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Canada Research Chairs Program

The Canada Research Chairs Program (external link, opens in new window)  (CRCP) is a federally funded program that seeks to achieve research excellence and to support societal growth by attracting and retaining the most accomplished and promising researchers in Canada. Canadian universities nominate world-class scholars across all research disciplines to further their strategic research plans and maximize their contributions as centres of research and training.

Chairholders aim to achieve research excellence in engineering and the natural sciences, health sciences, humanities and social sciences. They work to improve our depth of knowledge and quality of life, strengthening international competitiveness and training the next generation of highly qualified researchers.

A Tier 1 candidate is an outstanding researcher acknowledged by their peers as a world leader in their field. A Tier 2 candidate is an exceptional emerging researcher, acknowledged by their peers as having the potential to grow into a leader in their research field within the next 5-10 years.

Canada Research Chair (CRC) Allocation

The CRCP offers eligible Canadian degree-granting institutions (external link, opens in new window)  a set number of Chair allocations based on the funding received by their researchers from the three federal research granting agencies: the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). See the CRCP’s Method of Allocating Chairs (external link, opens in new window)  for more information.

Institutions subsequently submit Chair nominations to one of the program’s deadlines for peer review in order to fill their allocations. Note that individuals cannot apply to the program directly. Chair positions are awarded to individual researchers who take up the chair on a full-time basis. Chairs cannot be shared, nor can they be occupied on a part-time basis.

The allocation and management of Toronto Metropolitan University’s Canada Research Chairs (CRCs) is overseen by the Executive Committee for CRC Planning. Chaired by the Vice-President, Research and Innovation, additional members include the Provost and Vice-President, Academic or the appropriate designate; the Associate Vice-President, Research and Innovation; the Vice-President, Equity and Community Inclusion; the Vice-Provost and Dean, Graduate Studies; a Dean from one of the university’s faculties; and a Toronto Metropolitan University faculty member with an established research track record. The Vice-Provost, Faculty Affairs is an ex officio member of the committee.

This committee reports to the President of the university and reviews all policies and processes relating to the management of the university’s allocation, including strategic decisions, renewal reviews and allocation requests, as well as the  (PDF file) Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan (opens in new window)  and its equity targets.

The staffing of Toronto Metropolitan University’s CRC positions is governed by the requirements of the Canada Research Chairs Program (CRCP) (external link, opens in new window) , including equity, diversity and inclusion requirements and practices, as well as by the Faculty Association Collective Agreement and accommodation policies and procedures.

Toronto Metropolitan University is dedicated to fostering equity, diversity and inclusion throughout the Canada Research Chair (CRC) allocation process. The university welcomes the further diversification of its staff, faculty and scholarship, including but not limited to Indigenous peoples of North America, racialized individuals, persons with disabilities, and those who identify as women and/or 2SLGBTQ+.

The university’s strategies for integrating equity, diversity and inclusion considerations into its CRC allocations process include the following:

  • Making EDI concerns into evaluation criteria for all requests for allocations. Toronto Metropolitan University holds university-wide competitions for requests for allocations for vacant Chair positions, with published guidelines and instructions that specifically include the need to address equity, diversity and inclusion, both in terms of the proposed scholarship and in terms of the supports required to retain a Chairholder from one of the underrepresented groups throughout their career at the university. Our  (PDF file) EDI guidelines (opens in new window)  are available to download.
  • Circulating calls for proposals for new CRC allocations. Toronto Metropolitan University holds internal calls for CRC nomination proposals to identify specific research areas relating to the  (PDF file) Strategic Research Plan (SRP) (opens in new window) . CRCs continue to be seen as key strategic recruitment tools. These calls are meant to augment areas of current strength and not to commence new research areas. Applications are accepted from across the university, and the research areas must be situated within the TriCouncil mandate and align with the university’s research priorities, as dictated by the Strategic Research Plan. After the research area has been allocated to a faculty, the appropriate Departmental Hiring Committees (DHCs) will follow the standard hiring process to find a nominee. Both research area allocations and Chair renewals must be approved by the Executive Committee for CRC Planning.
  • Promoting all policy updates and the university’s progress toward targets by posting on the Office of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation website and other available communications channels.

