Thursday, February 12, 2026

Université Laval: Canada Impact+ Research Chairs in Nanostructured Materials Chemistry

Posted on: February 11th 2026 Closing date: March 15th 2026

The preferred living environment at the heart of Quebec City, Université Laval is a major comprehensive university recognized for its culture of excellence in teaching and research. The Department of Chemistry at Université Laval stands out for the quality of its teaching, the strength of its research, and the richness of its collaborations. It offers rigorous and diversified training supported by a highly committed faculty and specialized technical staff, and state‑of‑the‑art infrastructure. Designed to foster active learning and the development of practical skills, its programs prepare students to tackle today’s major scientific challenges.


The person selected by the Nomination Committee must successfully pass an internal selection at Université Laval as well as the national selection as part of the Canada Impact+ Research Chair competition. This posting could also be used to select applications for the Canada Excellence Research Chairs or Tier 1 Canada Research Chairs competitions. For more information on the program and eligibility criteria, please visit the Canada Impact+ Research Chairs website.


The successful candidate will receive:

  • a full professor position;

  • $8 million over 8 years ($1 million/year) in funding from the CI+RC Program including chairholder’s salary and overhead;

  • possibility to apply for an equipment grant from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) to equip its laboratory ;

  • competitive and attractive start‑up funds;

  • A competitive salary package, including base salary, employee benefits, and recruitment incentives.


    Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Statement


    Université Laval rejects all forms of discrimination, promotes excellence in research and research training, and guarantees equal opportunity for all candidates. We support the principle that excellence and equity are compatible and complementary. We welcome and encourage applications from racialized people, visible minorities, women, Indigenous Peoples (in Canada), people with disabilities, ethnic minorities, 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and all qualified individuals with the skills and knowledge to engage productively with diverse communities.


    By choosing Université Laval, you will benefit from the following integration measures:

  • welcome days for new professors

  • peer mentoring

  • free French courses for you and your spouse

  • support for settling in Quebec City and job search assistance for your spouse.


Career Interruption and Special Circumstances

Université Laval acknowledges that career interruption and special circumstances (e.g., maternity or parental leave, leave for prolonged illness, clinical training, care for a family member, the COVID‑19 pandemic) as well as a disability may influence productivity and contributions in research. Applicants are invited to explain, as appropriate and if they wish so, these effects, so that they are considered in the assessment of their applications.


Accommodation

In complete confidentiality, accommodation can be offered to candidates according to their needs in this competition, including accessibility. If you need accommodation, we invite you to contact the equity officer using contact information below.

Marie‑José Naud

Advisor, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Research marie‑jose.naud@vrr.ulaval.ca


Job Description The Department of Chemistry is seeking a candidate with strong research expertise in the field of nanostructured materials chemistry, along with relevant teaching experience. The selected candidate will be expected to develop an innovative, well‑funded research program that complements the strengths of our existing activities. The selected candidate will also have the opportunity to contribute to teaching within the department’s programs at all three academic levels.


Requirements

Applicants must meet the CI+RC eligibility requirements. They must be full professors or associate professors who are close to obtaining tenure. Applicants from outside academia must have the necessary qualifications to be nominated at these levels.


Université Laval requires candidates to hold a PhD in chemistry or in a discipline relevant to the research area targeted by this position. They must demonstrate recognized scientific expertise and substantial experience in the chemistry of nanostructured materials, applied in areas that may include, but are not limited to, health, energy, water quality, the environment, or smart nanotechnology. Other emerging or related fields may also be considered. Candidates must additionally show clear evidence of excellence in securing competitive research funding and producing scientific work of international caliber. They must demonstrate the ability to conduct autonomous, original, and transdisciplinary research in collaboration with a variety of partners.


Université Laval will provide the selected candidate with structured support for the development and visibility of their research program, particularly in preparing and submitting major funding applications (e.g., Horizon Europe, the NFRF Transformation or

International competitions, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, etc.). The institution has recently obtained “lead institution” status for Horizon Europe projects and has established specialized infrastructure dedicated to the preparation, coordination, and administrative support of these initiatives, which require substantial expertise to manage.


