Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Cancer Research

Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University

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. In keeping with its Statement on Building an Inclusive Community with a Shared Purpose, McMaster University has a vision to achieve creativity, innovation and excellence in teaching, research, and service by engaging a diverse and highly talented educational community and embodying the values of integrity, respect, and collaboration.

Commitment to Inclusive Excellence: Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Statement:

The diversity of our workforce is at the core of our innovation and creativity and strengthens our research and teaching excellence. 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 University seeks qualified candidates who share our commitment to equity and inclusion, who will contribute to the diversification of ideas and perspectives, and especially welcomes applications from indigenous (First Nations, Métis, or Inuit) peoples, members of racialized communities, persons with disabilities, women, and persons who identify as 2SLGBTQ+.

As part of McMaster’s commitment, all applicants are invited to complete a confidential Applicant Diversity Survey through the online application submission process. The Survey questionnaire requests voluntary self-identification in relation to equity-seeking groups that have historically faced and continue to face barriers in employment. Please refer to Applicant Diversity Survey- Statement of Collection for additional information.

Applicants requiring accommodation to participate in the hiring process should contact the Human Resources Service Centre at 905-525-9140 ext. 222-HR (22247) or the Faculty of Health Sciences Human Resources office at ext. 22207 to communicate accommodation needs.

Position Description:

The Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences in the Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, invites applications for a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in cancer cell biology. We welcome candidates with expertise around treatment-resistant cancers of high unmet need (such as glioblastoma, pancreatic cancer, triple-negative breast cancer, treatment-refractory lung cancer, brain metastases, advanced ovarian cancer, etc.). Candidates will build research programs around human, humanized or patient-derived experimental models to undertake comprehensive translational and reverse-translational studies that can inform the rational development of new therapeutic and diagnostic approaches for cancers. Expertise in novel biotechnological platforms for the interrogation of molecular and multi-omic integrative data from human cancers will be prioritized.

McMaster is experiencing an exciting period of growth in cancer research, exemplified by the creation of the Cancer Research Centre. The successful candidate will be a member of the new cancer research centre and will have close ties to the Escarpment Cancer Research Institute (ECRI) and the Ontario

Clinical Oncology Group (OCOG), which will foster bi-directional opportunities to expand their respective research projects and programs.

The successful candidate will be appointed as a full-time faculty member at the rank of Assistant Professor or Associate Professor or possess the necessary qualifications to be appointed to these levels. The department places an emphasis on culturally and academically diverse faculty members of the highest calibre and welcomes applications from candidates with the skills and abilities to advance equity, diversity, and inclusion in research, teaching, and the workplace. Evidence of leadership skills, excellence in service, and a demonstrated ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse communities and cultures is also required. The successful applicant must demonstrate a compelling vision for both continuing and further developing the Faculty of Health Sciences strengths in cancer research, as well as enhancing McMaster University’s Strategic Research Plan. The candidate must have completed a Ph.D. in a related discipline. The Chair will be expected to maintain an outstanding program of research, to teach at the undergraduate and graduate levels, to supervise and cultivate an intellectual community of graduate students, to help sustain the collegial atmosphere within the Faculty, and to help realize the Faculty’s and University’s commitment to the goals of equity, diversity, and inclusivity.

Tier 2 Chairs are tenable for five years and renewable once for an additional five years. In addition, Tier 2 nominees must:

• • be excellent emerging world-class researchers who have demonstrated research creativity;
  • have demonstrated the potential to achieve international recognition in their fields in the next five to ten years;
  • as chairholders, have the potential to attract, develop and retain excellent trainees, students, and future researchers; and
  • be proposing an original, innovative research program of high quality.

Candidates who are more than 10 years from having earned their highest degree and who have had career breaks, such as maternity, parental, or extended sick leave, clinical training, etc., may have their eligibility for a Tier 2 Chair assessed through the program’s Tier 2 Justification process. Please contact Dr. Jonathan Bramson at fhsvdr@mcmaster.ca for more information. Full program information, including further details on eligibility criteria, can be found at the Canada Research Chairs website at  https://www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca/peer_reviewers-evaluateurs/productivity-productivite-eng.aspx#career. All nominations for CRCs are subject to review and final approval by the CRC Secretariat.

How to apply:

Complete applications must be submitted via the University’s electronic portal by October 15th, 2021, to ensure full consideration: https://hr.mcmaster.ca/careers/current-opportunities/ (Faculty Postings, Job 40162). All applicants will receive an on-line confirmation of receipt of their application; however, only short-listed applicants will be contacted for interviews. Applicants must submit a cover letter, a lifetime curriculum vitae, a sample of publications (up to 5), evidence of teaching effectiveness, a summary of past research (2 pages maximum), and a summary of future research plans (3 pages maximum).

Applicants must also submit a statement describing their contributions made to advancing equity, diversity and inclusion in teaching, learning, research or service within post-secondary, community- based and other professional settings (2 pages maximum). Please note that no reference or letters of recommendations are required at the time of application. These will be solicited at later stages of the search process. Unsolicited letters will not be reviewed until later stages of the search process.

The deadline for submission for this competition is October 15th, 2021.

Inquiries regarding this position may be directed to:

Dr. Brian Coombes, Chair, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, coombes@mcmaster.ca.

McMaster University recognizes the legitimate impact that career interruptions and personal circumstances (e.g., pregnancy, early childcare, eldercare, illness, etc.) can have on a candidate’s record of research achievement. Career interruptions and leaves will be taken into careful consideration during the assessment process. We encourage candidates to explain in their applications the impact that career interruptions or other issues may have had as described under “Career Interruptions and Personal Circumstances” under Guidelines for Assessing the Productivity of Nominees.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, in accordance with Canadian Immigration requirements, Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority.

To comply with the Government of Canada’s reporting requirements, the University is obliged to gather information about applicants’ status as either Permanent Residents of Canada or Canadian citizens.

Applicants need not identify their country of origin or current citizenship; however, all applications must include one of the following statements:

Yes, I am a citizen or permanent resident of Canada

No, I am not a citizen or permanent resident of Canada