Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Multifunctional Materials

Lakehead University

Lakehead University (Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada)

Tenure-Track or Tenured Associate or Full Professor Appointment

Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Multifunctional Materials

Lakehead University invites applications for a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair (CRC) in the area of Sustainable, Multifunctional Materials. This tenure-track or tenured appointment will be at the rank of Associate or Full Professor. This CRC position is for seven (7) years and may be renewed once. Tier 1 Canada Research Chairs are intended for outstanding and innovative established researchers whose accomplishments have made a major impact in their fields and are recognized as leaders in their discipline.

The ideal candidate will be an experienced scholar with an outstanding record of interdisciplinary research as evidenced by publications in peer-reviewed journals, grant-funded research, and knowledge mobilization activities. The Chair will work closely with colleagues in the Faculty of Engineering and other related disciplines and will have outstanding expertise and a proven track record of research in the area of innovative materials made from renewable resources or recycled materials that perform multiple functions. The Chair will lead and participate in local, national and international research initiatives aimed at environmental, economic, and social benefits.

Lakehead University and our Community
Lakehead is a fully comprehensive university with approximately 9,700 full-time equivalent students and over 2,000 faculty and staff at two campuses in Orillia and Thunder Bay, Ontario. Lakehead has 9 faculties, including Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Graduate Studies, Health & Behavioural Sciences, Law, Natural Resources Management, Science & Environmental Studies, and Social Sciences & Humanities. Lakehead University’s achievements have been recognized nationally and internationally, including being the highest ranked university in the world with fewer than 9,000 students for its global impact according to the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings. Lakehead placed in the top 70 in the world based on our efforts in advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), reflecting the University’s commitment to social, cultural and environmental sustainability, and good health and well-being. For the fourth year in a row, THE World University Rankings (2023) ranks Lakehead in the top 800 globally out of more than 1,600 participating institutions from 99 countries.

Lakehead University is recognized as one of Canada’s top research-intensive universities in its category for the last decade (Research Info$ource). Aligned with our Strategic Plan, Research Plan, CRC Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan, and Institutional EDI Action Plan, we are actively recruiting outstanding scholars to enhance and grow our research and innovation capacity. Situated in the diverse and multicultural communities of Thunder Bay and Orillia, our unique campuses and their locations inspire us to discover and innovate in exciting and non-traditional ways.

Lakehead is a comprehensive university with a reputation for innovative programs and cutting-edge research. Our campuses are located in Thunder Bay on the traditional lands of the Fort William First Nation, Signatory to the Robinson Superior Treaty of 1850 and in Orillia on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabeg, and Rama First Nation. Lakehead University acknowledges the history that many nations hold in the areas around our campuses and is committed to a relationship with Métis and Inuit and First Nations peoples.

The Faculty
The Faculty of Engineering at Lakehead University provides undergraduate and graduate degrees for six branches of engineering. Please visit our Faculty website for more information.

Requirements
Tier 1 CRCs are for established researchers, acknowledged by their peers as exceptional leaders in their field. Candidates for Tier 1 Chair positions must meet all the requirements for Tier 1 CRCs, and be full professors or associate professors who are expected to be promoted to full professor within one or two years of the appointment.

Successful candidates will:
● Be outstanding and innovative 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 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.

CRCs at Lakehead University are appointed and governed by the provisions of the Lakehead University Faculty Association Collective Agreement and CRC EDI Action Plan. For the duration of the CRC, the CRC will be given a reduced teaching load in order to dedicate the majority of their time to research, an annual research grant, and research space and equipment appropriate for the proposed CRC’s program of research.

In accordance with the Lakehead University Faculty Association Collective Agreement, candidates who do not have a doctorate degree may be considered when exceptional research and scholarly and creative output compensates for lesser degree qualifications (LUFA 25.02.02 (B)). Similarly, in line with Indigenous values and practices in support of Indigenous ways of doing, being, seeing, and community-based research, consideration will be given for work with Indigenous communities. This would include any combination of experience related to developing Indigenous community-based projects or initiatives such as formal long-term working relationships with Chiefs and Councils or other Indigenous organizations, proposal writing and funding applications outside of the normally accepted traditional, academic research funding sources (e.g. Tri-Agency Funding), Indigenous community-based initiatives in capacity building or governance, or demonstration of Indigenous traditional knowledge, how that knowledge was learned, and how it would contribute (where appropriate) to the candidate's research program.

Application Deadline and Process
The Faculty of Engineering will review applications on June 16, 2025 and the position will remain open until filled.

A complete application as one electronic pdf file consists of:
● Letter of application (1 page) that includes your interest in the position; what you would bring to the department and faculty; the impact that your research will have on the field of Sustainable Multifunctional Materials (your research statement can elaborate on this); and what makes you a strong candidate overall as a researcher, educator, and community member;
● A curriculum vitae (CV) (following the CRC guidelines) that provides a clear sense of your scholarly and professional development via your education and your research activities and outcomes; your contributions to making your research more equitable and inclusive as a discipline through committee work, community engagement, social media, and advocacy.
Please only include the four sections (free form), as outlined by the CRC, in your CV:
A) Education: List your academic and professional experience, beginning with your most recent.
B) Affiliation and employment: List your affiliation and employment, beginning with your current or most recent position (academic, research, professional and industrial).
C) Funding history: List grants and contracts from all sources, including industry and academic research institutions (Five years for new Tier 1 nominees; in instances of career interruptions and/or special circumstances).
D) Interruptions and special circumstances: An important evaluation criterion in the CRC program is the excellence of the applicant. A key factor in assessing this is the research productivity of the individual. The CRC program acknowledges that certain circumstances may legitimately affect an applicant’s record of research achievement. Applicants are encouraged to explain any interruptions or other circumstances that have affected their productivity, if applicable, to allow for a fair assessment of their application.
● Description of Proposed Research Program (up to 6 pages following the CRC guidelines) that describes your proposed CRC program of research using CRC section headings: executive summary, context, methodology, engagement with research users and communication of results, description of proposed training strategies, and list of references (page limitation excludes the summary and list of references) (see link provided (under the Nomination heading) for further instructions on requirements for each section and link for Lakehead University’s Strategic Research Plan).
● A list of your five most significant contributions (no page limit) (following the CRC guidelines) Describe the five most significant research contributions that you have made during your career and explain the significance of each.
● Research Contributions (no page limit) (following the CRC guidelines) Describe the contributions that you have made in your research area during the time period in which you have received research funding. Please group your research contributions by category in the following order, with the most recent contributions listed first:
A) Published refereed contributions, such as: books (where applicable, subdivide according to those that are single-authored, co-authored and edited works), monographs, book chapters, and articles in scholarly refereed journals. “Refereed contributions” assumes assessment of the work in its entirety—not merely of an abstract or extract—before publication, and by appropriately independent, anonymous and qualified experts (i.e., assessors who are at arm’s length from the author).
B) Other refereed contributions, such as: conference proceedings, papers presented at scholarly meetings or conferences, articles in professional or trade journals, government publications, etc.
C) Non-refereed contributions, such as: book reviews, published reviews of your work, research reports, policy papers, public lectures, creative works, papers in conference proceedings, specialized publications, technical reports, internal reports, discussions, abstracts, symposium records, monographs, books or book chapters, conference presentations, government publications, etc.
D) Forthcoming contributions: Indicate one of the following statuses: “submitted,” “revised and submitted,” “accepted” or “in press.” Provide the name of the journal or book publisher, and the number of pages.
E) Creative outputs: List your most recent and significant achievements (if applicable), grouping them by category. Creative outputs will be evaluated according to established disciplinary standards, as well as creative and/or artistic merit. Creative outputs may include, e.g., exhibitions, performances, publications, presentations, film, video, audio recordings, etc. If applicable, you may include website links.
● Teaching statement (up to 1 page) and a dossier of syllabi and other evidence, if available. These must demonstrate how you engage, encourage, and develop the learning capacity of students entering higher education from a diverse array of backgrounds, and how you embed practices and principles of equity, diversity and inclusion in your classroom, your assignments, and your classroom style.
● Leadership Statement (no page limit) (following the CRC guidelines) Describe and give evidence for your international leadership qualities and any involvement in broader intellectual leadership activities; Provide evidence of international leadership. Describe any involvement in broader intellectual leadership activities, such as stewardship of initiatives at a national or international level that have had an influence or impact that extends beyond your own institution. If applicable, please also describe how you have improved your institution's ability to leverage additional research resources (including financial and non-financial resources).
● Training and Supervisory Experience Statement (no page limit) (following the CRC guidelines) Describe your experience as a supervisor. Describe your role in training students (e.g., doctoral, master’s, undergraduate) and other trainees. Describe your role in supervising or co-supervising ongoing and/or completed theses at the doctoral, master’s and/or undergraduate level. Describe the steps that you have taken to involve students (e.g., doctoral, master’s, undergraduate) in their research activities.
● Other Contributions (no page limit) (following the CRC guidelines) Describe any other activities that show the impact of your work, such as awards; contributions to scientific peer review (membership on peer review committees, external reviews, etc.); consulting; contributions to professional practice or public policy; membership on committees, boards, or policy-making bodies with government or the private sector.
● The names and contact information for three references, one of whom must be at arm’s length.
● A Self-Identification Survey is mandatory and must be completed by applicants. This survey can be found at https://forms.gle/sA5uWmTTdZXK6yNB7.

