Assistant Professor in Fisheries and Indigenous Food Sovereignty

The Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries (IOF; oceans.ubc.ca) in the Faculty of Science at the University of British Columbia (UBC) seeks an emerging Indigenous scholar in Fisheries and Indigenous Food Sovereignty for a Tier II Canada Research Chair (CRC). The candidate should have lived experience and training in the realms of: Indigenous food sovereignty; nutrition, health, and wellbeing; Indigenous aquaculture or mariculture (especially of non-finfish species, such as molluscs, crustaceans, marine mammals, plants); coastal and/or inland harvesting; aquatic conservation; climate change adaptation; Indigenous research methodologies; and, critically, Indigenous fisheries rights and governance. Preference will be given to candidates working to uphold obligations and responsibilities to the Peoples on whose territories UBC campuses and facilities now sit, including the Musqueam and Syilx. 

The Chair will join the IOF’s Centre for Indigenous Fisheries (CIF) and undertake research, teaching, and service that is with and for Indigenous partners, taking Indigenous approaches that are multigenerational, land-based, and relational. The Chair will tackle pressing questions. These could include, but are not limited to: Are changes in Indigenous fisheries amidst climate change impacting the nutrition, health, and/or wellbeing of inland and coastal Indigenous Peoples and communities? What do these Peoples and communities envision as just and sustainable futures for their fisheries? Can Indigenous harvesting approaches offer insights into sustainability solutions amidst increasing climate uncertainty, and if so, how can these approaches be adopted more broadly without subverting Indigenous intellectual property? What do ethical approaches to food systems research look like in coastal and/or inland contexts, and how do they uplift Indigenous rights and governance structures? 

This interdisciplinary and highly collaborative CRC position in Fisheries and Indigenous Food Sovereignty will address the growing needs and interests of prospective graduate students and community partners from across Canada and North America. This will attract diverse learners and researchers to the IOF, CIF, and the broader UBC community – helping all to realize their Indigenous engagement and research objectives outlined in their respective strategic planning. Having expertise and experience in the realm of non-finfish species in particular, and focusing on the important role of Indigenous stewardship and science in the sustainability of associated fisheries and food systems, this Chair will address an understudied, undertaught, and underserviced area of promising scholarship. 

The Canada Research Chairs program seeks to attract outstanding researchers for careers at Canadian universities. Tier 2 Chairs are intended for exceptional emerging scholars (within 10 years of attaining their highest degree at the time of nomination, with consideration for career breaks) who have the acknowledged potential to lead in their field of research. Appointment to a Tier 2 Chair is for five years, is renewable once, and comes with enhanced research support from the program. Applicants who are more than 10 years from their highest degree (and where career breaks exist, including parental leave, extended sick leave, clinical training, etc.) may have their eligibility for a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair assessed through the program’s Tier 2 justification process. Please see the CRC website for further eligibility details. 

The successful candidate will have a PhD and a strong commitment to participatory research and education, to create a welcoming community for all, particularly those who are historically, persistently, and/or systemically marginalized by academic institutions and research processes. 

The Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries is home to a world-leading multidisciplinary research team with particular strength in innovative marine conservation and ecosystem-based management approaches and tools. It promotes and integrates research on fish and fisheries, including Indigenous fisheries, ecology, fisheries assessment, oceanography, community-based management, marine protected areas, fisheries policy and ethics, interactions with marine mammals, and aspects of fisheries that draw on economics, law, sociology, history, anthropology, and other disciplines. 

The Vancouver campus of UBC is situated on traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xwməθkwəyə̓m (Musqueam). 

How to apply: 

The application process involves two steps: 

(1) All applicants are required to self-identify through the following equity survey [https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6WJHol7SfPxRMu9]. In accordance with UBC’s CRC Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion Action Plan, [https://research.ubc.ca/federal-research-chair-programs/canada-research-chairs/ubcs-commitment-equity-diversity-and], and pursuant to Section 42 of the BC Human Rights code, the selection will be restricted to Indigenous candidates, who may also identify as members of the following groups:  women and gender minorities (transgender, gender-fluid, non-binary and Two-Spirit people), persons with disabilities and racialized minorities. Currently, UBC has a gap in representation for people with disabilities. Until such time as this is remedied, the names of those self-identifying as having a disability will be provided separately to the search committee, in order for them to follow preferential hiring strategies.  Self-identification is necessary for the University to achieve equity targets set by the CRC Program, and determines eligibility for this search process. This information will be stored in a secure database and made available only to members of the search committee. 

Personal information is collected under the authority of sections 26(a) and 26(c) of the BC Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. The information provided by applicants will only be used to determine whether they qualify for participation in this restricted hiring process. Data will be collected by the Equity & Inclusion Office and only the names of those who identify as Indigenous will be shared with the search committee.  

(2) Applications must be submitted by email to [email protected] with a single PDF file that includes: 

Cover letter outlining your interests, qualifications, and commitments (up to 3 pages), 

Detailed curriculum vitae including a list of publications, 

Research statement describing approaches, accomplishments, and aspirations (up to 3 pages), 

Outline of a potential five-year research program in partnership with inland and coastal Indigenous Peoples and communities, locally, nationally or internationally including potential funding sources (up to 5 pages). If your primary research area is located outside of British Columbia or adjacent states and/or territories, please outline how your research might engage with local Indigenous communities, 

Teaching statement and supervision philosophy (up to 3 pages), 

Diversity statement (one page) describing your lived experience (if comfortable), and/or your past experiences and future plans regarding working with a diverse student body, and contributing to a culture of equity, inclusion, wellbeing and justice, 

Three recent publications and/or other scholarly outputs or outcomes, 

Names and contact information of at least four referees including Indigenous community members with whom you’ve previously worked. 

Deadline for applications is January 31, 2024. We anticipate that the successful candidate will start at UBC in September 2024, and submit their CRC application for the October 2024 national CRC competition. Questions should be directed to the Search Committee at [email protected]. 

Starting salary range for an Assistant Professor position in the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries in September 2024 is expected to be from $125,000 to $135,000. Salary is competitive, negotiable, commensurate with education and experience, and subject to final budgetary approval. The salary is part of a comprehensive compensation package provided to UBC tenure stream faculty members that includes annual general wage and career progression increases, paid sabbatical and medical leaves, paid health and dental benefits, tuition waivers, pension and housing support. Salaries tendersglobal.net UBC Human Resources. 

UBC hires on the basis of merit and is committed to employment equity. Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. Inclusion is built by individual and institutional responsibility through continuous engagement with diversity to inspire people, ideas, and actions for a better world. This recruitment is restricted to candidates self-identifying as Indigenous, though we encourage applications from those Indigenous people who are also members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nations, Métis, Inuit, or Indigenous person. In assessing applications, UBC recognizes the legitimate impact that leaves (e.g., parental leave, leave due to illness) can have on a candidate’s record of research achievement. These leaves will be taken into careful consideration during the assessment process. 

Accommodations are available on request for all candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.   

Confidential accommodations are available on request for applicants who are short-listed by contacting Peggy Homan ([email protected]).  

The University is committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive and equitable work environment for all members of its workforce. An inclusive work environment presumes an environment where differences are accepted, recognized, and integrated into current structures, planning, and decision-making modes. To learn more about UBC’s Center for Workplace Accessibility, visit the website here: https://hr.ubc.ca/health-and-wellbeing/working-injury-illness-or-disability/centre-workplace-accessibility.