Canada Excellence Research Chair in Integrated Urban Systems Engineering
FEAS, Architectural Science
| Posted: | June 26, 2025 |
| Deadline to Apply: | Thursday, August 7, 2025 |
Located in downtown Toronto, the largest and most culturally diverse city in Canada and on the territory of the Anishinaabeg, Haudenosaunee and the Wendat Peoples, the Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science, at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), invites applications to the Canada Excellence Research Chairs (CERC) Program for a non-renewable period of eight years in Integrated Urban Systems Engineering. The successful candidate shall be appointed either in the Department of Civil Engineering or the Department of Architectural Science. The CERC is a tenured faculty position with no required teaching duties. At the conclusion of the CERC appointment, the successful candidate will continue in their tenured position with regular duties of a faculty member.
The successful candidate will be registered and nominated by the University for the Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) Program by mid-January and mid-March 2026 respectively with results expected by January 2027. Awardees will have up to twelve (12) months to commence the program after the notice of award, and upon the acceptance being signed by all parties. The successful nominee will be appointed at either the Associate or Full Professor rank with tenure and the salary will be commensurate with qualifications.
The Nominee will be expected to:
- articulate, develop and lead a world-class innovative productive research program that advances Scholarly, Research and Creative (SRC) activities at TMU and in the Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science;
- expand their leadership and influence within their academic discipline through editorships, awards, refereed publications, policy briefs, reports, conference organization and other leadership contributions;
- demonstrate a commitment to the training of highly qualified personnel at all levels of study; and,
- collaborate effectively within a multi-disciplinary community of researchers.
Nominees to the CERC program must be tenured at their current institution and at the rank of Full Professor or Associate Professor and eligible to be promoted to Full Professor within one to two years of the nomination.
The nominee must hold a full-time academic appointment at the nominating institution as of the start date of the Chair award.
In addition to the above requirements, the successful nominee shall:
- hold a Ph.D. (or equivalent; a TMU requirement) in a relevant discipline with a record of outstanding research contributions, achieving international recognition, and attracting competitive external funding as well as an established network that includes international collaborations and industry partnerships;
- have demonstrated an innovative and world-class program of research that advances interdisciplinary impact; and,
- have demonstrated a commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, in their research and teaching.
Nominations are subject to review by the CERC Secretariat, and appointment as a Canada Excellence Research Chair is conditional upon their approval.
TMU recognizes that scholars have varying career paths and that career interruptions can be part of an excellent research record and recognizes the legitimate impact that leaves (e.g., parental leave, leave due to illness) can have on a candidate’s record of research achievement. These leaves will be taken into careful consideration during the assessment process. Please consult the Canada Excellence Research Chairs website for full program information, including further details on eligibility criteria and application requirements.
Nominations will be subject to compliance with research security requirements in accordance with relevant legislation and policies. Further information can be found on TMU's research security website.
This position falls under the jurisdiction of the Toronto Metropolitan Faculty Association (TFA). Visit us at www.torontomu.ca/faculty-affairs to view the TFA collective agreement and a summary of TFA benefits.
About the Canada Excellence Research Chairs (CERC) Program
The CERC program aims to recruit the best global talent to Canada in order to support the next generation of leaders as integral parts of their ambitious core research teams, so they can chart their own paths forward. The social and economic benefits of the program will impact Canadians and others around the world through the commercialization, knowledge translation and mobilization the research generates.
CERC awards are among the most prestigious and generous available globally. The University desires to attract top-tier, internationally-based scholars and researchers to Canada. Following a highly competitive and rigorous selection process involving peer review, CERCs are appointed for a period of eight years, and will have two possible award values of $500,000 or $1,000,000 per annum (inclusive of salary, benefits and research expenses) over the award period totaling $4,000,000 or $8,000,000. Chairs will be awarded in alignment with the Science, Technology and Innovation Priorities for the CERC Program. The priorities as identified by the Government of Canada are:
- Healthy People and Populations
- Innovative and Resilient Communities
- Sustainable Food Systems
- Clean, Sustainable and Prosperous Canada
- Technologically Advanced Canada
The objectives of the CERC program are to:
- Strengthen Canada’s ability to attract the world’s top researchers, in order to be at the leading edge of breakthroughs in transformative and enabling technologies to support a technologically advanced society and is expected to generate tangible benefits for Canadians;
- Help Canada build a critical mass of expertise in Integrated, Agile and Resilient Infrastructure, Smart Cities, and Clean and Transformative Transportation;
- Create a competitive environment to help Canadian institutions; in their pursuit of excellence in their research, attract a cadre of world-leading researchers; and, https://www.torontomu.ca/research/about/researchers/crcallocation/
- Contribute to branding Canada as a location of choice for world-leading research, science and technology development, alongside other federal programs with similar objectives.
