Canada Excellence Research Chair in Youth Mental Health Assessment

Position Summary:
Partnered with the Office of the Vice-President (Research), the Department of Psychology in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Regina invitesapplications for a Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in the area of Youth Mental Health Assessment. The successful applicant, in the first instance, will be offered a tenured appointment, conditional on approval of the Canada Research Chairs (CRC) Program, at the rank of Professor or Associate Professor, as appropriate. The candidate will work with the Faculty and the University to prepare the formal CERC application according to the CERC program guidelines to be submitted in early October 2022. All Chairs are subject to review and final approval by the CRC Program in Spring 2023. If the application is successful, an expected appointment date is July 1, 2023 or January 1, 2024. The Chair will be expected to develop and lead a strong program of research in youth mental health. We are particularly interested in scholars whose work is internationally recognized in this area, and focuses broadly on the development and systematic evaluation of youth mental health assessment strategies and understanding why existing assessment strategies commonly yield discrepant conclusions regarding the mental health status of youth undergoing evaluation. The Chair would be expected to have considerable published expertise in the area of youth mental health assessment and in the application of controlled, multi-modal, and laboratory-based approaches to studying and evaluating commonly used assessment approaches (i.e., survey reports provided by parents, teachers, and youth themselves).

The Faculty of Arts is home to approximately 100 full-time faculty members in thirteen departments and a range of interdisciplinary programs in social sciences and humanities. The Department of Psychology has an exceptional track record of obtaining major provincial and national funding and is ranked 2nd among all psychology departments in comprehensive universities in Canada in the 2021 Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings, and 6th overall. It is home to several research chairs, including the Research Chair in Aging and Health, the CRC in Biopsychosocial Determinants of Women’s Mental Health, and the President’s Research Chair.

Position Requirements:
The Chair should be a full professor or associate professor expected to be promoted to full professor within one or two years of the nomination and will have a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from a CPA- or APA-accredited program. Candidates must be internationally recognized, top-tier researchers whose accomplishments have made a major societal impact (as appropriate based on career stage).

The Chair will be based in the Department of Psychology in the Faculty of Arts. Further, the Chair will be able to take advantage of natural synergies with the University of Regina’s Child Trauma Research Centre.The University of Regina’s Strategic Plan 2020-2025 (kahkiyaw kiwâhkômâkaninawak – All Our Relations) emphasizes Well-being and Belonging as a strategic priority, which includes prioritizing and supporting research in mental health.

The Department offers highly competitive CPA-accredited Clinical Psychology Master’s and Ph.D. programs, training through its state-of-the-art psychology training clinic, and Master’s and Ph.D. programs in Experimental and Applied Psychology. The Chair will contribute to teaching and research supervision in the Clinical program.

Please direct all inquiries to: Dr Jeff Loucks, Head, Department of Psychology: [email protected].

The Canada Research Excellence Chairs were established by the Canadian Government as part of a national strategy to foster research excellence and strengthen Canada’s ability to attract the world’s top researchers, in order to be at the leading edge of breakthroughs in the Government of Canada’s ST&I priority areas expected to generate social and economic benefits for Canadians. Researchers who hold a full-time academic appointment at a Canadian institution are eligible to be nominated; however, they may not be nominated by the institution at which they currently hold their appointment. If an institution nominates a researcher who is currently at a Canadian institution, the institution must demonstrate the net benefit to the country in moving the researcher from one Canadian institution to another. The value of the CERC award is $1 million per year for 8 years including up to 25% of the total award value for the indirect costs of research. Please consult the Canada Research Excellence Chairs website for full program information, including further details on eligibility criteria (https://www.cerc.gc.ca/program-programme/cpan-pccs-eng.aspx).

Given that scholars have varying career paths and that career interruptions can be part of excellent academic records, candidates are encouraged to provide any relevant information about their experience or career interruptions to allow for a careful and fair assessment of their application.

All Chairs are subject to review and final approval by the Canada Research Chairs Program.

All candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. Applicants representing designated diversity groups are encouraged to self- identify on their application.

Prospective candidates are encouraged to submit their applications as soon as possible. Review of applications will begin August 21, 2022 and will continue until a Canada Research Excellence Chair nominee is selected through a candidate appraisal and interview process.

To apply, applicants must electronically submit the following documents via the online Human Resources portal http://www.uregina.ca/hr/careers/opportunities.html

1. a cover letter describing how the applicant meets the criteria for the position;
2. a proposed five-year research plan in the area of Youth Mental Health Assessment that addresses the objectives of the Canada Research Excellence Chair program (maximum 3,000 words). This plan should include a proposal for developing or enhancing interdisciplinary research strengths, and a plan for developing externally funded research projects and/or other projects appropriate to the Canada Research Excellence Chair mandate;
3. evidence of teaching effectiveness;
4. an up-to-date curriculum vitae;
5. three research article reprints or preprints; and
6. unofficial transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended (please note: if successfully shortlisted for an interview, official transcripts sent directly from the post-secondary institutions will be required).

Short-listed candidates will be asked to have sent directly to the Dean of Arts office three letters from internationally established authorities in the field who are not in conflict of interest with the applicant, at least one of whom does not reside in the country in which the applicant is currently working.

The University of Regina is committed to an inclusive workplace that reflects the richness of the community that we serve. The University welcomes applications from all qualified individuals, including individuals within the University’s employment equity categories of women, persons with disabilities, members of visible minorities, Indigenous persons, individuals of diverse gender and sexual orientation and all groups protected by the Human Rights Code.

Accommodations Statement

The University will work to achieve a reasonable accommodation for candidates under the University of Regina’s Workplace Accommodation Policy: https://www.uregina.ca/policy/browse-policy/policy-EMP-080-005.html. The University is committed to ensuring accommodation requests are considered on an individual basis, and reasonable accommodation plans are developed taking into account (i) the Bona Fide Occupational Requirements associated with the position, (ii) the restrictions and/or proposed accommodations based on current and relevant medical documentation, and (iii) undue hardship. Candidates may contact the Healthy Workplace Advisory at [email protected]if they feel they may require an accommodation.