Post-Doctoral Fellow - SSHRC Competition

Royal Roads University (RRU) invites expressions of interest from those wishing to develop SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowship applications.

Royal Roads University

Royal Roads University is located on the traditional lands of the Lekwungen-speaking Peoples, the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations.

This land has been part of the fabric of the life of Indigenous communities long before Hatley Castle was built, and it will be long into the future.

It is with gratitude that we now learn and work here, where the past, present and future of Indigenous and non-Indigenous students, faculty and staff come together.

Located in one of Canada’s most beautiful National Historic Sites, RRU is just minutes from downtown Victoria, British Columbia and is surrounded by old growth forest and awe-inspiring ocean and mountain views.

RRU is a special-purpose university that delivers high-quality applied and professional programs. Established by the provincial government in 1995 through the Royal Roads University Act, RRU was created with a unique mandate and governance structure to respond to the labour market needs of British Columbia.

RRU has over 34,000 alumni in 92 countries. With a reputation for innovation, RRU is a leader in the delivery of blended learning programs, which combine intensive residency experiences with online course work.

Royal Roads research aims to inspire action and address real-world challenges such as those in education, technology, information, the natural world, and social systems as we prepare for a disruptive future.

Our research is primarily inter- and trans-disciplinary, which by their nature are collaborative. Partnerships with those that may be impacted by, or use the research are critical.

Research undertaken at Royal Roads knows no borders and seeks to inform both local and global contexts. Royal Roads recognizes the importance of, and need for, decolonization in terms of research research areas, research design, research participation, access to research, and research dissemination and is committed to practices of decolonization in research.

We are committed to removing barriers for equity-seeking groups with regard to both their inclusion in the conduct and leadership of research and access to research.

Our research is designed to be shared and to be developed with practitioners who may benefit from the findings and results.

Research is integral to and inextricably linked with our learning and teaching model research informs learning and teaching, and our teaching and learning is explored through research.

In addition, research informs the university’s operations, our practice, and how we live and work at the university. We move forward with a spirit of inquiry, and a quest for knowledge and insight with a commitment to action.

Research at Royal Roads is conducted in various fields of inquiry physical and environmental science, social sciences and humanities, and health.

Much of the research conducted at and through Royal Roads is change-oriented, inherently inter- and transdisciplinary, and engages individuals, organizations, and communities at all levels and stages of the process.

Royal Roads research is characterized by a practitioner orientation, a desire to develop solutions to current problems, and a commitment to sustainability, social innovation, social responsibility, and change.

At Royal Roads, we believe that research that crosses disciplinary and academic boundaries and integrates a variety of methodologies offers great potential to contribute to transformative change.

SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowship Program

These fellowships support the most promising Canadian new scholars in the social sciences and humanities, and assist them in establishing a research base at an important time in their research careers.

SSHRC Postdoctoral scholars receive $45,000 (taxable income) per year for 2 years (non-renewable). Positions are conditional upon approval of the nomination by the funder.

Please see the SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowships website and their eligibility requirements for more information. Please note that at the time of posting, the SSHRC site has not been updated to reflect the 2024 competition.

We anticipate the SSHRC site to be updated during the summer.

RRU seeks expressions of interest specific to the following research areas :

Dr. Cheryl Heykoop , a Michael Smith Health Research BC Scholar who holds grants with CIHR, Vancouver Foundation, and the New Frontiers in Research Fund is seeking a postdoctoral scholar with common research interests.

Heykoop’s research program applies participatory action research and patient-oriented research to meaningfully engage patients, care providers, and other partners to transform health systems.

Heykoop’s primary research focuses on transforming adolescent and young adult cancer care and support in BC; however, she is open to exploring the application of participatory and patient-oriented approaches with patients and care providers in other health contexts.

Dr. Jaigris Hodson As social media becomes central to citizens' everyday lives, the varied ways in which violence is enacted and understood on digital platforms are of critical importance.

Nevertheless, efforts to address its impacts often ignore platform-specific cultural nuances. Accordingly, this project aims to foster a technocultural reading of online violence in Canada by following qualitative and digital methods.

