NSERC Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Building Science

Located in downtown Toronto, the largest and most culturally diverse city in Canada, is situated on the territory of the Anishinaabeg, Haudenosaunee, Mississaugas of the Credit and the Wendat Peoples, the Department of Architectural Science (DAS) in the Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) invites applications for a NSERC Tier 2 Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Building Science.

Building science bridges architecture and engineering, seeking to apply building physics to architectural design and assess the interaction among building components, its users, and the environment. In 2008, TMU’s Building Science graduate program (PhD, MASc, MBSc) was the first of its kind, and continues to be a leader amongst such programs across Canada. Graduates benefit from our downtown campus location and proximity to Canada’s leading building science consulting firms.

The Canada Research Chairs Program is a federally funded program that seeks to achieve excellence by attracting and retaining the most accomplished and promising researchers. The Tier 2 CRC is intended for exceptional emerging scholars, i.e., candidates must have been active researchers in their field for fewer than 10 years at the time of nomination. Further details on the CRC eligibility criteria can be found on the Canada Research Chairs website.

In collaboration with TMU, the successful candidate will develop the CRC application. If the successful candidate is external to TMU, they will be appointed to a tenure track position at the rank of Assistant Professor, effective July 1, 2025, and submit a NSERC CRC Tier 2 Nomination application for the October 2025 deadline. If awarded, they will commence their initial five-year term once the results are known and in accordance with the CRC Notice of Award. If the successful candidate is internal to TMU, they will commence their CRC initial term once the results of the October 2025 competition are known and in accordance with the CRC Notice of Award. The NSERC CRC Tier 2 appointment is tenable for five years and renewable once. The appointment is subject to final budgetary approval. All nominations are subject to review and final approval by the CRC Secretariat.

The successful candidate will engage in a combination of research, teaching and service duties, and maintain an inclusive, equitable, and collegial work environment across all activities. The incumbent will be expected to develop and maintain a strong, independent, externally funded research program that will be internationally recognized in five to ten years, to mentor and support diverse trainees, students, future researchers and colleagues in forms such as organizing workshops, co-authoring papers, obtaining patents, and contributing to public policy and professional practice. The incumbent will be expected to teach undergraduate and graduate courses.

Qualifications

Candidates must have a Ph.D. in building science, engineering, architecture, or a related discipline, with expertise in accordance with the Department’s requirements.

in one or more of the following areas:

• Decarbonization and Net-Zero Energy/Carbon/GHG Buildings
• Indoor Air Quality (Quantitative)
• Health, Well-being and Indoor Environment
• Resilience in the Built Environment
• Life Cycle Assessment
• Circular Economy and Resource Management
• Sustainable Materials
• Building and Enclosure Performance
• Adaptive Reuse and Heritage Conservation

Candidates holding or eligible for professional registration are preferred.

Nominees for Tier 2 Chair positions should, at a minimum, be Assistant Professors, or possess the necessary qualifications to be appointed to this rank. Candidates must also:

• be excellent emerging world-class researchers who have demonstrated particular research creativity, in accordance with the CRC Program guidelines;
• have demonstrated the potential to achieve international recognition in their field(s) in the next five to ten years, in accordance with the CRC Program guidelines;
• as chairholders, have the potential to attract, develop and retain excellent trainees, students and future researchers, in accordance with the CRC Program guidelines;
• be proposing an original, innovative research program of high quality, in accordance with the CRC Program guidelines;
• have established a strong emerging research profile that demonstrates creativity and impact, such as peer reviewed publications/contributions, patents and/or invention disclosures, special papers, reviews, conference/ symposia proceedings and abstracts, government publications and policy contributions, published reviews, papers presented at scholarly meetings or conferences, and other forms of scholarly expression, including participation in public discourse and debate, and non-peer reviewed publications;
• have the potential to attract diverse world-class collaborators;
• demonstrate the ability to establish an independent, highly productive program of research which will attract high levels of external funding, including Tri-Council funding;

• have a record of commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion in leadership, teaching and research, including recommended practices of recruiting, mentoring and supporting students and research trainees with diverse backgrounds and experiences and from underrepresented groups, such as women, racialized people, persons with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples, Black People, and 2SLGBTQ+ people;

• demonstrate the ability to effectively teach students with diverse backgrounds and experiences in building science and architectural science courses in undergraduate and graduate programs, and the potential to contribute to inclusive and accessible learning, course development and pedagogy; and
• demonstrate the ability to participate in leadership activities in collegial (internal and external) service.