CRC Utilization Table

Toronto Metropolitan University is committed to equitable, inclusive and transparent hiring processes. Postings for CRC positions open to internal applicants only, external applicants only, or both internal and external applicants are posted publicly on the Toronto Metropolitan University Careers website and this web page. In the exceptional circumstance where a CRC position is filled without a competition, through the CRCP Emergency Retention (external link, opens in new window)  mechanism, the university will post a statement on this web page that details the intention to nominate an individual using the emergency retention mechanism, the justification explaining why the emergency retention mechanism is being used (while not disclosing the nominee’s personal information), confirmation that the university’s equity and diversity targets have been taken into consideration in the decision, the name and contact information of the senior level university official who has approved the decision, and the name and contact information of a university representative who can respond to questions or concerns regarding the nomination.

In the period we have reported, we have not had any postings that are strictly internal. All have been open to external recruitment.

Toronto Metropolitan University’s CRC Utilization Table is up to date as of April 2024 and available for download as a  (excel file) CRC Utilization Table (opens in new window)  or a  (word file) CRC Utilization Table text document (opens in new window) .

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Achieving a more equitable, diverse and inclusive Canadian research enterprise is essential to creating the excellent, innovative and impactful research necessary to seize opportunities and respond to global challenges. As such, the CRCP is committed to the federal government’s policies on non-discrimination and employment equity (external link, opens in new window) . Following an evaluation of the CRCP and a subsequent recommendation that management should require institutions to adopt greater transparency in their allocation, selection and renewal processes for chairholders, the CRCP implemented its Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan (external link, opens in new window)  in May 2017. Participating Canadian universities must comply with the CRCP Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Requirements and Practices (external link, opens in new window) , including the Requirements for Recruiting and Nominating Canada Research Chairs (external link, opens in new window) , to ensure a transparent and equitable process and provide a supportive and inclusive environment. Please see the 2019 Addendum to the 2006 Canadian Human Rights Settlement Agreement (external link, opens in new window)  for recent updates.

Universities must also set equity and diversity targets (external link, opens in new window)  to address the under-representation among their Chairholders of members of the four designated groups: women, persons with disabilities, Indigenous peoples and racialized individuals. See the methods for Establishing Equity Targets for 2021 to 2029 (external link, opens in new window)  for more information. Toronto Metropolitan University’s targets are available in text and spreadsheet form in the CRCP’s 2021-2029 Equity Target Plan section. The overall CRC program representation statistics (external link, opens in new window) , calculated at a national level for four federally-designated equity-deserving groups, are accessible through their website. The Population-Based Institutional Equity Targets 2021 to 2029 (external link, opens in new window)  page on the CRC website lists the equity targets and current representation as of January 1, 2023 for all universities participating in the Canada Research Chairs Program in Canada.

The CRCP’s 2021-2029 Equity Target Plan

As an eligibility requirement, all institutions participating in the CRCP are required to develop and submit their 2021-2029 equity target plan to the program. These plans require setting equity targets for each of the four federally designated groups, for each of the target deadlines, to lead institutions incrementally, over the period of 2021-2029, to Canada-wide population-based equity targets.

Toronto Metropolitan University’s CRC equity targets

*Data includes the following as of the date noted above

  • All chairs (new and renewals) active as of January 1, 2024; and
  • All approved chairs whose terms are scheduled to start on or after January 1, 2024.
Designated Groups
 Total Representation (No. of Chairs) Total Representation (% of total, 22) December 2025 Equity Targets (# of Chairs) December 2029 Equity Target* (%)
Indigenous Peoples * 4.5 0 4.9
Persons with Disabilities * 4.5 1 7.5
Racialized Individuals 8 36.4 4 22
Women and Gender Equity-Seeking Groups 9 40.9 7 50.9

*The specific December 2029 equity targets will be confirmed in early 2028 based on the number of active/approved chairs the institution has at that time.

