Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC), Associate or Full Professor in HEALTH ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY
Located in the heart of Waterloo Region, the University of Waterloo is at the forefront of innovation and home to world-class research and inspired teaching. The Faculty of Engineering is seeking exceptional scholars and researchers to take up a position as a Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in the strategic priority area of Health Engineering and Technology.
The CERC Opportunity
CERC awards are among the most prestigious and generous research chairs awarded globally. The successful nominee will receive a research grant valued at $500K per year over eight years, alongside significant additional investment in the research area by the University.
The successful candidate will be appointed to a full-time tenured position at the rank of Associate or Full Professor within the Faculty of Engineering. In addition to leading a world-class research program, they will teach at the undergraduate and graduate levels, with a reduced teaching assignment in place during the term of the Chair.
All CERC nominations are subject to review and contingent upon approval by the CERC Secretariat (results expected January 2027). For exceptional candidates, the University will consider a tenured, endowed research chair appointment unconditional on the outcome of the nomination. The salary range for the position will depend upon the rank.
Who should apply?
The CERC candidate will be an exceptional researcher with a proven track record of discovery and innovation. They will have demonstrated a clear ability to lead, manage and grow multidisciplinary research collaborations, and develop strong relationships with partners in related academic fields and in the public and private sector. They will be committed to excellence in supervision, mentorship and research training, and enthusiastic about communicating their research to audiences beyond academia. They will also be committed to the values of equity, diversity and inclusion – key ingredients for successful innovation.
The successful candidate will propose an ambitious program of high-quality research within the broad scope of biomedical and healthcare engineering. Their program will explore new approaches and technologies with real social impact, and with the potential to improve our quality of life in the decades to come. Fields of focus may include, but are not limited to:
- Imaging and diagnostic technologies, including wearables and remote health monitoring;
- Biomaterials and tissue engineering, including regenerative medicine;
- Personalized and precision medicine technologies, including point-of-care assays and drug delivery systems;
- Trauma biomechanics and rehabilitation technology, including assistive devices;
- Living therapeutics, biologics and biomanufacturing, including biopharmaceuticals.
Candidates should be at the rank of Full Professor or be an Associate Professor who is expected to be promoted to the rank of Full Professor within one to two years of the nomination. Alternatively, if from outside the academic sector, nominees must possess the necessary qualifications to be appointed at these levels. Applicants must hold a PhD or equivalent with relevant professional designation or licensure. The CERC program imposes no restrictions on nominees with regard to nationality or country of residence. Researchers who hold a full-time academic appointment at another Canadian institution are eligible, but should they be nominated the University will be required to demonstrate the net benefit to Canada in moving the researcher from one Canadian institution to another.
At Waterloo, it’s recognized that career interruptions can have an impact on research achievements. Applicants are encouraged to explain further how this may affect them in their application; this information will be taken into careful consideration during the assessment process. Contact the Office of Research for full CERC information including further details on eligibility criteria.
The University of Waterloo
Waterloo is one of Canada’s leading research universities, home to the country’s largest and highest-ranked Engineering Faculty (US News and World Report). Our heavily oversubscribed Biomedical Engineering program attracts outstanding students, and our health and biomedical engineering teams are some of the fastest growing research groups on campus: https://uwaterloo.ca/engineering/research/waterloo-engineering-research-health-technologies.
Waterloo’s strategic vision – Waterloo at 100 – plans significant investment in Health Futures, focusing on the intersections of health, society, technology and entrepreneurship. With a new regional hospital planned on campus, strong partnerships with the healthcare ecosystem, and a newly constructed Innovation Arena to support capital-intensive healthtech R&D, the university is well positioned to pioneer new healthcare technologies. Indeed, innovation is in our DNA, with more startup founders than any other university in Canada, raising over $20 billion USD over the last decade. Our inventor-owned approach gives all researchers full ownership of their IP, and complete freedom to commercialize their research as they see fit.
More reasons to apply: https://uwaterloo.ca/faculty-association/why-waterloo.
How to apply
An executive search is being undertaken by the University of Waterloo’s search partner, Perrett Laver.
Perrett Laver will support the Search Committee in identifying a diverse field of qualified candidates and in the assessment of candidates against the selection criteria. For further information and to submit a curriculum vitae and a cover letter in confidence, please visit Perrett Laver’s Vacancies page quoting reference dc4a7443.
Applications received by September 10 will be given full consideration, however applications will continue to be reviewed until the position is filled. Applicants selected for an initial online interview will be contacted in September and asked to provide a three-page research statement, a teaching statement, up to five sample research outputs, and three letters of reference.
All applicants to this CERC opportunity are required to self-identify using the self-identification applicant survey at https://uwaterloo.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_08RcdJzz6YAh4TX. The CERC program requires institutions to collect self-identification data from all applicants to assess the diversity of its candidate pool. Information disclosed by applicants will be kept strictly confidential.
The University of Waterloo is committed to accessibility for persons with disabilities. If you have any application, interview or workplace accommodation requests please contact Occupational Health (occupationalhealth@uwaterloo.ca) who will work with the selection committee to secure accommodation while ensuring that the information is safe-guarded and confidentiality is maintained. If you have any questions regarding the position, the application process, assessment process, or eligibility, please contact: Cora Hui at cora.hui@perrettlaver.com. The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is centralized within our Office of Indigenous Relations (https://uwaterloo.ca/human-rights-equity-inclusion/indigenousinitiatives).
The University values the diverse and intersectional identities of its students, faculty, and staff. The University regards equity and diversity as an integral part of academic excellence and is committed to accessibility for all employees. The University of Waterloo seeks applicants who embrace our values of equity, anti-racism and inclusion. As such, we encourage applications from candidates who have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including applicants who identify as Indigenous peoples (e.g., First Nations, Métis, Inuit/Inuk), Black, racialized, people with disabilities, women and/or 2SLGBTQ+.
All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply, however Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.
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