Overall, we are seeking candidates who demonstrate excellence, innovation and creativity through an outstanding record of high-quality research with demonstrated potential to achieve national and international recognition in their fields in the next five to ten years.

The successful candidate is expected to have a track record of leading a vibrant, externally funded research program. SENS values diversity and believe it is essential to an innovative, high-quality and modern academic community.

Therefore, we strongly encourage candidates from underrepresented groups to apply. All candidates must demonstrate a commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion in their teaching, mentorship and service.

The successful candidate will be expected to contribute to teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and to mentorship that supports diversity and inclusion.

Applicants should demonstrate excellence in graduate student and postdoctoral fellow supervision, an outstanding ability at securing competitive external research funding, and a strong record of research output.

This latter criterion will be assessed broadly and we encourage candidates to consider their research impact, including academic publications and other relevant measures of research output.

Tier 2 CRCs are intended for exceptional emerging scholars with less than 10 years of experience as an active researcher at the time of nomination.

Applicants who are more than 10 years past the year when they earned their highest degree and where career breaks exist (, maternity, parental, 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 the USask Research Acceleration and Strategic Initiatives (RASI) unit for more information ().

The successful applicant will be asked to prepare the Tier 2 CRC proposal with the assistance of USask and, if successful, will subsequently be appointed as a tenured or tenure-track faculty member at the assistant or associate professor level.

The CRC nomination is subject to review and final approval by the Canada Research Chairs Program. The faculty appointment is conditional on approval of the CRC.

The standard salary bands for this position for the 2022-2023 academic year were as follows : Assistant Professor : $99,945 - $120,099;

Associate Professor : $120,099 - $140,253, with the possibility of merit-based additions (the 2023-2024 salary ranges are not yet available).

• A chair stipend is also provided. This position includes a comprehensive benefits package which consists of a dental, health and extended vision care plan;
• a pension plan, life insurance (compulsory and voluntary), academic long-term disability, sick leave, travel insurance and death benefits;

an employee assistance program; a professional expense allowance; and a flexible health and wellness spending program.