Psychology – Assistant Professor (Transdisciplinary Digital Mental Health)

University of Calgary

Job ID: 30907
Location: Main Campus

We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the traditional territories of the people of the Treaty 7 region in Southern Alberta.

The City of Calgary is also home to Métis Nation of Alberta, Districts 5 and 6.

Position Description
The Department of Psychology at the University of Calgary invites applications for a Transdisciplinary Professorship in Digital Mental Health. The successful candidate will be appointed at the rank of Assistant Professor (Tenure-track) in the Department of Psychology within the Faculty of Arts. The anticipated start date is July 1, 2024.

Mental health problems are increasing world-wide, with 1 in 4 people estimated to have some disorder. One approach to addressing this burden is to capitalize on digital technology (e.g., e-mental health). The application of digital technology to mental health requires transdisciplinary work. UCalgary is poised to address this challenge by leveraging transdisciplinary strengths across departments, faculties, and interdisciplinary and dynamic research institutes in novel ways, thereby positioning UCalgary as a unique national and international leader in research in this area in Canada.

The successful candidate for this position will bring expertise in child and/or adult clinical psychology to a digital mental health research program. This could include, but is not limited to, delivery and evaluation of mental health programs that occur remotely using just-in-time interventions, real-time assessment that could be used to evaluate or guide treatment, or other related research themes. This position would provide a partial teaching release (50%) for 5 years to provide protected research time. We expect interdisciplinary approaches to research and training, and strongly encourage affiliation and collaboration with some or all (depending on the specific research focus) of our research institutes including the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI) which is responsible for the Child Health and Wellness research priority and the One Child Every Child research initiative, the Owerko Centre, the Hotchkiss Brain Institute (HBI), and the Mathison Centre.

We are seeking applications from individuals with a PhD in Clinical Psychology who are eligible for registration as a psychologist in Alberta. Applicants should have an emerging or demonstrated potential for a research focus in digital mental health, preferably from a transdisciplinary perspective. Hires into these transdisciplinary positions are encouraged to form ties to other units on campus (e.g., Psychiatry, Biomedical Engineering, Kinesiology, etc.); adjunct appointments are possible.

The University of Calgary adheres to the principles of the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment and strives to evaluate research impact holistically that explicitly considers the quality, significance, and societal impact including knowledge translation and mobilization. Selection criteria for this position will include emerging research excellence, impact, and originality, demonstrated or potential for effectiveness in teaching and supervision, and demonstrated ability (or strong potential) to secure competitive external funding. These criteria will be judged based on the impact of publications or other scholarly activity; teaching dossier with teaching philosophy, ratings or evaluations where possible, or other indications of quality; awards, scholarships, and other recognitions for excellence in research, teaching and community engagement; and record of competitive funding, including competitive studentships and fellowships. Experience in transdisciplinary collaborative research or teaching will be considered an asset.

The successful candidate is expected to establish and maintain an active research program, and to contribute to the Department’s teaching and research supervision in both undergraduate and graduate programs. In addition, some administrative service to the department, the faculty, the university and/or the community is expected.

The University recognizes that candidates have varying career paths and that career interruptions can be, and often are, part of an excellent academic record. Candidates are encouraged, but not required, to provide any relevant information about their experience and/or career interruptions to allow for a fair assessment of their application. Selection committees have been instructed to consider, and be sensitive to, the impact of career interruptions, when assessing the candidate’s academic productivity.

Interested individuals are encouraged to submit an application online via the ‘Apply Now’ link on the UCalgary careers website: https://careers.ucalgary.ca/jobs/13876197-assistant-professor-department-of-psychology-professorship-in-transdisciplinary-digital-mental-health

Please be aware that the application process allows for only four attachments. Your four application attachments should be organized to contain the following (which may require you to merge documents):

• Cover letter
• Curriculum vitae, including the name and contact information of three referees, and written permission to the Chair of the Selection Committee to contact the referees for letters of references
• Statement of research interests (not to exceed two pages)
• Teaching dossier
• An Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) statement describing the candidate’s contributions, or potential contributions to EDI along with their ability to work with a culturally diverse and international student, staff, and faculty body (not to exceed one page)

All applications must be received by February 26, 2024, at which time the Academic Selection Committee will begin reviewing applications to select applicants to invite for on-site interviews.

The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.

As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (equity@ucalgary.ca) and requests for accommodations can be sent to Human Resources (hrhire@ucalgary.ca).

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. In this connection, at the time of your application, please answer the following question: Are you a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada? (Yes/No)

Additional Information
For a listing of all academic opportunities at the University of Calgary, view our Academic Careers website. For more information about the Faculty of Arts, click here.

About the University of Calgary
UCalgary is Canada’s entrepreneurial university, located in Canada’s most enterprising city. It is a top research university and one of the highest-ranked universities of its age. Founded in 1966, its 36,000 students experience an innovative learning environment, made rich by research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. It is Canada’s leader in the creation of start-ups. Start something today at the University of Calgary. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca.

About Calgary, Alberta
Calgary is one of the world’s cleanest cities and has been named one of the world’s most livable cities for years. Calgary is a city of leaders – in business, community, philanthropy and volunteerism. Calgarians benefit from a growing number of world-class dining and cultural events and enjoy more days of sunshine per year than any other major Canadian city. Calgary is less than an hour’s drive from the majestic Rocky Mountains and boasts the most extensive urban pathway and bikeway network in North America.