Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Toxicology and One Health

The Faculty of Science at the University of Ottawa invites applications for a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Toxicology and One Health. The successful candidate will be appointed as an Assistant or Associate Professor in the Department of Biology and then nominated for the CRC. The University of Ottawa is located on the ancestral land of the Algonquin people and its location in the National Capital Region provides many collaborative research opportunities, including through the Ottawa-Carleton Institute of Biology, the Chemical and Environmental Toxicology Specialization, and the Ottawa-Carleton Joint Collaborative Program in Bioinformatics, all of which are joint graduate programs with Carleton University. The Department of Biology values collegiality and applicants should identify ways they contribute positively to their academic communities.

The candidate will develop an exceptional, externally funded research program that addresses pressing needs in toxicology, environmental health, and regulatory sciences. Challenges in this field include aggressive mandates to understand and manage the human and ecological impacts of thousands of legacy industrial compounds alongside new chemical products of increasing complexity. These challenges are exacerbated by policies requiring reduction and eventual elimination of the use of living vertebrate animals in toxicological testing. The selected candidate will build or expand partnerships and research collaborations with colleagues on campus and with leading governmental, non-governmental, and educational organizations centred in Canada and especially in the National Capital Region. Policy engagements and excellence in science communication are also encouraged.

Tier 2 Chairs, tenable for five years and renewable once, are for exceptional emerging researchers , acknowledged by their peers as having the potential to lead in their field. For each Tier 2 Chair, the institution receives $100,000 annually for five years, with an additional $20,000 annual research stipend for first-term Tier 2 Chairs.

Candidates should, at a minimum, be assistant or associate professors, or possess the necessary qualifications to be appointed to these levels. Candidates who are more than 10 years from their highest degree must contact the University of Ottawa directly for questions related to their potential eligibility for a Tier 2 Chair. The institution may nominate a professor or a researcher who is more than 10 years from their highest degree at the time of nomination and has experienced legitimate career interruptions (see acceptable justifications). In such cases, the institution must submit to the Secretariat a formal justification (using the Tier 2 Justification Screening Form), explaining why the nominee is still considered to be an emerging scholar. The University recognizes the legitimate impact that leaves (, parental leave, leave due to illness) can have on a candidate’s record of research achievement and that these leaves will be taken into careful consideration during the assessment process. New CRC nominees are also eligible for infrastructure support from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) to help acquire state-of-the-art equipment essential to their work.

Selective hiring :

The University of Ottawa is committed to ensuring equity, diversity, and inclusion in the scholarly and leadership environments of our students, staff, and faculty members. In accordance with the University’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Action Plan, the selection will be limited to members of the four designated groups such as Indigenous peoples, racialized individuals, persons with disabilities, women and gender equity-seeking groups as defined in the CRC Program method for establishing equity targets and the Employment Equity Act. Candidates from these groups who wish to be considered for this position must complete the confidential self-identification form during the application process online (fill the Employment Equity Questionnaire on the web portal). The objective of this measure is to increase the representation of the four designated groups in the allocation of Canada Research Chair positions. Internal candidates are not eligible.

Skills requirements :

Education : or equivalent in Biology or related discipline. Required Qualifications : Superior research achievements in the CRC’s identified area(s) and proof of interdisciplinary collaborations, experience with respect to mentoring and / or training of students, the ability to obtain external research funds , excellent communication skills in either English or French. Passive knowledge of the other Official Language in Canada is a requirement for tenure. English-French bilingualism is an asset.

Rank and salary :

Regular tenure-track academic appointment in the Faculty of Science. The salary scale for an Assistant Professor starts at $89,622, the salary scale for an Associate Professor starts at $98,999 (as of May 1, 2023). Salaries are competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Benefits package : The University of Ottawa provides a complete benefits package which includes long term disability, basic group life insurance, supplementary health insurance, University of Ottawa Pension Plan and optional life insurance, as well as relocation expenses.

Location of work : Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5

Application Package :

• A cover letter; An up-to-date curriculum vitae (Please include any personal circumstances and / or career interruptions such as parental or sick leaves that may have impacted your research trajectory. These will be taken into consideration in the selection process); A research plan (2 to 3 pages); A statement of teaching interests (1 to 2 pages); A statement on equity, diversity, and inclusion philosophy and concrete practices (1 page); The names of three people whom may be contacted by the University for letters of reference which will follow the Canada Research Chairs guidelines ( Tier 2 : one arm’s length and two who are not affiliated to the University of Ottawa unless they are the candidate’s PhD or postdoctoral supervisor); and Self-identification : Complete the confidential Employment equity questionnaire on the web portal during the application process. The Canada Research Chairs Program requires institutions to collect self-identification data from all applicants, following the program’s best practices.

Deadline : September 5, 2024

Applications should be submitted electronically through the University of Ottawa Careers portal : Careers (

The selection process will begin immediately after the closing date and will continue until the position is filled. Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

Please address your cover letter to the following person :

Dr. Sylvain Charbonneau, Vice-President, Research and Innovation

University of Ottawa

550 Cumberland St., room 246

Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5 CANADA

For questions, please email :

Ad posted on July 5, 2024

The University of Ottawa is committed to ensuring equity, diversity, and inclusion in the scholarly and leadership environments of our students, staff, and faculty. Accordingly, we strongly encourage applications from Indigenous Peoples in Canada, visible minorities members (racialized persons), persons with disabilities, women, as well as from all qualified candidates with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with equitable, diverse, and inclusive communities. Candidates who wish to be considered as a member of one or more designated groups are asked to complete the confidential Self-Identification Questionnaire, to be completed at the time of application.

All qualified candidates are invited to apply; however, preference will be given to Canadians and permanent residents. When submitting your application, please indicate if you are legally entitled to work in Canada

The University of Ottawa provides accommodations for applicants with disabilities throughout the recruitment process. If you are invited to proceed in the selection process, please notify us of any accommodations that you require by contacting the Office of the Vice-Provost, Faculty Relations by email at . Any information you send us will be handled respectfully and in complete confidence.

The University of Ottawa is proud of its 160-year tradition of bilingualism. Through its Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute, the University provides training to staff members and to their spouses in their second official language.

Prior to May 1, 2022, the University required all students, faculty, staff, and visitors (including contractors) to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 as defined in Policy 129 – Covid-19 Vaccination. This policy was suspended effective May 1, 2022 but may be reinstated at any point in the future depending on public health guidelines and the recommendations of experts.