Canada Excellence Research Chairs (CERC) Competition 2026
Applications are open for the prestigious CERC competition
The University of Calgary invites applications from world-leading researchers for the prestigious Canada Excellence Research Chairs (CERC) Competition. The CERC program is designed to attract world‑renowned researchers to launch ambitious and impactful research programs at Canadian universities.
Located in Canada’s most enterprising city, the traditional territory of the peoples of Treaty 7 and the Métis Nation of Alberta (Districts 5 and 6), the University of Calgary (UCalgary) is a global and innovative intellectual hub for teaching and learning, research and scholarship, and community engagement.
UCalgary is one of Canada’s top comprehensive research universities, with more than 8,000 graduate students and 29,000 undergraduate students, more than 1,800 academic staff (continuing, contingent term or limited term appointment), more than 1,300 sessionals, and more than 2,900 non-academic staff, in 14 Faculties, across five campuses. The vibrant and research-intensive environment at UCalgary is home to 146 research chairs (with 99 Canada Research Chair allocations), and more than 50 research institutes and centres. UCalgary has the fastest growth rate in attracting research funding among the 10 largest universities in Canada and in 2024 ranked sixth among Canada’s top research universities in Research Infosource Inc.’s latest Top 50 Research Universities.
Posting date: February 25, 2025
Closing date: positions will be posted for a minimum of 30 days with the possibility of extension until the positions are filled
The Opportunity
The University of Calgary invites applications from world renowned researchers for the prestigious Canada Excellence Research Chairs (CERC) 2026 Competition. The CERC program stands at the centre of a national strategy to foster research excellence in Canada and improve our depth of knowledge and quality of life, strengthen Canada's international competitiveness, and help train the next generation of highly skilled people. The program offers an avenue for Canadian institutions to recruit the best global talent and brand Canada as a location of choice for world-leading research. CERCs are one of the largest and most prestigious awards available globally, providing the world’s top researchers and their teams with funding support over eight years to support their research programs and teams.
The CERC recruitment uses a two staged process where interested applicants must first apply to the open job posting at the University. The successful applicant from that first stage will then enter a second stage, for which they co-develop an application with the University to the federal government funding program. The University of Calgary will provide substantial institutional support in the preparation and development of the program application. Appointment to one of these positions is contingent upon the applicant being awarded a Canada Excellence Research Chair and is subject to the availability of funding and to final approval by the University Board of Governors and the Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat (TIPS). Interested applicants are invited to review the full program details.
CERC Chair awardees will have up to 12 months to take up the award after the notice of award and acceptance has been signed by all parties.
CERC Chair awardees are appointed for a term of eight years, with awards valued at either $8 million or $4 million (throughout the duration of the award).
Candidates who are unsuccessful in a CERC chair application at the national competition may be considered as a nominee for a Canada Research Chair (Tier I) in the areas identified below.
This program provides an opportunity for international researchers, including Canadian expatriates wishing to relocate to Canada, to lead a prestigious research program at the University of Calgary and to contribute to Canada’s excellence in research and innovation. Applicants must be full professors or associate professors expected to be promoted to full professor within one to two years of the nomination. Successful applicants will have an outstanding track record of research contributions in their field including a commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion within their research ecosystems, and demonstrated leadership/mentorship within research teams. The University of Calgary is seeking CERC candidates in the themes listed below.
University of Calgary CERC Themes
Details coming soon
Living Medicines - Microbes uses native or gene-edited bacteria to treat disease – a radical departure from other therapeutic platforms and the reliance on pharmaceuticals. By better understanding and constructing microbial medicines, we can treat disease with higher precision, customizing the microbial therapeutic to the patient. With substantial prior and ongoing investment in microbiome research, the University of Calgary has established itself as a leader in the elucidation of mechanisms by which microbes can promote health, and in the identification of bacteria and microbe-derived molecules that have the potential to treat disease in humans and animals. As Canada’s leading Institution in this area, the University of Calgary has a critical mass of investigators with extensive expertise in microbiome research and provides cutting-edge technologies and facilities to support their work: the International Microbiome Center and associated Wild Microbiome & Immunology Center are unparalleled world-wide; the Calgary Metabolomic Research Facility; the Human Organoid Innovation Hub; and, the internationally renowned Live Cell Imaging Suite. These facilities will be enhanced by development of a GMP-facility to produce Microbial Therapeutics, taking discovery to clinical practice in the associated Microbial Therapeutics Clinic at the Foothills Hospital and the new, state-of-the-art Cancer Care Clinic.
The University of Calgary is seeking an internationally recognized and accomplished leader in the use of Microbes as Living Medicines. The successful candidate will have an established leading research program in fundamental and/or translation research on microbe biology, manipulation, and therapeutics, such as in one or more of the following areas: the development of Live Biotherapeutic Products (LBPs; single microbes or bacterial consortia), bacterial engineering, microbial gene-editing, or bacteriophage biology for application to health and disease management. The successful candidate will lead and be visionary in the next generation of approaches to develop microbe-based medicines, cutting-edge delivery systems and microbe manipulation to enhance living medicine efficacy while minimizing side effects. They will join and be expected to take a leadership role in an established and growing cadre of investigators with expertise in the development and application of Microbes as Living Medicines.
