The Department of Oral Biology in the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry at the University of Manitoba invites applications for a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair (CRC), in the area of oral cancer biology. https://viprecprod.ad.umanitoba.ca/DEFAULT.ASPX?REQ_ID=47830

The successful candidate will be appointed to a tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor at the Paul Albrechtsen Research Institute CancerCare Manitoba commencing on October 1, 2027, or a date mutually agreed upon. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience, in accordance with the University of Manitoba Faculty Association collective agreement.

The Government of Canada has established the CRC program to enable Canadian universities to foster world class research excellence. To meet the assessment criteria, applicants must be emerging world-class scholars who have completed a PhD, or discipline-appropriate terminal degree and post-doctoral training. The ideal candidate will demonstrate potential to achieve international recognition in their fields in the next five to ten years. The successful candidate must also demonstrate the potential to attract, develop and mentor excellent trainees, and lead an original, innovative high-impact research program.

The Paul Albrechtsen Research Institute CancerCare Manitoba is a state-of-the-art open-concept research facility. It provides excellent care to patients with an exceptional team of over 70 scientists and clinicians researching cancer and blood disorders (see https://research.cancercare.mb.ca/paul-albrechtsen-research-institute/ for an overview of major infrastructure and list of members). The Institute membership consists of fundamental and clinician scientists offering an exceptional collaborative environment for the development and translation of new approaches to the study of human cancers.

The position includes a competitive laboratory start-up package and the opportunity to compete for additional research infrastructure funding locally and via the Canadian Foundation for Innovation. The successful applicant will have access to core research platforms within the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences and the Paul Albrechtsen Research Institute CancerCare Manitoba, including state-of-the-art facilities for flow cytometry, live cell imaging, multiplex imaging, histomorphology and ultrastructural imaging, biobanking, proteomics, NGS, bioinformatics, animal models and others.

The successful candidate will be expected to establish an original, innovative, extramurally-funded research program using cutting-edge approaches to study oral cancer and related diseases – complementing existing research strengths, and in collaboration with other researchers within CancerCare Manitoba and across the University of Manitoba. The chair will be based at the Paul Albrechtsen Research Institute CancerCare Manitoba and will contribute to educating undergraduate, graduate and dentistry students through teaching and mentorship, and participate in academic service activities to the department, college, institution, and university.

To meet the assessment criteria, applicants must be exceptional emerging world-class scholars who have completed a PhD, or discipline-appropriate terminal degree, and demonstrate potential to achieve international recognition in their fields in the next five to ten years. Specific research areas of interest include, but are not limited to, innovative approaches to study oral microbiome and pre-cancers, cancer immunotherapy, fundamental molecular and cellular biology of oral, head and neck cancers, genomics, AI, and human cohort studies involving complex molecular and cellular datasets. The successful candidate must also demonstrate the potential to attract, develop and mentor excellent and diverse trainees, and lead an original, innovative and productive research program. Applicants must have an impactful publication history and the ability to secure competitive, extramural research funding. The successful applicant will have a demonstrated ability to conduct and lead original, innovative research working in a collaborative team environment, and will possess excellent communication skills. Teaching experience with diverse student bodies would be desirable. The successful candidate must also have knowledge of and demonstrated commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

A Tier 2 CRC Nomination will be submitted soon after a successful candidate has been selected. Chairs are awarded by the Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat after a rigorous evaluation, and award decisions are expected in fall 2027, with the appointment starting October 1, 2027, or on a date mutually agreed to.

The successful candidate will be nominated for a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair soon after selection. Chairs are awarded by the Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat through a rigorous peer-review process. Award decisions are expected in the Fall 2027, with the appointment starting thereafter on a date mutually agreed to. The tenure-track appointment will be conditional upon a successful Canada Research Chair nomination. Tier 2 Chair awards are valued at $100,000 per year for 5 years with an option to renew once. Applicants must normally be within 10 years of obtaining their terminal degree at the time of nomination. Applicants who are beyond this 10-year window due to eligible career interruptions (such as parental leave, extended sick leave, clinical training, or family caregiving responsibilities) may be considered through the CRC program’s Tier 2 justification process Please contact the UM’s Office of Research Services (researchgrants@umanitoba.ca) for more information.

Application Deadline: A review of applications will begin September 1, 2026 and will continue until the position is filled. Applicants must apply to this University of Manitoba advertisement through the UM Careers portal for review and endorsement and clearly state the application position number in the cover letter.

Application materials should include:

a cover letter concisely describing suitability for the position
a curriculum vitae (including examples of significant research contributions)
a research plan (3 page maximum) outlining an independent, innovative research program, and its potential to attract funding and contribute to student training and other impacts on the broader community
a teaching statement (1 page maximum) that documents the applicant's experience in and/or approach to training and mentoring diverse students and the candidate's teaching philosophy
a personal statement (1 page maximum) addressing positionality, and demonstrated commitment to anti-racism and social justice (including principles of equity, access and participation)
the names and contact information of three referees

Applicants should upload their cover letter separately, their curriculum vitae separately, and then combine their research plan, teaching statement, personal statement, and a list of three referees into a single PDF file and upload it under ‘Additional Documentation’ when applying in UM Careers. If you experience any difficulties accessing UM Careers, please contact Kristjana Oliver at kristjana.oliver@umanitoba.ca in the Dean’s Office for assistance.