The selection process will follow TMU’s Canada Research Chair Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan, which commits the University to intentionally pursuing and implementing system-wide equity initiatives to embed diversity and inclusivity in all university structures, programs, policies, and practices.
About Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU)
A vibrant, urban university known for its culture of innovation, entrepreneurship, community engagement and city-building through its award-winning architecture, TMU is home to a highly diverse undergraduate and graduate student population of over 48,000 students and over 245,000 alumni worldwide.
TMU’s academic programs are built on the integration of theoretical and practical learning and distinguished by a professionally focused curriculum with a strong emphasis on excellence in teaching, research and creative activities. TMU’s researchers are on a trajectory of success and growth across a number of research areas; their long-standing partnerships and collaborations with community, industry, government, and professional practice drive innovation that responds to real-world problems.
Dedicated to a people-first culture, TMU as an employer has received a number of recognitions over the years, including having been ranked number one on the Forbes list of Canada’s Best Employers for Diversity. We invite you to explore the range of benefits and supports available to faculty, including access to our diverse faculty and staff networks.
Urban Research at TMU
TMU is a national leader in urban research, with a rapidly expanding and internationally recognized program in urban infrastructure. Located in the heart of downtown Toronto — Canada’s largest and most diverse city — TMU provides a dynamic, real-world testbed for addressing complex urban challenges. The university brings together deep interdisciplinary strengths in engineering, data science, architecture, sustainability, and policy to develop scalable solutions in transportation, energy systems, smart infrastructure, and city resilience. The university supports eight (8) Canada Research Chairs directly aligned with urban infrastructure, in areas such as disruptive transportation technologies, smart grid cyber-physical security, sustainable energy modeling, physical asset management, and human-centered AI — providing a robust ecosystem to support the success of a new CERC. These activities are anchored by leading research facilities and initiatives including the Centre for Urban Energy, Urban Water, City Building TMU, and the Smart Campus Integrated Testing Hub. TMU’s urban research agenda aligns with national strategies and global priorities such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Horizon Europe missions, positioning the university as an ideal environment for high-impact research and leadership in urban innovation.
How to Apply
Applicants must submit their application online by August 7, 2025, via the Faculty Recruitment Portal [https://hr.cf.torontomu.ca/ams/faculty/] by clicking on “Start Application Process” to begin. Applications must consist of the following:
- a letter of application outlining your interest in the position and what makes you a strong candidate overall as a researcher, educator, and community leader. The letter should include your proposed innovative research program, your ability to build capacity and attract external resources as well as your equity, diversity, and inclusion statement, in regards to attracting and mentoring a diverse group and other highly qualified personnel and establishing an equitable and inclusive research environment (up to 4 pages);
- a current curriculum vitae providing a clear sense of your scholarly and professional development via your education and your research activities and outcomes, including but not limited to: peer-reviewed and non-peer reviewed publications, conference presentations, public talks, articles reaching specialist and non-specialist audiences, effective use of social media for research impact and networking; as well as your contributions to making your discipline a more equitable and inclusive discipline through committee work, community engagement, social media, and advocacy; and,
- the names and email contact information of three academic referees (candidates will be notified before the referees are contacted).
Toronto Metropolitan University welcomes those who have demonstrated a commitment to upholding the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion and will assist us to expand our capacity for diversity in the broadest sense. In addition, to correct the conditions of disadvantage in employment in Canada, we encourage applications from members of groups that have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples, Indigenous peoples of North America, Black-identified persons, other racialized persons, persons with disabilities, and those who identify as women and/or 2SLGBTQ+.
Indigenous candidates are encouraged to provide aspects of their lived experience and cultural imperatives in all that they do, such as mindfulness to outcomes in respective communities.
The CERC program welcomes all nominees regardless of nationality and country of residence, in accordance with relevant immigration regulations. Researchers who hold a full-time academic appointment at a Canadian institution are eligible, but should they be nominated, the University will be required to demonstrate the net benefit to Canada in moving their research from one Canadian institution to another.
Contacts
Questions about the CERC program and/or working at TMU should be emailed to Dayle Levine, Director, Institutional Programs, Office of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation [dayle.levine@torontomu.ca]. Specific research-related questions in relation to this competition should be sent electronically to Dr. Stephen Waldman, Associate Dean (Research and External Partnerships), Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science [swaldman@torontomu.ca].
Indigenous candidates who would like to learn more about working at Toronto Metropolitan University are welcome to contact James McKay, Indigenous Human Resources Lead [indigenous@torontomu.ca].
Candidates who belong to one or more of the equity-deserving groups recognized at TMU are welcome to connect with Debbie Thompson [debbie.thompson@torontomu.ca], Executive Director, Office of the Vice-President, Equity and Community Inclusion.
For any confidential accommodation needs in order to participate in the recruitment and selection process and/or inquiries regarding accessing the Recruitment Portal, please contact Zenab Pathan [vpfa@torontomu.ca].
Faculty Job Postings