Canada Impact+ Research Chairs

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Laurentian University welcomes applications from exceptional scholars in targeted areas of research excellence for consideration as Canada Impact+ Research Chairs. Applicants must be eligible for appointment at the Associate or Full Professor level.

Date posted: January 15, 2026

Description
The Canada Impact+ Research Chairs (Impact+) program is a one-time initiative designed to support institutions in attracting world-leading researchers whose work addresses critical national and global challenges. The program emphasizes both research excellence and tangible impact. Impact+ Chairs will receive long-term funding and institutional support to advance ambitious and transformative projects in Canada’s strategic priority areas, build and maintain exceptional research teams, and collaborate with partners across sectors and borders. Impact+ chairholders are expected to drive the translation of discoveries into applications, commercialization and social and economic benefits for Canada and the world, while also developing the next generation of highly qualified personnel.

The key objectives of the Impact+ program are to support institutions to:
● attract world-leading researchers to strengthen Canada’s global competitiveness and innovation leadership;
● transform bold discoveries into innovative products, ideas, policies and solutions that benefit Canadians and the world;
● help Canada grow and sustain a critical mass of expertise in priority areas identified by the Government of Canada through the development of high-impact research teams; and
● incentivize strategic partnerships across sectors, such as industry, health systems, government and not-for-profit organizations, to accelerate translation of research into practice and enhance long-term adoption and impact.

The Impact+ Research Chairs program includes two award values as follows:
Option 1: $1million per year for 8 years
Option 2: $500,000 per year for 8 years

The program also offers the possibility of an additional four years of funding at 50% of the original award value. Funding for research infrastructure will also be made available to Impact+ awardees through the Canada Impact+ Research Infrastructure Fund.

The Chair is required to lead an ambitious research program in at least one of the following strategic priority areas identified by the Government of Canada:
● 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.

Eligibility
The Impact+ program offers eligible institutions the opportunity to nominate internationally renowned scholars and scientists as chairholders in areas of strategic importance to Canada (see strategic priority areas).

Impact+ nominees must:
● be internationally based (both working and residing outside of Canada) as of the Impact+ application deadline. Expatriate Canadian citizens willing to relocate to Canada are also encouraged to apply;
● have a recent track record of research accomplishments and significant interest in making new contributions to Canada; and
● be full or associate professors or, if recruited from outside the academic sector, possess the necessary qualifications to be appointed at these levels.

The successful nominee will have earned a PhD (or equivalent) and possess the necessary qualifications to be appointed as a tenured associate or full professor in accordance with the Collective Agreement with the Laurentian University Faculty Association. Successful nominees who are appointed at the level of associate professor will be expected to meet qualifications to be promoted to full professor within two years of starting their appointment. Chairholders will be required to begin their appointment in person at Laurentian University, on a full-time basis, within 12 months of accepting the award.

Impact+ Research Chair nominees will be required to comply with the Government of Canada Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern (STRAC Policy) and the National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships (NSGRP). Candidates selected for nomination to the Impact+ Research Chairs program will be required to attest to their compliance with the STRAC Policy.

How to Apply
A complete application package should be sent as a single PDF file to the Office of the Provost and Vice-President Academic at [email protected] with the following subject line: Application for Canada Impact+ Research Chair. There are two intake opportunities for this program, with applications due as follows:
Intake 1: The deadline for receipt of applications is February 13, 2026
Intake 2: The deadline for receipt of applications is May 1, 2026

A complete application package includes the following:
● A cover letter that indicates how your research relates to one or more of Canada’s strategic priority areas
● curriculum vitae (including a list of publications, awards and grants received)
● Teaching statement (1-2 pages) indicating previous teaching experience, expertise and teaching philosophy
● Research statement (3-5 pages) covering the following areas:
○ Research/academic merit and leadership skills
○ Scope and quality of the research program
○ Potential contribution to the excellence of the Canadian and international research ecosystem
○ Evidence of, or potential for, knowledge translation, mobilization and application of research results (include, where appropriate, existing or planned partnerships)
● The names and contact information of three referees who are considered experts in the field and not in a conflict of interest (referees will only be contacted if invited for an interview).
● Statement regarding career interruptions due to illness, disability, maternity leave, parental leave, leave due to family member care, COVID-19 impacts, other which impacted scholarly work (if relevant). Information shared will be treated confidentially and will only be used to support an equitable evaluation of the application.
Closing Date: Applications received after February 13, 2026 and before May 1, 2026, will be considered for the second program intake, depending on the remaining program allocation.

