University of Lethbridge: Tier 2 Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Organofluorine Chemistry

The University of Lethbridge is seeking applicants for a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Organofluorine Chemistry within the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. The University of Lethbridge has strategically targeted fluorine chemistry as an area of strength by establishing the Canadian Centre for Research in Advanced Fluorine Technologies (C-CRAFT) and now seeks an exceptional researcher able to expand this strength. While applicants with expertise in organofluorine chemistry are highly encouraged, we invite all fluorine chemists who would complement the existing expertise in fluorine chemistry within C-CRAFT to apply.

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry has 23 members (14 research-active faculty and 9 instructors). C-CRAFT is a collaborative and highly collegial team of six independent researchers and their trainees who have fluorine chemistry as their entire or partial focus. The current complement has expertise in inorganic, organometallic and computational chemistry, electrochemistry and magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The University has superb characterization facilities, with excellent access to a suite of NMR and EPR spectrometers and X-ray diffraction equipment (Rigaku Supernova Cu/Mo dual source X-ray diffractometer and Miniflex powder XRD). The University of Lethbridge Magnetic Resonance Facility includes: 300 (liquid), 500 (solids) and 700 (liquids and solids) MHz Bruker spectrometers and a Bruker EMX-Plus X-band EPR spectrometer (with N2 and He(l) cooling). The NMR spectrometers in the facility have been optimized for work with 19F, with probes capable of simultaneous 1H and 19F spectroscopy. The Department has just moved into a new state-of-the-art 38,500-m2 Science and Academic Building designed to foster innovative research and teaching initiatives in the sciences (www.destinationproject.ca). Specifically, the facilities and laboratory spaces foster collaborations within and between disciplines. The successful candidate will benefit from laboratory and office spaces reserved for this Tier 2 CRC position. Descriptions of the Department and the Facilities can be found at: http://www.uleth.ca/artsci/chemistry-biochemistry/.

Tier 2 Canada Research Chairs are intended for exceptional emerging scholars, and the successful candidate must meet the requirements for the position of Tier 2 Chair as defined by the CRC program (www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca). The successful candidate will be nominated for a Tier 2 CRC, and, upon successful nomination, will be hired at the Assistant or Associate Professor level, depending on qualifications and experience. The successful candidate will hold a Ph.D. and postdoctoral experience in chemistry. The proposed chair will be expected to establish an innovative, independently funded, and internationally competitive research program in any area of fluorine chemistry that involves both undergraduate and graduate researchers and to participate in the University’s Canadian Centre for Research in Advanced Fluorine Technologies (C-CRAFT). C-CRAFT members combine synthetic, analytic and computational expertise in fluorine chemistry, rendering Lethbridge, Alberta a hub for fluorine chemistry in Canada. With many national and international collaborators, C-CRAFT’s influence reaches beyond Alberta.

Appointment to this Canada Research Chair position is subject to review and approval by the Canada Research Chairs Secretariat. Tier 2 Chairs are intended for exceptional emerging scholars with less than 10 years of experience as an active researcher in their field at the time of nomination. Applicants who are more than 10 years from having earned their highest degree (and where career interruptions exist, such as maternity, parental or extended sick leave, clinical training, etc.) may have their eligibility for a Tier 2 Chair assessed through the program’s Tier 2 justification process. Please contact the University of Lethbridge Office of Research & Innovation Services (www.uleth.ca/research) for more information. Please consult the Canada Research Chair website for full information, including further details on eligibility criteria: http://www.chairschaires.gc.ca/program-programme/nomination-mise_en_candidature-eng.aspx.

The University of Lethbridge recognizes that researchers have varying career paths and that career interruptions due to personal circumstances can be part of an excellent academic record. As such, the impact of certain circumstances (including but not limited to parental leave, family responsibilities, illness, disability, research in emerging fields, limited access to resources) that may legitimately affect a nominee’s record of research achievement will be given careful consideration when assessing the nominee’s research productivity. Candidates are strongly encouraged to provide any relevant information about their experience and/or career interruptions to allow for a fair assessment of their application and research achievements.

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled, but consideration of complete files will commence on September 30, 2019. The nomination of the selected candidate will be submitted to the CRC program by April 2020, with the expected decision date by the program in October 2020. The expected start date of the appointment is negotiable, but must take place no later than July 1, 2021. The University of Lethbridge offers competitive benefits and start-up packages; salary will be commensurate with qualifications.

All applications must be submitted online, and should include a letter of application, a curriculum vitae, a research proposal and/or a detailed research plan (5 page NSERC Discovery Grant style preferred), a statement of teaching interests and philosophy, and contact information for three references who are academics in the field. For details on how to submit your application, please visit our Human Resources website at https://uleth.peopleadmin.ca and choose the Academic postings option. References will be contacted directly, with information on how to submit their reference letters. In their application package, candidates should also identify their strengths and experiences with respect to increasing equity, diversity, and inclusion in their institutional environment.

Our University’s Blackfoot name is Iniskim, meaning Sacred Buffalo Stone. The University is located in traditional Blackfoot Confederacy territory. We honour the Blackfoot people and their traditional ways of knowing in caring for this land, as well as all Aboriginal peoples who have helped shape and continue to strengthen our University community. Located in Southern Alberta near the Rocky Mountains, Lethbridge offers a sunny, dry climate that is agreeably mild for the prairies, excellent cultural and recreational amenities and attractive economic conditions. Founded in 1967, our student body has grown by 50 percent in the last 10 years. Despite this growth, we have remained true to our vision – a student-focused, research-intensive institution, grounded in the liberal education tradition. For more information about the University, please visit our web site at http://www.uleth.ca

https://uleth.peopleadmin.ca/postings/3938

Open Date	08/07/2019
Close Date
Open Until Filled	Yes
Special Instructions to Applicants	For inquiries concerning the status of this search, please contact: Dr. Peter W. Dibble, Chair Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Lethbridge Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada T1K 3M4 Tel. 403-329-2305 Fax. 403-329-2057 Email: dibble@uleth.ca
Employment Equity	The University of Lethbridge recognizes that our success is dependent on how well we include, value, and engage a diversity of students, staff, faculty, administrators, and alumni to achieve the desired outcomes identified within our Strategic Plan. Further, the benefits of a diverse research and academic culture have benefits that reach far beyond the University. To this end, the University of Lethbridge is strongly committed to equity and diversity within its community. It welcomes applications from members of racialized groups, Indigenous persons, all genders, persons with disabilities, members of sexual and gendered minority groups, and others with the skills and knowledge to contribute to the diversification of ideas. The University of Lethbridge values its responsibility to promote equity in the employment of women, racialized/visible minorities, Indigenous/Aboriginal peoples, and persons with disabilities; The University is an advocate for equity within the CRC Program. The University of Lethbridge commits to evaluating representation of the Four Designated Groups listed above within its CRCProgram and to striving to proactively to meet and maintain its equity targets. All applicants will be invited to self-identify. Self-identification information will be held in confidence by the Office of Human Resources. The University of Lethbridge is committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free work environment, starting with the hiring process. If you need to be accommodated during any phase of the hiring process, please contact Human Resources at human.resources@uleth.ca to request accommodation. All private information received in relation to your accommodation request will be kept confidential, only information required to facilitate the accommodation will be shared with the selection committee.