Queen's National Scholar in Indigenous Science

Queen's University

The School of Environmental Studies and the Department of Biology at Queen’s University invite applications for a Queen’s National Scholar position in Indigenous Science. The position is a full-time tenure-track/tenured position at Assistant Professor or early Associate Professor rank, with a preferred starting date of July 1, 2024. This Queen’s National Scholar (QNS) position in Indigenous Science is one of seven being recruited this year in support of Queen’s interdisciplinary Indigenous Studies Program and new Major and Joint-Honours in Indigenous Studies. Further information on the Queen’s National Scholar Program can be found on the website of the Office of the Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic) at: https://www.queensu.ca/provost/queens-national-scholars-program/qns-faculty-positions-indigenous-scholars.

These positions are open only to Indigenous persons with clear and demonstrable ties to Indigenous community(ies). In accordance with the Hiring of Indigenous Specific Positions – Interim Policy, applicants will be required to provide documents confirming their Indigenous identity. Shortlisted candidates will have their identity verified prior to being invited to interview and only applicants whose identities have been positively verified will proceed to the interview stage of the hiring process.

We welcome applicants who are interested in transformative interdisciplinary research and teaching in Biology and Environmental Studies with expertise in one of the following or related areas of study: biodiversity conservation; restoration ecology; aquatic ecology; ethnobotany and human health; sustainability science; environmental planning and assessment; and ecosystem health. Applicants with an integrative approach and/or strong potential for collaboration with colleagues from a diversity of fields within the natural and social sciences are especially encouraged to apply.

As a Queen’s National Scholar, the ideal candidate will clearly demonstrate three main attributes:
1) Potential for excellence in providing rich and rewarding learning experiences to students;
2) Potential for excellence in developing innovative, collaborative, or interdisciplinary research programs that align with Queen’s strategic priorities; and
3) Commitment to the principles of Indigenization, equity, diversity, inclusion, anti-racism, and accessibility.
 
Further information on teaching and research priorities at Queen’s is available in the Queen’s Strategy and the Queen’s Strategic Research Plan.

Applications from all qualified candidates will be considered. Applicants with a PhD will be preferred, but in exceptional cases we will also consider individuals in the final stages of their doctoral work. Applicants will be encouraged to share qualifications beyond academic credentials, including relevant lived experience and traditional knowledge. The main criteria for selection are strong potential for excellence in research and teaching, evidence of working with Indigenous communities, and evidence of applying Indigenous Knowledge systems to real world problems and land-based learning and research.

Evidence of scholarly achievements that demonstrate the potential for independent research, securing external research funding, research outputs, and outstanding teaching contributions at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and an ongoing commitment to academic and pedagogical excellence should also be highlighted. Candidates should provide evidence of an ability to work collaboratively in an interdisciplinary and student-centred environment.

The successful candidate will develop and teach an interdisciplinary foundational second-year course in Indigenous Science that can encompass both Indigenous ways of knowing and western science, akin to frameworks such as the Haudenosaunee Two Row Wampum or Mi'kmaw Two Eyed Seeing. It is expected that the course would focus on land-based learning and make use of the Queen’s University Biological Station (QUBS), a facility that encompasses 34km2 of lands and waters just north of Kingston (https://tinyurl.com/2p9yb73d). QUBS has engaged in extensive Indigenization of its facilities, including a planned centre for Indigenous knowledge at its Elbow Lake Environmental Education Centre. Ideally, QUBS properties and/or facilities would be incorporated into part of the candidate’s research program as well.

The candidate will also make teaching contributions to upper-year undergraduate and graduate courses on related themes and will work collaboratively with the newly established program in Indigenous Studies to ensure complementarity with its aims. Indigenous Studies at Queen’s (INDG) is hosted by the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures and is anchored in language, cultural, and land-based education. The program launched as a Minor in 2013 and added a Major and Joint-Honours in 2022 and it features a dynamic and growing list of courses from diverse units across the Faculty of Arts & Science. INDG currently has two Indigenous tenure-track faculty members and is overseen by the Indigenous Studies Program Steering Committee, comprising faculty, staff, students, and community members. The QNS will join a core of people committed to centering Indigenous knowledges and perspectives as INDG continues to grow and flourish. More information is available at https://www.queensu.ca/llcu/academics/academic-plans/indigenous-studies.

People from across Canada and around the world come to learn, teach and carry out research at Queen’s University. Faculty and their dependents are eligible for an extensive benefits package including prescription drug coverage, vision care, dental care, long term disability insurance, life insurance and access to the Employee and Family Assistance Program. Employees participate in a pension plan. Tuition assistance is available for qualifying employees, their spouses and dependent children. Queen’s values families and is pleased to provide a ‘top up’ to government parental leave benefits for eligible employees on maternity/parental leave. In addition, Queen’s provides partial reimbursement for eligible daycare expenses for employees with dependent children in daycare. Details are set out in the Queen’s-QUFA Collective Agreement. For more information on employee benefits, see Queen’s Human Resources.

