Vice-Principal, Research and Innovation

McGill University is seeking an experienced leader with an outstanding record of scholarship and research to become its next Vice-Principal, Research and Innovation (VPRI).  

Founded in 1821, McGill University is one of Canada's best-known institutions of higher learning and one of the leading universities in the world. The University both belongs to the world and is firmly rooted in Montreal – a global destination for scholarship and a city where different languages, cultures, and perspectives not only co-exist, but come together to create a unique community that is stronger because of its diverse parts. 

McGill is recognized around the world for the excellence of its teaching and research programs. McGill is home to 1,778 tenured and tenure-stream faculty including 147 endowed teaching and research chairs, 234 active Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada, and 182 Canada Research Chairs. As an institution, McGill is ranked #1 in Canada among Medical-Doctoral Universities for 18 consecutive years, #31 in the world by QS World University Rankings (2023), and #46 in the world by Times Higher Education World University Rankings (2023).   

International students from more than 150 countries make up over 30% of McGill's 39,500 students ? the highest proportion of any Canadian research university. In addition to stellar faculty, McGill is known for attracting the brightest students from across Canada, the United States, and around the world. McGill students have the highest average entering grades in Canada, and our commitment to fostering the very best has helped our students win more national and international awards on average than their peers at any other Canadian university. The prestigious Rhodes Scholarship has gone to a nation-leading 147 McGill students and McGill’s alumni network includes 12 Nobel Prize winners. Funding from a variety of sources, including federal, provincial, non-profit, industry, and municipal grants totaling approximately $700M powers McGill’s vision to be the premier research-intensive university in Canada. 

McGill is a world-class research-intensive, student-centred university with an enduring sense of public purpose, and is guided by a mission to carry out research and scholarly activities that are judged to be excellent by the highest international standards. The Research and Innovation (RI) Office is responsible for the promotion and advancement of research across McGill and serves the research community in a variety of ways. RI directs the University’s overall institutional research mandate, manages the support services framework for research initiatives, and oversees outreach to key international institutions. Throughout the RI portfolio, emphasis is placed on the cultivation, development and support of interdisciplinary research initiatives and innovation. 

The Vice-Principal Research and Innovation Role:

Reporting to the Principal and Vice-Chancellor and working collaboratively within a multi-campus system, the VPRI is an integral member of the University’s Executive Team and strategically leads institutional research priorities and objectives in an effort to further advance McGill’s leadership position as a research-intensive institution of higher learning.

As the University’s internal and external advocate for research, the VPRI will provide strategic and inspired leadership for all aspects of research, innovation and creative activity at McGill, with a mission of maintaining the University’s standing as Canada’s pre-eminent research-intensive university and enhancing the University’s standing globally. To that end, the VPRI will work with their Office, comprised of a team of professional staff, including Associate, Assistant, and Deputy Vice-Principals, Directors, Associate Directors, and Special Advisors. Directing and collaborating closely with these individuals is a key responsibility of the VPRI. 

Within the University, the VPRI will integrate McGill’s research and academic missions, acknowledge and communicate achievements, encourage collaboration, transdisciplinary, interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary activities, and lead an accessible, visible and effective structure that promotes, plans, and administers all aspects of research and innovation. Externally, the VPRI will act as an ambassador for the University and promote the accomplishments of McGill’s research community, influence policy and advocate for partnerships, initiatives and funding on a provincial, national and international level. 

As the ideal candidate, you are an innovative and distinguished scholar and academic administrator with exceptional record of academic and research achievements. You have a record of building collaborative teams, fostering multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary research, solving problems, and partnering effectively with other educational institutions, government, communities and industry. You are a visionary and strategic leader who can manage the research interests of the University in the broader local, provincial, national and international contexts within which the University operates. You bring a strong record of achievement and leadership from a similarly complex research environment and have an ability to foster critical relationships at all levels of the University, including in developing and supporting faculty researchers. You are strategic, visionary, and have an unyielding passion for research and the impacts and importance that the University context provides in advancing work within the scientific community.   

The ideal candidate will also possess a distinguished record of scholarship and service consistent with appointment to the rank of full professor at McGill and will be fully bilingual in English and French and ideally also have experience in or knowledge of the unique French speaking and multicultural context of Quebec and Montreal. In addition, the ideal candidate will bring experience in advancing research excellence, building research infrastructure, and developing and executing complex research activities, and will have a successful track record in promoting research and in forming and sustaining effective relationships with funding organizations, industry, government, donors, and community agencies. The ideal candidate should also possess a comprehensive understanding of the relationships among research, innovation, scholarship, and creative activity, and of the current ethical, legal, and social issues surrounding research including data integrity and security, intellectual property, principles of tech transfers, etc., and have the ability to understand, facilitate and promote the development of intellectual property, technology transfer, and industry collaborations and partnerships that will maximize the benefits of McGill’s research to both the University and its external communities.   

Applying

If you are interested in this opportunity, please apply online at www.kbrs.ca/career/16847. For more information, contact Katherine Frank (kfrank@kbrs.ca) or Beth McLennan (bmclennan@kbrs.ca).

 McGill University is committed to equity and diversity within its community and values academic rigour and excellence. We welcome and encourage applications from racialized persons/visible minorities, women, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, as well as from all qualified candidates with the skills and knowledge to engage productively with diverse communities.

At McGill, research that reflects diverse intellectual traditions, methodologies, and modes of dissemination and translation is valued and encouraged. Candidates are invited to demonstrate their research impact both within and across academic disciplines and in other sectors, such as government, communities, or industry.

McGill further recognizes and fairly considers the impact of leaves (e.g., family care or health-related) that may contribute to career interruptions or slowdowns. Candidates are encouraged to signal any leave that affected productivity, or that may have had an effect on their career path. This information will be considered to ensure the equitable assessment of the candidate's record.

McGill implements an employment equity program and encourages members of designated equity groups to self-identify. It further seeks to ensure the equitable treatment and full inclusion of persons with disabilities by striving for the implementation of universal design principles transversally, across all facets of the University community, and through accommodation policies and procedures.

Should you require an accommodation to participate fully in the recruitment process, please inform KBRS at accommodate@kbrs.ca.   

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply; however, in accordance with Canadian immigration requirements, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

Veuillez cliquer ici pour afficher ces informations en Français: https://www.mcgill.ca/secretariat/advisory/vice-principal-research-and-innovation.