The University of Windsor’s Faculty of Engineering seeks internal applications for Canada Research Chair – Tier 1 Innovations in Automobility: Advancing Sustainable and Secure Transportation (Internal) position commencing as early as July 1, 2026.
Canada Research Chair Position
This position will be appointed in the Faculty of Engineering. The Tier 1 CRC program is intended for outstanding and innovative world-class researchers, who are recognized as leaders in their field both nationally and internationally. Building on the cutting-edge research within the Faculty of Engineering, the incumbent will focus on either innovations in automobility including in the areas of advanced battery systems and green fuels such as hydrogen; or advancing cybersecurity in autonomous systems. The Chair is expected to lead and coordinate research projects, supervise graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, engage with industry, and contribute to interdisciplinary research collaborations.
Faculty of Engineering
Located across the river from Detroit, Michigan, the University of Windsor is often referred to as “Canada’s Automotive University”; and the Faculty of Engineering is a key contributor to our prominence. We have long-standing relationships with many major automotive OEM’s and Tier 1 suppliers, including Stellantis, General Motors, Ford, Toyota, Magna, etc. The University of Windsor’s Faculty of Engineering comprises three academic departments: Civil and Environmental Engineering; Mechanical, Automotive, & Materials Engineering; and Electrical and Computer Engineering. The Faculty of Engineering occupies a $114-million, nearly 30,000 square metre, state-of-the-art engineering learning and research hub: the Ed Lumley Centre for Engineering Innovation (CEI). The CEI is a catalyst for renewing and growing our Faculty of Engineering and promoting engineering innovation and industry cooperation within the Windsor-Essex Region, across Canada, and internationally. The Windsor-Essex region is currently undergoing dramatic and transformative economic diversifications, and the University of Windsor’s Faculty of Engineering has been a key player in creating many new opportunities.
The following criteria apply to candidates being considered for this position:
- Tier 1 Chairs must be full professors or associate professors who are expected to be promoted to full professors within one or two years of the nomination currently tenured at the University of Windsor. Chairs, though prestigious, are considered regular faculty appointments and will have a home department within the Faculty of Engineering.
- Must be an outstanding and innovative world-class researcher whose accomplishments have made a major impact in automobility research in the specified research areas.
- Tier 1 Chairs must be recognized internationally as leaders in their field;
- Have superior records of attracting and supervising graduate students and postdoctoral fellows (taking into account different practices in the relevant field or discipline) and, as chairholders, be expected to attract, develop, and retain excellent trainees, students, and future researchers; and
- Be proposing an original, innovative research program of the highest quality.
The University of Windsor 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, or slowdowns due to chronic illness or disability) are expected to have an impact on a candidate’s record of research achievement, and that these impacts will be taken into careful consideration during the assessment process.
The University of Windsor requires that the successful candidate have a PhD degree. For more information regarding eligibility criteria and program information, please consult the Canada Research Chairs website (http://www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca). The initial term of the CRC Tier 1 is seven years with the possibility of renewal subject to satisfactory performance review and CRC policies and guidelines.
Lived Experience Statement
In pursuit of the University’s equity goals, as outlined in the University of Windsor’s Equity, Diversity, Inclusion Action Plan and in accordance with the CRC Secretariat’s policies on equity, diversity, and inclusion, the University is emphasizing and welcoming applications from candidates who self-identify as women or minority sexual orientation and/or gender identity. The University of Windsor understands that one’s gender expression takes many forms and welcomes applications from any candidate who identifies as a woman or minority sexual orientation and/or gender minority including, but not limited to, applicants who may identify as Two-Spirit, transgender, and/or non-binary. In alignment with the University’s employment equity policies, applicants are also encouraged to self-identify as racialized people, persons with disabilities, Indigenous peoples (First Nations, Inuit Metis), and/or LGBTQ2S+. The lived experience of all applicants from equity groups will be taken into consideration as applicable to the posted position.
All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority.
