Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Critical Canadian Cultural and Literary Studies - McMaster University
Canada Research Chair - Tier 2
Critical Canadian Cultural and Literary Studies
McMaster University is located on the traditional territories of the Haudenosaunee and Mississauga Nations and within the lands protected by the “Dish With One Spoon” wampum agreement.
The Department of English and Cultural Studies at McMaster University invites applications for the position of Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Critical Canadian Cultural and Literary Studies from all eligible candidates. This opportunity is a strategic hiring initiative targeted to a racialized scholar, as defined by the Canada Research Chairs Program, in alignment with the Employment Equity Act. The Chair will be appointed at the rank of Assistant Professor (tenure-track) or Associate Professor (with tenure) depending on qualifications and experience.
The Department seeks applications from highly qualified candidates with demonstrated skills that will contribute to advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion in research, teaching, and service. Focus areas (not ranked by priority) include:
• Diaspora, transnational and refugee cultural and literary studies
• Black, Asian, Latinx, or Middle Eastern cultural and literary studies
• Postcolonial / settler colonial / Indigenous cultural and literary studies
We welcome applications from scholars engaged in interdisciplinary and/or multimodal cultural and literary research, and approaches to such research that include critical community engagement and/or public & digital humanities are considered an asset. The candidate must have completed a Ph.D. in a related discipline. This is a requirement of the institution and not the CRC program.
The Chair will be expected to maintain an outstanding program of research, to teach at the undergraduate and graduate levels, to supervise and cultivate an intellectual community of
graduate students working in one or more of these areas, to contribute to shared governance within and beyond the department, and to help realize McMaster’s Strategic Goals and Priorities.
Tier 2 Chairs are intended for exceptional emerging scholars (i.e., candidates must have been an active researcher in their field for fewer than 10 years from the time of their PhD at the time of nomination) acknowledged by their peers as having the potential to lead in their field. Applicants who are more than 10 years from having earned their highest degree (and where career breaks exist, such as maternity, parental or extended sick leave, clinical training, etc.) may have their eligibility for a Tier 2 Chair assessed through the program’s Tier 2 justification process.
Tier 2 nominees must:
• be excellent emerging world-class researchers who have demonstrated research creativity;
• have demonstrated the potential to achieve international recognition in their fields in the next five to ten years;
• as chairholders, have the potential to attract, develop and retain excellent trainees, students, and future researchers; and
• be proposing an original, innovative research program of high quality.
Recognizing the legitimate impact that career interruptions and personal circumstances (e.g., pregnancy, early childcare, eldercare, illness, etc.) can have on a candidate’s record of research achievement, we encourage candidates to explain in their applications the impact that career interruptions or other issues may have had as described under “Career Interruptions and Personal Circumstances” under Guidelines for Assessing the Productivity of Nominees at http://www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca/peer_reviewers-evaluateurs/productivity-productivite-eng.aspx#career.
About the Department:
The Department of English and Cultural Studies is widely known for strong undergraduate programs in literary and cultural studies and creative writing; leading-edge researchers; and MA and PhD programs that attract and graduate outstanding students. Committed to enhancing students’ capacities and confidence in research, reading, and writing, the department embraces interdisciplinarity in both research and teaching, recognizing the role of English Literary and Cultural Studies in addressing matters of social justice, health, technology, and the environment. The department hosts international peer-reviewed journals, Early Theatre and Eighteenth-Century Fiction and the annual John Douglas Taylor Conference. It also is engaged with local and global communities through teaching and research in public humanities, our Mabel Pugh Writer in Residence program, the South Asian lecture series; and the Centre for Community Engaged Narrative Arts.
How to Apply:
Applicants should submit:
• a letter of interest (maximum 3 pages) describing your qualifications in research, teaching and service, and summarizing your research plans for the position;
• your letter of interest should include a brief statement describing the contributions you have made or plan to make to inclusive excellence in teaching, research, or service in academic, professional or community contexts;
• a full curriculum vitae;
• contact information for 3 referees, (who will be contacted only for short-listed applicants)
All materials must be submitted to the University’s electronic application portal (Mosaic) by November 20th, 2025, to ensure full consideration.
The Canada Research Chairs program requires institutions to collect self-identification data from all applicants, in accordance with the program’s best practices. As part of McMaster’s efforts to fulfill our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusivity, all applicants will be required to submit a brief diversity survey, via the online application system, as part of the application process. While completion of the survey is mandatory, it is voluntary to answer the individual survey questions, and applicants can choose to decline the survey. Applicants are encouraged to indicate whether they self-identify as a member of one or more of the groups, as applicable. Any information directly related to each applicant is confidential and can only be accessed by designated personnel on specific teams for institutional planning purposes and for meeting reporting requirements, or as required to support strategic recruitment initiatives. Please refer to the Applicant Diversity Survey - Statement of Collection for more information.
Job applicants requiring accommodation to participate in the hiring process should contact the Human Resources Service Centre at 905-525-9140 ext. 222-HR (22247) to communicate accommodation needs. Any other questions about the position can be directed to Dr. Susie O’Brien at
All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be considered first for this position. To comply with the Government of Canada’s reporting requirements, the University is obliged to gather information about applicants’ status as either Permanent Residents of Canada or Canadian citizens. Applicants need not identify their country of origin or current citizenship; however, all applications must include one of the following statements: Yes, I am a citizen or permanent resident of Canada - or - No, I am not a citizen or permanent resident of Canada.