Laurentian University is an inclusive and welcoming community committed to equity, diversity and inclusion through inclusive research practices. Grounded in principles of equity and reconciliation, we embed Indigenous perspectives, and honour diverse ways of knowing throughout our research ecosystem. Applications are encouraged from members of equity-seeking communities, including women, racialized and Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, and persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities/expressions. As part of the application process, applicants are required to complete a confidential self-identification form. Information disclosed is confidential and will only be used in accordance with the Impact+ Research Chairs’ program goals.

Laurentian University’s bilingualism policy (Section 7.3.b) provides a provision regarding the language requirement for persons self-identifying as First Nations, Métis or Inuit. The successful candidate will be part of the Laurentian University Faculty Association (LUFA). Candidates are encouraged to consult the Collective Agreement.
Laurentian University is committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free experience to applicants with accessibility needs. Requests for accommodation can be made at any stage during the recruitment process. Please contact the Office of the Provost and Vice-President Academic for more information ([email protected]).

About Laurentian University
Laurentian University is located on the traditional lands of the Atikameksheng Anishinaabek, and the City of Greater Sudbury includes the traditional lands of the Wahnapitae First Nation. Located in Robinson-Huron Treaty of 1850 territory, Laurentian University is committed to supporting the implementation of the University’s Truth and Reconciliation Task Force Recommendations.

Laurentian University is deeply rooted in Northern Ontario and has an unwavering dedication to addressing the needs of our region while advancing the training of over 8300 undergraduate and graduate students with programs offered in the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Architecture, Faculty of Education and Health, Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Management and the Faculty of Graduate Studies. Home to 10 Research Centres and affiliated research entities, MIRARCO (Mining Innovation and Applied Research Corporation), SNOLAB, and Health Sciences North Research Institute, Laurentian University is one of the top undergraduate research universities in Canada.
Guided by our tricultural mandate, we are committed to conducting research that is culturally relevant, inclusive, and impactful. Our work spans diverse fields, driven by the priorities of our communities and industry partners and supported by collaboration across disciplines, with an impact that extends beyond our region. As identified in our 2025-2030 Strategic Research Plan, our distinctive research strengths include Mining, Mineral Exploration, and Critical Minerals; Environmental Solutions; Health, Wellness, Health Equity and Social Justice; Culture, Language and Education; and Interdisciplinarity. These strengths are our launching point for addressing priorities such as climate adaptation, environmental solutions, sustainable resource development, health equity, social justice, reconciliation and the success of northern economies. By addressing pressing challenges and leveraging local assets, Laurentian University researchers create solutions with global relevance.

About Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
The City of Greater Sudbury is centrally located in Northeastern Ontario at the convergence of three major highways. It is situated on the Canadian Shield in the Great Lakes Basin and is composed of a rich mix of urban, suburban, rural and wilderness environments. Greater Sudbury is 3,186 square kilometers in area, making it the geographically largest municipality in Ontario and the second largest in Canada. Greater Sudbury is considered a city of lakes, containing 330 lakes and the world’s largest lake contained within a city, Lake Wanapitei.
Greater Sudbury is home to approximately 190,000 people. It is a multicultural and truly bilingual community. Greater Sudbury is home to Canada’s third-largest French population outside of Quebec. Approximately 38 per cent of people identify as knowing both official languages. Italian, Finnish, German, Ukrainian and Polish are the top five non-official languages spoken in the city. More than six per cent of people living in the City are First Nations.

Greater Sudbury is a world-class mining centre. The city’s mining companies employ approximately 6,000 people and support a 300-company mining supply and service sector cluster that employs a further 10,000 people. The city is also a regional centre in financial and business services, tourism, health care and research, education and government for Northeastern Ontario.

Greater Sudbury has a strong and growing health care and health research ecosystem. Health Sciences North is the region’s tertiary care academic health sciences centre, serving a catchment area of more than 600,000 people across Northeastern Ontario. The Health Sciences North Research Institute supports a diverse research portfolio spanning clinical trials, health services research, population health, Indigenous health, and implementation science, with strong integration between clinical care, education, and research. The city is also home to NOSM University, a leader in socially accountable medical education and rural and Northern health research, with a distributed education and research model that is deeply embedded in Indigenous, rural, and remote communities. Together, these institutions create a uniquely collaborative environment for impactful, community-engaged health research addressing the needs of Northern, rural, Indigenous, and underserved populations.

Greater Sudbury is also home to Science North and Dynamic Earth (largest science centre in Ontario) and SNOLAB (deepest, cleanest lab in the world). SNOLAB’s science program focuses on astroparticle physics, specifically neutrino and dark matter studies, though its unique location is also well-suited to biology and geology experiments.

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