Canada Impact+ Research Chairs

Cape Breton University (CBU) invites applications from world-leading internationally based researchers who wish to be nominated for a Canada Impact+ Research Chairs Award. The Canada Impact+ Research Chairs (Impact+ Chair) program is a one-time initiative designed to support institutions in attracting researchers whose work addresses critical national and global challenges. The program emphasizes both research excellence and tangible impact. Impact+ Chairs will receive long-term funding and institutional support to advance ambitious and transformative projects in Canada’s strategic priority areas; build and maintain exceptional research teams; and collaborate with partners across disciplines, sectors, and borders. Impact+ Chairs will translate research discoveries into applications, commercialization opportunities, and meaningful social and economic benefits for Canada and beyond, while also training the next generation of highly qualified personnel (HQP).

Each Canada Impact+ Research Chair Award is valued at either $500,000 or $1 million per year for eight years, with the possibility of a four-year funded extension at 50% of the initial award value per year.

CBU anticipates nominating up to two Impact+ Chairs in the following strategic priority areas:

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

CBU has a particular interest in researchers with demonstrated expertise and a strong track record in applied machine learning, predictive analytics, and AI-driven methods applied to diverse data sets, including—but not limited to—data on climate change, variability, and impact. We welcome applicants with experience working across disciplines and leading research infrastructure initiatives, particularly in rural and regional contexts. Candidates who demonstrate the capacity and willingness to collaborate with local communities, including Indigenous communities, will be highly ranked.

Eligibility

Applicants who are successful in CBU’s competition will be nominated by the University for an Impact+ Chair. Successful applicants will be world-class scholars who envision bringing their research to Canada and contributing to the communities of Cape Breton and Unama’ki, the national research ecosystem, and global knowledge. They will have the primary responsibility for directing their research program and all related activities, including attracting external research funds, leading research teams, training HQP, and working with CBU to coordinate the governance and administration of their research activities. Through their scholarship, they will advance knowledge, inform local, regional, and national policy, and engage public and industry audiences through knowledge translation.

Only candidates who are internationally based (both working and residing outside of Canada) at the time of the application deadline are eligible. Expatriate Canadians wishing to relocate to Canada are encouraged to apply.

Successful nominees will be appointed at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor in a relevant Academic School, taking into account the candidate’s expertise and proposed research program. CBU requires that successful candidates have a PhD and can demonstrate excellence in research and teaching. Successful nominees will be expected to take up their appointment as Impact+ Chair at CBU within 12 months of accepting the award.

Nomination Process

All applications will be adjudicated through a highly competitive selection process at CBU. The offer of an academic appointment is conditional upon the success, acceptance, and approval of the nomination by the Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat (TIPS).

Nomination is a two-step process.

Applicants respond to this invitation by submitting the materials listed. Review of applications will begin once the competition closes on February 18, 2026.
The successful candidate(s) will work with the Office of Research and Graduate Studies to develop a Canada Impact+ Research Chair nomination for submission to the TIPS.

CBU has made important progress toward improving accessibility across our campus and recognizes that this work is ongoing. We are committed to continuously establishing and enhancing policies, practices, and infrastructure that meet the needs of all members of our community. As part of this effort, accessibility accommodations are available for applicants throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accessibility accommodations or adaptive measures during the application or interview stage, please contact Terri Lynn Laffin at CBU’s Human Resources Department: HumanResources@cbu.ca. Requests for accommodation will not negatively affect the recruitment process.

CBU encourages applications from individuals from all underrepresented, equity-denied, or rights-seeking populations, including racialized individuals, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, women, and individuals from the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

Our fundamental commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation is guided by key principles of intersectionality, decolonization, and accountability, and formalized in CBU’s Better Together Workplace EDI Action Plan (2023). Creating a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive workplace culture is an ongoing project that requires critical self-reflection, openness to divergent perspectives, and willingness to accept and enact changes that nurture wellbeing and belonging for all members of the CBU community.

