Call for applications – Canada Impact+ Research Chairs

The Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR) is seeking applications from exceptional researchers to be submitted to the Canada Impact+ Research Chairs – Canada.ca. The Université du Québec à Rimouski is a francophone higher education institution which offers programs from undergraduate to doctorate degrees. Classes are taught in French and the university expects all professors to gain sufficient fluency to be able to teach and operate in French.  

Desired profile

The candidate will be expected to develop and lead a cutting-edge research program in one of the following areas:

1. The development and management of smart and decarbonized ports
2. Arctic Sovereignty: Shipbuilding, Environmental Science
3. Exploitation of environmental data

These areas align with the federal government’s strategic priority areas of Environment, Climate Resilience and the Arctic, Manufacturing and Advanced Materials, Defence and Dual-Use Technologies, Clean Technology and Resource Value Chains, and Advanced Digital Technologies established by the Government of Canada. These areas are in line with UQAR’s research excellence axes of Nordicity  and of Marine and Coastal Sciences, and the priority areas Foundations and Designs of Technologies and Materials and Applied Intelligence and Digital Transformation. The Chair(s) will contribute to the training of highly qualified personnel with skills that are directly transferable to practice settings. This will directly strengthen innovation capacities, technological autonomy and regional and national development.

April 16, 2026

To be determined

Applicants will be required to meet the following requirements:

Level and sector of graduation: Doctorate (Ph.D) in a relevant discipline (a requirement of UQAR and not of the program)

Sector of specialization & research: Must be in line with one of the fields indicated in the Profile section sought.

Program Eligibility: The successful candidate must be eligible for the Canada Impact+ Chairs program, including being a full or associate professor at their current institution or, if recruited from outside the academic sector, must have the necessary qualifications to be appointed to similar positions.

The position is open to Canadian citizens and non-Canadian citizens. The Canada Impact+ Chairs program does not impose any nationality restrictions on applicants. However, only candidates based abroad (working and residing outside of Canada), as of the cohort deadline, are eligible.

Other considerations: The successful candidate will be expected to design and submit a bold research agenda that aligns with one of the strategic priority areas established by the Government of Canada. The candidate must have demonstrated a high potential for leadership in partnership research and a strong potential for knowledge mobilization and application of research results, including practical applications, public policy and commercialization pathways. The candidate will also be required to demonstrate aptitude for interdisciplinary research and for the recruitment and development of highly qualified personnel. Applications will be evaluated based on the program criteria found here Evaluation Criteria – Canada.ca. If applicable, the candidate must be a member of a Canadian engineering professional order recognized by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB) or commit to obtaining full membership within a reasonable period of time.

The application file must contain:

1. A five-page narrative curriculum vitae (see Tri-agency CV instructions);
2. A proposal for a research program for the Chair (maximum 2 pages);
3. A statement of potential contribution to the excellence of the Canadian and international research ecosystems (maximum 2 pages);
4. A statement of the potential for knowledge transfer and mobilization (maximum 2 pages);
5. A summary of recent achievements in the area of targeted priority research (maximum 1 page);
6. Three (3) significant articles in your career;
7. Proof of your university degrees;
8. A list of potential partners who can make a cash or in-kind contributions;
9. A list of up to 10 institutions, organizations or individuals who can provide a letter of support;
10. Self-identification form (provided by writing to louka_labonte@uqar.ca);
11. A statement explaining the impact of career breaks on the submitted file, if applicable (maximum 1 page).

Candidates interested in this position are asked to send their application to the address candidature_chaire_Impact_Canada@uqar.ca before 5:00 p.m. on May 17, 2026.

Applications will be evaluated by a selection committee and the selection process will be based on the applicants’ ability to meet the objectives and criteria of the Impact+ Canada Chairs program as described on the Application process – Canada.ca website. The selection process will be carried out in collaboration with the institution’s equity officer. In addition, each member of the selection committee will have been trained on unconscious bias in the hiring process, will have to commit to respecting EDI principles and declare any real or apparent conflict of interest.

Impact+ Canada Research Chairs can take two values: $500,000 or $1,000,000 per year for 8 years, for a total of $4,000,000 or $8,000,000. UQAR will only submit chairs of $8 million over eight years ($1 million per year).

UQAR fully subscribes to the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion in access to employment, particularly for people from underrepresented, equity-seeking and rights-seeking groups such as women, persons with disabilities, Indigenous peoples, people from the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and racialized people, and in this regard particularly encourages these people to apply for this competition. Candidates are invited to self-identify when submitting their application. In addition, the selection tools can be adapted to the needs of people with disabilities who request them, in complete confidentiality, by contacting Louka Labonté, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator at louka_labonte@uqar.ca.

UQAR also recognizes the impact that career interruptions such as illness, disability, family and community responsibilities can have on research results. These considerations will be considered throughout the evaluation process from a perspective that goes beyond the traditional concept of excellence. Where applicable, the candidate is invited to explain, at the time of application, the impact that a career break or an evaluation according to the traditional criteria of excellence may have had on his or her record of achievements. This information will be treated confidentially.

We invite you to explore the EDIA at UQAR website at L’EDIA à l’UQAR – Université du Québec à Rimouski.