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Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

The anticipated salary range is $115,000-$125,000.

CRC Tier II in Climate-Resilient Agroecosystems

University of British Columbia – Okanagan Campus
Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science
Department of Biology

Canada Research Chair (Tier II) in Climate-Resilient Agroecosystems, Assistant Professor (tenure-track)
Anticipated start date: July 1, 2027
Date posted: November 4, 2026
Closing date: January 5, 2027

Opportunity

Situated on the traditional, ancestral, unceded territory of the Syilx Okanagan Nation, the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science at the University of British Columbia (UBC) Okanagan campus invites applications from outstanding emerging scholars for a Tier II Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Climate-Resilient Agroecosystems in the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) stream. The successful applicant will be a future leader in understanding and management of how plant-based agroecosystems respond and adapt to environmental and biological stresses and their interactions. The full-time appointment will be made at the rank of Assistant Professor (tenure-track) in the Department of Biology ([biology.ok.ubc.ca]). The position is expected to start on July 1, 2027, or soon thereafter. The anticipated salary range is $115,000-$125,000.

Research Program

The Okanagan is home to nationally significant tree-fruit, wine-grape, and other high-value perennial crop industries, and sits at the leading edge of heat and drought impacts in Canada's hottest and driest region. Growers here face compounding pressures: abrupt shifts between drought, flooding and freezing, changing disease pressure, and expanding ranges of pests and insect vectors. This Chair’s research program will connect fundamental biological discovery with these regional challenges while developing principles that apply across production systems advancing the Faculty's vision of Solutions-Focused Science for a Resilient Future (https://science.ok.ubc.ca/about/strategic-plan/) and National Food-Security priorities (https://agriculture.canada.ca/en/department/initiatives/national-food-security-strategy). This research program will build on the Department of Biology's strengths in plant genetics and genomics, crop adaptation, plant biotechnology, soil and microbial ecology, plant–biotic interactions and food-system sustainability, and on complementary expertise in Chemistry, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Computer Science, and Engineering. For more information, see [biology.ok.ubc.ca]. The successful candidate will have access to campus resources and centres including the Plant Growth Facility, the West Campus Lands, Okanagan Institute for Biodiversity, Resilience, and Ecosystem Services (BRAES), and the Wine Research Centre. Biology also has long-standing partnerships with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Summerland Research and Development Centre, whose scientists hold adjunct appointments and co-supervise graduate students. The Chair will contribute to undergraduate and graduate training in Biology and related programs, which may include the newly developed course-based Master’s of Biotechnology and Bachelor of Sustainability programs.

Responsibilities

The successful candidate will develop and maintain a nationally and internationally recognized research program. They will secure external research funding from federal, provincial, and partner-supported sources. They will lead innovative research on improving the understanding and management of climate-resilient agroecosystems, whether through deep expertise in one area or by integrating approaches across biological scales. They will supervise and mentor graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and research staff and contribute to undergraduate and graduate teaching, including experiential learning, within the Department of Biology. The candidate will be expected to foster interdisciplinary collaborations across UBC and with external partners and engage in knowledge mobilization activities that translate research findings into policy, practice, technology development, and community impact. They will contribute to service activities within the Department, Faculty, University, and broader professional community and advance UBC's commitments to equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility, and Indigenous engagement.

Qualifications

The successful candidate must hold a Ph.D., as a UBC requirement, in an appropriate discipline and have postdoctoral training or equivalent research experience gained in an academic, government, Indigenous, industry, or other research setting. They will be an exceptional emerging scholar who has the potential to achieve public and academic recognition for their research in climate-resilient agroecosystems, including areas such as genetics, genomics, and crop or variety improvement; plant–microbe and host–pathogen interactions, including nematology; crop-relevant entomology and insect vectors; plant stress physiology; agroecology and microbiomes; biological control; horticulture; or biologically-grounded precision agriculture, quantitative, and modelling approaches. Exceptional candidates with expertise in other areas of climate resilient agroecosystem will also be considered. Research on perennial crops, orchards and vineyards, or interacting stresses such as water limitation, temperature extremes, pests and disease, including semi-arid regions, would be particularly relevant but is not required. The Candidate will demonstrate a strong record of scholarly achievement relative to their career stage, with clear evidence of research excellence, and growing international recognition. Research contributions will be assessed relative to career stage and opportunity, and may include publications, patents, crop varieties, biological resources, software, datasets, monitoring programs, technical or industry publications, extension activities, policy contributions and other knowledge-mobilization outputs. They will demonstrate potential for excellence in undergraduate teaching and learning, and a commitment to graduate student supervision and mentoring.

