"Canada Impact+ Research Chairs Nominees"

Job Details

McMaster University is seeking outstanding researchers for consideration as Canada Impact+ Research Chairs nominees.

The Canada Impact+ Research Chairs (Impact+) program is a one-time initiative designed to support institutions in attracting world-leading researchers whose work addresses critical national and global challenges. The Impact+ program offers eligible Canadian, degree-granting institutions an opportunity to establish research chairs with award values of $1 million per year or $500 thousand per year for eight years in areas to advance ambitious and transformative projects in Canada’s strategic priority areas, build and maintain exceptional research teams, and collaborate with partners across sectors and borders. The program offers the possibility of an additional four years of funding at 50% of the original award value. Funding for research infrastructure will also be made available to Impact+ awardees through the Canada Impact+ Research Infrastructure Fund.

Nominees must be full professors or associate professors expected to be promoted to full professor within one or two years of starting their appointment. Alternatively, if they come from outside the academic sector, nominees must have the qualifications necessary to be appointed at these levels.

ABOUT MCMASTER:

McMaster University is located on the traditional territories of the Haudenosaunee and Mississauga Nations, and within the lands protected by the “Dish With One Spoon” wampum agreement.

McMaster’s main campus, located in the Westdale neighbourhood of Hamilton, Ontario, is comprised of 300 acres of scenic property at the western end of Lake Ontario, between Toronto and Niagara Falls. Our 30-acre central core is designated for pedestrians and bicyclists. Nearby attractions include Cootes Paradise, the Bruce Trail, the Waterfront Trail, the Royal Botanical Gardens, and the Niagara Escarpment – a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve.

Founded in 1887, McMaster University is ranked among the top 100 public universities in the world (Times Higher Education World University Rankings, 2026). Home to 70 research centres and institutes, the University is comprised of six faculties: the DeGroote School of Business, and the Faculties of Engineering, Health Sciences, Humanities, Science, and Social Sciences. Ranked second in Canada for faculty research intensity (Research Infosource, 2025), we are dedicated to fostering an equitable, diverse and inclusive environment where innovation and creativity thrive. With a diverse student population of more than 37,000, McMaster aims to serve the social, cultural and economic needs of our community and society at large by inspiring critical thinking, personal growth, and a passion for lifelong learning.

McMaster has a vision to use our collective skills, knowledge, and understanding to improve the world and to make an impact in addressing the big issues we face. In committing to that vision, we are also focused on the promotion of inclusive excellence, recognizing the critical role that diversity of identity, background and perspective play in harnessing creativity and innovation, and the importance of building inclusive and collegial teams within our community.

HOW TO APPLY:

Candidates are asked to apply to one of our six Faculties. Information about how to apply can be found on the McMaster Canada Impact+ Research Chairs webpage.

SELECTION CRITERIA:

McMaster’s nominees for the Canada Impact+ Research Chairs program will be selected in accordance
with the following criteria:

1. Research/academic merit and leadership skills of the candidate
• Impact and international recognition of the nominee (as appropriate, based on career stage).
This includes the nominee’s research, the level of recognition they hold in their field, and their
record of service to the research community (e.g., service on peer review committees, faculty
recruitment committees, advisory committees). In cases where the nominee’s research involves
Indigenous research, the impact can be at the international level and/or at the community,
regional or national level.
• Nominee’s record of establishing and sustaining an equitable, diverse and inclusive research
environment, including attracting, training, mentoring and providing leadership opportunities to
a diverse group of students, trainees and research personnel.

2. Quality of the research program
• Promise of the proposed research program in the context of leading global research in the field,
the transformational and translational potential of the research, and the extent to which the
Chair fills a gap within existing expertise at the institution or in Canada.
• Quality of the proposed research program in terms of how it has embedded EDI
considerations (e.g., GBA Plus or SGBA Plus) at each stage of the research process and its
associated outcomes (as applicable).
• Quality of the proposed research program in terms of how research is co-created and co-led by
and with First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples, as investigators, trainees, partners and
collaborators, and its recognition of Indigenous ways of knowing (as applicable).

3. Potential contribution to the excellence of the Canadian and international research ecosystem
• Likelihood the work of the proposed Chair will advance the frontiers of research in the field on a
global scale, as well as Canada’s reputation as a centre for science, research and innovation
excellence.
• Plan for establishing and maintaining a diverse chairholder’s team (which includes faculty, early
career researchers, research trainees, other highly qualified personnel and administrative staff),
and an environment that is safe and inclusive and allows all team members to reach their full
research potential (e.g., through the recruitment and outreach strategy, equitable training
opportunities, professional development and mentoring).
• Extent to which the proposed research program will lead to enriched learning experiences for
students, trainees and other highly qualified personnel to develop relevant skills, while fostering
advancement and future career opportunities.
• Alignment of the proposed research program with one or more of the Government of Canada’s
strategic priority areas for Canada Impact+ Research Chairs to create social and economic
advantages for Canada.

4. Potential for knowledge translation, mobilization and application of research results
• Extent to which the proposed research program’s knowledge mobilization, translation and
commercialization plan shows a pathway for how research results could be shared and applied
in practices, products and/or services and how tangible economic or societal benefits for Canada
and Canadians will be generated.
• Extent to which the knowledge mobilization, translation and commercialization plan has
identified target users and outlined engagement mechanisms and potential partnerships such as
private and public sectors, national and international research institutions, philanthropic
organizations and Indigenous communities (if applicable).
• The appropriateness of the described strategies for successfully delivering on the proposed
research program’s translational objectives, including (as applicable) commercialization
pathways and intellectual property management, for social and economic benefits for Canada
and the world.
• Experience of the nominee in delivering tangible knowledge translation outcomes.

In keeping with its Statement on Building an Inclusive Community with a Shared Purpose, McMaster
University strives to embody the values of respect, collaboration and diversity, and has a strong
commitment to employment equity. The diversity of our workforce is at the core of our innovation and
creativity and strengthens our research and teaching excellence. The University seeks qualified
candidates who share our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion. While all qualified candidates
are invited to apply, we particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented, equity-seeking,
rights-seeking populations, including racialized individuals, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities,
women and gender equity-seeking groups, and individuals from the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.