Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Cybersecurity – Two positions
By U Ottawa
Dead Line: May 7, 2022
The University of Ottawa invites applications for two Tier 2 Canada Research Chairs (CRC) in Cybersecurity. The selected candidates will hold tenure-track faculty positions in the Faculty of Engineering and will be expected to establish a strong, externally funded, and collaborative research program, in the broadly defined area of cybersecurity that will complement the existing expertise of the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. The candidates will be members of the School and will contribute to teaching and service in the School. The candidates will work in either hardware or software areas of cybersecurity with potential emphasis on issues such as tamper-resistant hardware, side-channel resistant algorithms, secure storage devices, power analysis, secure algorithms and software-based techniques for Cybersecurity. Shaping the Digital World is one of the four pillars of the University’s Strategic Research Plan. Cybersecurity is a key component of the Faculty of Engineering’s Technology for the Digital Transformation of Society research axis. These two positions will participate in the establishment of a Cyber Hub at the University of Ottawa with the goal of becoming a globally recognized university in cybersecurity and cybersafety research and education by 2025.
Tier 2 Chairs, tenable for five years and renewable once, are for exceptional emerging researchers, acknowledged by their peers as having the potential to lead in their field. For each Tier 2 Chair, the institution receives $100,000 annually for five years, with an additional $20,000 annual research stipend for first-term Tier 2 Chairs.
Candidates should, at a minimum, be assistant or associate professors, or possess the necessary qualifications to be appointed to these levels. Candidates who are more than 10 years from their highest degree must contact the University of Ottawa directly for questions related to their potential eligibility for a Tier 2 Chair. The institution may nominate a professor or a researcher who is more than 10 years from their highest degree at the time of nomination and has experienced legitimate career interruptions (see acceptable justifications). In such cases, the institution must submit to the Secretariat a formal justification (using the Tier 2 Justification Screening Form), explaining why the nominee is still considered to be an emerging scholar. The University recognizes the legitimate impact that leaves (e.g., parental leave, leave due to illness) can have on a candidate’s record of research achievement and that these leaves will be taken into careful consideration during the assessment process. New CRC nominees are also eligible for infrastructure support from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) to help acquire state-of-the-art equipment essential to their work.
Preferential Hiring: The University of Ottawa is committed to ensuring equity, diversity and inclusion in the scholarly and leadership environments of our students, staff, and faculty. Accordingly, we strongly encourage applications from members of the four designated groups such as Indigenous peoples, visible minorities, persons with disabilities, and women, as defined in the Employment Equity Act, as well as from all qualified candidates with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with equitable, diverse and inclusive communities. Candidates from diverse training backgrounds are encouraged to apply, including those from academia, industry, and government. As part of this preferential hiring process, applications from members of the four designated groups will be prioritized and assessed first for the vacancy. The purpose of this measure is to increase the representation of members of the four designated groups in the allocation of Canada Research Chair positions. Candidates who wish to qualify for preferential consideration are required to complete the self-identification questionnaire on the web portal during the application process.
Required qualifications: Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, Computer Science or equivalent. Postdoctoral experience is considered an asset. Should the position be awarded to an individual in Electrical, Computer or Software Engineering, the candidate will be required to register for licensure in a professional engineering association. A demonstrated excellent research track record in cybersecurity. A commitment to teaching and graduate training, a strong track record in, and a commitment to, interdisciplinary research and industrial collaborations, and the ability to obtain external research funds. The candidate must have excellent oral and written communication skills in either English or French. A passive knowledge of the other official language in Canada is a requirement for tenure.
Rank and salary: Regular tenure-track academic appointment at the rank of Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Engineering. Applications for higher ranks will also be considered. This position is governed by a collective agreement between the University of Ottawa and the Association of Professors of the University of Ottawa.
Application Package:
• A cover letter;
• An up-to-date curriculum vitae (please include career interruptions such as parental or sick leaves that may have impacted your record of research. These will be taken into consideration in the selection process);
• A detailed research plan demonstrating a strong commitment to research excellence (5 pages maximum);
• A statement on equity, diversity, and inclusion philosophy and practice (1 page);
• A statement of teaching interests (1 to 2 pages); and
• The names of three people who may be contacted by the University for letters of reference which will follow the Canada Research Chairs guidelines (i.e. one arm’s length, and two who are not affiliated to the University of Ottawa unless they are the candidate’s Ph.D. or postdoctoral supervisor);
• Self-Identification Form (to complete during the application process).
Your cover letter should be addressed to:
Dr. Sylvain Charbonneau, Vice-President, Research
University of Ottawa
550 Cumberland St., room 246
Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5 CANADA