Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS)

University of Ottawa

The University of Ottawa and its Faculty of Science invites applications for a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) with applications related to Quaternary science, which may include paleoecology, paleolimnology, paleoclimatology, carbon cycling, and modern surface processes.

The successful candidate will work in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and should be an established researcher who have received widespread recognition for their sustained accomplishments in applying radiotracers and isotopes to investigate knowledge gaps in Quaternary science. This position will involve strategic long-term collaboration with, and use of, the André E. Lalonde AMS Laboratory and other geochemical facilities including the Ján Veizer Stable Isotope Laboratory hosted within University of Ottawa. The AEL AMS Lab is a Canadian National Laboratory, which hosts unique instrumentation including a MICADAS (2022) and a recently upgraded 3MV AMS (2023) along with a world-class sample preparation facility for radiocarbon and actinides analyses. The candidate will have extensive analytical experience in AMS techniques and a long-term research vision for incorporating AMS technology in their research program.

Analytical laboratories on campus include microbeam (SEM, TEM, EMPA), X-ray (SCXRD, PXRD, XRF, Micro-CT), and geochemical (LA-ICP-MS, ICP-ES, ICP-OES) facilities, and noble gas and stable isotope instrumentation. The University of Ottawa is recognized nationally and internationally as one of the best universities in the country and the largest bilingual university in the world.

Tier 1 Chairs, tenable for seven years and renewable once, are for outstanding researchers acknowledged by their peers as world leaders in their fields. For each Tier 1 Chair, the institution receives $200,000 annually for seven years. Nominees for Tier 1 Chair positions must be full professors or associate professors who are expected to be promoted to the full professor level within one or two years of the nomination. Alternatively, if they come from outside the academic sector, nominees must possess the necessary qualifications to be appointed at these levels. New CRC nominees are also eligible for infrastructure support from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) to help acquire state-of-the-art equipment essential to their work.

Standard hiring:
The University of Ottawa is committed to ensuring equity, diversity and inclusion in the scholarly and leadership environments of our students, staff, and faculty. Accordingly, we strongly encourage applications from skilled and experienced members of the four designated groups (such as Indigenous peoples, racialized individuals, persons with disabilities, women and gender equity-seeking groups, as defined in the CRC Program method for establishing equity targets and the Employment Equity Act), as well as from all qualified candidates with the skills and knowledge to productively implement equity measures that ensure and retain diverse teams and promote inclusive practices for research team members. All candidates are asked to complete the confidential self-identification form during the application process online (Employment Equity Questionnaire). Internal candidates are not eligible.

Skills requirements:

• Education: PhD in Earth Sciences, Geology, or Environmental Sciences.
• Required Qualifications: Outstanding independent research achievements in the CRC’s identified area(s) and proof of interdisciplinary collaborations, a solid record with respect to teaching and training of students at the graduate level, strong record of external research funding, excellent communication skills in either English or French. Passive knowledge of the other official language in Canada is a requirement for tenure. English-French bilingualism is an asset.

Duties:
The responsibilities include: 1) teaching across the broad spectrum of Earth and environmental sciences; 2) supervision of BSc, MSc and PhD students; 3) maintaining a strong track record of attracting research funding, 4) preparing large grant applications and overseeing their implementation to ensure funding requirements are met and infrastructure is maintained (the 6-year cycle of the Major Science Initiative funding for the AEL-AMS was successfully renewed in 2023), and 5) promoting a competitive publication record demonstrating impactful scientific contributions.

Rank and salary:
Regular tenure-track academic appointment in the Faculty of Science. The salary range for a full professor is $118,864 to $207,511 (based on the May 1, 2023, scale of the collective agreement between APUO and the University of Ottawa). Salaries are competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Benefits package:
The University of Ottawa provides a complete benefits package which includes long term disability, basic group life insurance, supplementary health insurance, University of Ottawa Pension Plan and optional life insurance, as well as relocation expenses.

Location of work:
Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Ottawa, 150 Louis Pasteur Pvt., Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5 Canada

Application Package:

• A cover letter outlining qualifications (up to 2 pages);
• An up-to-date curriculum vitae (Please include any personal circumstances and/or career interruptions such as parental or sick leaves that may have impacted your research trajectory. These will be taken into consideration in the selection process);
• A research statement describing accomplishments, analytical experience and lab space requirements (up to 3 pages);
• Outline of a seven-year research program and its relationship to one or more university strategic areas of research, including potential funding sources (up to 3 pages);
• A statement of teaching interests (up to 2 pages);
• A statement on equity, diversity, and inclusion philosophy and concrete practices (1 page);
• The names of three people whom may be contacted by the University for letters of reference which will follow the Canada Research Chairs guidelines (i.e. all three arm’s length including one international); and
• Self-identification: Complete the confidential Employment equity questionnaire on the web portal during the application process. The Canada Research Chairs Program requires institutions to collect self-identification data from all applicants, following the program’s best practices.

Deadline: February 23, 2024

Applications should be submitted electronically through the University of Ottawa Careers portal 

The selection process will begin immediately after the closing date and will continue until the position is filled. Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

Please address your cover letter to the following person:

Dr. Sylvain Charbonneau, Vice-President, Research and Innovation
University of Ottawa
550 Cumberland St., room 246
Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5 CANADA
For questions, please email: rccacrcp@uottawa.ca

The University of Ottawa is committed to ensuring equity, diversity, and inclusion in the scholarly and leadership environments of our students, staff, and faculty. Accordingly, we strongly encourage applications from Indigenous Peoples in Canada, visible minorities members (racialized persons), persons with disabilities, women, as well as from all qualified candidates with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with equitable, diverse, and inclusive communities. Candidates who wish to be considered as a member of one or more designated groups are asked to complete the confidential Self-Identification Questionnaire, to be completed at the time of application.

All qualified candidates are invited to apply; however, preference will be given to Canadians and permanent residents. When submitting your application, please indicate if you are legally entitled to work in Canada

The University of Ottawa provides accommodations for applicants with disabilities throughout the recruitment process. If you are invited to proceed in the selection process, please notify us of any accommodations that you require by contacting the Office of the Vice-Provost, Faculty Relations by email at vra.affairesprofessorales@uottawa.ca. Any information you send us will be handled respectfully and in complete confidence.

The University of Ottawa is proud of its 160-year tradition of bilingualism. Through its Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute, the University provides training to staff members and to their spouses in their second official language.

Prior to May 1, 2022, the University required all students, faculty, staff, and visitors (including contractors) to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 as defined in Policy 129 – Covid-19 Vaccination. This policy was suspended effective May 1, 2022 but may be reinstated at any point in the future depending on public health guidelines and the recommendations of experts.