The full application package must include:


  • a cover letter (1 page)

  • a detailed curriculum vitae

  • a research program proposal, including a section on the knowledge mobilization strategy (5 pages)

  • the contact information of three people who can provide references for the candidate

  • the Université Laval Self Identification Form

The application must be sent to doyen@fsg.ulaval.ca


Competition Stages and Evaluation Criteria


  1. Competition Stages and Submission Deadlines (Intake 1 of the CI+CR competition)


    Full application deadline March 15th 2026

    Results announcement April 15th 2026

    Application deadline at VPR Office February 24, 2026

    Final results announcement Before March 10, 2026 Full application deadline at CI+RC Program March 24, 2026

    CI+RC Program results announcement June 2026


  2. Evaluation #1


    A Nomination Committee, at the faculty and department level, selects one application based on the following criteria and sub‑criteria:


    https://www.canada.ca/fr/chaires‑impact‑plus/renseignements‑sur‑le‑ programme/concours/2026/criteres‑evaluation.html


    The selection committee is composed of three professors and chaired by the director of the Department of Chemistry. In addition, an institutional equity officer will participate in the meetings to ensure that the evaluation process complies with equity standards. All committee members receive clear instructions regarding their role, the expected definition of excellence, and the impact of career interruptions or slowdowns on the assessment of applications. Members must also complete training on unconscious bias and peer evaluation.

    In addition, an equity officer will take part in the committee meetings to ensure the conformity of the evaluation process. All committee members receive clear instructions on

    their role, the expected definition of excellence as well as on the impact of career interruptions and special circumstances in the evaluation of applications. Members must also complete unconscious bias training in peer review.


  3. Evaluation #2 at Vice‑President Research (VPR) Office


The application of the selected candidate will be sent to the VPR Office for a final internal selection according to the selection criteria of the CI+RC Program.


Starting Date : up to 12 months following the Program results announcement.


Contacts


Application call process

Dominic Larivière

Directeur intérimaire du département de chimie Faculté de sciences et de génie directeur@chm.ulaval.ca


Questions related to EDI principles

Marie‑José Naud

Advisor, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Research Office of the Vice Rector, Research and Innovation marie‑jose.naud@vrr.ulaval.ca

Tuesday, February 10, 2026

Dr. Holly Barrett Hired by University of Toronto Scarborough

Dr. Holly Barrett will join the University of Toronto Scarborough as an Assistant Professor of Environmental Chemistry and Health in July 2026, with appointments in the Department of Physical & Environmental Sciences and the Department of Chemistry.

Originally from St. John’s, Newfoundland, Holly earned a Joint Honours Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Biochemistry at Memorial University of Newfoundland, where she conducted analytical environmental chemistry research under the supervision of Christina Bottaro. She then moved to Toronto for her graduate studies, earning a PhD in Environmental Chemistry from the University of Toronto under the supervision of Hui Peng. Her doctoral research, supported by an NSERC Canada Graduate Scholarship Doctoral (CGS-D), focused on identifying bioactive environmental contaminants using non-targeted high-resolution mass spectrometry and bioanalytical tools. Her work integrated analytical chemistry, toxicology, and chemical biology to understand how complex environmental chemical mixtures interact with biological systems, including mammalian, bacterial, and fish models, to cause adverse health effects. Her research has involved collaborations with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and academic teams nationally and internationally.

Prior to joining UTSC, Holly served as a Scientist in the Toxicology Section of the Centre of Forensic Sciences at the Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General. In this role, she led the analysis of human biological samples for drugs and toxins in medicolegal investigations and developed expertise at the interface of human pharmacology, toxicology, and analytical chemistry.

At the University of Toronto Scarborough, Professor Barrett’s research program will focus on exposome science and environmental disease-driver discovery. Her group will apply non-targeted multi-omics, chemical-protein interaction approaches, and experimental toxicology to identify previously unrecognized environmental contaminants and to elucidate their roles in human disease.

Holly is excited to return to the University of Toronto to begin her independent research career. She is committed to fostering a welcoming, equitable, diverse, and inclusive research environment and to mentoring trainees from a wide range of backgrounds.