CRC SSHRC Tier 2 in Psychology of Just, Inclusive, Sustainable Futures

Dec. 19, 2022

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Faculty/Academic Area: Faculty of Science 

Department: Psychology 

Campus: Waterloo 

Employee Group: WLUFA 

Requisition ID: 5212 


The Department of Psychology at Wilfrid Laurier University invites applications for a tenured or tenure-track Tier 2 Canada Research Chair (SSHRC) in the Psychology of Just, Inclusive, and Sustainable Futures. Applicants must be limited-term, tenure-track or tenured faculty members currently employed at Laurier.

The Canada Research Chairs Program is a key component of a strategy to make Canada one of the world’s top countries in research and development (www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca). In alignment with the goals of the Department of Psychology and the CRC Program’s equity target goals, this position is only open to candidates who identify as a member of a racialized group.

Tier 2 Canada Research Chairs are intended for exceptional emerging researchers; candidates typically must be within 10 years of obtaining their PhD. However, it is recognized that career breaks due to personal leaves can have legitimate impacts on an applicant’s record of research achievements. Applicants who are more than 10 years from having earned their highest degree and have had career breaks due to maternity, parental or extended sick leaves, family care or other similar reasons may still be eligible and are encouraged to apply. Eligibility can be assessed through the program’s Tier 2 justification process. Please consult the CRC website for details about eligibility or contact Charity Parr-Vasquez (cparrvasquez@wlu.ca), Assistant Vice-President, Research, for more information.

The Canada Research Chair (SSHRC) Tier 2 in Psychology of Just, Inclusive, and Sustainable Futures will actively grow and foster Laurier as an exceptional learning and research community for students, faculty, and communities through its thriving partnerships with regional, provincial, and national community organizations and groups and with links to global researchers and institutions.

The Chair will generate actionable knowledge that will inform scholarship, practice, and policy related to creating socially just and environmentally sustainable futures where all communities and individuals belong and can thrive. This includes psychological and systems knowledge of how to best manage today’s complex and emerging challenges such as global climate change, increasing inequality, and public health crises in ways that do not exacerbate existing inequalities but, instead, create opportunities and approaches for reducing them. A special emphasis of this chair is on generating psychologically-informed, transdisciplinary knowledge that will reduce important gaps that exist in dealing with complex questions that lie at the intersection of key societal challenges such as economic inequality, decolonization, environmental sustainability, anti-Black racism, disability rights, and gender equality. 

The Chair is aligned with three research foci identified in Laurier’s Strategic Research Plan namely Environment and Sustainability, Psychological and Social Determinants of Health and Well-being, and Indigeneity, De-colonization, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion.

The successful candidate will have a demonstrated capacity to develop an externally funded, world-class research program and to contribute to the training and mentorship of graduate and undergraduate students through their research program. They will be expected to secure external funding, including through SSHRC. In addition, the successful candidate must have an established network and demonstrated experience working with Indigenous and/or equity-deserving communities. 

The candidate is also expected to have demonstrated teaching proficiency and to make contributions to undergraduate teaching in Psychology that align with their expertise. Through community-engaged courses, the Chair will facilitate experiential learning about the foundations of just, inclusive and sustainable futures at the intersection of psychological, cultural, social, ecological, economic, and political spheres. Considerations of how the candidate could potentially contribute to our undergraduate programming in our new Milton campus will be perceived as positive (e.g., an interdisciplinary course on developing just, inclusive, and sustainable futures). They will also contribute to teaching, supervision, and mentoring in Psychology graduate programs, and will participate in the administrative activities of the department.

