UPEI is recruiting up to 3 Canada Impact+ Research Chairs, tenured/tenure-track Research Leaders currently based outside of Canada.

The Government of Canada is investing $1.7B in a Global Impact+ Research Talent Initiative. As part of this initiative, the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) is seeking internationally renowned scholars ready to launch bold, high-impact research programs and collaborations. UPEI is inviting top-tier researchers to apply for a Canada Impact+ Research Chair (details of the program are found here) in one of these broad categories:  

•    advanced digital technologies (including artificial intelligence, quantum, and cybersecurity)
•    Health, including health-related biotechnology
•    Clean technology and resource value chains, including biofuels and/or clean biotech and/or building science and/or advanced battery systems
•    environment, climate resilience, and the Arctic
•    food and water security
•    democratic and community resilience, particularly in Island ecosystems
•    manufacturing and advanced materials, including off-site housing construction; and/or
•    defense and dual-use technologies.

The Impact+ Research Chair award is valued at $4 million ($500,000 per year) or $8 million ($1 million per year), depending on the research program’s scope and nominee’s profile, over a period of 8 years, with a possibility for a four-year funded extension, at 50% of the original award value. The two award values recognize the varying costs of research within different research disciplines and aim to be inclusive of all areas of research.   Through existing strengths at the University and external partnerships, UPEI and the community and industrial ecosystem on PEI will further support this Chair.

The UPEI Community and our Strengths (link)

Since time immemorial, the Mi’kmaq People have walked gently on the traditional territories of Epekwitk, which is where the University of Prince Edward Island is located. We acknowledge that Mi’kma’ki is the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq people, who, in 1725, first signed the Treaties of Peace and Friendship. We recognize Elders past and present who have cared for, and continue to care for, the land. In offering this acknowledgement, we affirm the history, experiences, and resiliency of Indigenous people who are still here today. We are grateful to live, work, and learn here, and we are committed to building relationships based on honour and respect.

UPEI is home to a vibrant and collaborative research community. UPEI’s uniqueness lies in our interdisciplinary research environment, geographic setting, and strategic research priorities. We are especially driven to grow our areas of research strength in signature areas of Biotechnology and Clean Technology, Environmental Stewardship and Climate Change, and OneHealth.

UPEI has developed innovative technologies in sectors such as biomanufacturing, artificial intelligence, cleantech, and climate resilience. The University is actively looking to promote, attract global partners, and commercialize technologies in the following examples of areas of research strength.

Cleantech - The Government of PEI aims to make PEI the first province to reach net zero (by 2040). Funded by the PEI Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action and the PEI Energy Corporation, and with support of Lennox Island First Nation and several industry organizations, a Cleantech Alliance and Cleantech Academy infrastructure has recently been built in Georgetown, PEI. Through collaboration between UPEI and Holland College, new academic programs have been launched to build a talent pool, assisting governments, industries, and communities in the adoption and creation of innovative sustainable solutions that transform PEI, Canada, and indeed the world in the transformation towards net-zero energy. These programs and faculty members have strength in the science and engineering aspects of climate change, but also in policy and governance, business, leadership, and entrepreneurship. We are especially interested in battery and alternative energy systems.

Biotechnology - The Prince Edward Island BioAlliance is a private sector-led not-for-profit organization that is responsible for developing and coordinating the strategy for the growth of PEI’s Bioscience Cluster. The cluster includes companies engaged in the research, development, and commercialization of bioactive-based human, animal, and fish health and nutrition products. Since 2005, the PEI Bioscience Cluster has more than tripled in size, with remarkable growth in business revenues and employment, and a marked increase in private and public-sector investments in Bioscience companies.  A Chair in this area would have access to world-class facilities both on campus and in the BioCommons Research Park.

One Health and the Environment. The University’s new Faculty of Medicine, in collaboration with Memorial University, the renowned Atlantic Veterinary College, and the Canadian Centre for Climate Change and Adaptation in St. Peter’s Bay, PEI, offers state-of-the-art facilities for learning and research in human, animal, and environmental health.

Proposals that leverage the impacts of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, on these pillars are of particular interest.

