Pacific Institute on Pandemics, Pathogens and Society – Senior Research Fellowships

Simon Fraser University (Burnaby Campus)

The Pacific Institute on Pandemics, Pathogens and Society (PIPPS), a new interdisciplinary research institute at Simon Fraser University (SFU), is recruiting up to three post-doctoral research fellows. Fellows must have relevant training and interests to actively contribute to an interdisciplinary research group working in a highly collaborative setting.

ABOUT PIPPS
PIPPS is concerned with major infectious disease risks and events that have the potential to cause large-scale disruption to health and well-being. PIPPS researchers recognize that events like the COVID-19 pandemic are public health emergencies with broad societal effects that place sudden, urgent, and heavy demands on health care and other public services.

Accordingly, the Institute focuses on identifying, understanding, and preventing the emergence and spread of pathogens with the potential to cause such events; better understanding the broader impacts of major disease outbreaks and pandemics on population and public health; and supporting societies’ preparedness, response and recovery efforts.

PIPPS is organized around Themes, each with a Theme Lead with responsibility for overall direction, recruitment of Senior and Affiliated Scientists, and supervision of trainees.

We are currently recruiting at least two post-doctoral fellows, one to work specifically in the Health Behaviour and Communication Theme and one to work at the intersection of three themes: Health Behaviour and Communication, Pandemic Governance and Policy, and Health and Social Inequities.

Senior Research Fellowships
These Senior Research Fellowships are full-time (36 hours per week), two-year positions, with a possibility for extension for up to one additional year. The start date can be somewhat flexible but the successful candidate(s) should be in the role by September 2023. An earlier date can be negotiated.

The positions will be based at Simon Fraser University’s Burnaby campus in Metro Vancouver, Canada. The salary is in the range of CA$75,000–$85,000/year, plus comprehensive health benefits.

The successful candidate(s) will be matched with a PIPPS’ Theme Lead (see Themes below) based on their areas of expertise and interest and their career goals. Fellows will divide their time between independent (self-directed) projects on topics reflective of their own research expertise and interests (50%), and work directed by the Theme Lead to support new and ongoing PIPPS projects (50%). PIPPS has a modest internal project award fund that Fellows can access with the support of their Theme Lead.

Examples of directed work include:

• Preparing grant proposals, ethics applications, etc.
• Writing peer-reviewed articles for publication
• Leading research activities at direction of Theme Lead
• Developing project management plans for assigned research projects
• Consulting with PIPPS’ partners, stakeholders, community groups and others to identify opportunities for activities related to knowledge mobilization (teaching, convening, etc.)
• Creating outputs from research findings for knowledge mobilization within both academic and public contexts (e.g., syntheses, policy briefs, webinars, micro-courses, etc.)
• Developing and implementing knowledge mobilization activities tailored to specific audiences and partners, including government, health authorities, community agencies, etc.
• Supporting /delivering PIPPS convening activities, including seminars, dialogues, workshops, short courses, etc.
• Evaluating a wide variety of training and convening activities

Themes and Core Functions
Each of the following Themes is responsible for contributing to PIPPS’ three Core Functions: Research, Teaching and Learning, and Convening. Research is PIPPS’s flagship activity and largest investment. It is supported by a second core function, Teaching and Learning, which aims to build specialized researcher capacity through a wide range of teaching and learning activities offered by PIPPS across BC higher education institutions, and within the public health sector. PIPPS third core function, Convening, focuses on mobilizing and transferring research knowledge to varied users with the aim of bridging the academic and policy/practice communities.

Theme: Pandemic Governance, Systems and Policy | Theme Lead: Dr. Kelley Lee, SFU

The Pandemic Governance Theme is focused on support for strengthening the institutional arrangements needed for pandemic prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery at the provincial, national, and global levels. These include the legal frameworks, administrative structures, decision making processes, and financial mechanisms needed for effective pandemic governance; and how different levels of governance interact together, to enable societies to be resilient to major infectious disease events. The Theme draws upon expertise in public administration, law, political science, and international relations.

Theme: Health Behaviour and Communication | Theme Lead: Dr. Cindy Jardine, University of the Fraser Valley

The Health Behaviour and Communication Theme addresses the roles and impacts of individual and group behaviour in pandemic prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery. This Theme works closely with other research groups, including the Disinformation Project and Digital Democracies Institute (DDI) in SFU’s School of Communication, SFU Public Square, and other relevant initiatives in other universities and community organizations.

Given PIPPS’ strong commitment to supporting ‘research to practice’, the Theme includes a dedicated Knowledge Mobilization Unit (KMbU). The Unit has dedicated staff with the expertise and capacity to translate research findings generated by PIPPS researchers and other investigators into a variety of mediums suitable for a wide range of audiences, including public health policy makers, front-line public health workers, primary care practitioners, and community care providers. The Unit also serves the needs of other relevant government departments and agencies (e.g., agriculture, forestry, etc.), professional associations (e.g., physicians, nurses, veterinarians, etc.), and the public.

The Theme draws upon the expertise of communications, behavioural science, psychology, health promotion and literacy, and sociology.

Theme: Health and Social Inequities | Theme Lead: Dr. Julia Smith, SFU

This Theme focuses on identifying and understanding the disproportionate impact of social and economic inequities across population groups within the context of pandemic preparedness and response and which lead to disproportionate effects.

It explores such impacts and outcomes across sex, gender, race, ethnicity, age, ability, etc., and seeks to understand the relationships between the social determinants of health and pandemics; analyze how public health and social measures interact with social determinants to mitigate or exacerbate inequities and understand inequitable impacts of public health emergencies.
This Theme draws upon expertise in policy analysis, sociology, anthropology, and methods of qualitative analysis.

Qualifications
The successful candidate(s) will hold a relevant doctoral degree awarded no more than five years before commencement in the role. Examples of relevant PhDs include Epidemiology, Health Sciences, Public Policy, Public Administration, Economics, International Relations, Political Science, Communications, Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, etc.

They will demonstrate excellence in quantitative and/or qualitative methods, have at least 3 years’ experience conducting relevant research, at least 5 years’ experience working with a team to successfully complete projects, and possess excellent written and oral communication skills. They will relish working with a highly interdisciplinary and ambitious team.

Excellence in mixed methods research, interdisciplinary research experience, and a track record of publications and effective knowledge mobilization activities are desirable. Experience conducting research or working with government agencies; Indigenous governance bodies, organizations or communities; civil society organizations; or public health will be an asset, especially in the context of preparedness, response to, or recovery from a major public health emergency.

How to Apply
Please submit your cover letter and curriculum vitae, along with a description of your proposed independent research (max 2 pages) and its alignment with PIPPS objectives, in a single PDF document, to Vicki Farrally, Executive Director (pippsed@sfu.ca). Include two references. Review of applications will begin on May 15, 2023.

Visit website: https://pipps.ca/

Direct link to posting: https://pipps.cdn.prismic.io/pipps/832455ed-65e2-422e-abbc-79b1e4c9c909_PIPPS+Senior+Postdocs.pdf