Canada Impact+ Research Chair: Call for Application
Access the application here.
Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) is Canada’s only polytechnic university, proudly serving the South Fraser region for more than 40 years. With campuses in Surrey, Richmond, Langley, and Cloverdale, KPU is deeply connected to the communities it serves and to the diverse cultures, backgrounds, and lived experiences of its students. Through academic excellence, applied learning, innovation, and strong industry and community partnerships, KPU prepares students for meaningful futures.
As an open-access university, KPU is powered by the people who live and work here. We believe every employee plays a meaningful role in supporting student learning and success. We are honoured to carry the name of the Kwantlen First Nation and are committed to equity, inclusion, reconciliation, and respectful relationships. As one of BC’s Top Employers, KPU is dedicated to fostering a supportive, inclusive, and engaged workplace where employees feel valued, connected to purpose, and empowered to make an impact.
We invite you to explore your next career opportunity at KPU and discover how your work can contribute to a university where thought truly meets action.
KPU is seeking two (2) international researchers that will serve as institutional nominations to the Canada Impact+ Research Chairs program. This program is an initiative of the Government of Canada to attract world-leading researchers to Canadian universities.
Impact+ Research Chairs will receive long-term funding and support to build impactful applied research programs at KPU.
POSITION TYPE: Faculty Regular Full-Time
POSITION START: January 1, 2027
POSITION DETAILS AND ELIGIBILITY
Per the conditions of the Impact+ program, nominees must be associate or full professors, or must possess necessary qualifications to be appointed at these levels. Nominees must be currently working and living outside of Canada to be eligible.
The Impact+ Chairs process occurs in two stages. First, applicants apply to this posting for review by KPU’s internal search committee. The Search committee will then select 2 nominees, who will be supported by KPU to prepare nomination packages to the Impact+ Chairs program.
The applicant’s hire is contingent on them being accepted into the Impact+ Research Chair program. If successful, the Chairholder will receive a 75% time-release from teaching, dedicated to applied research associated with this Chair. They will hold a faculty appointment in the academic department that best aligns with their proposed research program. Impact+ Chair awardees are appointed for a term of eight years, with awards valued at either $1 million or $500,000 annually.
Applicants may propose research programs that align with any of the Government of Canada’s identified strategic priority areas:
- advanced digital technologies (including artificial intelligence, quantum and cybersecurity);
- health, including biotechnology;
- clean technology and resource value chains;
- environment, climate resilience and the Arctic;
- food and water security;
- democratic and community resilience;
- manufacturing and advanced materials; and/or
defence and dual-use technologies.
Applicants must be prepared to propose a research program that aligns with the criteria of SSHRC, NSERC, or CIHR.
Full information about this program can be found at: https://www.canada.ca/en/impact-plus-chairs/program-details/competition/2026/apply.html
KPU recognizes that life circumstances such as illness, disability, family, and community responsibilities are often an expected part of life and are likely to have an impact on a nominee’s record of research achievement, and that these impacts will be taken into careful consideration during the assessment process. Candidates are encouraged to highlight, in their application, how their alternative paths have had an impact on their careers. KPU’s full suite of accessibility policies and services can be found at https://www.kpu.ca/access/resources
More information concerning the working conditions for a faculty member are outlined in Article 12 of the Kwantlen Faculty Association (KFA) Collective Agreement.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Ph.D or equivalent terminal degree in a relevant discipline (requirement of the nominating institution and not the program)
- Post-secondary teaching experience at the undergraduate or graduate level
- Internationally recognized research record with evidence of impact and leadership
- Ability and commitment to conduct research at the highest international standards and to attract and sustain research funding and partnerships
- Demonstrated ability to build a network of industry and other partners
Currently living and working outside of Canada
SALARY INFORMATION
Placement on the faculty salary scale will be dependent on level of education and relevant research and teaching experience. Advancement up the pay scale is based on FTE and employment status.
HOW TO APPLY
Applications will be reviewed by a multidisciplinary committee and must include:
- Cover letter (two page maximum) that identifies the strategic priority the applicant intends to align with
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Research plan (two page maximum) that speaks to integration of undergraduate research and community or industry connections into the proposed applied research program
- Contact info for four referees
If there are any barriers that you are experiencing or an accommodation that we can provide to support you through the application process, please reach out to Navneet Sidhu at talentacquisition@kpu.ca
*Please Note: Posting date: March 25, 2026. Applications will be reviewed as they are received; we encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible. The final closing date for this position is April 27, 2026
KPU OVERVIEW
KPU is a public university located in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with campuses in Surrey, Richmond, and Langley. KPU was founded in 1981 as a college, Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) received official university status in 2008. KPU is a Special Purpose Teaching University with a primarily undergraduate student population. It is a teaching-intensive institution that provides post-secondary education to over 12,000 full-time equivalency students annually across its five campuses in the Metro Vancouver region.
KPU is distinguished by its polytechnic mandate, integrating academic scholarship with applied, experiential, and community-engaged learning. While primarily an undergraduate teaching institution, KPU has cultivated a strong and growing culture of research excellence, particularly in undergraduate research and applied scholarship.
KPU offers a unique, student-centred learning environment that focuses on hands-on skills alongside traditional academics. KPU’s investment in research programs continues to push the boundaries of what is expected from a teaching-intensive institution by incorporating research activities into curricula, thus bolstering employability and success within future graduate degree programs for current undergraduate students.
KPU continues to champion research activities that are applied and real-world in nature, which centre around community-based needs. KPU receives funding from national agencies including SSHRC, CIHR, and NSERC, regional agencies such as Genome BC and provincial government, and numerous community and industry partners. To date, KPU has supported three Tier 2 Canada Research Chairs, two Sherman Jen Chairs, one BC Innovation Chair, nine Chancellor’s Chairs and one KPU Research Chair. As an institution, KPU aims to provide community-engaged research opportunities that address regional, national, and international challenges.
Research at KPU is intentionally student-centered. Faculty members actively engage undergraduate students as research collaborators, providing meaningful, hands-on research opportunities for students at every stage of their educational journey.
Total Rewards
As a part of our total rewards offerings, KPU also offers extended health and dental benefits, healthcare spending account, generous vacation package, defined pension plan, parenthood top-up, sick leave, long-term disability, life insurance, professional development days, tuition waiver, inhouse training & development, inter-campus transportation, and more!
Note: Eligibility requirements apply, benefits may vary depending on the employee group the position belongs to and whether the position offered is temporary or part-time.
Visit https://www.kpu.ca/hr for more information on KPU’s workplace, culture and total rewards.
Note to Applicants
Kwantlen Polytechnic University welcomes and encourages applications from equity deserving groups and diverse experiences including, but not limited to, Indigenous people, racialized people, people with disabilities, and members of the 2S/LGBTQIA+ community.
If there are any barriers that you are experiencing or an accommodation that we can provide to support you through the application process, please reach out to us at talentacquisition@kpu.ca.
Kwantlen Polytechnic University is committed to protecting the safety and welfare of employees, students, and the general public, and upholding the reputation and integrity of the University. For this reason, final applicants will be asked to undergo a background check.
We thank all applicants for their interest in employment with KPU. Only candidates who are legally eligible to work in Canada will be considered; only those selected for an interview will be contacted.