Psychology is the largest and very active department within the Faculty of Science, with leading researchers in many fields and a commitment to building collaborative interdisciplinary research partnerships to address complex and diverse issues. The department offers undergraduate BA and BSc programs in Psychology. At the graduate level, the department offers MA, MSc and PhD degrees across five areas (Behavioural and Cognitive Neuroscience, Community, Developmental, and Social Psychology). Faculty members in psychology lead three different research centres, including two that are closely linked to this CRC: the Centre for Community Research, Learning and Action (CCRLA) and the Viessmann Centre for Engagement and Research in Sustainability (VERiS). We expect that this CRC would further strengthen the global leadership role of the Community Psychology program while simultaneously building bridges across the psychological areas, something that our psychology department has emphasized as an important strategic goal.

Qualifications

This position is only open to current Assistant or Associate Professors at Laurier who identify as members of a racialized group. The successful candidate will be nominated for a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair and will be appointed as a tenured or tenure-track faculty member at the Assistant or Associate Professor level in the Department of Psychology, conditional on CRC application approval.

To be considered, applicants must have a PhD in Psychology, Environmental Studies, or a related discipline. A background in community and/or environmental psychology is a plus.

Applicants must have an established scholarly record of psychological research commensurate to career stage, including state-of-the-art research and knowledge mobilization and dissemination. The research record must include scholarship pertinent to the psychology of just, sustainable, and inclusive futures. Applicants also must have a strong track record of obtaining Tri-agency and other external funding.

Applicants must have demonstrated teaching experience and development of courses at the undergraduate and/or graduate levels, as well as a demonstrated ability to train and mentor undergraduate and graduate students.

How to Apply

Applicants should submit the following:

• Cover letter outlining their qualifications for the position
• Curriculum vitae
• Brief research plan (no more than 5 pages)
• Teaching statement outlining teaching philosophy, experience, and interests (two-pages),
• PDF copies or another electronic format of up to three of their most significant contributions that represent their research accompanied by a detailed description of their significance
• Contact information of three referees willing to provide a letter of reference
• As this position is open only to those who identify as racialized (i.e. person of colour, visible minority…), candidates must confirm their eligibility as a racialized candidate in the cover letter. Also, in accordance with the CRC’s Requirements for Recruitment guidelines, applicants are encouraged to complete the applicant equity survey. For more information on Laurier’s CRC equity, diversity and inclusion commitments, please visit the Laurier’s CRC Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan.

Applicants are also encouraged to include statements in their cover letter that speak to their experience with and commitment to issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion (e.g., scholarship, teaching, mentoring, and lived experience).

The impact of career interruptions (e.g., parental leave, extended leaves due to illness, the COVID-19 pandemic, etc.) will be carefully considered when reviewing candidates’ eligibility and record of research achievement. Therefore, candidates are encouraged to explain in their cover letter how career interruptions may have impacted them.

Application packages should be submitted electronically to Dr. Roger Buehler, Chair, Department of Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University, c/o Lucy Carreiro lcarreiro@wlu.ca. Applications will be accepted until January 29th, 2023. The anticipated start date is July 1, 2024 (or later), subject to the successful candidate’s availability and the timeline for the Tier 2 CRC nomination process.

Equity, diversity, and creating a culture of inclusion are part of Laurier’s core values and central to the Laurier Strategy. Laurier is committed to increasing the diversity of faculty and staff. We welcome applications from qualified candidates who also identify as Indigenous, racialized or having disabilities, and qualified candidates of any sexual and gender identity. Candidates who would like to learn more about equity and inclusive programing at Laurier are welcome to contact the Office of Indigenous Initiatives at indigenous@wlu.ca and/or Equity and Accessibility at equity@wlu.ca.

Laurier strives to make our application process accessible and provides accommodations for both applicants and employees as outlined in Policy 8.7. If you require assistance applying for this position, would like this job posting in an alternative format, or would like to discuss accessibility and accommodations during the recruitment process please contact Laurier’s Equity and Accessibility Officer at accessibility@wlu.ca.

To obtain a copy of this job ad (or links referenced) in an accessible format or if there are any questions concerning the recruitment process, please contact Dr. Roger Buehler, Chair, Department of Psychology, psychologychair@wlu.ca.