Canada Excellence Research Chair in Climate Change, Environment, and Health (Associate or Full Professor)

McGill University is seeking to recruit an internationally recognized, interdisciplinary scientist with a strong track record in innovation and research leadership to direct a new program in climate change, environment, and health that is supported by a prestigious CERC award. The CERC program supports Canadian universities in their efforts to build on Canada's growing reputation as a global leader in research and innovation. The program supports world-renowned researchers and their teams to establish ambitious research programs at Canadian universities. These awards are among the most prestigious and generous available globally.

Following a highly competitive and rigorous selection process involving peer review, CERCs are appointed for a period of eight years in values of $8 or $4 million (over the entire award period). These awards are not renewable. The two award values recognize the varying costs of research within different research disciplines and aims to be inclusive of all areas of research.

We seek an internationally recognized scholar whose research addresses the interconnected impacts of climate change, biodiversity loss, and/or ecosystem disruption on human health. The successful candidate will lead a bold, solutions-oriented research program that spans the life, environmental, and health sciences, with particular emphasis on bridging ecology, population health, and climate resilience through interdisciplinary tools and methods. The CERC Chairholder will be mandated to build a multidisciplinary research team that reflects a diversity of lived experiences, identities, and career stages. Their research may include emerging climate-health threats, biodiversity-related determinants of well-being and/or health, and interventions to reduce vulnerability and promote health equity in a changing environment. The Chairholder will also be expected to establish strong links with government agencies, civil society, and industry partners, as appropriate, to ensure equitable access to the knowledge produced and that social and health benefits that will flow from that knowledge.

Areas of focus may include:

• Climate Change and Emerging Health Threats: Investigating how climate-related pressures (e.g., rising temperatures, ecosystem degradation, or shifting species distributions) affect human health and disease.
• Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services, and Human Well-Being: Exploring how biodiversity underpins health, nutrition, and disease regulation; and how climate change-driven biodiversity loss may disrupt these essential services. This includes studying conservation strategies that simultaneously protect ecosystems and support health resilience.
• Evaluation of Interventions and Policies to Reduce Climate Vulnerability and Improve Equity: Identifying how climate change and environmental degradation exacerbate health inequities and working with communities and decision-makers to co-design interventions, including nature-based solutions, that promote adaptive capacity and well-being.

Applicants should have core training in a field relevant to their research area and include epidemiology, environmental health, population/global health, ecology, environmental science, or related disciplines. We welcome research programs that integrate their disciplinary approaches with other methods, including but not limited to field-based studies, risk assessment, spatial and systems modeling, AI or big data, participatory and/or community-based research, or laboratory science.

The successful candidate is expected to:

• Hold a PhD, ScD, or equivalent doctoral degree in accordance with University’s requirements.
• Be qualified to hold an academic position at the rank of Full Professor or be an Associate Professor who is expected to be promoted to Full Professor within two years.
• Have scientific expertise in areas relevant to climate change, biodiversity and environmental exposures, or other determinants of health shaped by environmental change, as demonstrated by a strong record of publications in internationally recognised scientific journals, success in obtaining funding from public and private sources, and prior leadership roles within large, interdisciplinary projects.
• Demonstrate a commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration across academic disciplines and sectors, particularly in areas bridging health, environment and climate science.
• Understand and personally champion equity, diversity, and inclusion through the development of research relevant to marginalized communities, and the creation and coordination of teams in which members are from different backgrounds and areas of expertise.
• Demonstrate the ability to work well with internal and external partners and potential stakeholders, such as funding agencies, civil society, private companies, and the public.
• Participate in all aspects of McGill’s academic mission, including teaching, supervision of graduate students, and service.

A further important role of the CERC Chairholder will be to contribute to McGill’s broader interdisciplinary initiatives in climate change, environment, and health, including through the McGill Centre for Climate Change and Health, and emerging cross-faculty sustainability initiatives including the new Sustainability Park.

Equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) is a foundational principle in the CERC program. To achieve its research excellence-based objectives and outcomes, the program requires the participation and contributions of students, trainees and researchers from underrepresented groups. These groups include, but are not limited to, racialized minorities, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, women, and individuals from LGBTQ2+ communities. Candidates will thus be expected to possess the skills needed to recruit, teach, and mentor a diverse group of researchers and trainees, reflecting McGill’s commitments to equity and diversity as set out in core institutional documents including McGill’s Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Strategic Plan, Taskforce on Indigenous Studies and Indigenous Education, Action Plan to Address Anti-Black Racism, and McGill Accessibility Strategy.

All McGill faculty members are expected to contribute to service activities within their units, the University, and the wider scholarly community.

The appointment will be at the rank of Full Professor or Associate Professor. The successful applicant will be eligible for a tenure stream position. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

CERC guidelines state that researchers who are currently at another Canadian institution are eligible as candidates only if there is demonstrable net benefit to the country in moving the researcher from one Canadian institution to another.

Application Process
Applications must be submitted on-line at: Careers

The following supporting documents are required:

• Cover letter and curriculum vitae
• Statement of research interests (max. 5 pages)
• Names and contact information of three referees

Please submit your application within 30 days of the publication date (July 9, 2025). Closing date: August 8, 2025.

Enquiries from potential applicants are welcome and will be treated in strict confidence. Enquiries can be directed to Prof. Robert Platt ([email protected]).

McGill University is an English-language university where most teaching and research activities are conducted in the English language, thereby requiring English communication both verbally and in writing.

L’Université McGill est une institution de langue anglaise dans laquelle la majorité des activités d’enseignement et de recherche s’effectuent en langue anglaise, rendant essentielle l’utilisation de l’anglais pour la communication orale et écrite.

McGill University is committed to equity and diversity within its community and values academic rigour and excellence. We welcome and encourage applications from racialized persons/visible minorities, women, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, as well as from all qualified candidates with the skills and knowledge to engage productively with diverse communities.

At McGill, research that reflects diverse intellectual traditions, methodologies, and modes of dissemination and translation is valued and encouraged. Candidates are invited to demonstrate their research impact both within and across academic disciplines and in other sectors, such as government, communities, or industry.

McGill further recognizes and fairly considers the impact of leaves (e.g., family care or health-related) that may contribute to career interruptions or slowdowns. Candidates are encouraged to signal any leave that affected productivity, or that may have had an effect on their career path. This information will be considered to ensure the equitable assessment of the candidate’s record.

McGill implements an employment equity program and encourages members of designated equity groups to self-identify. It further seeks to ensure the equitable treatment and full inclusion of persons with disabilities by striving for the implementation of universal design principles transversally, across all facets of the University community, and through accommodation policies and procedures. Persons with disabilities who anticipate needing accommodations for any part of the application process may contact, in confidence, Heather Purdie ([email protected]).