Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Climate Change Solutions. CERCs are prestigious awards globally, providing chairholders eight years of support for their research programs and teams, and contributing to Canada’s national strategy to foster research excellence by attracting top-tier global researchers to lead world-class research programs at Canadian universities.

UVic’s long-term institutional commitment to applied and solution-oriented climate change research has cultivated a rich and engaged scholarly community within and beyond the campus. UVic is home to the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS), Accelerating Community Energy Transformation (ACET), Institute for Integrated Energy Systems (IESVic), Ocean Networks Canada (ONC), and the Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium (PCIC). UVic has a Special Advisor on climate to further coordinate, connect, and amplify the momentum and synergies amongst diverse climate change faculty, researchers, staff and students across the university. UVic is also deeply committed to the ongoing work of decolonizing and indigenizing the campus and our research collaborations with Indigenous people and communities who are often living on the frontlines of both climate impacts and solutions.

We invite applications from researchers working on any aspect of climate change solutions – including both mitigation and adaptation strategies – with a particular focus on the themes outlined below. This research may be directly related to applied solutions or provide fundamental information to inform solutions. The successful applicant will bring a transdisciplinary focus and highly collaborative approach in one or more of the following areas that represent institutional strengths at UVic:

OCEAN SCIENCE AND MARINE ECOSYSTEM RESILIENCE

UVic’s coastal location – on Vancouver Island on the West Coast of Canada – attracts leading researchers studying the ocean and marine ecosystem resilience. This research spans issues linking the role of the ocean in the climate system to ocean conservation, marine protected areas, spatial planning, and coastal management and resilience, including research conducted at UVic’s world-leading ocean observing facility - ONC. Research is often deeply community engaged with coastal communities and Nations, specifically the inclusion of local and Indigenous knowledges. UVic is seeking applications from global leaders working on oceans and marine resilience and their intersection with climate change solutions facing both human and ecological communities.

OCEAN-BASED CARBON SEQUESTRATION

UVic is a global leader in ocean-based carbon management and hosts ONC, which operates infrastructure to advance research in a wide range of ocean disciplines including ocean-based carbon dioxide removal and coastal resilience. UVic is the recent recipient of a $24 million New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) Transformation grant on ocean-based carbon dioxide removal, while Blue Carbon Canada is developing a nationwide assessment of blue carbon captured and stored by salt marsh, seagrass, and mangrove ecosystems. UVic is seeking applications from top tier researchers focused on ocean-based carbon dioxide removal and sequestration approaches with the potential for major global contributions to carbon reduction and management efforts.

CLIMATE MODELLING

UVic is a centre of world-leading climate modelling and prediction research focused on seasonal to decadal climate prediction, modelling of past and future climates, and development of high-resolution climate information to support adaptation planning. UVic also hosts Environment and Climate Change Canada's (ECCC) Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis (CCCma) and PCIC, which are recognized nationally and internationally for their climate analysis and modelling expertise. UVic is seeking applications from outstanding climate researchers who are investigating areas of focus such as climate system observation and data-driven climate modelling and prediction to inform risk assessment, adaptation planning and societal resilience to extreme weather events.  

ENERGY SYSTEMS TRANSFORMATION

ACET is Canada’s national initiative – supported by an $84 million Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF) – to foster energy system transformation by partnering with First Nations, local communities, industry and researchers to co-create sustainable, resilient and place-based clean energy systems. UVic is seeking applications from world-leading researchers committed to research focused in one of the following areas of energy transformation: applied transitions management research using a multi-level perspective to actively guide innovation; emerging marine renewables with an emphasis on phased technology deployment from kW to MW; long duration storage technologies including flow batteries, regenerative hydrogen systems and e-fuels; the water-energy nexus focused on community fresh and waste water systems; and equitable electrified air mobility for rural and remote communities.

Selection Criteria

Applicants must be:

1. Full professors or equivalent who can be hired at UVic at the full professor level.
2. Recognized internationally as world leaders in their field, with a proven record of high-impact research, successful research funding, and leadership of interdisciplinary teams.

The successful applicant will demonstrate:

1. Proven track record of outstanding, original, and innovative research that has made a significant societal impact and advanced the frontiers of knowledge in their area of expertise.
2. Evidence of high-impact research outputs, such as publications in top-tier peer-reviewed research in their fields, as well as broader knowledge mobilization and translation activities.
3. Demonstrated ability to lead and build multidisciplinary research teams and foster collaborative, cross-sectoral partnerships, for example with government, community, Indigenous, and industry partners.
4. Demonstrated ability to attract, retain, mentor and provide leadership opportunities to a diverse group of students, trainees and research personnel.
5. Strong demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) and to Indigenization in teaching, research, and leadership practices.
6. Track record of knowledge mobilization and engagement with non-academic audiences, including policy-makers, health practitioners, and the public.

How to Apply

To be considered, applications need to be submitted through our search partner Perrett Laver’s Vacancies page quoting reference 7902. Please consult the full job description for details on the required application package.

Application packages must be received by 12:00 pm PDT (noon) on Friday August 29, 2025.  Review committees will begin the shortlisting process 4 weeks into the advertisement period.

This position is contingent upon the applicant receiving a Canada Excellence Research Chair. The position is subject to the availability of funding and to final approval by the Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat (TIPS).

UVic is committed to upholding the values of equity, diversity, inclusion and human rights in our living, learning and work environments. In pursuit of our values, we seek members who are eager to actively participate in that shared responsibility. We actively encourage applications from members of historically and systemically marginalized groups. Read our full equity statement.

Please consult the CERC Program page for more information. Any general inquiries regarding this posting may be directed to Benjamin Crase.