The detailed equity targets as of December 31, 2022 are also available for download as a  (excel file) CRC Equity Target Setting Tool spreadsheet (opens in new window)  and as a  (PDF file) CRC Equity Target Setting Tool text document (opens in new window) .

Note: The information in the table above reflects the number of individuals who self-declared as members of the designated groups to the Canada Research Chairs Program. Per the Privacy Act (external link, opens in new window) , numbers lower than five were removed to protect the privacy of chairholders.

Note 2: The category of “Women” has been updated to “women and gender equity-seeking groups” to be inclusive of transgender men, non-binary, and two-spirit individuals.

TMU’s CRC Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan

The CRC program at TMU is governed by the CRC Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Action Plan. The plan, and program updates relating to EDI implementation at TMU’s CRC program, are listed below.

The Office of the Vice-President, Equity and Community Inclusion

The Office of the Vice-President, Equity and Community Inclusion (OVPECI) has the mandate to provide strategic leadership and support for the achievement of Toronto Metropolitan University’s vision to be a leader in equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI), which includes infusing the values of EDI into everything we do at the university, as well as the removal of systemic barriers for our entire community.

The OVPECI services include the development and implementation of initiatives as well as consultation and facilitation in five areas:

  • Aboriginal Initiatives
  • Accessibility
  • Education and Awareness
  • Human Rights Services
  • Strategic Planning, Assessment and Special Projects

Addressing EDI-Related Concerns and Complaints about the CRCP

General concerns about equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in Toronto Metropolitan University’s CRCP may be sent confidentially to the Office of the Vice-President, Equity and Community Inclusion (OVPECI) at equity@torontomu.ca or 416-979-5379. OVPECI staff review concerns and recommend any actions to the Vice-President, Equity and Community Inclusion (VPECI).

The OVPECI solicits feedback related specifically to the CRCP through consultations on the CRC Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan. OVPECI also solicits feedback and concerns about EDI matters on an ongoing basis throughout the university. Concerns may be relayed to the CRC Planning Executive Committee to determine if changes need to be made to the program at the university.

For concerns about systemic issues, the university may build content into education and awareness programming, develop tools to support hiring and promotion committees and/or make recommendations for changes to policies, collective agreements and institutional plans. The VPECI sits on the CRC Planning Executive Committee and the university’s Executive Committee and has the ability to bring matters, as appropriate (e.g., not confidential complaint details), to the attention of university senior management. These may include any specific recommendations to address trends or issues of concern that have been identified.

At any given time, in addition to contacting the OVPECI, CRC equity, diversity and inclusion concerns can be reported to the university through several mechanisms, such as the following:

Dimensions Pilot Program

The Dimensions Pilot Program at TMU is part of a federal initiative supported by all three federal research granting agencies to support post-secondary institutions seeking to increase EDI in SRC activities. The program's objectives are to create transformational change within the research ecosystems of post-secondary institutions by identifying and eliminating obstacles and inequities. The program seeks to improve equitable access to funding opportunities, increase equitable and inclusive participation, and embed EDI-related considerations into research design and practices.

Toronto Metropolitan University endorsed the Dimensions Charter (external link, opens in new window)  and successfully applied as one of the 17 post-secondary institutions selected to take part in the Dimensions Pilot Program. By endorsing the Charter, Toronto Metropolitan University commits to adopting these principles through our SRC practices and cultures.

As a member of the pilot cohort, our Dimensions team is coordinating across our varied research cultures on data collection, analysis and action planning. During the initial stage, we are collecting and analyzing quantitative and qualitative data to produce a reflective assessment of the university's SRC systems, practices and cultures. This assessment will lead to the development of a university action plan with goals based on the identified gaps, barriers and trends.

Each faculty has a Dimensions team gathering data and personal feedback regarding EDI in their respective SRC areas. Two Toronto Metropolitan University CRCs are their respective faculties' Dimensions Chairs.

Postings for CRC Positions

All postings are open to both internal and external candidates.

Archive of Previous Postings