Additional information about Queen’s University can be found on the Faculty Recruitment and Support website. Queen’s University is a leading Canadian medical doctoral institution with over 27,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Millions of dollars of support from SSHRC, NSERC and CIHR support leading-edge research across domains of inquiry. An Office of Indigenous Initiatives builds community, advances reconciliation, and integrates Indigenous ways of knowing and being into the fabric and life of the university. Researchers at Queen’s have many existing networks with Indigenous communities and researchers locally and from across Turtle Island. The University is situated on the traditional territories of the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe, in historic Kingston on the shores of Lake Ontario. Kingston’s residents enjoy an outstanding quality of life with a wide range of cultural, recreational, and creative opportunities, with access to many natural areas and proximity to vibrant First Nations Communities including Tyendinaga and Akwesasne. Kingston is also home to a vibrant and growing urban Indigenous community, supported by urban Indigenous organizations dedicated to Indigenous cultural revitalization and social support.

The city is near Frontenac Provincial Park, the Thousand Islands National Park, and the Frontenac Arch UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. Visit Inclusive Queen’s for information on equity, diversity and inclusion resources and initiatives.

Queen’s University has developed a Targeted Hiring Policy and Procedure in accordance with guidelines on Special Programs by the Ontario Human Rights Commission. The Targeted Hiring Policy and Procedure will be applied to fill the QNS in Indigenous Studies position.

In accordance with the University’s Employment Equity Program and pursuant to Section 14 of the Ontario Human Rights Code (OHRC), the QNS in Indigenous Studies is open only to qualified individuals who are Indigenous persons with clear and demonstrable ties to Indigenous community(ies).In accordance with the Hiring of Indigenous Specific Positions – Interim Policy, applicants will be required to provide documents confirming their Indigenous Identity. Shortlisted candidates will have their identity verified prior to being invited to interview and only applicants whose identities have been positively verified will proceed to the interview stage of the hiring process. Recognizing the intersectionality of identities within Indigenous communities, applications from Indigenous candidates who also identify as women, persons with disabilities and 2SLGBTQ+ persons are welcome. All applicants will be invited to self-identify once they have applied; those who wish to be considered under our employment equity provisions are required to self-identify. Self-identification information will be held in confidence by the Human Rights and Equity Office and one member of the hiring committee. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians, permanent residents and Indigenous applicants defined under Section 35(2) of the Constitution Act, 1982 will be given priority. Queen’s University is a safe space of education and research to be shared by all and offers tailored support for faculty, staff, and students who identify as Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, and/or as People of Colour (QTBIPoC).

Queen’s Targeted Hiring Policy and Procedure follows the OHRC’s guidelines on Special Programs. The requirement for applicants to be an Indigenous person will assist Queen’s University in addressing the underrepresentation of Indigenous Scholars at the university. Engaging Indigenous scholars will enable Indigenous experiences and community connections to enlighten and enrich the University, academia, and student experiences at Queen’s. It is also an opportunity to correct the historic underrepresentation at Queen’s of Indigenous scholars.

In addition, the impact of certain circumstances that may legitimately affect a nominee’s record of research achievement will be given careful consideration when assessing the nominee’s research productivity. Candidates are encouraged to provide any relevant information about their experience and/or career interruptions.

Salary of the successful applicant will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

A complete application consists of:
• Cover letter ;
• Current Curriculum Vitae (including publications and other forms of scholarship and creative output);
• Summary of most significant research contributions including demonstrated outreach, network of community collaborations, and outline of future research directions, including use of the Queen’s University Biological Station (maximum 2 pages);
• Statement of teaching interests and experience, especially with respect to land-based learning, and indication of how lands and waters of the Queen’s University Biological Station would be incorporated into teaching activities (maximum 2 pages);
• Statement describing past and planned commitment to promoting Indigenization, equity, diversity, inclusion, anti-racism, and accessibility in research and teaching (maximum 1 page);
• Contact information for three people who will provide references upon request.

Review of applications will commence as they are received and will continue until the position is successfully filled.

Applicants are encouraged to send all documents in their application packages electronically as a single PDF to Tammy Wintle at wintlet@queensu.ca, although hard copy applications may be submitted to:

Dr. Ryan Danby
Director, School of Environmental Studies
Queen’s University
BioSciences Complex
116 Barrie St.
Kingston, ON K7L 3J9

The University will provide support in its recruitment processes to applicants with disabilities, including accommodation that considers an applicant’s accessibility needs. If you require accommodation during the application or interview process, please contact Dr. Ryan Danby: ryan.danby@queensu.ca

Academic staff at Queen’s University are governed by a Collective Agreement between the University and the Queen’s University Faculty Association (QUFA), which is posted at https://www.queensu.ca/facultyrelations/qufa/collective-agreements-lous-moas and at http://www.qufa.ca.

Appointments are subject to review and final approval by the Principal. Candidates already holding an existing tenure-track or continuing-adjunct appointment at Queen’s University will not be considered.