The candidate will have a strong commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, and to creating a welcoming community where those who are historically, persistently, or systemically marginalized are treated equitably, feel respected, and belong. UBC recognizes that inclusion is built by individual and institutional responsibility through continuous engagement with diversity to inspire people, ideas, and actions for a better world.

The ideal candidate will also have a strong commitment to Indigenous engagement. As part of the University's response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action, UBC Okanagan has committed to supporting and implementing five key commitments, which can be found at https://ok.ubc.ca/about/indigenous-engagement/.

The Tier II Canada Research Chair has a term of five years and may be renewed once for a second five-year term. Tier II Chairs are intended for exceptional emerging scholars who, at the time of nomination, are typically within 10 years of their first full-time independent academic research-related appointment. Candidates who are beyond this timeline may still be eligible if they have experienced eligible career interruptions, such as maternity, parental or extended sick leave, clinical training, COVID-19 impacts, or family care responsibilities, and receive approval through the program’s Tier II justification process. UBC acknowledges that certain circumstances such as illness, disability, family and community responsibilities (e.g., maternity leave, parental leave, leaves due to illness, leaves due to caring for family members, or slowdowns due to chronic illness or disability) may cause career interruptions that legitimately affect an applicant’s record of research achievement. These interruptions will be taken into careful consideration during the assessment process. We encourage applicants to highlight in their application how interruptions have impacted their careers to allow for a fair assessment of their research productivity.

All CRC nominations are subject to review and final approval by the Canada Research Chairs Secretariat. Please consult the Canada Research Chairs website (https://www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca) for full program information, including eligibility criteria.

Why Join UBC’s Okanagan campus

UBC is consistently ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world and is a renowned global institution for teaching, learning, and research.  Since 1915, UBC has been opening doors of opportunity for people with the curiosity, drive, and vision to shape a better world. Today, our students, faculty, and staff come from around the world and our international research partnerships and publications enable us to collaborate on a global scale. UBC is proud to nurture and transform the lives of more than 65,000 students from Canada and 140+ countries around the world.

Located in Kelowna, British Columbia, UBC’s Okanagan campus is one of Canada's fastest-growing research-intensive universities and is internationally recognized for innovation, collaboration, and community impact. The campus has established climate resilience and human health as key strategic priorities and offers exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration and knowledge mobilization.

With 10,000 undergraduates and over 1,000 graduate students, UBC’s Okanagan campus has grown to be a diverse and vibrant part of the Okanagan community.  Kelowna is connected by direct flights to major Canadian and some US cities, and the region is considered one of the most desirable places to live in Canada. For more information about the Okanagan Campus, see https://ok.ubc.ca.

Home to more than 300 research faculty members and over 1,000 active research projects, UBC’s Okanagan campus fosters a collaborative, interdisciplinary, and innovative research environment. Supported by a rapidly expanding research enterprise and strong institutional commitment to discovery, partnership, and impact, the campus provides exceptional opportunities for researchers to address complex local and global challenges while contributing to a vibrant and inclusive scholarly community. For more information about the Research and Innovation portfolio, see https://research.ok.ubc.ca/

The Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science has a vibrant interdisciplinary and collaborative culture of teaching and research. The Faculty has departments spanning Earth, Environmental and Geographic Sciences; Biology; Chemistry; Computer Science; and Mathematics, Physics and Statistics. For more information, see https://science.ok.ubc.ca. The Faculty has a deep commitment to providing a supportive work environment that embraces equity, diversity and inclusion.

