Canada Excellence Research Chair

About the CERC Opportunity

Dalhousie University invites applications from world-class researchers for the 2026 Canada Excellence Research Chairs (CERC) Competition.

The CERC program is an initiative aimed at attracting and retaining the world’s top researchers in fields critical to Canada’s future. The program offers Canadian institutions an opportunity to recruit the top tier of world-class researchers working within the Government of Canada’s Science, Technology and Innovation (ST&I) priorities for the CERC program.

CERC recipients are appointed for an 8-year term, with awards valued at either $8 million ($1M annually) or $4 million ($500k annually). Dalhousie anticipates supporting up to 4 CERC nominations. The award will include a competitive salary and funds to support building a leading research program.

CERC recruitment will be completed in two stages where interested applicants must first apply to Dalhousie University’s open job posting. Successful applicants from the initial review will move onto the second stage where they develop their application in collaboration with the university for submission to the CERC 2026 competition.

The CERC submission process involves registration (due January 21, 2026) and a complete application (due March 18, 2026). Results of the CERC competition will be announced by January 2027. The anticipated start date is Spring 2027. For more details, please visit the CERC competition website.

About Dalhousie

Located on Canada’s East Coast, with campuses in the vibrant oceanside city of Halifax and an Agricultural Campus in Truro —known as the Hub of Nova Scotia— Dalhousie University is proud to serve as the province’s leading research-intensive institution.

We welcome more than 21,000 students from across the province, the country, and over 115 countries worldwide. In addition to our main campuses, Dalhousie offers academic programming and clinical learning opportunities in communities across Nova Scotia, including in Yarmouth and Cape Breton, as well as a medical campus in Saint John, New Brunswick.

Dalhousie combines teaching and research excellence with a strong sense of civic responsibility—attracting more than $250 million in external research funding each year. From connecting graduates to high-demand careers to supporting innovation, to partnering directly with local industries and communities, Dalhousie is committed to building a stronger Nova Scotia while growing our impact nationally and globally.

Qualifications and Eligibility

The CERC program provides an opportunity for international researchers, including Canadian expatriates wishing to relocate to Canada, to lead a prestigious research program at Dalhousie and to contribute to Canada’s excellence in research and innovation.

Applicants must be full professors or associate professors expected to be promoted to full professor within one to two years of the nomination. Alternatively, if they come from outside the academic sector, applicants must possess the qualifications necessary to be appointed at these levels.

Successful candidates will be appointed to an appropriate academic department/school/faculty at Dalhousie University.

Dalhousie’s Strategic Research Clusters

Dalhousie University invites applications from outstanding established researchers whose work aligns with any of the institution’s Strategic Research Clusters outlined below:

• Sustainable ocean: Leading the world in ocean research, Dalhousie scholars advance marine science through research breakthroughs, innovative technology, and global partnerships. Areas of research include climate impact, marine life, technology and engineering, and social and human impact.

• Healthy people, communities, and populations: Dalhousie research aims to improve health systems, develop better treatments, and shape policy, addressing the biological and social determinants of health, driving improved health outcomes for all. Areas of research include infection, immunity, inflammation, and vaccinology; neuroscience and mental health; health aging and healthy development; health equity and access; Indigenous health and wellbeing; Black health and wellbeing; cancer; genomics and other “omics”; technologies and biomaterials; health systems transformations; and prescribing and therapeutics.

• Climate tech and clean energy: Dalhousie researchers are working to develop clean, carbon-free technologies that will support and enable the transition to a more sustainable future. This effort extends towards the engineering and commercialization of innovative breakthroughs, including long-life batteries for electric mobility, new materials, and alternative fuels. Areas of research include: renewable energy generation, storage, and access; clean water, soil, and air; social dimensions of resource and environmental sustainability; sustainable tech and next-gen materials; sustainable and resilient built environment; and green chemistry.

• Culture and society: Research at Dalhousie in the humanities, social sciences, and arts is helping to illuminate our understanding of the world around us and guide us towards solutions to some of society’s most pressing challenges. Areas of research include: African Nova Scotian and Black culture; reconciliation and Indigenous Peoples; ethics and social justice; culture and the arts; rural communities and development; law, governance, and security; migration and global affairs; and organizations, workplaces, and employment.

• Sustainable food systems: Dalhousie researchers are employing cutting-edge methods, like precision agriculture and artificial intelligence, to gain a deep understanding of the mechanisms that drive growth and sustainability to create potential solutions for food challenges on the local and global levels. Research areas include: sustainable agriculture production systems; sustainable fisheries and aquaculture; food safety and nutritional quality; food policy, access, and distribution; food and farming technology; and social dimensions of food system sustainability.

• AI and digital innovation: Dalhousie researchers are using AI to find solutions to pressing local and global challenges, including climate change, health care, food production, and cyber security. Areas of research include: AI and machine learning; bioinformatics and digital technologies for health; digital/precision/smart agriculture; ocean data; sustainable software and computing; and technology and society.

