CERC 2022 Competition

The Canada Excellence Research Chairs (CERC) program aims to support world-renowned researchers and their teams to establish ambitious research programs at Canadian universities.

This competition is capped institutionally, with each institution limited to a total dollar value of NOI submissions.  An internal selection process has been developed with assistance from the Associate Deans, Research on both campuses and is outlined below. 

There have been significant changes to the CERC program based on a program review, engagement sessions and discussions with current chairholders. The most substantive changes are:

• streamlining the application process into a one-phase approach, in which the research program and nominee are presented together, to help institutions with their recruitment process;
• establishing two award values ($0.5m and $1m per year for 8 years), to allow participation from a greater range of research disciplines and continue to support core teams that include students, highly qualified personnel, and early- and mid-career researchers;
• strengthening equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) requirements by ensuring EDI is incorporated in the research design, research teams and recruitment processes; and
• removing the one-to-one funds-matching requirement, instead focusing on the quality of research environments, emphasizing sustainability plans, and focusing on the institution’s ability to leverage funds.

2022 CERC program website

UBC APPLICATION SUMMARY

• UBC has a cap of $7m per year on the total dollar value of applications that can be submitted.
• Chairs will be awarded in alignment with the Government of Canada’s ST&I priority areas for the CERC and CFREF programs. Applications are invited from a broad range of disciplines in the social sciences and humanities, creative and performing arts, natural sciences and engineering, and health and related sciences.
• The internal UBC selection process has a limit of one Internal Notice of Intent per Faculty on each campus (including the School of Engineering and School of Education at UBC Okanagan), with the exception of the Faculties of Medicine, Science, Applied Science and Arts at UBC Vancouver, who are invited to submit up to three Internal Notices of Intent.
• In the event that a Faculty wishes to co-sponsor a CERC with another Faculty, this will be counted as a fraction of its allotment. Such co-sponsored CERC proposals must arise from strong intellectual foundations and build on the shared strategic vision of the Faculties involved.
• Individual Faculties are implementing pre-selection processes prior to submission of the Internal NOI. Please speak with your Associate Dean, Research or Dean to understand what process is running within your Faculty.

CERC program DATES AND DEADLINES

CERC registration deadline: September 13 2022

CERC institutional full application deadline: October 10, 2022

Program objectives

The objectives of the program remain to:

• strengthen Canada’s ability to attract the world’s top researchers, in order to be at the leading edge of breakthroughs in ST&I priority areas expected to generate social and economic benefits for Canadians;
• help Canada build a critical mass of expertise in ST&I priority areas identified by the Government of Canada;
• create a competitive environment to help Canadian institutions, in their pursuit of excellence in their research, attract a cadre of world-leading researchers; and
• contribute to branding Canada as a location of choice for world-leading research, science and technology development, alongside other federal programs with similar objectives.

Additional program considerations: (full details on CERC website)

• Equity, diversity and inclusion excellence
• Equity, diversity and inclusion in research design
• Equity, diversity and inclusion, and early career researchers in research teams
• Indigenous research
• Knowledge mobilization and translation
• Leveraged funds and sustainability
• Research security

Priority areas

(Full details on CERC website)

Chairs will be awarded in alignment with the Government of Canada’s ST&I priority areas for the CERC and CFREF programs. Applications are invited from a broad range of disciplines in the social sciences and humanities, creative and performing arts, natural sciences and engineering, and health and related sciences.

ST&I priorities for the CERC and CFREF programs.

ELIGIBILITY of nominees

(Full details on CERC website)

Nominees must be full professors or associate professors expected to be promoted to full professor within one or two years of the nomination. Alternatively, if they come from outside the academic sector, nominees must possess the qualifications necessary to be appointed at these levels.

The nominee must hold a full-time academic appointment at the nominating institution as of the start date of the Chair award. Awardees will have up to 12 months to take up the award after the notice of award and acceptance has been signed by all parties.

CERC Selection CRITERIA

CERC outlines the following main areas of its evaluation criteria. Full details are available on the CERC website.

• Research/academic merit and leadership skills of the nominee
• Quality of the institutional support
• Quality of the research program
• Potential contribution to the excellence of the Canadian and international research ecosystem

INTERNAL SELECTION PROCESS

• Individual Faculties are implementing pre-selection processes prior to submission of the Internal NOI. Please speak with your Associate Dean, Research or Dean to understand what process is running within your Faculty.
• In the event that a Faculty wishes to co-sponsor a CERC with another Faculty, this will be counted as a fraction of their allotment. Such co-sponsored CERC proposals must arise from strong intellectual foundations and build on the shared strategic vision of the Faculties involved.
• Demonstration of how EDI will be incorporated in the search process and CERC proposal is required. 
• Faculties must provide long-term sustainability plans for all relevant positions.

Internal NOI

Internal NOIs must address the following questions in no more than 1,500 words:

• The type of CERC being sought ($4M or $8M)
• UBC’s research strengths in the proposed field, assessed against global standards of excellence
• The promise of the proposed field of research
• The fit with the priority areas for the CERC competition
• A list of potential candidates for the position along with any relevant information about the likelihood of recruitment. Potential candidates need not have been contacted at this stage.
• The level of support to be provided by the Faculty, including a long-term sustainability plan for the Chair
• How EDI will be incorporated in the recruitment process and the CERC proposal with respect to the research design and research team
• The lead UBC Faculty and department head contact for the proposal

Internal NOI Submission Process

The UBC internal NOI must be submitted via https://apply.research.ubc.ca by January 21, 2021 (new date).

To complete and submit a UBC CERC internal NOI, the lead applicant (Faculty Dean, or designate) must log in to VPRI’s online application system UBC Research + Innovation Apply using their campus wide login (CWL), and follow the instructions provided. Once the NOI has been initiated, the Faculty Dean, or designate may invite others (co-applicants) with a CWL to contribute using the “add collaborator” button located in the left side block.

NOIs can be saved and completed at a later date before final submission, and can be downloaded as a PDF at any time. Each section must be marked as complete before the lead applicant (Dean, or designate) can submit the application (note only the lead applicant is able to submit the NOI for review).

Sample Internal NOI

Further questions?

We encourage faculty members to address questions regarding the program and internal processes to their Associate Dean of Research.