Canada Impact Research Chair

Mount Allison University; Sackville; On-site; CAD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

A prestigious university in Canada is seeking a Canada Impact+ Research Chair in Health, Including Biotechnology. The role offers a chance to lead a $4 million interdisciplinary research program aimed at addressing critical health challenges. Candidates must be internationally based researchers with a strong record of leadership and hold a PhD. This position includes teaching opportunities and mentorship of students, all while working in a supportive, collaborative environment. The successful applicant will be expected to begin within 12 months of accepting the award.

Benefits

Collaborative research environment

Strong fiscal support for research

Qualifications

• Must hold a PhD per Mount Allison requirements.
• Expected to teach half a standard load.
• Strong record in interdisciplinary research.

Responsibilities

• Lead an internationally visible research program.
• Build and mentor diverse, high-performing research teams.
• Advance knowledge translation and engagement with partners.

Skills

Strong record of international research leadership

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Knowledge translation and mobilization

Education

PhD (or equivalent)

Job description

Position Description

Mount Allison University invites applications and expressions of interest from internationally based world‑leading researchers for nomination to a Canada Impact+ Research Chair in Health, Including Biotechnology. This prestigious federal initiative supports bold, transformative research programs that deliver tangible societal, health, and economic benefits.

Valued at $4 million over eight years, with a possibility of a four‑year 50% funded extension (inclusive of indirect costs), the Chairholder will lead an ambitious, interdisciplinary research program that advances health knowledge and translates discovery into real‑world impact. Successful awardees may also apply for up to $6 million for research infrastructure from the Canada Impact+ Research Infrastructure Fund. Full program details can be found on the program’s website: https://www.canada.ca/en/impact-plus-chairs/program-details/competition…

Research Vision & Alignment

Mount Allison seeks a research leader whose work at the interface of biochemistry and chemistry addresses pressing health challenges through biotechnology, biomedical and biological science, environmental determinants of health, or health‑adjacent environmental and biological systems. Areas of interest may include (but are not limited to):

• Environmental and ecological determinants of human health
• Molecular, cellular, and organismal health sciences
• Biotechnology and applied biological innovation
• Health‑related “omics” (metabolomics, proteomics, etc.)
• Health impacts of climate and environmental change, including community health
• Integrative approaches linking biology, chemistry, and health outcomes

The Chairholder will build on Mount Allison’s strong foundation in biological, biochemical and environmental health research, complementing existing strengths in comparative physiology and biochemistry, ecotoxicology, neurophysiology, molecular biology and cell signalling, and applied biochemical research while forging new national and international collaborations.

Research Environment & Institutional Strengths

Mount Allison offers a highly collaborative research environment with recognized strengths in Biology, Chemistry & Biochemistry, and interdisciplinary environmental health research. Faculty work closely across disciplines and with regional academic and non‑academic partners, and the university strongly supports research programs that integrate discovery, application, and student engagement.

Relevant shared infrastructure includes advanced molecular biology and cell culture facilities (biosafety level 2), digital microscopy and imaging platforms, aquatic animal and small mammal holding facilities (biosafety level 1), and analytical chemistry and stable isotope facilities supporting health‑ and environment‑linked research.

Leadership, Training, and Impact

• Lead an internationally visible research program with clear pathways to health impact
• Build and mentor diverse, high‑performing research teams
• Advance knowledge translation, mobilization, and evidence‑informed engagement with policy, industry, and community‑based health and environmental partners
• Train the next generation of highly qualified personnel in health and biotechnology

Impact+ Emerging Leaders Opportunity

As part of this nomination, Mount Allison University intends to request an associated Canada Impact+ Emerging Leaders position. This provides up to $100,000 per year for six years to recruit an internationally based early‑career researcher (ECR) in a related strategic priority area. The ECR will be recruited following acceptance of the Impact+ Research Chair and will establish an independent research program that complements and extends the Chair’s impact.

Eligibility

Candidates (including Canadian applicants) must be internationally based (both working and residing outside of Canada) at the time of nomination and eligible for appointment at the rank of Associate or Full Professor (or equivalent). Applicants from outside the academic sector must possess the qualifications necessary to be appointed at these levels. The successful applicant will hold a PhD, per Mount Allison requirements. A strong record of international research leadership, interdisciplinary collaboration, and real‑world impact is required. Successful candidates will be expected to teach half a standard load, as well as meaningfully include undergraduate and graduate students in their research program.

