Assistant Professor Position at the Children’s Health Policy Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University

Honouring Indigenous Peoples

The Children’s Health Policy Centre, the Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) and Simon Fraser University (SFU) acknowledge our privilege in being located on the ancestral lands of the xwməθkwəy̓ əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Səl ̓ ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), q̓ icə̓ y̓ (Katzie) and kwikwəƛ ̓ əm (Kwikwetlem) Nations. We understand and commit to the ongoing work of reconciliation that is required to honour all Indigenous Peoples.

The Position

SFU is Canada’s leading comprehensive university. As a strategic priority, its interdisciplinary FHS encourages policy-relevant research and societal engagement to improve the health of children through its Children’s Health Policy Centre. Supporting this priority, the FHS seeks applications from outstanding early-career researchers for a new tenure-track Assistant Professor position in Child Health and Policy. With support from the Mowafaghian Foundation, the successful candidate will be a member of the Centre and will actively contribute to its focus on improving wellbeing for all children and on the public policies needed to reach this goal. This position comes with standard FHS workload expectations of 40% research, 40% teaching and 20% service.

Required Background, Competencies and Strengths

We seek a scholar holding a PhD, and ideally having post-doctoral training or the equivalent, in a child health field relevant to public and population health policy — addressing early social determinants of health, early child development and wellbeing and/or children’s rights. We encourage applications from those with interests and expertise across the developmental range from the pre-conception and prenatal periods through infancy, early childhood and beyond. But we emphasize early antecedents and the early years, given their fundamental importance to the health of individuals and populations. Note that this is not a clinical or laboratory sciences position.

The ideal candidate will have demonstrated strengths in the development and application of innovative and equity-centred approaches such as qualitative, quantitative, Indigenous and/or mixed methods pertaining to child studies. They will have a demonstrated record of building and sustaining successful policy/community relationships — connecting research strengths with “real world” impact to improve child wellbeing locally and/or in Canada and/or beyond. Demonstrated teaching excellence is also required as this new faculty member will teach child health and policy courses in the FHS and will supervise graduate students. University and policy/community service will also be required. Candidates whose research activities contribute to our understanding of diverse populations of children are particularly encouraged to apply. A record of research achievement that contributes to the diversity of research and methodological perspectives in child health is also welcomed.

Beyond these qualifications, the ideal candidate will hold proven expertise relevant across one or more of the core interdisciplinary FHS research challenge areas — particularly Child Health and Developmental Trajectories. Other research challenge areas include Health Policy and Systems, Mental Health, Infectious Diseases and Planetary Health. We will also priorize research programs that amplify our core cross-cutting themes of Indigenous Health, Global Health, Social Inequities, Big Data and/or Translational Research.

The Faculty of Health Sciences and the Children’s Health Policy Centre

Created in 2004, the mission of the FHS is to improve the health of individuals and populations and to reduce health inequities through excellence in interdisciplinary research and education — in partnership with local, national and global communities. The successful candidate will join a diverse and dynamic community of more than 60 faculty members and will be invited to engage with outstanding students in our PhD, MSc, MPH and BA/BSc programs. The FHS maintains collaborations with the BC Government, BC’s health authorities including the First Nations Health Authority, and local and national and international health organizations — as well as with related research units in Canada and globally. FHS excellence has been recognized by seven Canada Research Chairs — including two affiliated with the Children’s Health Policy Centre — as well as eight Endowed Chairs and 28 additional external career awards. The FHS is also home to four research Centres, including the Children’s Health Policy Centre.

Created in 2007, the mission of the Children’s Health Policy Centre is to enhance wellbeing for all children by conducting research that is rigorous while also being relevant to policy and/or community. We maintain strong collaborations with provincial and national policy and community groups and with related child research units. The Centre is currently home to three faculty members and to a thriving research group. The Centre’s work is grant-funded with supports from the Mowafaghian and Stern Family Foundations, the BC Government, community agencies and peer-reviewed sources, among others. The successful candidate will join our flourishing and collegial community and will be welcomed to access the shared Centre infrastructure that is funded by faculty grants, e.g., communications, research management and methods expertise — in addition to accessing the FHS supports available to all faculty members including grants facilitation, financial and human resource management and mentoring.

To Apply

Please submit a single PDF document containing the following:

  • Cover letter summarizing your reasons for applying and your academic training and outlining your research program, policy/community engagements and teaching experience (two-page maxiumum)
  • Full curriculum vitae
  • Three publications (two or three from peer-reviewed journals and/or one of another relevant type such as a commissioned policy or community report)
  • Statement describing your research program as well as relevant policy/community engagement plans for the next five years (two-page maximum)
  • Statement on teaching and graduate student mentorship/supervision including examples of successful pedagogical strategies you have used (one-page maximum)
  • Statement on service contributions you could make to the Centre and the FHS (one-page maximum)
  • Names, position titles and contact details for three academic and/or one other reference such as a policy or community leader. SFU recognizes that diverse career paths and career interruptions (e.g., time spent in policy/community or clinical careers and/or parental and other caregiving leave or leave due to illness) can affect research achievements. SFU commits to ensuring that diverse career paths are valued. Candidates are therefore encouraged to highlight this diversity in their application and how it may have influenced their careers.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority.

Please address your package to the Chair of the Child Health and Policy Search Committee and submit electronically to Ms. Cheri Danton at fhs_recruit@nullsfu.ca. The search committee will begin reviewing submitted applications in early March 2023. This position will remain open until filled.

SFU’s Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

At SFU, our strength is based on our shared commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion. Diversity is therefore an underlying principle of our Strategic Vision, which pledges to “foster a culture of inclusion and mutual respect, celebrating the diversity reflected among students, faculty, staff and our surrounding communities.” SFU is therefore committed to ensuring that no individual is denied access to employment opportunities for reasons unrelated to ability or qualifications. Consistent with this principle, SFU will: advance the interests of underrepresented members of the work force, specifically Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, socialized persons, and women; embrace gender and sexual diversity; ensure that equal opportunity is afforded to all who seek employment at the University; and treat all employees equitably. Candidates who belong to equity-deserving groups are particularly encouraged to apply.

Under the authority of the University Act, personal information that is required by the University for academic appointment competitions will be collected. For further details see the Collection Notice.

For more information, please contact Ms. Cheri Danton: fhs_recruit@nullsfu.ca .