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Assistant or Associate Professor

Date posted: Dec 20, 2024. Applications are closed.

Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in Low-carbon and Offshore Renewable Energy Technologies

The Department of Mechanical Engineering invites applications for a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair (CRC) in the area of Marine Renewable Energy. The Chair will be offered to an established scholar with an outstanding track record and world class research agenda in one or more of the following areas:

1. offshore energy conversion technologies including innovations in mechanical design and control of offshore wave, wind and/or tidal energy converters.
2. resource assessment, domain awareness and marine spatial planning including advances in computational modeling and in-situ measurement tools for quantifying spatial and temporal variations in offshore resources; and methods to use advanced resource knowledge to resolve complex questions in coastal planning.
3. Decarbonizing community energy systems including techno-economic modeling in support of energy system design and optimization; strategies to manage increasing levels of offshore energy in community, regional and provincial scale energy systems
4. Human and policy dimensions of offshore energy systems including multi-disciplinary approaches to address critical demand-side, economic and social realities that impede uptake of transformative offshore energy technologies.

This search is open to UVic internal candidates only.

Requirements

The target candidate will direct an externally funded, internationally recognized research program in Marine Renewable Energy domain. The Chair’s research foci will contribute to UVic’s existing capacity for world class research and innovation in offshore energy systems, and drive new partnerships with industry, government and community leaders in the development of offshore energy projects in British Columbia, Canada and abroad. The Chair will develop opportunities for international collaboration fostering exchanges of technology and system level innovations that support adoption of offshore energy technology globally.

Candidates will be evaluated on the following criteria:

• The candidate will be an internationally recognized leader, whose accomplishments have made a major impact in the field of Marine Renewable Energy.
• The candidate will propose an original, innovative research program of the highest quality.
• The candidate will offer evidence of high-quality teaching, supervision, and mentorship.
• The candidate will have demonstrated capacity to collaborate with a range of diverse colleagues and communities.

Additional information

The successful candidate will become a member of the Institute for Integrated Energy Systems (IESVic) – a multi-disciplinary UVic research institute focused on charting feasible pathways to innovative, decarbonized and sustainable energy systems. IESVic research is multi‐faceted, spanning energy conversion, distribution and storage technologies, systems‐level techno‐economic assessment and energy planning, policy and business innovation. These elements are united by a common goal of charting pathways to a ‘net‐zero’ future. IESVic researchers develop breakthrough technologies, tools and methods and seek to mobilize that knowledge at a multitude of scales including buildings, remote communities, cities and regional, provincial or national energy systems.  IESVic research underpins UVic’s 2022 Times Higher Education Impact Ranking of 2^nd in the world for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13 Climate Action. 

IESVic is also the primary driver behind UVic’s vision of Accelerating Community Energy Transformation (ACET) - UVic’s seven year initiative to embed transformative energy technologies and systems within small to medium sized Canadian Communities.  ACET comprises a commitment by UVic to add to its critical mass of energy systems research across engineering, science, policy, business and psychology and work with community leaders to implement transformational energy technologies that support the ambitions of local communities seeking to meet challenging net-zero targets. ACET is predicated on an institutional belief that place based system level solutions demonstrated in Canadian communities will feed into collaborations operating at the national and international levels. Given the large number of off-grid communities on the BC coast currently reliant on diesel generation, one ACET Strategic Research Areas is concentrated on the development of offshore energy technology and strategies to build first-of-a kind community energy systems that drive decarbonization in BC and can also be subsequently adapted and applied in other community contexts.  In this effort UVic researchers walk beside community leaders to develop project plans and collaborate with academic, industry, NGO, and government partners to address barriers to implementation. The successful applicant is expected to facilitate, coordinate, and lead such activities within this ACET strategic research area. 

Information on IESVic

Information on UVic’s ACET initiative

The ³Ô¹ÏÍø community acknowledges with respect the lək̓ʷəŋən speaking peoples on whose traditional territory the University stands and the Songhees, Esquimalt and WSÁNEĆ peoples whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.

Faculty and Librarians at the ³Ô¹ÏÍø are governed by the provisions of the Collective Agreement. Members are represented by the ³Ô¹ÏÍø Faculty Association.

The Canada Research Chair Program

Additional information on the Canada Research Chair Program can be found on . In accordance with the Tier 1 CRC regulations, Tier 1 CRCs are intended for ‘outstanding researchers acknowledged by their peers as world leaders in their field’. Nominees for Tier 1 Chair positions must be full professors or associate professors who are expected to be promoted to the full professor level within one or two years of the nomination. 

The CRC program does not place restrictions with respect to nationality or country of residence, but applicants are asked to indicate current citizenship status.

Contact information

To be considered, please submit your application package to Christine Rattray, Assistant to the Chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, via email to mech.asst.chair@uvic.ca with the subject heading “CRC Tier 1”.

The successful candidate will be nominated for the CRC before April 22, 2025. Applications must include the following components compiled into a single PDF document:

• A cover letter and curriculum vitae providing an overview of the candidate’s qualifications and how they fulfill the criteria defined above;
• A maximum three-page description of the candidate’s proposed research program;
• Three of the candidate’s most important research contributions to date;
• A maximum two-page statement of teaching, supervision, and mentorship experience and approach;
• A one-page statement identifying the candidate’s strengths and experiences in promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion; and
• Contact information for three references.

Application deadline

Applications are closed

Equity statement

UVic is committed to upholding the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion in our living, learning and work environments. In pursuit of our values, we seek members who will work respectfully and constructively with differences and across levels of power. We actively encourage applications from members of groups experiencing barriers to equity. Read our full equity statement here: www.uvic.ca/equitystatement

The University acknowledges the potential impact that career interruptions can have on a candidate’s record of research achievement. We encourage applicants to explain in their application the impact that career interruptions have had on their record.

Persons with disabilities, who anticipate needing accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, may contact Faculty Relations and Academic Administration in the Office of the VP Academic and Provost at FRrecruit@uvic.ca. Any personal information provided will be maintained in confidence.