TMU recognizes that scholars have varying career paths and that career interruptions can be part of an excellent academic record. Candidates are encouraged to provide any relevant information about their experience and/or career interruptions to allow for a fair assessment of their application. Search committee members have been instructed to give careful consideration to diverse experiences and knowledge, and to be sensitive to the impact of career interruptions in their assessments.

Applicants who are more than 10 years from having earned their highest degree (and where career breaks exist, such as pregnancy, parental or extended medical leave, clinical training, etc.) may have their eligibility for a Tier 2 Chair assessed through the program’s Tier 2 justification process.

All eligible leaves (e.g., pregnancy, parental, medical, bereavement) are credited at twice the amount of time taken; part-time leaves will be taken into consideration, calculated according to the percentage of leave taken, and credited at twice the amount of time taken; professional leaves (e.g., sabbatical) are not credited, but certain training or administrative leaves may be considered. Other leaves that have had an impact on the nominee’s research career may be taken into account (e.g., mandatory military service, non-research-related positions, unemployment and training unrelated to the research career). This information must be supported by the information contained in the nominee’s CV. Research interruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic (e.g., closures) are recognized and may be counted as an eligible delay (credited at twice the amount of time) beginning March 1, 2020.

To inquire about CRC eligibility, please contact Dayle Levine, Director, Institutional Programs, Office of Vice-President, Research and Innovation by sending an email to dayle.levine@torontomu.ca with “Tier 2 Justification” in the subject line.

This position falls under the jurisdiction of the Toronto Metropolitan Faculty Association (TFA) (www.tfanet.ca). Visit us at www.torontomu.ca/faculty-affairs to view the TFA collective agreement and a summary of TFA benefits.

Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU)

Serving a highly diverse student population of over 45,000, with 100+ undergraduate and graduate programs built on the integration of theoretical and practical learning and distinguished by a professionally focused curriculum with a strong emphasis on excellence in teaching, research and creative activities, TMU is a vibrant, urban university known for its culture of innovation, entrepreneurship, community engagement and city-building through its award-winning architecture.

Department of Architectural Science

TMU’s Department of Architectural Science (DAS) offers undergraduate and graduate programs to over 500 students of diverse backgrounds. Our faculty prides itself on the excellence of its research, labs, the quality of its teaching, and the impact of its community engagement. We are interested in candidates who will enhance our existing strengths in teaching, research and creativity activities with diverse experiences and perspectives. Our Department is unique in North America with an interdisciplinary model that integrates Architecture, Building Science and Project Management. Our multidisciplinary faculty and students are dedicated to holistically sustainable approaches to the design and development of the built environment. We collaborate across disciplines, merge theory with emergent design technologies, and are committed to building a better future to help people and the planet thrive.

Working at Toronto Metropolitan University 

At the intersection of mind and action, TMU is on a transformative path to become Canada’s leading comprehensive innovation university. At TMU and within our department/school, we firmly believe that equity, diversity and inclusion are integral to this path; our current Academic Plan and Strategic Research Plan outline each as core values and we work to embed them in all that we do.

Dedicated to a people first culture, TMU is proud to rank number one on the Forbes list of Canada’s Best Employers for Diversity.

We invite you to explore the range of benefits and supports available to faculty, including access to our diverse faculty and staff networks.

Visit us at @torontomet, @VPFAtorontomet and @TorontoMetHR, and our LinkedIn page.

TMU is committed to accessibility for persons with disabilities. To find out more about legal and policy obligations please visit the Accessibility and Human Rights websites.

TMU welcomes those who have demonstrated a commitment to upholding the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion and will assist us to expand our capacity for diversity in the broadest sense. In addition, to correct the conditions of disadvantage in employment in Canada, we encourage applications from members of groups that have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples, Indigenous peoples of North America, Black-identified persons, other racialized persons, persons with disabilities, and those who identify as women and/or 2SLGBTQ+ people.

