Vice-President (Research)

Memorial University invites nominations and applications for the position of Vice-President (Research). As one of the largest universities in Atlantic Canada and the only university in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Memorial University is a public, multi-campus institution with teaching, research, and public engagement programs of international distinction. Memorial University offers programs to more than 18,000 students including 3,800 graduate students supported by over 1,000 faculty members across three campuses; the St. John’s campus and polytechnic Marine Institute in St. John’s on the east coast of the island, and the Grenfell Campus in Corner Brook on the west coast of the island.  Memorial also has a study abroad residential campus situated in Harlow, England and diverse facilities across the province, such as the Labrador Institute and marine stations on the east and west coasts of Newfoundland.

Memorial has a strong culture of creativity and innovation that is reflected in the public engagement, accomplishments, and research activities of its academic community. Externally sponsored research totaled approximately $110M in 2016.  Memorial has doubled its graduate student population in the last decade as part of its strategy to become even more research-intensive. Growth in research activity and graduate enrolment are expected to continue, supported in part by the $230M Ocean Frontier Institute—a partnership with Dalhousie University and the University of Prince Edward Island—and the University has launched a number of infrastructure projects in support of its research enterprise. A major new infrastructure project on campus, the Core Science Facility (CSF; 425,000 sq. ft.), will dramatically improve the research capacity of Memorial’s campus for decades to come. Cold Ocean and Arctic Science, Technology, and Society—COASTS—is a pan-university strategic initiative that grows the University’s impact internationally by building on the strengths and strategic advantages of both Memorial and the province. For more information on Memorial University and its research activities, as well as the region, visit www.mun.ca.

Reporting to the President and Vice-Chancellor, and working closely with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, the Vice-President (Research) will support and advance scholarship and creative activities, ensuring efficient administrative processes that enhance research productivity; foster collaborative and interdisciplinary research activity, and community-based scholarship; strengthen the University’s relationships with funding councils, industry partners, government, and affiliated health authorities; and, champion the translation of knowledge into products, practices, and policies that benefit local, national, and international communities. The successful candidate will have outstanding academic credentials, a distinguished record of scholarship and university service, and a track record of mentoring and developing research excellence in faculty and students. The Vice-President (Research) will be an innovative and strategic leader who inspires intellectual curiosity and creativity, an administrator who possesses an abiding commitment to collegial governance, and a colleague who exhibits exemplary interpersonal skills.

Memorial University is strongly committed to employment equity and especially welcomes applications from all qualified candidates, including women, members of visible minorities, Aboriginal persons, members of sexual minorities, and persons with disabilities. All qualified candidates, including international candidates, are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority. 

The appointment, which is renewable, is for five years. Consideration of candidates will commence May 2017 and will continue until the position is filled. Nominations and/or applications should be submitted, in confidence, to Gerri Woodford or Jason Murray at memorialvpr@odgersberndtson.com.