TO APPLY, PLEASE VISIT https://jobs.dayforcehcm.com/en-US/cbu/CANDIDATEPORTAL/jobs/1229

All applicants must submit the following materials in PDF format by February 18, 2026.

If you have any questions about uploading documents, please contact the CBU Human Resources Department at HumanResources@cbu.ca.

A cover letter describing the applicant’s track record of research accomplishments and interest in making new contributions to Canada and the Atlantic Provinces.
A document that identifies:
the specific stream(s) to which their research relates;
their research agenda, including its originality and significance; and
the potential for knowledge translation, mobilization, and application of research results.
An updated curriculum vitae.

CBU recognizes that life circumstance such as illness, disability, family, and community responsibilities (e.g., maternity leave, parental leave, leaves due to illness, leaves due to caring for family members, slowdowns due to chronic illness or disability, or COVID-19 impacts) are often an expected part of life and are likely to have an impact on a nominee’s record of research achievement, and that these impacts will be taken into careful consideration during the assessment process.

Why Cape Breton University?

CBU is located on Unama’ki—Cape Breton Island’s original name, meaning “Land of Fog” in the Mi’kmaw language—Nova Scotia, Canada. Unama’ki is part of the ancestral and unceded territory of the L’nu people, and CBU is proud to live, work, and learn on this land, and to support respectful relationships with Mi’kmaw communities through teaching, research, and community engagement. CBU is a proud regional university with a reputation for strong community involvement and exceptional internal support for research. The University is anchored in our island’s rural and regional communities, which support Canada’s critical industries, natural resources, and strategic infrastructure. We are deeply connected to the environments, economies, and populations that shape Canada’s national resilience and future.

The University has a strong history of engaging with communities to explore questions of local and global significance and to address urgent challenges. CBU’s Strategic Research Plan prioritizes interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral efforts to continue advancing this research, with a particular focus on building collaborative networks in areas such as Science, Technologies, and Data; Ecology, Environment, and Sustainability; and Health and Wellness. These collaborative research networks are inspired by Indigenous values of shared leadership and sustainable development and are guided by L’nu ways of knowing, which are hallmarks of CBU’s research culture.

The establishment of the Cape Breton Medical Campus (CBMC) is an outstanding example of our university’s vision in action. Created in partnership with Dalhousie University, the CBMC’s research mandate is to collaborate with communities to design, implement, and evaluate innovative health and social supports, evidence‑informed practices, and forward‑thinking policies that lead to real change. Our goal is to improve rural health outcomes and create solutions that have local, national, and global impact.

CBU offers a compelling living laboratory for researchers seeking to work in real-world contexts shaped by social, environmental, and economic transition. Our university is embedded in a region that brings together urban, post-industrial, rural, and coastal communities, marked by a strong sense of solidarity, safety, and a deep sense of place. Cape Breton Island’s long history of immigration has shaped communities that continue to re-imagine their future beyond legacy industries like coal and steel. CBU’s campus reflects this global reach, having welcomed students from more than 70 countries. The University’s surrounding environment also offers exceptional research strengths, including extensive Atlantic Coastline, the Bras d’Or Lakes ecosystem, and communities responding to the opportunities and challenges of aging populations. CBU is an ideal setting to develop, test, and mobilize research that is grounded, impactful, and closely connected to the people and places it serves. Rooted in this region and its realities, CBU offers an untapped and significant opportunity to support the foundation of Canada’s competitiveness and international research leadership.

Additional Information

For more information about the Canada Impact+ Research Chair Program, please visit their website: https://www.canada.ca/en/impact-plus-chairs/program-details/competition/2026/apply.html#11

For questions about this competition, please contact CBU’s Office of Research & Graduate Studies at research@cbu.ca.

Please note, this competition may be used to fill upcoming CRC positions at Cape Breton University.

Cape Breton University

Office of Research and Graduate Studies

1250 Grand Lake Road

Sydney, NS B1M 1A2

Website: www.cbu.ca

Email: HumanResources@cbu.ca

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