Indigenous Research Institute (MIRI), McMaster University, Hamilton, ON/Canada
McMaster University invites applications for the Director of the McMaster Institute of Indigenous Research (MIRI). The institute was officially launched on 1 July 2016. The Director will have an internationally distinguished program of research and teaching record in any area of Indigenous Research. S/he will be appointed (tenure track or tenured) at the Associate Professor or Professor level to one or more of the six faculties at McMaster University (DeGroote School of Business, Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Health Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, Faculty of Science, Faculty of Social Sciences). The appointment as Director will be for a five year, renewable term.
Job Description
The Director is expected to raise awareness, attract substantial research support, educate and advance Indigenous research methodologies. S/he will emphasize and support community capacity building and research priorities, promote and foster innovation, collaboration and partnership, enhance existing research infrastructure at McMaster and build sustainable Indigenous research infrastructure. S/he will also be very active in the recruitment, mentorship and training of undergraduates, graduate students and post-doctoral fellows, and work to build greater research capacity and strength in Indigenous research across all faculties at McMaster University. Details are available at Terms of Reference.
McMaster has a geographic proximity to Six Nations of the Grand River, the largest First Nation in Canada, along with a quarter century of collaborative work developing Indigenous educational and research programs. President Patrick Deane’s principles and priorities articulated in his “Forward with Integrity” open letter to the University community include: cultivating human potential; adopting a multi-disciplinary perspective; and engaging our local, national, and international community. Furthermore, he has given our researchers the mandate to “build on the work that has already begun to strengthen and support Indigenous learners and Indigenous scholarship”.
Additionally, McMaster University is ranked in the top 100 of both the Shanghai Jiao Tong University Academic Ranking of World Universities and the Times Higher Education World University Rankings. A medium-sized university, it nonetheless has the sixth-largest research income in Canada. It has a large, attractive campus, the interior of which is open only to pedestrians and cyclists, and is at the western end of Lake Ontario. The University is minutes from downtown Hamilton and the activities that a major city has to offer. Hamilton has been ranked among the top cities in Canada to do business and to invest.
McMaster University has a strong commitment to achieving diversity among faculty and staff that reflects the multicultural makeup of our student body. The successful candidate will be committed to inclusion and excellence and the search Committee is especially interested in candidates who can contribute, through their research, teaching and/or service, to the diversity of the academic community. Women and applicants from traditionally underrepresented populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Gender diversity is being addressed at McMaster University through our policies and actions. One recent action in this area was the completion of a gender pay equity study and a resultant base salary adjustment applied to all female faculty members in July 2015.
Faculty members at McMaster University enjoy a number of both personal and professional benefits. University employees are offered an excellent benefits package which includes, but is not limited to, extended health care benefits, dental care, group life, long term disability, worldwide travel assistance, and retirement plan. Progressive policies are in place to assist faculty men and women who become parents or are needed to care for family members.
How To Apply
Applications must consist of a cover letter, curriculum vitae, a research dossier that includes a statement of research interests and plans, and a teaching dossier that includes a teaching philosophy and evidence of teaching experience and effectiveness. Applicants should also arrange for four letters of reference to be submitted directly to Dr. Robert Baker, Vice-President, Research, McMaster University, including two letters that speak to academic and research performance, one that speaks to community engagement and one (in either written or oral form) from an Indigenous elder, community leader or Indigenous organization that you are affiliated with. Mail reference letters to Dr. Robert Baker, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Gilmour Hall-208, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, L8S 4K1; or e-mail to research@mcmaster.ca.
Complete applications must be made online at www.workingatmcmaster.ca/careers (Faculty Postings, Job #12404) to the attention of Dr. Robert Baker, Vice-President, Research, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Gilmour Hall-208, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, L8S 4K1.
Complete applications that are received by 31 March 2017 will receive full consideration. Review of applications will continue until the position is filled. The effective date of appointment is negotiable but 1 July 2017 is preferred. All applicants will receive an on-line confirmation of receipt of their application; however, only short-listed applicants will be contacted for interviews.
Employment Equity Statement
All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply. McMaster University is strongly committed to employment equity within its community and to recruiting a diverse faculty and staff. The University encourages applications from all qualified candidates including women, persons with disabilities, First Nations, Metis and Inuit persons, members of racialized communities and LGBTQ-identified persons.
McMaster recognizes the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and In keeping with the spirit of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, we welcome applications from Indigenous candidates from across Turtle Island.
If you require any form of accommodation throughout the recruitment and selection procedure, please contact the Human Resources Service Centre at 1-905-525-9140 ext. 222-HR (22247).