Canada Research Chair (Tier II), Neuromorphic Technologies

University of Calgary

The Schulich School of Engineering, in partnership with the Hotchkiss Brain Institute (HBI), at the University of Calgary invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor with an anticipated start date of January 1, 2025. The selected candidate will be nominated for a Tier II Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Neuromorphic Technologies. Further information about the Canada Research Chairs Program can be found on the Government of Canada’s CRC website (https://www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca/home-accueil-eng.aspx) including eligibility criteria.

The successful candidate will be appointed to a tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) and will be a full member of the HBI. In alignment with the University of Calgary's Ahead of Tomorrow strategic plan and in support of its strategic academic and research priorities, the successful candidate will actively contribute to research, student/postdoc supervision, undergraduate and graduate teaching as well as curriculum development. In time, the successful candidate is expected to grow into a leadership role within the department, school, institute, and university. The successful candidate will also provide service to the department, faculty, institute, university, and community and contribute to achieving equitable, diverse, inclusive and accessible employment practices and workplaces.

The successful candidate is expected to establish a strong research program in the area of neuromorphic technologies within BME and the HBI computational neuroscience initiative, with the potential to achieve national and international recognition in the next five to ten years. They will be expected to attract competitive external funding to support their research activities and to attract excellent trainees and staff. They will also be expected to teach a range of undergraduate and graduate courses, related to their area of expertise. In alignment with the University of Calgary's strategic vision, and in support of its strategic priorities of leadership, teaching and research integration, the successful applicant will actively contribute to teaching and curriculum development.

The successful candidate will be an emerging scholar with an original, creative, innovative, and forward-looking research program, acknowledged by their peers as having the potential to become an international leader in the field. Applicants must have earned a PhD in engineering, life sciences, or equivalent. They must have demonstrated evidence of scholarly impact, research productivity, research funding, transdisciplinary collaboration, and the ability to lead a productive independent research group. The ability to attract, supervise and mentor graduate students is essential. Applicants should also show that they have experience in teaching at the graduate and undergraduate level and contributing to their department/school/community.

In accordance with the regulations set for Tier II Canada Research Chairs, applicants must have received their Ph.D. within the last 10 years and be an emerging world-class researcher. Candidates who are more than 10 years from having earned their highest degree and who have had career breaks, such as maternity, parental, or extended sick leave, and research interruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, etc., may have their eligibility for a Tier II Chair assessed through the program's Tier II justification process. Please contact UCalgary's Office of Research Services for more information: ipd@ucalgary.ca. Further information about the Canada Research Chair Program, including eligibility criteria, can be found on the Government of Canada's CRC website.

The successful candidate’s research program will focus on advancing one or more areas in the field of Neuromorphic Technologies. Research areas and applications of interest to BME and the HBI include developing 1) new brain-inspired algorithms and neuromorphic hardware, and 2) sensory processing systems suitable for brain-computer applications. Candidates with other related activities in the computational neuroscience/brain computer interface/neuromorphic technologies space are also valued by the University of Calgary and these applicants are encouraged to apply. The research area exemplifies the University of Calgary’s vision of research that is built around areas of excellence, entrepreneurial thinking, innovation, advanced technology, and strong connections to industry and community.

The successful candidate will have a mandate to establish a research program that advances critically required knowledge for neuromorphic technologies, that will attract competitive external funding, and to contribute to teaching and graduate student supervision at the University level. They are expected to be or become eligible for registration as a professional engineer with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) (https://www.apega.ca/). If any candidates require further information about this criterion, they are encouraged to contact the BME Department Head.
The University of Calgary is committed to fostering diversity through cultivating an environment where people with a variety of backgrounds, genders, interests and talents feel welcome and included. In 2016, the Schulich School of Engineering was recognized with the KNOVO Award of Distinction to honour the school’s commitment to diversity and equity.

The new Biomedical Engineering Department, with new teaching labs and renovated research labs, is the home of undergraduate (BSc) and graduate (MEng, MSc, PhD) programs and is an anchor for cross-campus transdisciplinary activities in Biomedical Engineering. Biomedical Engineering activities occur across multiple faculties at the University of Calgary (ucalgary.ca/bme) and involve more than 300 faculty members with current annual research funding exceeding $75M. The university has made significant investments in Biomedical Engineering to date, including the allocation of six Tier 1 and nine Tier 2 Canada Research Chairs. A strong culture of collaboration and cross-disciplinary research excellence is enabled by significant research infrastructure located in multiple centers across campus. The University of Calgary’s transdisciplinary Biomedical Engineering research initiative drives innovations that are saving lives and revolutionizing health care. Biomedical Engineering is led by the Schulich School of Engineering, with the Cumming School of Medicine, and the faculties of Kinesiology, Nursing, Science, and Veterinary Medicine. With collaborative teams focused on human mobility, health monitoring and management including e-health, advanced biomedical imaging, precision bio-diagnostics, regenerative medicine and novel medical technologies, our researchers are transforming health services and quality of life.

