Associate or Full Professor (Canada Impact+ Research Chairs)

over $275 million in 2025.

With three campuses located in beautiful British Columbia’s largest municipalities—Vancouver, Burnaby and Surrey—our students, faculty and staff are privileged to live, work, and play on the traditional unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), q̓íc̓əy̓ (Katzie), kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem), Qayqayt, Kwantlen, Semiahmoo and Tsawwassen Peoples. SFU is an equity employer and strongly encourages applications from all qualified individuals including women, Indigenous Peoples, racialized persons, people of all sexual orientations and gender identities, persons with disabilities, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of the university.

THE OPPORTUNITY

SFU invites applications from world-leading researchers for the Canada Impact+ Research Chairs. Impact+ Chairs will receive long-term funding and support to lead bold, transformative research in Canada’s priority areas, build exceptional teams, and collaborate across sectors and borders. Chairholders are expected to translate discoveries into real-world applications and benefits, and to train the next generation of highly qualified personnel.

This program provides an opportunity to nominate internationally renowned scholars and scientists as chairholders in areas of strategic importance to Canada. The nominees must have an active recent track record of exceptional research accomplishments and significant interest in making new contributions to Canada.

Impact+ Chairs are valued at up to $8 million or $4 million over eight years, with a possibility of a four-year 50% funded extension to support their research programs and teams. Successful awardees may also apply for up to $6 million for research infrastructure from the Canada Impact+ Research Infrastructure Fund.

Full program details can be found on the program’s website: https://www.canada.ca/en/impact-plus-chairs/program-details/competition/2026/apply.html

Eligibility

Applicants must be full professors or associate professors expected to be promoted to full professor within one to two years of the nomination. Alternatively, if they come from outside the academic sector, applicants must possess the qualifications necessary to be appointed at these levels. Only candidates who are internationally based (both working and residing outside of Canada) are eligible to be nominated.

The Impact+ Chairs program uses a two-stage process: applicants first apply to this position for internal review, after which selected candidates will be supported by SFU to prepare a nomination, including a proposed research program, for submission to the Impact+ Chairs program. The nomination is expected to be submitted in March or June 2026. SFU will provide substantial support in the preparation and development of the program application including project management, budget planning, proposal development and editing. If successful, Impact+ Chair awardees will also receive substantial support for their research programs and for administration of the grant.

In addition to the Impact+ Chairs nomination process, successful candidates will be appointed to a faculty position (Associate Professor or Professor) in an appropriate academic department/school/faculty at SFU, as early as Fall 2026. Procedures and processes have been established to permit non-Canadian chairholders, and in some cases members of the chair’s team, to work in Canada.

Applicants may also be considered for Canada Research Chairs (Tier 1), Canada Excellence Research Chairs (valued at $500,000 or $1,000,000 per year, over eight years), and endowed chairs at SFU.

RESEARCH ALIGNMENT

SFU welcomes applications from outstanding, established researchers in any of the Government of Canada’s identified strategic priority areas:

1. advanced digital technologies (including artificial intelligence, quantum and cybersecurity);
2. health, including biotechnology;
3. clean technology and resource value chains;
4. environment, climate resilience and the Arctic;
5. food and water security;
6. democratic and community resilience;
7. manufacturing and advanced materials; and/or
8. defence and dual-use technologies.

For further information on areas of institutional strength, please see SFU’s 2023-2028 Strategic Research Plan.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply, applicants should submit a single PDF that includes:

1. A two-page cover letter that identifies:
   1. The strategic priority area(s) the applicant’s research best aligns with
   2. The applicant’s estimated start-up funding, infrastructure, and space requirements (ex. for equipment and personnel)
   3. If the applicant’s research falls under one of the areas identified in the Government of Canada’s Sensitive Technology Research Areas. If yes, list the specific areas. If not, indicate that this does not apply.
2. A full curriculum vitae (including details of research and teaching, scholarly record, funding, collaborations/partnerships and leadership experience)
3. A two-page (maximum) research plan describing the applicant’s research vision and its alignment with relevant strategic priority area(s), including how the work will move beyond discovery to generate social, economic, and/or policy impacts through collaboration with partners, written in clear, accessible language for a broad audience.
4. The names and email addresses of 6 potential arm’s length referees who are prepared to submit a letter of recommendation
5. Complete the Applicant Demographic Survey

SFU recognizes that alternative career paths and/or career interruptions (e.g. parental leave, leave due to illness) can impact research achievements and commits to ensuring that leaves are taken into careful consideration. Candidates are encouraged to highlight in their application how alternative paths and/or interruptions have had an impact on their career. SFU also recognizes the value of mentoring and research training, outreach, professional service, and nontraditional areas of research and/or research outputs; demonstrated experience in increasing diversity in the previous institutional environment, and in curriculum, is also an asset.

All applications should be submitted to:

Dr. Valorie Crooks
Associate Vice-President, Research
Office of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation
Simon Fraser University
8888 University Drive
Burnaby, BC, Canada, V5A 1S6
research_chairs@sfu.ca

Review of applications will begin on January 19, 2026 with applications reviewed on a rolling basis and accepted until June 15, 2026. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority. Any general inquiries regarding this posting may be directed to research_chairs@sfu.ca.

Salary

Faculty salaries at SFU have several components. A reasonable estimate of the total salary during the term of the chair is $275,000 - $325,000, which might be made up of:

Base Salary: Faculty salaries at SFU are based on the salary scales bargained between the University and the SFU Faculty Association. A reasonable estimate of the base salary range for a tenure-track faculty position at the rank of associate professor is $155,584 - $168,305 and for a faculty position at the rank of full professor is $181,027 - $196,292.

Market Differential: Academics in certain disciplines may be eligible to receive a market differential.

Salary Stipend: Successful Impact+ Chair nominees may also receive an additional salary stipend while they hold the chair.

For more information about SFU’s requirements for appointment at each rank, please see SFUFA/SFU Collective Agreement, Article 28.