Our research ecosystem is further enriched by the Institute of Island Studies, a UNESCO Chair in Island Studies and Sustainability, six Canada Research Chairs, and our partnership in the Ocean Frontier Institute. These provide further examples of institutional resources that form the foundation of UPEI’s thriving research environment.

UPEI will nominate up to 3 Canada Impact+ Research Chairs in areas identified as strategic priorities by the Government of Canada to address today’s most pressing global and national challenges. These focus areas closely align with UPEI’s Strategic Research Areas and the Province of PEI’s Economic Action Plan.

UPEI's existing research chairs are contributing to transdisciplinary research in human, animal, and environmental health. (link)

The Canada Impact+ Research Chairs Opportunity at UPEI:

Research Leaders in any of the above broad areas described in the Canada Impact+ Research Chairs are invited to submit an application. The successful candidate would be a faculty member with salary, benefits, and all other rights and privileges under the Faculty Collective Agreement. Their home unit would be determined by their educational background and area of expertise.

Eligibility of Canada Impact+ Research Chairs:

To meet the criteria of the Impact+ program, nominees are:
•    Internationally renowned scholars and scientists in areas of strategic importance to Canada, with a recent track record of research accomplishments.
•    Full Professors or Associate Professors, or if recruited from outside the academic sector, they must possess the qualifications necessary to be appointed at these levels; and
•    Internationally based (both working and residing outside of Canada) at the time of the intake’s application deadline.

UPEI seeks a candidate who has:
•    a doctoral degree, or its equivalent, in a related field (This is a UPEI requirement, not a requirement of the Canada Impact+ Research Chairs program)
•    led a well-established, world-class research program in one of the strategic areas outlined above, and is recognized at national and international levels
•    established strong collaborations with partners across various sectors
•    a recent track record of research accomplishments and significant interest in making new contributions to Canada
•    demonstrated a strong record of supervising highly qualified persons (HQP) and university teaching

Successful candidates will be expected to start their position within 12 months of accepting the award. Details on the candidate selection criteria for the Impact+ Research Chair are available here for review.

Commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Decolonization, and Accessibility:

UPEI is committed to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Decolonization, and Accessibility (EDIDA) and believes in providing a positive learning and working environment where every person feels empowered to contribute. UPEI encourages applications from individuals from all underrepresented, equity-seeking, rights-seeking populations, including racialized individuals, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, women, and individuals from the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. We welcome candidates from diverse backgrounds. Candidates cannot be nominated by the institution at which they currently hold their appointment. Applicants may choose to self-identify as a member of an underrecognized community in their application.  Furthermore, applicants are also encouraged to identify their demonstrated strengths and experiences in increasing EDIDA and adhering to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action (Calls_to_Action_English2.pdf), particularly as it relates to research, in curriculum and teaching, and in supporting diverse students, in their previous work environments.

UPEI recognizes that life circumstances such as illness, disability, family and community responsibilities (e.g., maternity leave, parental leave, leaves due to illness, leaves due to caring for family members, slowdowns due to chronic illness or disability, or COVID 19 impacts) are often an expected part of life and are likely to have an impact on a nominee’s record of research achievement, and that these impacts will be taken into careful consideration during the assessment process.  Please outline life circumstances in the cover letter if applicable.

If you require accommodation in any part of the process, please direct your inquiries, in confidence, to the UPEI Research Services Office in care of Maria Steele (mlsteele@upei.ca).

Application Instructions:

Application packages should include:
•    A cover letter indicating the priority area
•    Research program proposal (max 2 pages)
•    Curriculum vitae, including past teaching experience
•    Infrastructure needs (max 1 page) and
•    Names and contacts of three referees.

Applications must be sent as one PDF file to the UPEI Office of Research Services, to the attention of Maria Steele (mlsteele@upei.ca).

Review of applicants will begin on Monday, February 2, 2026.  Applications submitted after this date will be accepted until successful candidates are selected and the positions are filled. These Chair positions are subject to final budgetary approval.

UPEI is committed to equity, diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation and believes in providing a positive learning and working environment where every person feels empowered to contribute. 

UPEI is committed to the principle of equity in employment and encourages applications from underrepresented groups, including women, Indigenous peoples, visible minorities, persons with disabilities, persons of any sexual orientation or gender identity, and others with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with diverse communities.

Closing Date is May 15, 2026.