How to Apply

Applicants must submit their application online via the Faculty Recruitment Portal [https://hr.cf.torontomu.ca/ams/faculty/] by clicking on “Start Application Process” to begin. Consideration of applications will commence January 20, 2025 at 12:00pm EST. The application portal will remain open until a short list is formed and no later than February 20, 2025, at 12:00 EST. The application must contain the following organized in a single PDF (30 MB limit):

1. a letter of application (up to 2-pages) that includes your interest in the position; what you would bring to the Department and Faculty; the impact of your research on the field of building science; and what makes you a strong candidate overall as a researcher, educator, and community member;
2. a current curriculum vitae providing a clear overview of your scholarly and professional qualifications; research activities and outcomes; and contributions to making building science  a more equitable and inclusive discipline through service, such as committee work, community engagement, and/or advocacy;
3. a research statement discussing the focus, scope, significance, originality, and potential impacts of your current research program (up to 3 pages), and a research proposal for the first term of your CRC research program (up to 3 pages);
4. a teaching statement (up to 3 pages) and a dossier of syllabi and samples of student work. These must demonstrate how you engage, encourage, and develop the learning capacity of students entering higher education from a diverse array of backgrounds and experiences, and how you embed practices and principles of equity, diversity and inclusion, including universal design in classroom settings, course materials and guest lectures, and how you embed practices and principles of equity, diversity and inclusion in your classroom, your assignments, and your classroom style;
5. a statement discussing your record of demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion (up to 3 pages), including your record of attracting and mentoring a diverse group of students, trainees, and research personnel, and establishing an equitable and inclusive research environment. This should include a plan for establishing and maintaining a diverse core team (at the student, trainee, personnel and early-career researcher levels), and an environment that is safe and inclusive and allows all team members to reach their full research potential (e.g., through the recruitment and outreach strategy, equitable training opportunities, and professional development and mentoring).
6. the names and email contact information of three academic referees who know you, your research and teaching well; and
7. Up to five examples of research activities and outcomes including, but not limited to, research projects, peer-reviewed and non-peer reviewed publications, conference presentations, public talks, articles reaching specialist and non-specialist audiences, and effectiveness of networking, partnership development and knowledge dissemination;

Please note that all qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, applications from Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority, in accordance with Canadian immigration regulations.

As part of its efforts to amend the conditions of disadvantage in Canada for under-represented groups, and the under-representation of equity-deserving groups in faculty and academic staff positions, TMU invites all applicants to voluntarily complete an online Diversity Self-ID questionnaire at the time of submitting their application in the recruitment portal.

The information collected will be treated as confidential but will not be anonymous. Applicant Diversity Data containing personal information is accessible by TMU staff in the Office of the Vice Provost, Faculty Affairs (OVPFA), individuals serving on the Department Hiring Committee, and others involved in recruitment, hiring, retention, training, and evaluative processes.

This information is collected under the authority of Toronto Metropolitan University Act and is needed to establish equity, diversity and inclusion goals and plans, take action to achieve those goals, report on progress, and for other related purposes. All personal information that is collected is used, stored, and destroyed in accordance with TMU’s Notice of Collection and the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

If you have questions about the collection, use and disclosure of this information by TMU, please contact Zenab Pathan, Director, Faculty Recruitment and Development, VPFA, at zenab.pathan@torontomu.ca.

Contacts

Any confidential inquiries about the opportunity can be directed to the Department Hiring Committee at archsci.hiring@torontomu.ca.

For more information about TMU’s CRC nomination process, please contact Julia Pyryeskina, Research Proposal Facilitator (CRC Portfolio), at (julia.pyryeskina@torontomu.ca) or Dayle Levine, Director, Institutional Programs, (dayle.levine@torontomu.ca) in the Office of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation.

Candidates who belong to one or more of the equity-deserving groups recognized at TMU (women, racialized people, First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) Peoples, Black people, persons with disabilities and 2SLGBTQ+ people) are welcome to connect with Debbie Thompson (debbie.thompson@torontomu.ca), Executive Director, Office of the Vice-President, Equity and Community Inclusion [www.torontomu.ca/equity].

Indigenous candidates who would like to learn more about working at Toronto Metropolitan University are welcome to contact James McKay, Indigenous Human Resources Lead at indigenous@torontomu.ca.

For any confidential accommodation needs in order to participate in the recruitment and selection process and/or inquiries regarding accessing the Faculty Recruitment Portal, please contact vpfa@torontomu.ca.