Assistant Professor - Emerging Leader in Arctic governance, Indigenous leadership, community resilience, or related fields

Job Type:

Academic Regular

Faculty/Department:

Faculty of Social Sciences_FT

The (uOttawa) invites applications for a tenure-track Canada Impact+ Emerging Leader position in Arctic governance, Indigenous leadership, community resilience, or related fields, aligned with the Government of Canada strategic priority area of environment, climate resilience and the Arctic. This position is associated with the Eddie Goldenberg Research Chair of Canada in Arctic Governance and Community Resilience in the Faculty of Social Sciences, as part of the Eddie Goldenberg Research Chairs of Canada Program (formerly Canada Impact+ Research Chairs Program).

The Arctic is undergoing profound environmental, geopolitical, and societal change, creating an urgent need for innovative governance approaches. The University of Ottawa invites applications for a tenure-track Canada Impact+ Emerging Leader position from scholars working in Arctic governance, Indigenous leadership, community resilience, or related fields. The position is associated with the Eddie Goldenberg Research Chair of Canada in Arctic Governance and Community Resilience under the Canada Impact+ Research Chairs Program and aligns with the Government of Canada's strategic priority area of environment, climate resilience, and the Arctic.

The Faculties of Social Sciences and Arts seek an emerging scholar whose expertise strengthens and expands the Eddie Goldenberg Research Chair's research program. The appointee will contribute to interdisciplinary scholarship that integrates diverse knowledge systems, governance approaches, and collaborative research methods. Working in partnership with Indigenous and northern organizations and communities as well as a network of international partners, they will co-develop innovative governance solutions to complex Arctic challenges. This work will advance Indigenous leadership, strengthen community resilience, and inform decision-making across local, regional, national, and international scales.

The successful candidate will join the uOttawa Arctic Hub, an interdisciplinary initiative connecting researchers from across the university with Indigenous organizations, governments, northern communities, and international partners. The Hub provides an exceptional environment for partnership-based research, policy engagement, and knowledge mobilization in support of evidence-informed decision-making and meaningful societal impact.

Preference will be given to candidates with demonstrated experience translating scholarship into policy and practice through partnerships with Indigenous organizations, governments, communities, and other societal partners. The ideal candidate will demonstrate a commitment to collaborative, interdisciplinary, and partnership-based research with tangible societal impact, and the ability to bridge diverse knowledge systems in addressing complex Arctic challenges.

About the Canada Impact+ Emerging Leaders Program 

The is a very prestigious, one-time initiative designed to support universities in attracting world-leading researchers whose work addresses critical national and global challenges. The program also includes Canada Impact+ Emerging Leaders awards, a $120M investment to help institutions recruit internationally based early career researchers to Canada.

The Canada Impact+ Emerging Leaders award provides $100,000 per year over six years, with the possibility of a six-year funded extension at the same yearly amount, subject to program conditions.

The Canada Impact+ Emerging Leader must be recruited within the same as the Eddied Goldenberg Research Chairholder, but the early career researcher (ECR) and the Eddied Goldenberg Research Chairholder don't necessarily need to be in the same discipline or research field or be aligned with the same federal research funding agency.

The ECR nominees are expected to have an independent program of research, with potential for impact through collaborations with, but not limited to, the Eddied Goldenberg Research Chairholders. Institutions may include support for the ECR in their research infrastructure request to the (CFI) through the Impact+ Research Infrastructure fund associated with the Eddied Goldenberg Research Chair.  

*Note: is a researcher within five years from the date of their first research-related appointment, minus eligible delays in research, where:

• research-related appointments are defined as those where the individual has the autonomy to conduct research independently; and

• all eligible leaves (e.g., maternity, parental, medical, bereavement) are credited as twice the amount of time taken, and professional leaves (e.g., training, sabbatical, administrative) are not credited.

Eligibility of Candidates: 

Only candidates who are internationally based (both working and residing outside of Canada) when the Eddie Goldenberg Research Research Chair is accepted are eligible. Candidates who are at the University of Ottawa or are based in Canada are not eligible to apply for this position as stipulated by the . Candidates must also meet the program’s early career researcher eligibility requirements.

The successful candidate will be expected to begin their full-time tenure-track appointment at the University of Ottawa by July 3, 2027.

Skills requirements:

• Education: Ph.D.

• Required Qualifications: superior research achievements in the Impact+ Emerging Leader research area and the relevant Government of Canada strategic priority area; evidence of interdisciplinary collaborations, a solid record with respect to teaching and training of students at the graduate level, the ability to obtain external research funds. Excellent communication skills in either English or French. Passive (or active) knowledge of one’s second Official Language (French or English) is a requirement for tenure. English-French bilingualism is an asset. 

Application Package: 

• A cover letter (1-2 pages) highlighting the candidate’s research theme and how it fits with the and the Government of Canada’s strategic priority areas, how it aligns with uOttawa’s Strategic Areas of Research and research strengths, and the candidate’s qualifications and interest in being considered for a Canada Impact+ Emerging Leader position at the University of Ottawa.

• An up-to-date curriculum vitae (Please include any personal circumstances and/or career interruptions such as parental or sick leaves that may have impacted your research trajectory. These will be taken into consideration in the selection process);

•  A research plan (2 to 3 pages);

• Potential for knowledge translation and mobilization (1 page) to include:

  • How the research results could be shared and applied in practices, products and/or services, and how tangible economic or societal benefits for Canada and Canadians will be generated.

  • Outline the proposed engagement mechanisms, target users, and potential partnerships such as private and public sectors, national and international research institutions, philanthropic organizations and Indigenous communities (if applicable).

• A statement of teaching interests (1 to 2 pages); 

• A statement on equity, diversity, and inclusion philosophy and concrete practices (1 page);

• The names and contact information of three people who may be contacted by the University for letters of reference (i.e. one arm’s length and two who are not affiliated to the University of Ottawa unless they are the candidate’s PhD or postdoctoral supervisor);

• Self-identification: Complete the confidential Employment Equity questionnaire online during the application process. Further information about the collection of self-identification information can be found in the guidelines on “”. 

Duties: Academic staff functions include, in varying proportions: teaching; scholarly activities such as research, artistic or literary creation, or professional work; academic service; and graduate student supervision.

Rank and salary:  New tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant professor. The starting salary for an Assistant Professor is $99,377 (according to the scale in effect as of May 1, 2025).

Benefits package: The University of Ottawa provides a , which includes long-term disability insurance, basic group life insurance, health insurance, the University of Ottawa pension plan and optional life insurance, as well as reimbursement of eligible relocation expenses. 

Location of work: Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5.

Deadline: September 28, 2026.

More information regarding .  Apply online through the University of Ottawa Careers portal.

To apply, we invite you to merge the various sections of your application into a single PDF file, which you can then upload to the Careers website. However, if you encounter any problems submitting your application, you can send it to the following email address: .

The selection process will begin immediately after the closing date and will continue until the position is filled. Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. 

Please address your cover letter to the following person: 

Dr. Julie St-Pierre, Vice-President, Research and Innovation 

University of Ottawa 

550 Cumberland St., room 246 

Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5 CANADA 

For questions, please email:  

Ad posted on August 28, 2026.