The successful nominee will be expected to take up their appointment at Mount Allison University on a full‑time basis within 12 months of accepting the Chair award. Any offer of appointment is conditional upon a successful outcome of the Canada Impact+ Research Chairs nomination.

How To Express Interest

• A cover letter (maximum two pages) outlining the candidate’s research vision and leadership experience, and describing anticipated requirements related to start‑up support, research infrastructure, and space.
• A comprehensive curriculum vitae, including details of research and teaching experience, scholarly contributions, funding history, collaborations and partnerships, and research leadership.
• A research statement (maximum two pages) articulating the candidate’s proposed research program and its alignment with the relevant strategic priority area(s). The statement should describe how the proposed work will advance knowledge and translate discovery into meaningful social, economic, and/or policy impacts, including through collaboration with partners. The statement should be written in clear, accessible language suitable for a broad academic and non‑academic audience.
• A one‑to‑two page summary comprising teaching philosophy, student or other highly qualified personnel (HQP) training philosophy, and approach to supporting equity, diversity, and inclusion.
• The names and contact information of at least three referees who are able to comment on the candidate’s research record, leadership, and impact.

Application Contact

All application materials should be submitted electronically to:

Dr. Richard Isnor
Provost and Vice‑President, Academic and Research
Office of the Provost and Vice‑President, Academic and Research
Mount Allison University
E‑mail: [e-mail]
Phone: 506‑364‑2622
Fax: 506‑364‑2299
Mailing Address:
65 York Street
Sackville, NB E4L 1E4
Canada

Location and Community

Mount Allison University is located in Sackville, within the Municipality of Tantramar, in New Brunswick (NB), Canada. The university acknowledges, honours, and respects that the land named Sackville is part of Mi’kma’ki, the unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People. The university is committed to strengthening relationships with Indigenous communities and supporting the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action.

Mount Allison is a small but internationally renowned institution with a high‑quality, student‑centric environment and strong fiscal support for research. The university offers thesis‑based MSc programs in biology and chemistry and has an agreement with Memorial University of Newfoundland to support PhD students. Mount Allison’s culture of excellence is reflected in its Tier 2 Canada Research Chair holders and its ranking as Canada’s #1 undergraduate university 26 times.

Strategic Strengths and Opportunities

The Impact+ Chair will enable and catalyze research at the intersection of chemistry, biochemistry, and health, leveraging computation, artificial intelligence, health‑related omics, and biotechnology. Researchers may address a wide range of health challenges, including prevention, aging, and reducing negative health outcomes. Mount Allison’s strengths in Biology, Chemistry & Biochemistry, and the new Interdisciplinary Health Studies Program provide fertile ground for interdisciplinary research with real‑world impact.

Regional Advantage

Atlantic Canada offers a unique setting for research with tangible societal impact, especially in health–environment interactions and climate‑linked health outcomes. Proximity to federal, regional, and non‑governmental research and policy organizations supports meaningful partnerships and knowledge mobilization.

Commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Anti‑Racism

Mount Allison University is committed to furthering decolonization, equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti‑racism within our campus community and beyond. We seek candidates who can contribute to diversifying our university and encourage applications from qualified applicants in underrepresented, equity‑denied, or rights‑seeking populations, including Indigenous persons, racialized individuals, persons with disabilities, and persons of all sexual and gender identities. The successful Chairholder will be supported in developing and implementing a comprehensive EDI action plan, as required under the Impact+ program.

Accommodations

Mount Allison recognizes that career interruptions and personal circumstances can impact a candidate’s record of research achievement. We will carefully consider such experiences during the assessment process. Applicants are encouraged to highlight how these have affected their career. Mainstream recruitment processes are accessible, and support is available for adaptive measures. For any requests, contact a Mount Allison People and Culture Administrator at 506‑364‑2280 or [e-mail].

Additional Information

Further details regarding the formal nomination process will be shared with selected candidates. Informal inquiries can be directed to the Office of the Provost and Vice‑President, Academic and Research at [e-mail].