The HBI is an institute based in the Cumming School of Medicine that leads the university’s Brain and Mental Health (BMH) research initiative which brings together over 300 full members working in this area from across the university. Following from its vision ¿Healthy Brains for Better Lives¿, the strategic goals of the HBI are to make key, internationally recognized discoveries and transform clinical research in the neurosciences and mental health. To achieve this goal the HBI has created a ‘NeuroDiscovery Framework’, which aligns research within three themes of Brain & Behaviour, Neural Injury & Repair and Healthy Brain Aging. Each theme is composed of BMH Teams organized in a translational continuum, which includes biomedical, clinical, population and public health researchers. The teams take advantage of several key technology platforms, core facilities (such as optogenetics, neurostimulation, and advanced microscopy) and programs that support them in the pursuit of their research goals, including a nationally recognized computational neuroscience initiative. This highly enriched environment is ideally suited to foster research excellence.

The successful candidate will benefit from a rich academic ecosystem, which includes world-class scholars, a focus on entrepreneurship and innovation, and an equitable, diverse, and inclusive university community that supports transdisciplinary research, partnerships and collaborations, and education excellence. The Schulich School of Engineering Strategic Plan, Schulich Momentum, identifies four pillars: 1) Indigenous Engagement, Inclusivity and Reconciliation; 2) Fostering a Community through Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility; 3) Preparing Tomorrow’s Engineering Changemakers; and 4) Elevating Research and Innovation Impact. Similarly, research and educational activities in the Hotchkiss Brain Institute are supported by its ¿Creating Impact: The Hotchkiss Brain Institute Strategy 2023-2027". The Schulich School of Engineering and the Hotchkiss Brain Institute are both key contributors to the University of Calgary Ahead of Tomorrow strategic plan, which emphasizes transdisciplinary scholarship, deeper community integration, and future-focused program delivery. For more information, please visit the Schulich School of Engineering or Hotchkiss Brain Institute websites.

For more information and to apply: https://careers.ucalgary.ca/jobs/14468265-canada-research-chair-tier-ii-neuromorphic-technologies

Interested candidates are encouraged to submit an application online via the UCalgary Careers site. Please be aware that the application process allows for only four attachments. Your four application attachments should be organized to contain the following (which may require you to merge documents, such as publications):

• Cover letter and curriculum vitae, as well as the name and contact information of three referees
• Statement of research interests, accomplishments and vision (maximum 2 pages)
• Statement of teaching philosophy promoting student learning and success (maximum 2 pages). This can include information on teaching experience, training, and mentoring inside and outside the classroom at the undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral levels
• Statement on equity, diversity and inclusion (maximum 2 pages) (https://www.ucalgary.ca/equity-diversity-inclusion)

Applications are accepted until November 30, 2024.

Questions may be addressed to:
Dr. Michael Kallos
Head, Department of Biomedical Engineering
Email: mskallos@ucalgary.ca

The University of Calgary adheres to the principles of the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) and strives to evaluate research impact responsibly and inclusively by explicitly considering discipline-appropriate methods for demonstrating the quality, significance, and societal impact of a broad range of research contributions.

The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.
As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (equity@ucalgary.ca) and requests for accommodations can be sent to Human Resources (hrhire@ucalgary.ca).

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. In this connection, at the time of your application, please answer the following question: Are you a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada? (Yes/No)

The University of Calgary recognizes that candidates have varying career paths and that career interruptions can be part of an excellent academic record. Candidates are encouraged but not required to provide any relevant information about their experience and/or career interruptions to allow for a fair assessment of their application. Selection committees have been instructed to give careful consideration to, and be sensitive to the impact of career interruptions, when assessing the candidate’s research productivity.

For a listing of all academic opportunities at the University of Calgary, view our Academic Careers website. For more information about the Schulich School of Engineering, click here.

About the University of Calgary
UCalgary is Canada's entrepreneurial university, located in Canada's most enterprising city. It is a top research university and one of the highest-ranked universities of its age. Founded in 1966, its 36,000 students experience an innovative learning environment, made rich by research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. It is Canada's leader in the creation of start-ups. Start something today at the University of Calgary. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca.

About Calgary, Alberta
Calgary is one of the world's cleanest cities and has been named one of the world's most livable cities for years. Calgary is a city of leaders - in business, community, philanthropy and volunteerism. Calgarians benefit from a growing number of world-class dining and cultural events and enjoy more days of sunshine per year than any other major Canadian city. Calgary is less than an hour's drive from the majestic Rocky Mountains and boasts the most extensive urban pathway and bikeway network in North America.