Women and gender minorities, persons with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples and racialized individuals are encouraged to apply.

Please note that the CRC Program imposes no restrictions on nominees with regard to nationality or country of residence; however, applicants should indicate their current citizenship status within their application.

Complete applications are to be directed via email to:
Dr. Janusz Kozinski
Dean of Engineering
Email: jkozinsk@lakeheadu.ca

Please note that only those selected for an interview will be notified.

The successful candidate will be expected to work with the Office of Research Services in completing a complete nomination package due to the CRC Secretariat on October 21, 2025.

If you have questions about the CRC program at Lakehead University, please contact Anne Klymenko, Director, Research Services by email: anne.klymenko@lakeheadu.ca or by telephone at 807-343-8110 Ext. 8223.

Equity Statement
Lakehead University has an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan 2019-2024 with a goal to recruit and retain a diverse workforce as measured by increasing representation of under-represented groups among applicants, candidates and hires. We encourage candidates to self-identify, if you are from an under-represented group, and prefer candidates with the knowledge, competencies and relationships derived from lived experience.

Lakehead University recognizes that alternative career paths and/or career interruptions (e.g., maternity leave, parental leave, leave due to illness, leaves due to caring for family members, or slowdowns due to chronic illness or disability) can impact research achievements and commits to ensuring that leaves are taken into careful consideration in the assessment of the candidate. Candidates are encouraged to highlight how alternative paths and/or interruptions have impacted their research in their application. Lakehead also recognizes the value of mentoring and research training, outreach, professional service, community-based research, other forms of scholarly expression, and/or research outputs; demonstrated experience in increasing diversity in the previous institutional environment, and in curriculum, is also an asset.

Lakehead University is committed to supporting an accessible environment. Applicants requiring accommodation during the interview process should contact the Office of Human Resources at (807) 343.8010 ext. 8334 or human.resources@lakeheadu.ca to make appropriate arrangements.

Please visit our Office of Human Rights and Equity website: https://www.lakeheadu.ca/faculty-and-staff/departments/services/human-rights-and-equity and our Human Resources policies related to accommodations and supports: https://www.lakeheadu.ca/faculty-and-staff/policies/human-resources to explore all of the supports our organization provides to enable a strong and connected employment experience. Should an applicant require accommodations for interviews or other meetings, please contact Human Resources at (807) 343-8334 or by emailing human.resources@lakeheadu.ca.

Additional Information
Additional information regarding the Canada Research Chair program can be found at:
https://www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca/program-programme/nomination-mise_en_candidature-eng.aspx#s2. Tier 1 CRC nominees must be Associate or Full Professors. The Canada Research Chairs Program supports outstanding researchers in areas that will further Lakehead's Research Plan. All Chair nominations are conditional and subject to review and final approval by the CRC Secretariat. Please consult the Canada Research Chairs website https://www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca for full program information and further details on eligibility criteria. Information regarding our CRC EDI Action Plan is available here: https://www.lakeheadu.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/111/LakeheadU_CRC%20EDI%20Action%20Plan_ETWG_Sept%2027_2019_final.pdf and information regarding our EDI policies can be found here: https://www.lakeheadu.ca/faculty-and-staff/departments/services/human-rights-and-equity/resources