How to Apply

To apply, applicants are asked to provide the following three documents:

• A cover letter that identifies:
  a. Alignment with one or more of Dalhousie’s six Strategic Research Clusters
  b. The applicant’s start-up funding, infrastructure and space, and research team requirements
  c. The applicant’s interest in coming to Dalhousie, including any relevant connections to the university or the region
  

A full curriculum vitae (please include details of research and teaching, scholarly record, funding, collaborations/partnerships with industry, government, not-for-profit, and/or community, and leadership experience).

• A Research Statement, submitted as a single PDF, including the following:
  a. A five-page (maximum) research statement that includes:
  i. An overview of the applicant’s research proposal, including knowledge mobilization and any innovation activities
  ii. How the proposed research embeds equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility (EDIA) considerations at each stage of the research process
  iii. Further details related to alignment with Dalhousie’s Strategic Research Clusters
  iv. Potential to collaborate with other researchers at Dalhousie, Nova Scotia and/or Atlantic Canada, and Canada
  v. Social and economic benefits for Canada that will result from the research program, including potential industry, government, not-for-profit, and/or community partnerships
  vi. Contribution and fit to the research ecosystem in Canada and internationally
  b. A one-page (maximum) statement that describes the applicant’s past experience with attracting and mentoring a diverse group of students, trainees and research personnel, and establishing an equitable and inclusive research environment, as well as a plan for establishing and maintaining a diverse core team and an equitable and inclusive research environment.
  c. One page (maximum), if applicable: demonstrate how the proposed research program will value Indigenous ways of knowing, and how it will extend research knowledge in the field that is significant for Indigenous Peoples and communities and contribute to decolonization.
  d. For applicants currently at a Canadian institution only, a one-page (maximum) justification outlining the net benefit for Canada in moving from one Canadian institution to another.

Application materials must be submitted via PeopleAdmin. Review of applications will begin on July 2, 2025 and continue until nominations are filled. (To ensure consideration of your application, please be sure to submit by the deadline above). Any general inquiries regarding this posting may be directed to [email protected].

Championing equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility (EDIA) is integral to Dalhousie’s vision, mission, actions, and culture, and influences how we interact with one another on a daily basis. Our work in this area requires both acknowledging historical injustice and addressing ongoing systemic inequalities within our campus community and beyond.

Dalhousie University commits to achieving inclusive excellence through continually championing equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. The university encourages applications from Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island (especially Mi’kmaq), persons of Black/African descent (especially African Nova Scotians), and members of other racialized groups, persons with disabilities, women, persons identifying as members of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, and all candidates who would contribute to the diversity of our community. In accordance with our Employment Equity Policy, preference will be given in hiring processes to candidates who self-identify as members of one or more of the equity-deserving groups listed above. For more information, including details related to our Employment Equity Policy and Plan and definitions of equity-deserving groups please visit www.dal.ca/hiringfordiversity.

Dalhousie recognizes that career paths can be diverse and that career interruptions may occur. Applicants are encouraged to include, in their cover letter or CV, an explanation of the impact that any career interruptions may have had on their record of research achievement. This may include impacts related to life circumstances, for example, illness, disability, family and community responsibilities (e.g., maternity leave, parental leave, leaves due to illness, leaves due to caring for family members, slowdowns due to chronic illness or disability, or COVID-19 impacts).

Dalhousie University recognizes its obligation to accommodate candidates to ensure full, fair, and equitable participation in the hiring process. Our complete Accommodation Policy can be viewed online at: www.dal.ca/policies. To request accommodation at any stage in the hiring process, please contact Kaitlyn Farrell at[email protected].

Dalhousie University operates in the unceded territories of the Mi’kmaw, Wolastoqey, and Peskotomuhkati Peoples. These sovereign nations hold inherent rights as the original peoples of these lands, and we each carry collective obligations under the Peace and Friendship Treaties. Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982 recognizes and affirms Aboriginal and Treaty rights in Canada.

We recognize that African Nova Scotians are a distinct people whose histories, legacies and contributions have enriched that part of Mi’kma’ki known as Nova Scotia for over 400 years.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

The position is subject to the availability of funding and to final approval by Dalhousie University and the Tri-Agency Institutional Programs Secretariat (TIPS). The Canada Excellence Research Chair is tenable for eight years. Interested applicants are invited to review the program details: https://www.cerc.gc.ca/program-programme/competitions-concours/2026/index-eng.aspx.

Candidates may also be considered as a nominee for a Canada Research Chair (CRC) position or other available opportunities at Dalhousie. The CRC program was established by the Canadian Federal Government with the purpose of attracting outstanding researchers to the Canadian university system. Please contact the research grants office and see the CRC website (www.chairs.gc.ca) for more information on eligibility. Information about current CRC opportunities at Dalhousie is available here.