Description

The University of Guelph invites applications for nomination to the prestigious Canada Impact+ Research Chair in Fluid Phase Chemistry for Nuclear Energy. This opportunity will enable a world-class researcher to establish and lead an ambitious research program in an area of chemical science relevant to the Canadian nuclear power industry, positioning Canada at the forefront of clean energy innovation. The University of Guelph is a full member of the University Network of Excellence in Nuclear Engineering (UNENE) and the Department of Chemistry holds a UNENE Research Chair in High Temperature Aqueous Chemistry. Preference will be given to candidates whose research area complements that of the existing UNENE Chair.

About the Canada Impact+ Research Program

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 Impact+ program provides opportunities for internationally renowned scholars and scientists in areas of strategic importance to Canada. Only candidates who are internationally based (both working and residing outside of Canada) at the time of the intake's application deadline are eligible to apply. 

Nominees must be full professors or associate professors or, if recruited from outside the academic sector, must possess the necessary qualifications to be appointed at these levels. A Ph.D. in a discipline relevant to conducting research and teaching in Physical or Analytical Chemistry is required by the University of Guelph.

Requirements

Canada Impact+ Research Chair in Fluid Phase Chemistry for Nuclear Energy

The College of Computational, Mathematical, and Physical Sciences is recruiting a Canada Impact+ Research Chair in Fluid Phase Chemistry for Nuclear Energy, at an award value of

$500,000 / year. The term is for 8 years, with the possibility for a four-year extension, at 50% of the original award value.

The Impact+ Chair in Fluid Phase Chemistry for Nuclear Energy is aligned with the Impact+ strategic priority areas of clean technology and resource value chains. 

The program's evaluation criteria are:

• Research/academic merit and leadership skills of the nominee
• Quality of the institutional support
• Quality of the research program
• Potential contribution to the excellence of the Canadian and international research ecosystem
• Potential for knowledge translation, mobilization and application of research results

 The Government of Canada values knowledge mobilization, translation and commercialization as critical pathways to ensuring research delivers tangible benefits at both national and global levels. Impact+ Chairs are expected to move beyond discovery to generate social, economic, and policy impacts, working in close collaboration with partners across various sectors.

Successful nominees will have the primary responsibility for directing the research program and all related activities, leading a team of personnel, and coordinating governance and administration with the host institution.

Targeted Research in Fluid Phase Chemistry for Nuclear Energy

The successful candidate will be appointed as a Canada Impact+ Research Chair and will build an independent, world-class research program, complementary to the ongoing UNENE-funded research at the University of Guelph, with an emphasis on physical chemistry research targeting reactor coolant fluids relevant to the current Canadian reactor fleet and/or Small Modular Reactors.

Expertise in the following areas may be an asset:

• Quantitative studies of hydrothermal fluids or molten salts.
• Thermochemical database development in areas relevant to current and future generations of nuclear reactors.
• Thermochemical modelling of fluids under extreme conditions.
• Electrochemistry, corrosion, or radiation chemistry.
• Computational chemistry relevant to reactor coolants and/or nuclear waste management.

Strategic Alignment with the University of Guelph

The University of Guelph is a full member of the University Network of Excellence in Nuclear Engineering (UNENE), and the Department of Chemistry holds a UNENE Research Chair in High Temperature Aqueous Chemistry, supporting chemical research related to Canada's nuclear industry. Our Strategic Plan emphasizes creating solutions for a sustainable future and fostering collaborations with industry and government that address society's most pressing challenges. A Canada Impact+ Research Chair in Fluid Phase Chemistry for Nuclear Energy directly strengthens this vision by broadening and reinforcing the University of Guelph's expertise in clean energy and the underlying science in support of the nuclear industry, ensuring that technological innovation is aligned with industry needs, ecological responsibility, and societal benefit.

Candidate Profile

We seek an exceptional scholar with an international reputation for research excellence, innovation, and leadership. The successful nominee will:

• Hold a PhD in Physical or Analytical Chemistry, or a closely related discipline. A PhD degree is a requirement for faculty members at the University of Guelph. Suitably qualified candidates in chemical physics, experimental geochemistry, and chemical engineering will be considered. Industrial or national laboratory experience an is asset.
• Any citizenship will be considered, but Impact+ candidates must be working and living outside Canada at the time of application.
• Be qualified for appointment at the level of Associate Professor or full Professor; note that candidates who do not currently hold a tenured position at an academic institution (e.g., applicants coming from industrial or national laboratory positions) will be appointed at a tenure-track Associate Professor level and are expected to apply for tenure in accordance with the collective agreement.
• Demonstrate a record of outstanding and sustained research contributions, including high-impact publications, patents, licenses, data sets, technologies, and/or technical reports, as well as impactful mentorship and external research funding.
• Show a proven ability to lead large teams and foster collaborations with academia, industry, and government.
• Demonstrate qualification to teach Analytical or Physical Chemistry at the undergraduate and graduate level.
• Exhibit a strong commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility (EDIA) in research, mentorship, and recruitment.
• For candidates pursuing research with or about indigenous communities, demonstrate alignment with principles of indigenous self-determination, co-creation, and Indigenous ways of knowing.