Associate or Full Professor in Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
Full Time, Tenure-track or tenured
Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Max Rady College of Medicine
Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba
Position # 36712, #36714
Posting Start Date: August 1, 2025
Posting End Date: August 31, 2025. Posting may remain open beyond the date of August 31, 2025, until filled.
Expected start date of appointment: March 16, 2026, or a date mutually agreed upon.
The Department of Medical Microbiology and Infections (MMID) in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences (RFHS) and Max Rady College of Medicine at the University of Manitoba invites applications for a Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in the area of pandemic preparedness. The successful candidate will be appointed to a full-time tenure-track or tenured position at the rank of Associate Professor or Full Professor. Salary and tenure status will be based on the candidate’s qualifications and experience, in accordance with the University of Manitoba Faculty Association collective agreement.
The Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) is a prestigious initiative funded by the Government of Canada to attract top-tier researchers from around the world and support the development high-impact research programs at Canadian universities. A CERC is one of the most prestigious international awards globally, providing Chairholders and their research teams with a non-renewable award of $8 million over eight years. This amount includes up to 25% for indirect costs.
This appointment will be submitted to the Canada Excellence Research Chairs (CERC) 2026 Competition, which involves a two-stage process:
- Applicants must apply to this University advertisement for review and endorsement,
- The successful candidate will then prepare the required documentation, with the support of the Vice President Research & International Office (VPRIO) at the University of Manitoba and submit to the Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat (TIPS) as part of the national CERC application process. The UM appointment is dependent on a successful review at the CERC stage.
Please consult the Canada Excellence Research Chairs website for full program information, including further details on eligibility criteria and application requirements.
This proposed CERC aligns closely with the University of Manitoba’s Strategic Research Plan, which emphasizes international leadership in infectious disease research, and builds on its recent investments in pandemic preparedness platforms.
The successful candidate will have up to 12 months from the mutual acceptance of the Notice of Award to start their appointment.
MMID is seeking a world-renowned scholar with a demonstrated commitment to excellence in both research and mentorship. The successful candidate will be expected to develop and maintain a rigorous, independent, nationally or internationally funded research program that is highly collaborative, involving local, national, and international partners. The focus of this position is pandemic preparedness, with particular emphasis on medical countermeasures for infectious diseases. The research program must include significant work at containment level (CL) 3, utilizing the new in vitro CL3 lab that has been built and the forthcoming CL3 animal facility currently under development.
In accordance with the CERC eligibility, applicants must be full professors or associate professors expected to be promoted to full professor within one or two years from the beginning of the appointment. Candidates from outside the academic sector must possess the necessary qualifications to be appointed at one of these ranks. In addition to the CERC requirements, MMID requires applicants to hold a doctoral or equivalent degree and have a minimum of 10 years of experience post the awarding of their PhD in a Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases-related area, including leadership of an independent research program. Applicants must also demonstrate a strong record of publication in high-quality, peer-reviewed journals and proven ability to secure competitive, extramural research funding. The ideal candidate will be a global leader with a proven track record of leading high-impact original, innovative research, working in a collaborative and/or multidisciplinary team environment, and will possess excellent communication skills. While this is a research-intensive position, the successful candidate will also contribute to educating undergraduate, graduate, postgraduate, and medical students through teaching and mentorship in MMID, and participate in academic service activities to the Department, College, or University. Teaching experience in Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, and related areas is an asset.
The position includes a laboratory start-up package and the opportunities to compete for additional equipment funding locally and via the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI). The successful applicant will have access to core resources within the Faculty, including CL3 labs, state-of-the-art facilities for flow cytometry, live cell imaging, multiplex imaging, histomorphology and ultrastructural imaging, proteomics platforms, single cell transcriptomics, bioinformatics, humanized mouse models, among others. In addition, access includes University facilities such as the Accelerator Protein Production Facility in the Faculty of Science.
The Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (MMID) has a rich and evolving history, first established in 1884 as the Department of Bacteriology, Pathology, and Histology. Over the years, it has evolved significantly while continuing to remain at the forefront of medical research, education and clinical care. The department integrates cutting-edge basic science research and graduate student training with a strong commitment to excellence in clinical microbiology, infectious disease care, and postgraduate clinical training. The department currently has ten full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty members and 69 affiliated members. MMID maintains close associations in medical microbiology and infectious diseases with the clinical and laboratory departments in the College of Medicine and the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, the Cadham Provincial Laboratory, the National Microbiology Lab of the Public Health Agency of Canada, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's Foreign Animal Disease Unit. The department also has a longstanding large international presence, particularly through its major research and education initiatives in Kenya. As a partner in the UM's Institute for Global Public Health, MMID participates in several other international collaborative projects. With the increased emphasis from external funders on team-focused research and "research clusters", MMID is poised to increasingly serve as the academic, research, and administrative hub to several broad research initiatives that involve multiple institutions locally, nationally, and internationally. Please visit the Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Manitoba website for further information about MMID.
Application Information
A review of applications will begin , and will continue until the position is filled. Applicants are requested to submit the following materials via email as a single PDF file to:
Jude Uzonna, Ph.D., Chair, Search Committee
Tel: (204) 977-5609
E-mail: barbie.haddon@umanitoba.ca
Applications must include:
- a concise cover letter describing suitability for the position
- a curriculum vitae (including examples of significant research contributions)
- a research plan (3 page maximum) outlining an independent, innovative research program, and its potential to attract funding and contribute to student training
- a teaching statement (1/2 page) that documents the applicant's experience in and/or approach to training and mentoring diverse students and the candidate's teaching philosophy
- a personal statement reflecting on the applicant’s positionality, demonstrated commitment, and approach to issues pertaining to anti-racism and social justice (including principles of equity, access, and participation) in the following areas: teaching, research, and service
- the names and contact information of three referees
Application materials, including letters of reference, will be handled in accordance with the protection of privacy provision of The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (Manitoba). Please note that curriculum vitae may be provided to participating members of the search process.
A successful candidate is expected to be selected by October 1, 2025, after which a formal CERC nomination application will be prepared with the support of the Vice President Research & International Office (VPRIO) at the University of Manitoba and submitted on March 18, 2026. Chairs are awarded by the Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat after a rigorous peer-review process, and award decisions are expected in Winter 2027. The appointment will be conditional upon a successful CERC nomination and is expected to begin within 12 months of mutual acceptance of the award.
The University of Manitoba is committed to the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion, and to promoting opportunities in hiring, promotion and tenure (where applicable) for individuals from systemically marginalized groups who have been historically excluded from full participation at the University and the larger society. This includes Indigenous Peoples, women, racialized persons, persons with disabilities and those who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ (Two Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, questioning, intersex, asexual and other diverse sexual identities). All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply.
The Rady Faculty of Health Sciences is committed to the social justice principles of equity, access & participation and to promoting opportunities in hiring, promotion and tenure (where applicable) for systemically marginalized groups who have been excluded from full participation at the University and the larger community including Indigenous Peoples, Black, racially marginalized communities, disabled persons and those who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ (Two Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, questioning, intersex, asexual and other diverse sexual identities).
An inclusive, open and diverse community is essential to excellence and fosters voices that have been ignored or discouraged. To address the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences commitment to equity, access and participation, and in recognition of the underrepresentation of members of historically and currently excluded groups, we take proactive measures including implicit bias training for all hiring panels. We strive for diversity and cultural safety throughout the hiring process (hiring panels, short-list of candidates, interviews). The University acknowledges the potential impact that Career Interruptions and Personal Circumstances can have on an applicant's record of research achievement. Measures will be taken to ensure that these leaves will be taken into careful consideration during the evaluation process.
We encourage candidates to self-identity aspects of their identity that position them to bring currently under-represented viewpoints, expertise and forms of excellence to this role.
If you require accommodation supports during the recruitment process, please contact UM.Accommodation@umanitoba.ca or 204-474-7195. Please note this contact information is for accommodation reasons only.
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