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Research Assistant - CERC HECW

Department: CERC Health Equity and Community Wellbeing, Faculty of Community Services
Position supervisor: Vayashali Patel, Senior Research Associate
Contract length: September 14, 2026 - April 30, 2027
Hours of work per week: 14 (hybrid, 1 day in office)
Position type: OPSEU Research Assistant
Rate of pay: $30/hr

About Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University)

At the intersection of mind and action, Toronto Metropolitan University is on a transformative path to become Canada’s leading comprehensive innovation university. Integral to this path is the placement of equity, diversity and inclusion as fundamental to our institutional culture. Our current academic plan outlines each as core values and we work to embed them in all that we do.

Toronto Metropolitan University welcomes those who have demonstrated a commitment to upholding the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion and will assist us to expand our capacity for diversity in the broadest sense. In addition, to correct the conditions of disadvantage in employment in Canada, we encourage applications from members of groups that have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples, Indigenous peoples of North America, racialized persons, persons with disabilities, and those who identify as women and/or 2SLGBTQ+. Please note that all qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, applications from Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

As an employer, we are working towards a people first culture and are proud to have been selected as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers and a Greater Toronto’s Top Employer for 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. To learn more about our work environment, colleagues, leaders, students and innovative educational environment, visit www.torontomu.ca, check out @TorontoMet (external link, opens in new window)  and @ECItorontomet (external link, opens in new window)  on X, and visit our LinkedIn company page (external link, opens in new window) .

About the Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Health Equity and Community Wellbeing

The CERC in Health Equity and Community Wellbeing program led by Dr. Karen Soldatic, is a transformative research initiative that employs an engaged community partnership approach to expand our understanding, practice and delivery of health outcomes for all members of our communities. Collaborating closely with a network of healthcare institutions, service providers and civil society organizations, the CERC in Health Equity and Community Wellbeing aims for a paradigm shift - one that challenges a siloed, expert-driven approach to health and wellbeing and moves, instead, towards a community-engaged, preventative model of wellbeing. Uniquely applying a critical disability lens, the research program aims to not only reduce health disparities that are inextricable from their social contexts but to embed community knowledge into health-care institutions, systems and models of delivery.

Learn more about the CERC here: https://www.torontomu.ca/cerc-health-equity/

The opportunity

We are seeking a currently enrolled PhD student who has completed a research-based Master’s degree, or an individual with a completed PhD, to undertake digital health technology and mixed-methods research with a focus on health equity for disabled populations. The successful candidate will be responsible for supporting, developing and implementing a wide range of research-related activities. These include, but are not limited to: developing partnerships, applying for funding opportunities, submitting ethics applications, conducting quantitative and qualitative research, and authoring peer-reviewed and non-traditional research outputs.

Qualifications

Required: 

  • Academic or professional work background in health equity and community wellbeing (e.g. public health, health studies, public policy, disability studies, gender studies, sociology, social work)
  • Demonstrated research interest and/or engagement in health equity, community wellbeing, and digital health
  • Willingness to work both independently and collaboratively with researchers and students in an academic environment
  • Capacity to adopt and incorporate the research principles, aims, and objectives of the CERC Health Equity & Community Wellbeing into deliverables
  • Experience in conducting qualitative research (e.g. ethics, interviews, thematic analysis, literature review, NVivo) and quantitative research (e.g., surveys, descriptive analysis, regression analyses)
  • Experience writing academic papers, including research proposals, literature reviews, and journal manuscripts and non-academic outputs, including blog posts and opinion pieces
  • Experience in stakeholder management and partnership relationship development
  • Experience completing Tri-Council grant funding applications and/or scholarship applications

Assets:

  • Experience working with equity-denied community members
  • Experience in disability accessibility research methods and processes
  • Proficiency in Google Workspace, databases, reference and management software

How to apply

To apply for the CERC in Health Equity and Community Wellbeing Research Assistant role, email the following in a single Word or PDF document to opportunity.cerchecw@torontomu.ca by September 4, 2026: 

  • Academic CV (max 4 pages)
  • Cover letter detailing your interest in the role (1-2 pages)
  • 2 potential references (contacted for preferred applicants only)
  • Email subject line and the attached document labelled: CERC HECW Research Assistant - “your name”

Toronto Metropolitan University’s commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion

  • We encourage all First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples or Indigenous peoples of North America, to self-identify in their applications. If you are an Indigenous applicant and require support during the recruitment process, please reach out to James McKay, Indigenous HR Lead at james13@torontomu.ca.
  • Toronto Metropolitan University is committed to the principles of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), and aims to ensure that independence, dignity, integration and equality of opportunity are embedded in all aspects of the university culture.
  • We will provide an accessible experience for applicants, students, employees, and members of the Toronto Metropolitan University community. We are committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free work environment, starting with the recruitment process. If you have restrictions that need to be accommodated to fully participate in any phase of the recruitment process,please reach out to Human Resources: 
  • All information received in relation to accommodation will be kept confidential.