Tenure Track Position in Astroparticle Physics

The Department of Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy at Queen's University invites applicants for a tenure-track faculty position at the rank of Assistant Professor (or tenured position at the rank of Associate Professor). The successful candidate will develop a globally recognizable research program that complements the research programs in particle astrophysics foreseen for SNOLAB and by the Arthur B. McDonald Canadian Astroparticle Physics Research Institute. Applicants should be creative scientists with a strong commitment to research, graduate training, and promotion of equity, diversity, and inclusion in STEM.

This position is made possible by a transformative $30M investment by Bruce Mitchell (Sc’68, DSc'20). During the first 5 years of their appointment the successful candidate will receive direct research support from the Bruce Mitchell Research Program, including resources to support the recruitment of multiple postdoctoral researchers/students. Decreased teaching and administrative responsibilities will be associated with this position to enable the candidate to develop a world-class research program. The anticipated starting date is January 1st, 2025, although earlier starts would be welcome.

The McDonald Institute is an internationally recognized centre for research and learning, coalescing Canadian and international expertise in underground astroparticle physics. Focused on the big questions in astroparticle physics, cosmology and astronomy, the Institute benefits greatly from the unique SNOLAB facility in the delivery of world-leading science. The Institute is a Tier 1 Institute hosted at Queen’s in partnership with 10 universities and 6 institutions across Canada. The diverse research team assembled at Queen’s includes experts in astroparticle physics experiment and theory, detector development, radio-geochemistry, and material engineering. The current astroparticle physics research program at Queen’s is focused on dark matter, neutrinos, neutrinoless double beta decay, multi-messenger physics, and cosmology and is well aligned with interests in the astrophysics group.

Qualifications

Candidates must have a PhD or equivalent degree completed at the start date of the appointment. The main criteria for selection are calibre of the proposed research program, collaborative potential and demonstrated teaching excellence.. The successful candidate will provide evidence of very high-quality scholarly output that demonstrates a track record of independent research evidenced by peer assessed publications in top journals and secured external research funding, as well as strong potential for outstanding teaching contributions at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and an ongoing commitment to academic and pedagogical excellence. Candidates must provide evidence of an ability to work collaboratively in an interdisciplinary environment. The successful candidate will also be expected to make contributions through service to the department, the Faculty, the University, and/or the broader community. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Vaccination Requirements

Prior to May 1, 2022, the University required all students, faculty, staff, and visitors (including contractors) to declare their COVID-19 vaccination status and provide proof that they were fully vaccinated or had an approved accommodation to engage in in-person University activities.

These requirements were suspended effective May 1, 2022, but the University may reinstate them at any point.

Institution

Queen’s University has a long history of scholarship, discovery, and innovation that shapes our collective knowledge and helps address some of the world’s most pressing concerns. Home to more than 25,000 students, Queen’s offers a comprehensive research-intensive environment. Diverse perspectives and a wealth of experience enrich our students and faculty while a core part of our mission is to engage in international learning and research.
In 2023, for the third year in a row, Queen’s University has ranked in top 10 globally Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, securing the position of third worldwide and first in North America. The rankings measured over 1,700 post-secondary institutions on their work to advance the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
From Nobel Prize-winning research exploring the building blocks of the universe to cancer care and treatment to sustainable technologies, our university is tackling humanity’s most pressing challenges.

A member of the U15 group of Canadian research universities, Queen’s is home to a vibrant research community that includes 33 Canada Research Chairs and over 20 research institutes who work in partnership with communities, governments, and industry to advance research and innovation, making a measured impact on Canada and the world.

Faculty and their dependents are eligible for an extensive benefits package including prescription drug coverage, vision care, dental care, long term disability insurance, life insurance and access to the Employee and Family Assistance Program. Employees also participate in a pension plan. Tuition assistance is available for qualifying employees, their spouses and dependent children. Queen’s values families and is pleased to provide a ‘top up’ to government parental leave benefits for eligible employees on maternity/parental leave. In addition, Queen’s provides partial reimbursement for eligible daycare expenses for employees with dependent children in daycare. Details are set out in the Queen’s-QUFA Collective Agreement. For more information on employee benefits, see Queen’s Human Resources.

The City

The University is situated on the traditional territories of the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe, in historic Kingston on the shores of Lake Ontario. Queen’s is an integral part of the Kingston community, with the campus nestled in the core of the city, only a 10-minute walk to downtown. Kingston’s residents enjoy an outstanding quality of life with a wide range of cultural and creative opportunities, with access to many natural areas and proximity to vibrant First Nations Communities including Tyendinaga and Akwesasne. Kingston is a unique Canadian city of 125,000 with a distinct blend of history, recreation, industry, and learning. Kingston offers unique waterfront living with many recreational opportunities. It is within a two-and-a-half hour drive (two-hour train ride) to the commercial, industrial and political hubs of Toronto, Montreal, and the nation’s capital, Ottawa, and a thirty minute drive from the international bridge linking Ontario and upstate New York. The city is also the origin of the historic Rideau Canal system – a UNESCO International Heritage site, and is close to Frontenac Provincial Park, the Thousand Islands National Park, and the Frontenac Arch UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. The Queen’s University Biological Station, north of the city, encompasses 34 km2 of diverse lands, affording premier learning and research opportunities. Visit Inclusive Queen’s for information on equity, diversity and inclusion resources and initiatives.

How to Apply

The University invites applications from all qualified individuals. Queen’s is strongly committed to employment equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace and encourages applications from Black, racialized/visible minority and Indigenous people, women, persons with disabilities, and 2SLGBTQ+ persons. In accordance with Canadian immigration requirements, Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority, including any qualified individuals who have a valid legal work status in Canada. Please indicate in your application if you have a valid legal work status in Canada. Applications from all qualified candidates will be considered in the applicant pool.
In addition, the impact of certain circumstances that may legitimately affect a nominee’s record of research achievement will be given careful consideration when assessing the nominee’s research productivity. Candidates are encouraged to provide any relevant information about their experience and/or career interruptions.

The University will provide support in its recruitment processes to applicants with disabilities, including accommodation that takes into account an applicant’s accessibility needs. If you require accommodation during the interview process, please contact Melissa Balson in The Department of Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy, at [email protected].

Those interested in this position should submit a complete application package, including the following documents:

a cover letter, indicating whether or not you have a valid legal work status in Canada

a current Curriculum Vitae (including a list of publications);

a statement of research interests;

a statement of teaching interests and experience (including teaching outlines and evaluations if available); and,

Three letters of reference to be sent directly to [email protected]

The deadline for applications is August 31st, 2024.

Applicants are asked to send all documents in their application packages electronically as PDFs to [email protected].

Academic staff at Queen’s University are governed by a Collective Agreement between the University and the Queen’s University Faculty Association (QUFA), which is posted at http://queensu.ca/facultyrelations/faculty-librarians-and-archivists/collective-agreement and at http://www.qufa.ca.