Canada Research Chairs at Unity Health Toronto

Canada Research Chair, CIHR Tier 1 in Inflammation and Fibrosis

Deadline: May 12, 2025

Date of Posting: March 4, 2025

Unity Health Toronto (Unity Health) invites applications for a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair (CRC) position to support a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)-eligible research program in the areas of inflammation and fibrosis. Research activities must align with one or more of the four pillars of world-class research and innovation established in our Research Strategic Plan 2021-2026. This CRC position is open only to individuals external to Unity Health.

 Tier 1 Canada Research Chairs are tenable for seven years and renewable once. To meet the criteria of the program, the nominee must

1) be outstanding and innovative world-class researchers whose accomplishments have made a major impact in their fields;

2) be recognized internationally as leaders in their fields;

3) have superior records of attracting and supervising graduate students and postdoctoral fellows (taking into account different practices in the relevant field or discipline) and, as chairholders, be expected to attract, develop and retain excellent trainees, students and future researchers; and

4) be proposing an original, innovative research program of the highest quality.

Nominees for Tier 1 Chair positions must be full professors or associate professors who are expected to be promoted to the full professor level within one or two years of the nomination. Alternatively, if the candidate has been working outside the academic sector, nominees must possess the necessary qualifications to be appointed at these levels.

 In cases where the nominee has non-research commitments at Unity Health and/or at the University level (e.g. clinical or administrative), these commitments should be limited to allow the nominee to undertake their program of research at the level expected of a CRC holder. In addition, the nominee should not currently hold another major salary award, or the award should end before January 2024. Further information about the Canada Research Chairs Program is on the Government of Canada's CRC website.

 In order to address the underrepresentation of members of the four designated groups (women/gender minorities, members of visible minorities, persons with disabilities, and Indigenous peoples) in the CRC Program (as identified by the Tri-Agency Institutional Programs Secretariat), all institutions are required to meet equity targets by 2029. In order to meet and maintain these targets, this call is only open to individuals who self-identify in one of the four designated groups¹. This initiative follows the provisions for special programs as described by the Ontario Human Rights Commission.  The identification of outstanding candidates from these designated groups supports Unity Health Toronto’s commitments to equity, diversity, and inclusion as a core value outlined with our Research Strategic Plan: 2021-2026, as well as the institutional capacity to fulfill the objectives of our Canada Research Chairs Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan.

 The ideal applicant would have:

• A PhD, MD or equivalent professional qualification;

• Established leadership in the field of inflammation and fibrosis; this may be evidenced by influential publications in the field, a strong track record of obtaining peer-reviewed funding, keynote invitations, leadership roles, participation as a thought leader in the field, amongst others;

• A passion for translational research that will lead to patient impact;

• Experience in patient/community engagement in their research;

• Commitment to ensuring best practices of equity, diversity and inclusion, which are demonstrably applied to their research and team;

• Strong potential to attract, develop, and retain excellent trainees, students and future researchers;

• A robust track record of research publications, and evidence of an ability to securing external research funding to support an independent program of research.

• Commitment to citizenship within the research institution as part of a thriving research community

 To support the recruitment of a senior scientist in this field, Unity Health has secured a philanthropic donation that will be used to support the research program of the Chairholder during their term.

 Nomination Submission:

Applications should include:

1)      a letter of interest (max 3 pages) describing your qualifications, summary of proposed research plans in inflammation and fibrosis for the next 7 years, and alignment with Unity Health priorities.

2)      A complete curriculum vitae (CV), not abbreviated), including professional services, outreach, mentoring and training of highly qualified personnel and other contributions appropriate to the specific CRC position.

All materials should be submitted to VPRI@unityhealth.to by Monday May 12, 2025.

 Unity Health Toronto recognizes that scholars have varying career paths, and that career interruptions due to personal circumstances can be part of an excellent academic record. Search committee members have been instructed to give careful consideration to, and be sensitive to the impact of, career interruptions in their assessments. Moreover, Unity Health Toronto has endorsed the principles and committed the institution to comply with the recommendations of the DORA declaration (the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment). This entails that researchers’ research results are assessed and evaluated for content and quality.

 Statement of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion: Unity Health Toronto is committed to creating a workplace culture where everyone feels valued and welcome to be themselves, and where they are empowered to share different perspectives to inspire creativity and innovation. Unity Health Toronto encourages applications from qualified candidates, and we especially welcome applicants who are Indigenous, Black or Racialized, persons with disabilities, people who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+, and all others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that people in underrepresented communities are less likely to apply to jobs when they don’t meet every single qualification. We are dedicated to building an inclusive workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly, we still welcome you to apply.

 Accommodation Policy: Accommodations for disabilities will be provided, on request, to support participation in all aspects of the recruitment process. If you require accommodation at any point of the application process, please contact VPRI@unityhealth.to.

 Collection of Equity Data: The CRC Program requires the collection of self-identification data related to the four designated groups¹ from all applicants to CRC opportunities. As part of your application, you must complete the brief self-identification form. Please request this form from Erica Conte, Director Funding Strategy and Stewardship and return it directly to Erica.Conte@unityhealth.to. This form should not be included with the nomination submission sent to VPRI@unityhealth.to. The submission of this form is mandatory, but responses to all questions are voluntary, and you may decline to answer any questions. Any information directly related to you is strictly confidential and cannot be accessed by the search committee. Results will be aggregated for institutional planning purposes as part of Unity Health Toronto’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan (EDIAP).

 For more information about this specific CRC opportunity, and/or if you are unsure of your eligibility, please contact Erica Conte, Director Funding Strategy and Stewardship (Erica.Conte@unityhealth.to).

Profiles of our Chairs are listed here.