Tier 2 Canada Research Chair (CRC)

agreement ( https://www.umfa.ca/member-resources/collective-agreement ).

The Government of Canada has established the CRC program to enable Canadian universities to foster world class research excellence. The proposed CRC aligns with the University's strategic research plan that identifies Health and Well-Being, which includes infectious disease and managing pandemics as a targeted area.

The Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (MMID) has a rich and evolving history, first established in 1884 as the Department of Bacteriology, Pathology, and Histology. Over the years, it has evolved significantly while continuing to remain at the forefront of medical research, education, and clinical care. The department integrates cutting-edge basic science research and graduate student training with a strong commitment to excellence in clinical microbiology, infectious disease care, and postgraduate clinical training. The department currently has ten full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty members and 69 affiliated members. MMID maintains close associations in medical microbiology and infectious diseases with the clinical and laboratory departments in the College of Medicine and the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, the Cadham Provincial Laboratory, the National Microbiology Lab of the Public Health Agency of Canada, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's Foreign Animal Disease Unit. The department also has extensive, longstanding international partnerships and research activities, particularly through its major research and education initiatives across the Global South, including partnered activities with UM's Institute for Global Public Health. With the increased emphasis from external funders on team-focused research and "research clusters", MMID is poised to increasingly serve as the academic, research, and administrative hub to several broad research initiatives that involve multiple institutions locally, nationally, and internationally. Please visit the Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Manitoba website for further information about MMID. https://umanitoba.ca/medicine/department-medical-microbiology-and-infectious-diseases

The City of Winnipeg (www.tourismwinnipeg.com), located where the Red and Assiniboine Rivers meet, is recognized for its vibrant, multicultural community and diverse culture. The city, with a growing population of more than 850,000, is home to internationally renowned festivals, galleries and museums, the historic Exchange District and The Forks, and ever-expanding research, education, and business sectors. From the Hudson Bay waters, across the farmland fields, to the pulse of the cities and towns, The Province of Manitoba's (www.travelmanitoba.com) people and places – its 100,000 lakes, 92 provincial parks, winding river valleys and storied prairie skies – inspire.

The position includes an attractive laboratory start-up package and the opportunity to compete for additional equipment funding locally and via the Canadian Foundation for Innovation program. The successful applicant will have access to core Rady Faculty of Health Sciences research platforms including state-of-the-art facilities for flow cytometry, live cell imaging, multiplex imaging, histomorphology and ultrastructural imaging, single cell transcriptomics, proteomics, bioinformatics, humanized mouse models and others.

Responsibilities:

The successful candidate will establish an original, innovative, extramurally funded research program that addresses fundamental and translational mechanisms of diseases caused by emerging and re-emerging pathogens. The candidate's research program should be aligned with, and complement, existing departmental research strengths related to emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, and which integrates MMID's newly renovated containment level 3 (CL3) in vitro facility and its future Containment Level 3 – Agriculture (CL3Ag) in vitro and in vivo facilities. Specific research areas of interest include, but are not limited to, pathogen discovery and evolution, pathogen surveillance, mechanisms of pathophysiology and disease severity, host response mapping, medical countermeasure design and development (including vaccines and diagnostics), and antimicrobial resistance.

The successful candidate must have practical experience working within CL3 environments and plans for integration of their program into the existing and future facilities within the Department of MMID. The candidate must have an established record of publication in high quality, peer-reviewed journals, excellent communication skills, and demonstrate potential to secure competitive, extramural research funding. The successful candidate will also contribute to teaching and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students in the Department of Medical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases and participate in academic service activities within the University.

Qualifications:

• The successful candidate must be an emerging world-class scholar with demonstrated experience working with Risk Group 3 pathogens and CL3 laboratory expertise.
• The successful candidate must have a Ph.D. and have demonstrated a record of scholarly activities, including at least two years of post-doctoral fellowship experience, and a productive track record of peer-reviewed publications, contributions to Biosafety/Biosecurity policy and/or risk evaluations, or other evidence of impactful contributions. This record should demonstrate the potential to achieve international recognition in their field within the next five to ten years.
• The successful applicant must also demonstrate the potential to lead an original, innovative high-impact research program, attract funding from the Canadian Tri-Agencies (i.e. CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC).
• The candidate should also highlight any teaching potential and/or demonstrated teaching experience in a diverse student body at the undergraduate and graduate level, with emphasis on mentorship of diverse trainees.
• The successful candidate must also have knowledge of and demonstrate a commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility.

All CRC chairs must adhere to the Tri-Agency guidance on research security, in accordance with the Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern (STRAC), and National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships Policy (NSGRP). STRAC or NSGRP attestations may be requested during the recruitment process. The successful candidate will also need to obtain Human Pathogens and Toxins Act Security Clearance to work unescorted in the UM CL3Ag facility.

For the successful candidate, a Tier 2 CRC Nomination will be submitted soon after they have been selected. Tier chairs are awarded by the Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat after a rigorous evaluation, and award decisions are by December 2027, with the appointment starting thereafter on a date mutually agreed to by the department and successful Tier 2 chair. The appointment will be conditional upon receiving the Tier 2 Canada Research Chair award.