The results of this study will inform approaches to address the complexities of contemporary media ecologies of violence.

Dr. Robert Newell (Canada Research Chair in Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainability) uses systems thinking to explore considerations, challenges and opportunities associated with integrating climate action and biodiversity conservation with broader sustainability goals.

His research uses community-based participatory approaches, engaging regional and local governments and stakeholders to develop / test integrated planning tools (e.

g., models, frameworks, visualizations) and to produce knowledge on how climate and biodiversity considerations relate to other local planning and policy priorities and objectives.

• Dr. Jennifer Walinga’s research program focuses on the following topics : complex systems; organizational learning; transformational learning;
• problem solving and decision making; assessing and fostering cultures of performance, safety, and flourishing; human and social development;

leadership and governance; and, communication and culture. She works in various contexts with a special focus in the area of sport.

Methods include quasi experimental, case study, ethnography, systematic review and knowledge synthesis, and participatory action research influenced by theories of organizational culture, power relations, feminism, change, psychological safety, transformational learning, and general systems.

Dr. Thomas Homer-Dixon is interested in supervising interdisciplinary postdoctoral fellows specializing in the dynamics of complex systems whose research engages with one or more of the following topics :

• Polycrisis and crisis interactions / synchronization
• High-leverage / unheralded / neglected solutions to the energy transition and climate crisis
• Ultradeep geothermal systems, finance, and policy
• Green industrial policy
• AI safety / governance
• Digital misinformation
• Polarization and ideological change
• Financial systems / monetary policy / fiscal policy
• Complex system diagramming and data visualization

Royal Roads University Diversity Statement

The diversity of our common humanity enriches our communities. It expands our learning, teaching and research. Diversity challenges us, strengthens our creativity and improves our adaptability.

We celebrate the intersectionality of our identities, experiences and perspectives. We want Royal Roads to be a community where we relate to each other and the natural world, recognize our interdependence and can find a sense of belonging.

We invite you to join us in building a safe, caring and courageous university community where we uphold dignity, celebrate our common humanity and learn from different ways of knowing and being in the world.

To achieve this, we will :

• Facilitate learning, research and work environments that reflect and benefit from our diversity
• Encourage critical thought and dialogue that helps us to challenge existing structures and worldviews and enact justice
• Engage in shared leadership with open, inclusive, accountable, respectful and equitable conditions where ideas and people can flourish

To fulfil these commitments, we will support each other, especially members of equity-deserving groups. We are all in different places along our journeys and this work is difficult, complex and ongoing.

Together we will cultivate a whole, thriving community greater than the sum of its parts.

To find out more about EDI informed actions at RRU, go to : www.royalroads.ca / EDI .

Job Requirements

Please ensure you meet the SSHRC eligibility requirements before submitting an application.

Application Instructions :

To apply, please submit the following documents :

1. A cover letter clearly confirming :

• your proposed supervisor (from the list above),
• your citizenship (please see SSHRC’s eligibility for further information),
• date of PhD award or expected date of completion, and
• that you do not hold, nor have you ever held, a tenure or tenure track faculty position.

SSHRC asks its merit review committees to take into consideration special circumstances that could have affected applicants’ research, professional career, record of academic or research achievement, or completion of degrees.

Relevant circumstances might include administrative responsibilities, maternity / parental leave, child-rearing, illness, disability, cultural or community responsibilities, socio-economic context, health-related family responsibilities, trauma and loss, or the COVID-19 pandemic.

If applicable, your cover letter may include details about any delays or interruptions (including dates) that have impacted your productivity.

2. A copy of your academic CV , including a full list of publications and scholarly activities (books, book chapters, peer reviewed journal articles, conference proceedings, other knowledge mobilization outputs, etc.)

3. A draft of your proposed research program and how it relates to one of the research opportunities noted above (2 pages max.)

Incomplete applications will not be accepted.

Selected candidates will work with the relevant faculty member to prepare the formal application according to the program guidelines.

The Office of Research & Innovation will coordinate administrative aspects of the competition.

Additional Information