Canada Excellence Research Chair, Indigenous Legal Issues,Osgoode Hall Law School

Université York

Osgoode Hall Law School at York University invites applications from highly qualified applicants for a Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) at the rank of Associate or Full Professor in Indigenous Legal Issues. This appointment is contingent upon successful nomination to a Canada Excellence Research Chair. The CERC program https://www.cerc.gc.ca/home-accueil-eng.aspx is designed to recruit the world’s top researchers to Canada and is the country’s most prestigious federally funded research chair program. This is a tenure-track appointment to the Professorial Stream to commence on July 1, 2027, or as soon as possible thereafter.

We seek to hire a renowned expert in Indigenous Legal Issues. The successful candidate will be a leading legal scholar with experience working with Indigenous law in Canadian, comparative, international and Indigenous community contexts, focusing on treaties, aboriginal rights, constitutionalism, governance, economic development and environmental sustainability. Priority will be given to applicants with demonstrated leadership in peer-reviewed legal scholarship, Indigenous language and story-telling, and land-based community education.

The successful candidate is expected to galvanize Osgoode’s rich history of research and national/international leadership in Indigenous law (including in the context of existing institutional initiatives such as the Anishinaabe Law Camp). The successful candidate will also serve as a research leader, playing a pivotal role in enhancing York’s strengths in Indigenous scholarship. They will be expected to foster alignment and synergy across related research activities at the University, including those at the Centre for Indigenous Knowledges and Languages and the Canada First Research Excellence Fund initiative, Connected Minds, and contribute meaningfully to York’s emergence as a globally recognized, world-class research institution in this area.

Nominees for a Canada Excellence Research Chair should have a demonstrated record of excellence in research and training, be recognized leaders in their field with significant international impact, and demonstrate a superior track record of external research funding. They should propose an innovative, high-quality program of research that includes supervision of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, and demonstrate evidence of engagement and leadership in Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity initiatives. They will also teach at the undergraduate and graduate levels and will be involved in graduate supervision. They should be at a career stage consistent with the rank of Full Professor at the time of appointment or within two years of nomination. Alternatively, if from outside the academic sector, nominees must possess the necessary qualifications to be appointed at these levels. The successful candidate will be suitable for prompt appointment to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and provide service to the University.

Appointments to a Canada Excellence Research Chair are for 8 years with an award of $500,000 per year over the term of the chair. All CERC appointments are subject to review and approval by the CERC Secretariat, expected in Winter 2027. The successful candidate will then have up to 12 months to take up the award and the duties of the position. Further information about the Canada Excellence Research Chair program is available at www.cerc.gc.ca.

York acknowledges the potential impact of various life circumstances (e.g., illness, disability, caregiving, family commitments) on a candidate’s record of research and other achievements. Candidates are encouraged to describe such circumstances and their impact in their application. This information will be taken into careful consideration during the assessment process.

Osgoode has been shaping the future of legal education in Canada since 1889. The rich, innovative, and accessible legal education that Osgoode provides empowers our graduates to pursue flexible and challenging futures, to be leaders in the legal profession, and to serve the cause of justice and the public good. Our faculty excels in producing foundational, socially engaged, and world-leading academic scholarship.

In making this appointment, Osgoode will seek to advance the objectives underlying Osgoode’s Strategic Plan 2021-2025 https://www.osgoode.yorku.ca/about/our-current-strategic-plan/. The plan identifies six areas of focus:

1. Anticipating Society-Level Crisis
2. Law in Local and Global Contexts
3. Rigorous Academic Scholarship
4. Advancing Reconciliation and Justice
5. Student Access and Success
6. Innovative and Engaged Legal Education

Candidate Qualifications:
• Degree: All candidates must hold a JD degree, and a graduate degree in law and/or other relevant discipline (SJD/PhD or equivalent strongly preferred).
• Scholarship:
o A coherent and well-articulated program of research and specialization in Indigenous Legal Issues as described above in the position description.
o A record of generating innovative, substantive, rigorous, and as appropriate, externally funded research.
o A record of making influential contributions and demonstrating excellence of recognized international calibre in the field, as evident in: the research plan; a record of high-quality publications, including with significant journals in the field; presentations at major conferences; awards and achievements; and strong recommendations from referees of high standing.
o Candidates must also be able to take a leadership role in the discussion and debate on significant questions in the field. The latter capacity may be expressed, for example, through comments in the public press or participation in public conferences and colloquia.
• Teaching:
o A record of excellence in teaching and dedication to students, demonstrated in: the teaching dossier; teaching accomplishments and pedagogical innovations including in high priority areas such as experiential education and technology enhanced learning; teaching evaluations; and strong letters of reference.
o Candidates must be capable of being effective teachers at the undergraduate, graduate and professional levels in the field of Indigenous Legal Issues and other legal fields that may be informed by this perspective. In addition to teaching relevant courses at Osgoode, they are also expected to take an active role in the JD, LLM, and PhD programs such as organizing events and supporting student recruitment.
o Candidates must have a demonstrated interest in current and emerging issues in the field of Indigenous Legal Issues and related topics and must be able to contribute to the wider curriculum and be capable of providing leadership in the study of these issues.
o Suitability for prompt appointment to the Faculty of Graduate Studies, given that the position will involve graduate teaching and supervision. Candidates should have the capacity to direct the research activities of graduate students and to initiate and raise funds for significant research projects.

