Indigenous Knowledge and Practices for Social Work Training - Tier 2 Canada Research Chair
University of Ottawa
Located on the traditional and unceded territory of the Anishinabe-Algonquin people, near the Kichi Sìbi river, the University of Ottawa is seeking candidates for a Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Indigenous Knowledge and Practices for Social Work Training. The University of Ottawa provides researchers with opportunities to develop partnerships with members of the Algonquin community and with a range of institutions, community organizations, and federal agencies. The University’s downtown campus is located near various Indigenous cultural and governance organizations, including the Native Women's Association of Canada, Métis National Council, the Assembly of First Nations, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, and several Indigenous service providers.
The University is seeking candidates who are Indigenous researchers (First Nation, Inuit or Métis) who have a deep knowledge of indigeneity and significant experience in the social sciences, humanities, or education. The research program undertaken by the Chair will result in a rethink of the teaching approaches and operations of social work programs and institutions in order to harmonize them, from a cultural perspective, based on traditional knowledge, values and teachings. Such transformations aim to enrich the training of future social workers by emphasizing interventions that support indigenous knowledge, values, and culture in order to directly enhance the health and well-being of Indigenous children, families, and communities. Rooted in local, regional, and/or national research partnerships with Indigenous communities and the organizations that serve them, this CRC will produce practical and theoretical knowledge about the lived experiences of Indigenous peoples that is both disciplinary and multi-disciplinary in nature. The Chair will implement a creative and independent research program that is based on external research funding.
Tier 2 CRC program description
Tier 2 Chairs, tenable for five years and renewable once, are for exceptional emerging researchers, acknowledged by their peers as having the potential to lead in their field. For each Tier 2 Chair, the institution receives $100,000 annually for five years, with an additional $20,000 annual research stipend for first-term Tier 2 Chairs.
Candidates should, at a minimum, be assistant or associate professors, or possess the necessary qualifications to be appointed to these levels. Candidates who are more than 10 years from their highest degree must contact the University of Ottawa directly for questions related to their potential eligibility for a Tier 2 Chair. The institution may nominate a professor or a researcher who is more than 10 years from their highest degree at the time of nomination and has experienced legitimate career interruptions (see acceptable justifications). In such cases, the institution must submit to the Secretariat a formal justification (using the Tier 2 Justification Screening Form), explaining why the nominee is still considered to be an emerging scholar. The University recognizes the legitimate impact that leaves (e.g., parental leave, leave due to illness) can have on a candidate’s record of research achievement and that these leaves will be taken into careful consideration during the assessment process. New CRC nominees are also eligible for infrastructure support from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) to help acquire state-of-the-art equipment essential to their work.
Self-Declaration Form: In accordance with the University’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan, the selection will be limited to First Nations, Inuit and Métis scholars. Candidates from this group who wish to be considered for this position must complete the following self-declaration form.
The objective of this measure is to increase the representation of the four designated groups in the allocation of Canada Research Chair positions.
Required Qualifications :
An in-depth knowledge of history, including traditional and contemporary Indigenous values; a PhD in social work or a related discipline (social sciences, education, etc.); outstanding independent research achievements in the CRC’s identified area(s) and 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 French or English. Given that the School of Social Work operates in French, the selected candidate will need to be able to communicate in French or commit to developing French language skills within the first two years of the appointment with a view to becoming fluent in the medium term. Fluency in an Indigenous language is considered an asset.
Rank and salary:
Regular tenure-track academic appointment in the Faculty of Social Sciences. This position is governed by a collective agreement between the University of Ottawa and the Association of Professors of the University of Ottawa.
Application Package:
- A cover letter;
- An up-to-date curriculum vitae (please include career interruptions such as parental or sick leaves that may have impacted your record of research. These will be taken into consideration in the selection process);
- A research plan (2 to 3 pages);
- A statement of teaching interests (1 to 2 pages); and
- The names of three people who may be contacted by the University for letters of reference which will follow the Canada Research Chairs guidelines (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)
- A letter of recommendation from an Elder, a Knowledge Keeper, or a leader/member of an officially recognized Indigenous community, which attests to the candidate’s committment to Indigenous knowledge and episteme in their research.
Deadline: April 7, 2020
The selection process will begin in April and will continue until the position is filled. Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. Please send the application package to the following address or by email to:
Dr. Sylvain Charbonneau, Vice-President, Research
University of Ottawa
550 Cumberland St., room 246
Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5 CANADA
Email: [email protected]
If you are invited to continue the selection process, please notify us of any particular adaptive measures you might require by contacting the Office of the Associate Vice-President, Faculty Affairs at 613-562-5958. The Canada Research Chairs Program imposes no restrictions on nominees with regard to nationality or country of residence. Procedures to allow non-Canadian chairholders to work in Canada have been established by Employment and Social Development Canada and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
The University of Ottawa is justly proud of its 160-year tradition of bilingualism. Through its Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute, the University provides training to staff members and their spouses in their second official language. At the time of tenure, professors are expected to be able to function in a bilingual setting. In certain cases, professors must have the ability to teach in both official languages to be granted tenure.
Notice of Collection of Personal Information
In accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (Ontario) and with University Policy 90, your personal information is collected under the authority of the University of Ottawa Act, 1965 and is intended to be used for the purpose of and those consistent with your employment application and the administration of your employment relationship, if established. If you have any questions regarding this collection of personal information, please contact Office of the Vice-Provost, Faculty Relations at (613) 562-5958 or by email at [email protected].