Accelerate Chair, Research Services

Company : IWK Health 

Req ID: 186878 
Department/Program: Research, Research Services 
Location: Halifax   

Type of Employment: Temporary Hourly FT long-assignment (100% FTE) for 5 years x 1 position(s)
 

Start Date: October 2024
Union Status: Research, Management/Non Union Bargaining Unit
Compensation: $65.4733 - $83.5623 /hour
Closing Date: October 03, 2024 (Applications are accepted until 23:59 Atlantic Time)

IWK Health is a respected academic health sciences centre located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, providing tertiary and primary care for two million children, youth, adults and families each year across the Atlantic region. We have a team of approximately 4000 employees, physicians, volunteers and learners at sites across Nova Scotia. People build careers with IWK Health with our focus on training and mentorship opportunities. We recognize each other’s talent and celebrate our successes. We collaborate in modern facilities or virtually from home, align our work to our values, and enjoy access to enhanced benefits and wellness programs. We are proud to support our patients, families and communities and are grateful for the generous donor support we receive.

Promoting an anti-racist environment, and calling out discrimination as we work and provide care, is important to us. We are located in Mi’kma’ki, the unceded and ancestral territory of the Mi’kmaq people. Working in Mi’kma’ki and providing care to those across Atlantic Canada is a shared privilege with the original inhabitants who have lived here for many thousands of years prior to colonization. There are 13 First Nation communities across Nova Scotia, and more than 50 historic African Nova Scotian communities who also have a long, deep, and complex history dating back over 400 years. We have the highest percentage of people with disabilities in the country. Nova Scotia has the highest proportions of transgender and non-binary people than any other province or territory in the country. We are active in our work to eliminate discrimination, but have more work to do to build that trust, acknowledge our biases and reduce the barriers our diverse communities face. We want IWK Health to be a safe and supportive space of equity and belonging in the care we provide and the employment we offer. We welcome all interested persons who self-identify as Indigenous, Black/African Nova Scotians, Persons of Colour, Immigrants/Newcomers, Persons with Disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ to apply to support our goal for our workforce to be representative of the patients, families, and communities that we care for at all job levels.

The Opportunity

PURPOSE OF THIS OPPORTUNITY: Accelerate Chairs are intended to catalyse activity in research areas of specific interest to IWK Health.

FOCUS OF THIS SPECIFIC ACCELERATE CHAIR: The focus of this Accelerate Chair is to provide a research leader with protected time to allow them to further develop the IWK’s research program in women’s and gender diverse health. Please note - this is meant to serve the broad development of the institution in this area, not just the researcher’s specific area of interest.

In this way, it is different from typical research chairs of very narrow focus. Making innovative and influential contributions in women’s and gender diverse health is a key strategic research priority of IWK Health. To that end, the Accelerate Chair is expected to bridge to the clinical teams, community needs, current research needs and trends to develop a platform and pathway for IWK Health to develop in this area.

FUNDING: The IWK Research & Innovation Accelerate Chair is proudly funded by the IWK Foundation and its community of generous donors.

TERMS OF SUPPORT: Up to $200,000 each year for a maximum of five (5) years.

• Funds may be used for a combination of salary and non-salary (i.e., students, staff) costs.
• Recipient must follow IWK Health policies and/or procedures (e.g., Jurisdiction, Procurement, IP, and Travel) and any other applicable guidelines.
• Recipient must complete and submit an annual report to maintain ongoing funding.

Responsibilities: - See focus section above.  

Hours of Work

Monday - Friday, 8 am to 4 pm, 7.5 hours per shift

Your Qualifications

Researchers internal or external to IWK Health are welcome to apply. 

• Education level – PhD or MD or MD/PhD. 
• Experience Required – Previous leadership role(s) in research in academic and/or hospital settings. 
• Specific Knowledge – Extensive knowledge and experience in women’s health. 

Application Process

Applications must be submitted as a single PDF file and include the following:

I. Career Stage and Development

•    Describe your current career stage and long-term career objectives. A best fit for this chair would be a person with leadership experience in research who can build broad programs of activity. This Accelerate Chair is explicitly meant to serve the development of more than a narrow area of focus.
•    Briefly describe how you would catalyze research activity in women’s and gender diverse health at the IWK.
•    Describe your involvement and/or contributions to your current institution including, but not limited to, committee memberships (e.g., membership on a research ethics Board, scientific review committees)
•    Statement that you will abide by all IWK Health policies (i.e., Jurisdiction, Procurement, Travel).

II. Proposed Research Development Plan

Provide an outline of your proposed development program for women’s and gender diverse health research at IWK Health (maximum 4 pages, excluding budget, figures and references) highlighting:

•    Alignment with the research and clinical priorities of IWK Health (see the Road Forward).
•    Engagement plan for clinical and community teams/groups in women and gender diverse health. 
•    A research timeline with one-year, three-year and five-year plans.
•    A long-term strategy to obtain external research support.
•    Anticipated clinical impact for IWK patients and families.
•    Budget project for the 5 years (1 page).

An outline of a mentorship and training plan (maximum 1 page) highlighting:
•    Your record of mentoring trainees (grad students, postdocs).
•    Your plan to attract and develop trainees, new researchers.

Please note that the successful candidate will have demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility integrated throughout training, recruitment, and their research development program.

III. Candidate’s Curriculum Vitae

VI. Adjudication – Reviewed by Vice President of Research and Innovation (VPRI) and committee with recommendations to IWK Board, Research Committee.

Should you have any questions, please contact Robin Gauthier, Research & Innovation Advancement Lead, Program Development at Robin.Gauthier@iwk.nshealth.ca.

Thank you for your interest in IWK Health.

Please note that we only contact applicants selected for interview/testing. If we invite you to participate in an assessment process (such as an interview or testing) you have the right to request accommodation. Please discuss your needs when invited to the assessment process.

This is a Management/Non Union  bargaining  unit position. Preference is given to bargaining unit employees for unionized positions. Successful applicants changing unions, bargaining units or employment status, are advised to seek clarification regarding their seniority, benefits, and vacation entitlement and/or usage, prior to accepting the position.

An  offer of employment is conditional upon the completion and satisfactory results of all applicable background checks and confirmation of credentials.

If you are an employee of IWK Health, please apply through the internal careers page to ensure you are flagged as an internal applicant.