June 1, 2022

The University of Manitoba invites a world leading researcher to be nominated for a prestigious Canada Excellence Research Chairs (CERC) in the 2022 Competition. The CERC program was developed to recruit top researchers in Science, Technology, and Innovation (ST&I) priority areas to strengthen Canada’s research and training capacities. CERCs are among the largest awards granted in Canada, providing Chairholders and their teams with 8 million CAD over eight years to support their research programs. 

The University of Manitoba welcomes applications from recognized scientific leaders developing transformative biotechnologies to join and expand an internationally recognized team of researchers in crop enhancement and protection research. The ideal candidate will join either the Department of Biological Sciences or Department of Microbiology, depending on their area of expertise, to complement the University of Manitoba’s current strengths in plant genetics, agronomy, plantmicrobe interactions, plant development and adaptation, synthetic biology, systems biology, and RNA-based biotechnologies, and will lead a research program focused on sustainable plant production in changing environments.

Examples of research areas of interest for the CERC include plant or crop system resilience, plant engineering for enhanced traits or novel products, biotechnologies for crop protection, synthetic biology, molecular systems biology, plant-microbe interactions, microbiome engineering, plant adaptations to biotic and abiotic stress, and plant bioproducts. Researchers in any area of transformative plant/crop biotechnology are encouraged to apply.

With recent investments in over $18M in plant growth infrastructure and recent hires in plant gene regulatory networks, proteomics, and microscopy, crop bioinformatics, integrated crop protection, weed management, and crop and soil microbiomes, the candidate will join a growing team focused on developing technologies to enhance the resiliency of Canada’s and the world’s food production.

Candidates will have an outstanding track record of research contributions in their field and be at a career stage consistent with a tenured Associate Professor or Professor. In addition to demonstrated research leadership, candidates will provide evidence of successful teaching or mentoring a diverse group of students and research personnel and will provide evidence of establishing and maintaining an equitable and inclusive research environment. In addition to research and teaching or mentorship, duties also include service to the University and beyond. 

The CERC recruitment is a two-staged process; candidates must first apply to the University, and the successful candidate will then submit an application to the CERC program. The University of Manitoba will provide extensive support in the preparation of the program application, including project management, budget planning, and proposal development. 

The CERC program imposes no restrictions on nominees regarding nationality or country of residence. Applicants requiring an expedited work permit may be eligible for one. Researchers who hold a full-time academic appointment at a Canadian institution are eligible, but if nominated, the University will be required to demonstrate the net benefit to Canada in moving the researcher from one Canadian institution to another.

All CERC appointments are subject to review and approval by the CERC Secretariat. The results of the CERC application are expected to be announced in Spring 2023. The successful candidate will have up to 12 months to take up the award and the duties of the position.

Submit your application directly to Dr. Steve Whyard steve.whyard@umanitoba.ca by July 1, 2022. A complete application will include: a curriculum vitae; a brief description of the research program related to the chair (maximum of three pages); significant contributions to the field (peer-reviewed articles, monographs, patents, etc.; maximum of three pages); a statement on teaching or mentoring philosophy; a statement on commitment to service to your organization and to the broader community; a diversity statement including your positionality and significant contributions to DEIJ (maximum of two pages); and the names of three experts prepared to submit a letter of recommendation. All applications will be kept confidential.

Application materials, including letters of reference, will be handled in accordance with the protection of privacy provision of The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (Manitoba). Please note that curriculum vitae may be provided to participating members of the search process.

The University of Manitoba recognizes that career paths can be diverse and that career interruptions may occur. Applicants are encouraged to include, in their cover letter, an explanation of the impact that any career interruptions (e.g. parental leaves, slowdowns due to illness or disability, COIVID-19 impacts, etc.) may have had on their record of research achievement.

The University of Manitoba is committed to the principles of equity, diversity & inclusion and to promoting opportunities in hiring, promotion and tenure (where applicable) for systemically marginalized groups who have been excluded from full participation at the University and the larger community including Indigenous Peoples, women, racialized persons, persons with disabilities and those who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ (Two Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, questioning, intersex, asexual and other diverse sexual identities). All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority.

If you require accommodation supports during the recruitment process, please contact

UM.Accommodation@umanitoba.ca or 204-474-7195. Please note this contact information is for accommodation reasons only. 

Candidates will have an outstanding track record of research contributions in their field and be at a career stage consistent with a tenured Associate Professor or Professor. In addition to demonstrated research leadership, candidates will provide evidence of successful teaching or mentoring a diverse group of students and research personnel and will provide evidence of establishing and maintaining an equitable and inclusive research environment. In addition to research and teaching or mentorship, duties also include service to the University and beyond.