Tier 2 Chairs are valued at $100,000 CAD per year for 5 years with an option to renew once. Applicants for Tier 2 Chair positions must be exceptional emerging researchers. Applicants who are more than 10 years from their first independent academic research-related appointment at the time of nomination and have experienced eligible career interruptions will have their eligibility for a Tier 2 Chair assessed through the program's Tier 2 justification process. Acceptable justifications are generally limited to breaks in the candidate's research career due to maternity or parental leave, extended sick leave, clinical training, and family care. Please contact the UM's Office of Research Services (researchgrants@umanitoba.ca) office for more information. The Canada Research Chairs website also provides full program information including details on eligibility criteria at: www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca/program-programme/nomination-mise_en_candidature-eng.aspx

The University acknowledges the potential impact that Career Interruptions and Personal Circumstances can have on an applicant's record of research achievement. We encourage applicants to explain the impact of any such interruption(s) in their submission. Measures will be taken to ensure that these leaves will be taken into careful consideration during the evaluation process. The CRC Nomination Selection Committee will receive equity training that includes instruction on how to recognize and combat unconscious, implicit, overt, prejudicial and other kinds of bias.

EQUITY STATEMENT

The Rady Faculty of Health Sciences is committed to the social justice principles of equity, access & participation and to promoting opportunities in hiring, promotion and tenure (where applicable) for systemically marginalized groups who have been excluded from full participation at the University and the larger community including Indigenous Peoples, Black, racially marginalized communities, disabled persons and those who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ (Two Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, questioning, intersex, asexual and other diverse sexual identities).

An inclusive, open and diverse community is essential to excellence and fosters voices that have been ignored or discouraged. To address the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences commitment to equity, access and participation, and in recognition of the underrepresentation of members of historically and currently excluded groups, we take proactive measures including implicit bias training for all hiring panels. We strive for diversity and cultural safety throughout the hiring process (hiring panels, short-list of candidates, interviews).

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority, and preference will be given to members of the following underrepresented groups: Indigenous peoples, women, racially marginalized persons, persons with disabilities, persons of marginalized sexualities and genders. We encourage you to self-identity aspects of your identity that position you to bring currently under-represented viewpoints, expertise and forms of excellence to this role.

The Application Process

Application Deadline: A review of application will begin on December 11, 2026, and will continue until the position is filled.

Application materials include the following:

• a cover letter (2 pages maximum) outlining the candidate's qualification and how they fulfill the above-listed criteria
• a curriculum vitae
• a Research Plan (3-page maximum, excluding references) outlining an independent, innovative and original five-year research program envisioned for the Tier 2 chair and its potential to attract funding, contribute to student training and other impacts on the broader community
• A research impact statement (½ page maximum)
• a teaching and mentoring statement (1 page maximum) that documents the candidate's experience and/or potential in and approach to training and mentoring diverse students and the candidate's teaching philosophy
• a personal statement (1-page maximum) reflecting on the applicant's positionality, demonstrated commitment, and approach to issues pertaining to anti-racism and social justice (including principles of equity, access, and participation) in the areas of teaching, research, and service
• the names and contact information of three referees

Applicants must submit their application for consideration through the University of Manitoba Careers Portal by searching for Requisition #50451.

When applying through the UM Careers portal, applicants should upload their cover letter separately, their curriculum vitae separately, then combine their research plan, teaching statement and personal statement and a list of three referees into a single PDF and upload it under "Additional Documentation." If you experience any difficulties accessing UM Careers, please contact Leah.Buermeyer@umanitoba.ca.

Additional information:

The University of Manitoba is a driving force of innovation, discovery and advancement. Our momentum is propelled by our campus community – UM faculty, staff and students whose determination and curiosity shape our world for the better. Our teaching, learning and work environment is uniquely strengthened and enriched by Indigenous perspectives. With two main campuses in Winnipeg, satellite campuses throughout Manitoba, and world-wide research, UM's impact is global.

Discover outstanding employee benefits, experience world-class facilities and join a dynamic community that values reconciliation, sustainability, diversity, and inclusion. We are one of Manitoba's Top Employers and one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers. At the University of Manitoba, what inspires you can change everything.

The University of Manitoba is committed to the principles of equity, diversity & inclusion and to promoting opportunities in hiring, promotion and tenure (where applicable) for systemically marginalized groups who have been excluded from full participation at the University and the larger community including Indigenous Peoples, women, racialized persons, persons with disabilities and those who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ (Two Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, questioning, intersex, asexual and other diverse sexual identities).

If you require accommodation supports during the recruitment process, please contact UM.Accommodation@umanitoba.ca or 204-474-7195. Please note this contact information is for accommodation reasons only.

Application materials, including letters of reference, will be handled in accordance with the protection of privacy provisions of "The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act" (Manitoba). Please note that curriculum vitae will be provided to participating members of the search process.