Hiring Policies:
• Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.
• All York University positions are subject to budgetary approval.
• Osgoode Hall Law School is committed https://www.osgoode.yorku.ca/academic-employment-opportunities/commitment-to-equity/ to the principles of equality and diversity, and inclusion, broadly understood. We are particularly interested in candidates with diverse backgrounds and especially encourage candidates in equity, diversity and inclusion categories. As a part of this commitment, the Law School’s Employment Equity Plan aims to increase the representation on faculty of members from five groups: women, racialized persons, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, and LGBTQ2S+ persons.
• The CERC program imposes no restrictions on nominees with regard to nationality or country of residence. Researchers who hold a full-time academic appointment at a Canadian institution are eligible; should they be nominated the University’s nomination package will be required to demonstrate the net benefit to Canada of moving the researcher from one Canadian institution to another. Researchers cannot be nominated by the institution at which they currently hold their appointment.
• York welcomes and employs scholars from all over the world. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.
• York has a policy on Accommodation in Employment for Persons with Disabilities http://secretariat-policies.info.yorku.ca/policies/accommodation-in-employment-for-persons-with-disabilities/ and is committed to working towards a barrier-free workplace and expanding the accessibility of the workplace to persons with disabilities. Applicants who require accommodation are invited to contact the Chair of the Faculty Recruitment Committee, at facultyrecruitment@osgoode.yorku.ca.

Application Process:
• Due date for completed applications: July 24, 2025
• Required materials: 1) current CV; 2) cover letter; 3) copies of law and graduate transcripts; 4) a detailed research plan; 5) a teaching dossier (see details below); 6) copies of three (3) academic articles or book chapters authored by the applicant (where published materials are not available, one or more dissertation/thesis chapter(s) may be submitted in lieu); 7) contact information for three (3) referees. Candidates may, during the recruitment process, be asked to have their referees provide their letters of reference directly to Osgoode. All applications will be kept confidential to the Osgoode Faculty Recruitment Committee, the Osgoode Faculty Appointments Committee and faculty colleagues who provide reviews of files.
• The teaching dossier should be no more than 15-20 pages and should include: teaching evaluations; a statement of teaching philosophy; an account of teaching experiences and related responsibilities (e.g., list of courses taught/course outlines, examples of print and digital teaching materials and how they are used); a summary of commitment to professional development (e.g., participation in teaching workshops, supervision of masters and doctoral students, mentoring new faculty); and other evidence of teaching effectiveness (e.g., student letters of support, teaching awards).
• Provide required information regarding your Canadian work status and optional self-identification for Affirmative Action purposes as part of the online application.
• Direct questions about the position to the Chair of the Faculty Recruitment Committee, at facultyrecruitment@osgoode.yorku.ca.
• Submit materials: at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/OSG_CERC

Learn More About York:
• York University generates and shares knowledge through our research, teaching and engagement with communities around the world. The 2023-2028 Strategic Research Plan https://www.yorku.ca/research/strategic-research-plan-2023-2028/ showcases the depth, breadth and ambition of research at York.
• York’s commitments to social justice are laid out in our Decolonizing, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy https://www.yorku.ca/dedi-strategy/, the Framework & Action Plan on Black Inclusion https://www.yorku.ca/abr/ and the Indigenous Framework for York University https://indigenous.yorku.ca/framework/.
• Follow the activities and accomplishments of York’s faculty, students and staff on YFile https://yfile.news.yorku.ca/.

York University acknowledges its presence on the traditional territory of many Indigenous Nations. The area known as Tkaronto has been care taken by the Anishinabek Nation, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and the Huron-Wendat. It is now home to many First Nation, Inuit and Métis communities. We acknowledge the current treaty holders, the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. This territory is subject of the Dish with One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement to peaceably share and care for the Great Lakes region.