Compensation:
Special Research Chair Stipend - 10% of the successful candidate normal salary for the CRC term (per WUFA Collective Agreement 12:10.
This hire aligns with the bold imperatives of the University of Windsor strategic plan, Aspire: Together for Tomorrow, ratified Spring 2023. The University embraces a people-first philosophy grounded in a culture of academic excellence and deep belonging. Among key strategic priorities are advancing the journey towards truth and reconciliation; building a just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive university; ensuring a high-quality teaching, learning, and student experience; engaging in impactful research, scholarship, and creative activity; fostering a safe, welcoming, and sustainable campus; and engaging in local and global partnerships. The University has already made significant strides on many of these key files, and we are seeking applicants interested in working alongside us to advance them even further. Driven by the University’s commitment to anti-racism, the Black Scholars Institute was established in 2023 supported by a historic cohort hiring initiative that has brought thirteen Black scholars to UWindsor across several of our faculties. The recent cohort of new faculty joining the University (over 50) is among the most diverse in our history.
Our campus is situated on the traditional territory of the Three Fires Confederacy of First Nations: the Ojibwa, the Odawa, and the Potawatomi. We are making steady progress on the Indigenization of academic programming, an Indigenous Strategic plan, and a cohort hire of Indigenous faculty in 2018-19 followed by additional hiring. Our students mirror the extraordinary cultural richness of our region, one of the most diverse in all of Canada. And we have strong global partnerships and commitments, which are reflected in the increasing number of graduate and undergraduate students we attract from across the world. The University is a signatory to the Scarborough Charter and participates in the Federal 50/30 Challenge.
The University of Windsor is a Canadian public, comprehensive research university enrolling 15,676 students, including 4,709 graduate students. It offers more than 280 academic programs and certificates, including 70 master’s and doctoral degrees across its nine faculties: Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; Business; Education; Engineering; Graduate Studies; Human Kinetics; Law; Nursing; and Science. It also houses a medical program through the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry at Western University. Tenured and tenure-track faculty number about 600.
Application Requirements
- a letter of application, including a statement confirming eligibility to work in Canada;
- a detailed and current curriculum vitae;
- a one-page statement of commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Decolonization and Indigenization;
- a teaching dossier or portfolio no longer than five pages describing the candidate’s teaching philosophy and history (resources and templates for completing a teaching dossier can be found at https://www.uwindsor.ca/ctl/502/teaching-dossiers);
- a statement no longer than three (3) pages on leading large-scale field collaborations and research projects, as well as national or international recognitions;
- specific information on competitive grants and research funding in the last ten years
- a research dossier no longer than five (5) pages, describing the candidate’s research and a detailed proposal for research in the next five years, as well as the fit to the research priority of Innovations in Automobility: Advancing Sustainable and Secure Transportation
- three (3) examples of scholarly work;
- list of three (3) referees including only their names and contact information. These referees will be contacted only for shortlisted candidates.
The short-listed candidates may be invited to provide further information in support of their applications. To ensure full consideration, complete an online application (http://www.uwindsor.ca/facultypositions) found on the job advertisement by March 15, 2026. Applications may be considered after the deadline date; however, acceptance of late submissions is at the discretion of the appointments committee. We thank all interested applicants. However, only those applicants invited to interview will be contacted.
PLEASE CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE AN ONLINE APPLICATION
When completing the online application, please reference
Position Number: # 002660TT-2026-CRCENG
Any questions may be sent to:
Dr. Shanthi Johnson, Vice-President, Research and Innovation
Tel: (519) 253-3000 Ext. 5003
E-mail: vpri@uwindsor.ca
For an accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the Faculty Recruitment Coordinator (recruit@uwindsor.ca). Should you require further information on accommodation, please visit the website of the Office of Human Rights, Conflict Resolution and Mediation (http://www.uwindsor.ca/ohrcrm).
All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply. Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. This position is subject to final budgetary approval.
