"Canada Impact+ Research Chairs (Nomination)"

Job Description

The University of Windsor invites applications from outstanding researchers for nomination to the Canada Impact+ Research Chairs competition, a federal initiative designed to attract and support exceptional research leaders whose work delivers measurable social, economic, environmental, and health impacts aligned with national priorities.

The Canada Impact+ Research Chairs competition supports researchers with a demonstrated track record of translating research excellence into real-world outcomes through strong partnerships, innovation, and community or industry engagement.

The Canada Impact+ Research Chairs will contribute to advance the following priority areas:

• Advanced digital technologies (including AI, quantum, and cybersecurity)
• Health, including biotechnology
• Clean technology and resource value chains
• Environment, climate resilience, and the Arctic
• Food and water security
• Democratic and community resilience
• Manufacturing and advanced materials
• Defence and dual-use technologies

Eligibility

The Canada Impact+ Research Chairs competition enables eligible institutions to nominate internationally renowned scholars and scientists in areas of strategic importance to Canada. Eligible nominees must be internationally based—both working and residing outside of Canada—at the time of the application deadline and must demonstrate a strong recent record of research excellence along with a clear commitment to making significant contributions to Canada.

Nominees must be qualified to hold an appointment at the associate or full professor level or possess equivalent qualifications if recruited from outside the academic sector. Successful nominees will be expected to lead a major research program, including directing research activities, supervising personnel, and coordinating governance and administration in partnership with the host institution.

Successful chairholders must take up their appointment on a full-time basis and commence their position at the Canadian host institution within 12 months of accepting the award. Nominees may not be simultaneously nominated for both the Canada Impact+ Research Chairs competition and the Canada Excellence Research Chairs competition. Continuing eligibility requirements are governed by the relevant federal administration guidelines.

The following criteria apply to candidates being considered for this position:

All applications will be assessed for their overall excellence and potential to make a significant impact on research and innovation in Canada. Evaluation will focus on the following criteria:

• Canada Impact+ Research Chairs must be full professors or associate professors who are expected to be promoted to full professors within two years of the nomination
• Must be an outstanding and innovative world-class researcher with a demonstrated record of research excellence and leadership in their field
• Have superior records of attracting, mentoring, and supervising graduate students and postdoctoral fellows (taking into account disciplinary norms) and, as chairholders, be expected to attract, develop, and retain top-tier trainees, students, and future researchers
• Be proposing an original, innovative research program of the highest quality, with clear objectives, feasibility, and potential for transformative impact
• Demonstrate the potential to advance Canada’s strategic research priorities and contribute significantly to the national and international research ecosystem
• Exhibit strong capacity for interdisciplinary collaboration, knowledge translation, and mobilization of research outcomes for real-world applications
• Show evidence of leadership in establishing partnerships with academic, industry, government, or community stakeholders, supporting broader impact beyond academia.

The Canada Impact+ Research Chairs competition offers universities award values of $500,000 or $1,000,000 per year, for a total of $4,000,000 or $8,000,000 over eight years to support world renowned researchers and their teams to establish high impact research programs at Canadian universities.

For more information regarding eligibility criteria and program information, please consult the Canada Impact+ Research Chairs website.

Compensation

• Associate Professor $117,799-$167,799
• Professor $125,628 (minimum for the rank)

The salary range for the rank is outlined in Article A Table A.1 of the current Collective Agreement with the Windsor University Faculty Association. The compensation offered to the successful candidate will take into consideration the existing salary structure. A full range of benefits including a pension plan and medical benefits are available to the successful candidate.

Application Requirements

• a letter of application – highlighting the priority area
• a detailed and current curriculum vitae
• a one-page statement of commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Decolonization and Indigenization
• a one-page statement of teaching philosophy, experiences, and innovative opportunities
• a research and innovation plan for the Impact+ Research Chair (describing the candidate’s research and a detailed proposal for research in the next eight years)
• a list of referees (3-6) – names and contact information only. Referees will not be contacted until the short-listing stage

The short-listed candidates may be invited to provide further information in support of their applications. Applications may be considered after the deadline date; however, acceptance of late submissions is at the discretion of the appointments committee. We thank all interested applicants. However, only those applicants invited to interview will be contacted. We are working on a tight recruitment timeline for the federal nomination in June 2026. Individuals who submitted their candidacy to the December posting may be considered for Intake 2 and do not need to reapply.