Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Astronomy & Astrophysics

The Department of Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy at Queen’s University invites applications for a tenured faculty position at the rank of Professor with specialization in Astronomy or Astrophysics, with a preferred starting date of January 1, 2024. The successful candidate will submit an external nomination for a seven year term position as a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair, eligible for renewal once, to a maximum of two seven year terms as a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair.

This appointment is open only to qualified individuals who self-identify as members of one or more of the Four Designated Groups under the Canada Research Chairs Program1: women, Indigenous/Aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities and racialized persons/visible minorities.

Candidates must have a PhD or equivalent degree completed at the start date of the appointment. The main criteria for selection are academic and teaching excellence. The successful candidate will provide evidence of high quality scholarly output in their field as well as strong potential for outstanding teaching contributions at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and an ongoing commitment to academic and pedagogical excellence in support of the department’s programs. Candidates must provide evidence of an ability to work collaboratively in an interdisciplinary and student-centred environment. The successful candidate will also be expected to make contributions through service to the department, the Faculty, the University, and/or the broader community. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Canada Research Chairs were established as part of a national strategy to foster research excellence (www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca). The successful candidate must submit an external application to the Tri-agency Institutional Program Secretariat that meets the requirements for the successful nomination of Tier 1 Chair as defined by the Canada Research Chairs Program:

• be outstanding and innovative world-class researchers whose accomplishments have made a major impact in their fields;
• be recognized internationally as leaders in their fields;
• 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 • be proposing an original, innovative research program of the highest quality.

People from across Canada and around the world come to learn, teach and carry out research at Queen’s University. Faculty and their dependents are eligible for an extensive benefits package including prescription drug coverage, vision care, dental care, long term disability insurance, life insurance and access to the Employee and Family Assistance Program. You will also participate in a pension plan. Tuition assistance is available for qualifying employees, their spouses and dependent children. Queen’s values families and is pleased to provide a ‘top up’ to government parental leave benefits for eligible employees on maternity/parental leave. In addition, Queen’s provides partial reimbursement for eligible daycare expenses for employees with dependent children in daycare. Details are set out in the Queen’s-QUFA Collective Agreement. For more information on employee benefits, see Queen’s Human Resources.

Additional information about Queen’s University can be found on the Faculty Recruitment and Support website. The University is situated on the traditional territories of the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe, in historic Kingston on the shores of Lake Ontario. Kingston’s residents enjoy an outstanding quality of life with a wide range of cultural, recreational, and creative opportunities. Visit Inclusive Queen’s for information on equity, diversity and inclusion resources and initiatives.

This new CRC will enable Queen’s to advance the vital research in Astronomy and Particle Astrophysics at Queen’s. This research has been advanced by the Arthur B. McDonald Canadian Astroparticle Physics Research Institute (McDonald Institute) led by Dr. Tony Noble and complements the extraordinary talent within the Department of Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy. The successful candidate for this position will be an astronomer or astrophysicist with a research program that complements and extends the existing research activities of the Queen’s Astronomy and Particle Astrophysics research groups. Current Astronomy and Astrophysics research includes interests in cosmology, dark matter, general relativity, galaxy structure and formation, globular clusters, the interstellar medium, and star & planet formation. This research is closely related to research in Particle Astrophysics, whose members study neutrino physics, direct detection of dark matter, cosmic rays, cosmology, and high energy theory.

Queen’s University is committed to diversity and inclusion and has an employment equity program that meets the goals of the Canada Research Chairs program and the requirements of our collective agreement with the Faculty Association. Queen’s recognizes Targeted hiring as one essential strategy to address under-representation, remove systemic barriers, and enhance existing employment equity procedures. This appointment is open only to qualified individuals who self-identify as members of one or more of the Four Designated Groups under the Canada Research Chairs Program: women, Indigenous/Aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities and racialized persons/visible minorities.
All applicants will be invited to self-identify once they have applied; those who wish to be considered under our employment equity provisions are required to self-identify. Self-identification information will be held in confidence by the Human Rights and Equity Office and one specially trained member of the selection committee. Shortlisted candidates who self-identify as Indigenous will be asked to verify their identity in accordance with the Hiring of Indigenous Specific Positions - Interim Policy prior to being invited to interview. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, in accordance with Canadian Immigration requirements, Canadian citizens and Permanent Residents of Canada will be given priority.

To comply with federal laws, the University is obliged to gather statistical information as to how many applicants for each job vacancy are Canadian citizens / permanent residents of Canada. Applicants need not identify their country of origin or citizenship; however, all applications must include one of the following statements: “I am a Canadian citizen / permanent resident of Canada”; OR, “I am not a Canadian citizen / permanent resident of Canada”. Applications that do not include this information will be deemed incomplete.
In addition, the impact of certain circumstances that may legitimately affect a nominee’s record of research achievement will be given careful consideration when assessing the nominee’s research productivity. Candidates are encouraged to provide any relevant information about their experience and/or career interruptions.

Prior to May 1, 2022, the University required all students, faculty, staff, and visitors (including contractors) to declare their COVID-19 vaccination status and provide proof that they were fully vaccinated or had an approved accommodation to engage in in-person University activities. These requirements were suspended effective May 1, 2022, but the University may reinstate them at any point.

A complete application consists of:

• a cover letter (including one of the two statements regarding Canadian citizenship / permanent resident status specified in the previous paragraph);
• a current Curriculum Vitae that includes a comprehensive list of publications (with supervised students on publications clearly identified), awards, and grants received;
• a statement of research interests and achievements;
• a short statement of teaching interests, experience and vision which should include a discussion of mentorship;
• an equity, diversity, and inclusion statement that details how the candidate’s past and/or future contributions to diversity and inclusion will advance the University's commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and Indigenization (EDII). We recommend reviewing best practices for EDII in research as laid out by Canadian funding agencies here https://www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/funding-financement/nfrf-fnfr/edi-eng.aspx.
• Three letters of reference to be sent directly to Prof. Rob Knobel, [email protected]
In their application package, candidates should also identify their strengths and experiences with respect to increasing equity, diversity, and inclusion in their institutional environment.

The deadline for applications is July 16, 2023. Applicants are encouraged to send all documents in their application packages electronically as PDFs to Prof. Robert Knobel at [email protected] , although hard copy applications may be submitted to:

Prof. Robert Knobel, Head,
The Department of Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy
Stirling Hall
64 Bader Lane
Queen’s University
Kingston, Ontario
CANADA K7L 3N6

The University will provide support in its recruitment processes to applicants with disabilities, including accommodation that takes into account an applicant’s accessibility needs. If you require accommodation during the interview process, please contact Melissa Balson in The Department of Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy, at [email protected].

Academic staff at Queen’s University are governed by a Collective Agreement between the University and the Queen’s University Faculty Association (QUFA), which is posted at http://queensu.ca/facultyrelations/faculty-librarians-and-archivists/collective-agreement and at http://www.qufa.ca.

Appointments are subject to review and final approval by the Provost. Only nominees external to Queen’s University will be considered. (Please note that, for the purposes of this competition, Queen’s Term Adjuncts and Adjunct-1s will be considered as external nominees).

1 The CRC Program currently employs the categories of the four federally designated groups (FDG) - Women, Indigenous Peoples, Persons with Disabilities, and Members of Visible Minorities - to monitor progress towards meeting equity goals. Queen’s has an under-representation across the FDG’s among Canada Research Chairholders. The Tri-Agency Institutional Programs Secretariat (TIPS) has established targets for CRC representation, with staggered deadlines for meeting targets between the period of 2020 to 2029.