About this role
St. Francis Xavier University (StFX) invites applications from candidates (external or internal) interested in being nominated for a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair (CRC) in any Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) discipline. Nominees must hold the rank of professor or be an associate professor who is eligible to be promoted to the rank of professor within one to two years of the nomination.
Tier 1 CRCs, tenable for 7 years and renewable once, are for established world leaders in their fields with superior records of research, training, and innovation. Specifically, to meet the criteria of the program, Tier 1 CRC nominees must:
• be outstanding and innovative world-class researchers whose accomplishments have made a major impact in their fields;
• be recognized internationally as leaders in their fields;
• have superior records of attracting and supervising graduate students and postdoctoral fellows (taking into account different practices in the relevant field or discipline) and, as chairholders, be expected to attract, develop and retain excellent trainees, students and future researchers; and
• be proposing an original, innovative research program of the highest quality.
Potential applicants should consult the Canada Research Chairs website for full program information, including further details on eligibility criteria. Applicants may wish to consult the detailed instructions for what will be expected as full submission requirements to the CRC program for each of the Quality of Nominee and Research Program Description, and the CV details. Tier 1 CRC positions are intended for established researchers acknowledged by their peers as world leaders in their field. If coming from outside the academic sector, candidates must possess equivalent qualifications required for appointment at the full or associate professor level.
We strongly encourage all Tier 1 nominees to advance their applications in line with the research and innovation priorities outlines in StFX's Teliaq Ta'n Teluek Strategic Research & Innovation Plan 2026–2031. Please contact David Bruce, Director of Research Grants (at [email protected]) for more information.
StFX is committed to the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility (EDIA). Women and gender minorities, persons with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples, and racialized people are encouraged to apply. The selection process will include consideration of alignment with the goals of the StFX CRC Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Action Plan, and the EDIA requirements of the CRC program.
The successful candidate will be nominated for a 7-year Tier 1 CRC term starting September 1, 2027. The nomination by the university will be submitted to the Canada Research Chairs program by March 1, 2027.
Application Process:
Expression of interest applications must include, as a single PDF file:
• A statement outlining the Quality of Nominee (maximum 1 page). This statement should demonstrate that you are an excellent world-class researcher who has demonstrated outstanding international research activity in your fields as acknowledged by your peers.
• A description of the Proposed Research Program for the initial 7-year CRC term (minimum 3 pages, maximum 6 pages). This section should include details on Context, Methods, Communication of Results Plans, and HQP Training Plans and should be written to describe the proposed program of research in a way that allows informed assessment by committee members who may not have direct expertise in the area.
• A CV (any length, in any format is acceptable), including applicable leaves that have resulted in career interruptions.
• If applicable, a statement of possible requests for new research equipment required to fulfill the proposed CRC program of research, which may form the basis of a simultaneous CRC-Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) application.
As a requirement for this opportunity, shortlisted candidates will be required to give an oral presentation to the university community demonstrating how they meet the criteria for the CIHR Tier 1 CRC program as outlined above.
Applications will be reviewed and ranked by a committee of CIHR subject matter experts approved by the StFX Research Advisory Committee (RAC), which will make a recommendation to the Academic Vice President and Provost. In its evaluation process, the review committee will follow the principles outlined in the CRC Guide for Creating an Equitable, Diverse and Inclusive Research Environment: A Best Practices Guide for Recruitment, Hiring and Retention.
As part of their application package, candidates applying externally to StFX are asked to please identify up to two academic departments where their research most clearly aligns: https://www.stfx.ca/programs-courses/programs
In this evaluation, the committee will be mindful that the best-qualified candidates may not have the most years of experience, greatest number of publications, or largest number of academic accomplishments. For example, an applicant who took time away from work or studies for family-related matters or a person with disabilities who has a reduced workload may not have as many publications, but the substance and quality of that applicant's work may render them best qualified. The committee will also evaluate candidates at different career stages by recognizing differences in research outputs and accomplishments, as well as recognize the value of research outputs that are in different formats or platforms. The review committee will recognize and take into consideration differences between research norms in different disciplines: different forms of research output and different modes of evaluating research.
Application packages must be submitted no later than November 12, 2026 (5:00 PM AST) via email to:
Dr. Erin Morton
Associate Vice President Research, Graduate and Professional Studies
Please submit applications to the following email address: [email protected] with copy to Ms. Navneet Kaur [email protected] and Mr. David Bruce [email protected]
Interested applicants are encouraged to meet with the Director of Research Grants, Mr. David Bruce, to discuss a potential application, and to obtain answers to any questions they may have about the CRC program. Please contact David Bruce at [email protected] to arrange a meeting.
All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply. StFX is committed to the elimination of barriers to participation for persons with disabilities. Should you require an accommodation in preparing this application or during the internal selection process, please contact People and Culture at [email protected] or 902-867-5038.
In accordance with the StFX CRC Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan, applicants to CRC positions will be contacted by the Office of Human Rights and Equity's personnel and asked to complete a voluntary self-identification questionnaire. These data are shared in aggregate only (i.e., identifying information will never be shared) to the selection committee and Academic Vice-President and Provost's office to monitor the extent of diversity in the pool of applicants. The successful applicant will be required to provide additional self-identification information to the CRC program as part of the nomination process.
This opportunity was posted on the StFX website on October 9, 2026. Any questions regarding the process to select the nominee for this CRC position can be directed to Dr. Erin Morton, Associate Vice President, Research, Graduate and Professional Studies, at [email protected].