Details coming soon
The human brain is a hyper-efficient computer, capable of rapidly performing the operations necessary for movement, interaction and memory by using biological networks of neurons and other neural cells. Human performance requires that complex computations are done nearly instantaneously using relatively little power. Inspired by biological systems, neuromorphic computational solutions are poised to dramatically increase the types of computational problems we can answer using energy-efficient approaches. Neuromorphic systems consist of a range of new technologies that mimic brain cells and brain function in their design and implementation of computing hardware, software and algorithms. Distinct from current computing approaches, which are powered by discretized mathematical operations running on digital transistor-based solutions, neuromorphic computing promises leaps forward in both computing power and energy efficiency.
A Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Neuromorphic Computing Systems will develop and refine biologically inspired hardware, software, and algorithmic solutions that harness the efficiencies of brain-inspired computing to solve complex problems that would otherwise require prohibitive amounts of classical computing power.
Candidates will have an established track record of expertise in neuromorphic computing systems. Relevant domains include, but are not limited to, 1) hybrid digital implementations/emulation of analog neural systems (e.g., spiking neural networks implemented in specialized hardware, such as field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and application-specific integrated circuit (ASICs), 2) direct analog systems which use circuits of electrical elements (e.g., resistors/memristors) to mimic brain cells and operations, or 3) smart materials, which can provide brain-like computation with radically different computational elements (e.g., nanowire networks), and 4) energy-efficient brain-inspired hardware, software and algorithm design.
CERCs are international leaders in their field, and it is expected that applicants will have an excellent track record of securing national and international grant support, publications with demonstrated impact across a range of appropriate technical journals and alongside other higher impact forums and have contributed to the training of a large and diverse group of trainees. A clear vision of the broad societal impact of their research is essential, as is a commitment to collaborative inter- and trans-disciplinary research.
The University of Calgary’s Neuromorphic Computing Program has emerged from our well-established and international recognized Brain and Mental Health Strategy. Led by the Hotchkiss Brain Institute (hbi.ucalgary.ca) in partnership with other faculties, including the Cumming School of Medicine, the Faculty of Science, and the Schulich School of Engineering, the Brain and Mental Health Strategy coordinates the research and education a multidisciplinary group of over 350 faculty and 1,500 staff and trainees across brain and mental health scholarship. The successful CERC will join, build upon and meaningfully contribute to the activities in our computational neuroscience initiative that includes a rapidly growing group of transdisciplinary researchers working across many relevant and highly complementary areas including computational modeling of brain function, perception and behavior; assessment of complex, dynamical systems; and advanced application of network neuroscience, machine learning and brain computer interface approaches and methodologies.
Details coming soon
Learn more about this opportunity
This search is being managed by Janet Soles and Associates Executive Search, questions regarding this opportunity may be directed to UCalgaryCERC@jssearch.ca.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at UCalgary
As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding diversity at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Institutional Commitments (oicteam@ucalgary.ca) and requests for accommodations can be sent to Human Resources (hrhire@ucalgary.ca).
To Apply
Interested individuals are encouraged to submit an application online via the University of Calgary Careers site using the ‘Apply Now’ link.
Complete applications should include:
- Cover letter that identifies (maximum two pages):
- the theme (1 to 5) aligned to the applicant's research
- description of the societal impact of the candidate’s most significant contributions
- Curriculum vitae including names and contact information of three referees
- Brief description of the candidate’s research plan, including a description of how equity, diversity and inclusion has been incorporated into research design and research team (maximum three pages)
Questions regarding this opportunity may be directed to: UCalgaryCERC@jssearch.ca
The University of Calgary recognizes that candidates have varying career paths and that career interruptions can be part of an excellent academic record. Candidates are encouraged but not required to provide any relevant information about their experience and/or career interruptions to allow for a fair assessment of their application. Selection committees have been instructed to give careful consideration to, and be sensitive to the impact of career interruptions, when assessing the candidate’s research productivity.
The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.
The University of Calgary’s comprehensive benefits and pension program is designed to promote a productive level of health and well-being to staff members. To learn about our comprehensive benefits package for this Calgary-based, English speaking position (with the ability to speak an Indigenous language recognized as an asset), please click here.
About Calgary
Recently ranked the 5th most liveable city in the world (2024) by The Economist, and possessing one of the youngest populations of major cities in Canada, Calgary is home to world-class attractions, sporting amenities and public infrastructure that supports a healthy lifestyle, making it a great place to raise a family. Situated where the Canadian plains reach the sunny foothills of Canada’s majestic Rocky Mountains, Calgary is a major urban centre surrounded by an area of profound beauty with an awe-inspiring mountains, lakes, rivers and gorgeous prairie.
Calgary is a city of leaders - in business, community, philanthropy and volunteerism. Calgarians benefit from a growing number of world-class dining and cultural events and enjoy more days of sunshine per year than any other major Canadian city.
Consistently rated by the United Nations as the world’s best country to live in, Canada is the world’s second largest country by total area and is one of the most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations. Canada ranks among the highest in international measurements of government transparency, civil liberties, quality of life, economic freedom, and education.