Application Process

Interested candidates are invited to submit an application package as a single PDF file and include:

•            Cover letter describing career fit to a Tier II CRC in Climate-Resilient Agroecosystems and commitment to advancing the research agenda of the Department of Biology and the Faculty of Science (up to 2 pages);

•            Curriculum vitae, including publications and other research contributions;

•             Vision and Research statement describing vision, research approaches and plans of the proposed chair program, including its anticipated impact, collaborations, alignment with the job description and the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science vision of solution-focused science for a resilient future. The statement should describe and document contributions to EDI and Indigeneity through research and training, addressing knowledge of, track record in, and future for EDI within the proposed research program (up to 4 pages);

•             Teaching statement including the candidate’s philosophy of teaching, supervision and mentoring along with evidence of teaching ability and including experience and/or plans for experiential learning at the undergraduate or graduate level. The statement should describe and document contributions to EDI and Indigeneity through teaching, supervision, mentoring, and service to the community, addressing knowledge of, track record in, and future for EDI in these areas (up to 2 pages); It should include experience and or plans for experiential learning.

•            Names and contact details for three referees. Referees will only be contacted if candidate is selected for a site visit.

Complete application packages are required by 11:59 pm Pacific Time, January 5th, 2027. Review of applications will begin on January 6th 2027. Questions about this position and the CRC nomination process should be directed to Dr. Perry Howard, Head, Department of Biology, at biology.head@ubc.ca. The anticipated salary range is $115,000-$125,000. The position is subject to budgetary approval.

UBC is committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive, non-discriminatory and accessible work environment for all members of its workforce, and in particular, for its employees with disabilities. Additionally, an inclusive work environment for employees with disabilities presumes an environment where differences are accepted, recognized, and integrated into current structures, planning, and decision-making modes. We welcome colleagues with the experiences and skills to contribute to our principles of inclusion, equity, and diversity throughout campus life. UBC is also committed to ensuring that the application and interview process is accessible to all applicants.  If you require accommodations or have questions about UBC benefits, services or accommodations policies, please contact Jacky Ivans, Relocation and Benefits Associate at jacky.ivans@ubc.ca. If you have any questions regarding accommodations or accessibility during the recruitment and hiring process or for more information and support, please visit UBC’s Centre for Workplace Accessibility via email at workplace.accessibility@ubc.ca. To learn more about how the University is working to create a more inclusive working and learning environment, please see the UBC Inclusion Action Plan’s goals related to recruitment and retention at this link.

Equity, diversity, and inclusion are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from 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 Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person. All qualified candidates who are from at least one of the federally designated groups (FDG) are encouraged to apply.

In accordance with the 2019 Addendum to the 2006 Canadian Human Rights Settlement Agreement, 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 members of the following federally designated groups:  Indigenous Peoples, racialized people, people with disabilities, and women and gender equity-seeking groups. Applicants to CRC positions are asked to complete this equity survey [https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6WJHol7SfPxRMu9] as part of the application, and candidates from these groups must self-identify as belonging to one or more of the federally designated groups to be considered for the position. Candidates must also provide their name in the survey to be considered. 

The Canada Research Chairs (CRC) Program is implementing the Tri-agency Policy on Indigenous Citizenship and Membership Affirmation and associated Directive on the Tri-Agency Policy on Indigenous Citizenship and Membership Affirmation.   

The objective of the Tri-agency Policy on Citizenship and Membership Affirmation is to establish a process that will provide reasonable assurance that programs, funding opportunities and/or appointments intended for First Nations, Inuit and Métis in Canada are held by First Nations, Inuit and Métis, in Canada. For your Indigenous identity to be considered under the CRC program, you must affirm in the equity survey linked above that you identify as First Nations, Inuit or Métis of Canada, and candidates who have self-identified as Indigenous and are affiliated with a collective identified in the Directive must complete the secure form prior to nomination submission.

Personal information is collected under the authority of sections 26(a), 26(c) and 26(e) of the BC Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. The information you provide will be used to determine whether you qualify for participation in this restricted process, and to advance accessibility, equity, and fair adjudication in this process. Data will be collected by the Equity & Inclusion Office and only the names of those eligible for the search process will be shared confidentially with the search committee. All responses will be stored in a secure database.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority.