Communication, Art and Technology

The School for the Contemporary Arts (SCA) at Simon Fraser University (SFU) invites applications for a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Indigenous Contemporary Arts. This tenure-track position is intended for applicants with an exceptional research record at the Assistant or Associate Professor level (or those who possess the necessary qualifications to be appointed to these levels). The start date of this position is anticipated to be Spring 2025.

About the School for the Contemporary Arts

The School for the Contemporary Arts (SCA) at SFU is situated in one of downtown Vancouver’s most dynamic and diverse neighbourhoods. Our school offers a unique curriculum in which studio classes in dance, film, music/sound, theatre/performance, production/design, and visual art are integrated with the historical and theoretical study of the arts. This meeting of creative practice with academic enquiry is a core value of the school and is enhanced by our attention to critical contemporary issues as well as our commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration both within the classroom and beyond. The SCA offers BFAsin Dance, Film, Music & Sound, Theatre & Performance, Production & Design, and Visual Art, as well as a BA in Art, Performance & Cinema Studies. At the graduate level, we offer an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts and an MA in Contemporary Arts. Our newest program is the PhD in Contemporary Arts, which offers a unique opportunity to pursue high-level scholarly and/or practice-based research.

Home to a diverse group of award-winning and internationally-recognized makers, composers, performers, and scholars, the SCA values innovative and collaborative approaches to teaching, research-creation, and knowledge production. These values are reflected in our course offerings, which regularly include opportunities to teach and learn across the arts, and in our many extra-curricular offerings – including the popular Berlin Field School, ongoing collaborations with SFU Galleries, and our annual School-wide “Re-Orientation” day, during which we reflect on the place and role of artists in responding to the myriad challenges that beset and define our contemporary world.

The Opportunity

Occupying the ancestral territories of the Musqueam (xwməθkwəy̓əm), Squamish (Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw), and Tsleil-Waututh (səlil̓ w̓ətaʔɬ), the SCA is guided by SFU’s framework for reconciliation, and aspires to create spaces and resources for decolonization through arts-based practice and research. With these aims in mind, we invite applicants whose research centres Indigenous perspectives, epistemologies, and/or practices.

At the core of the SCA’s mission is a commitment to collaboration and interdisciplinarity. With the recognition that contemporary Indigenous research and practices often transcend conventional categories in the arts, we are open to a diverse range of candidates in one or more areas, including theatre & performance and production & design, music & sound, film/video, dance, and visual art. The ideal candidate will build on the SCA’s commitment to interdisciplinarity and cultivate opportunities for collaboration both within the university and in the wider community.

The Canada Research Chairs Program (CRC) stands at the centre of a national strategy to foster research excellence in Canada. CRC appointments use a two-step application process where candidates must first apply to the university to an open job posting, and then submit an application for external peer review. This tenure- track CRC appointment opportunity is intended for emerging scholars at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor (or those who possess the necessary qualifications to be appointed to these levels). The applicant’s research area should primarily align with the mandate of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), as outlined in the Guidelines for Selecting the Appropriate Federal Granting Agency.

Tier 2 Chairs are intended for exceptional emerging scholars (i.e., candidate must have been an active researcher in their field for fewer than 10 years at the time of nomination). Applicants who are more than 10 years from their highest degree (and where career breaks exist, such as parental leave, extended sick leave, clinical training etc.) may have their eligibility for a Tier 2 CRC assessed through the program’s Tier 2 justification process; please see the CRC website for eligibility details.

Candidate Requirements

The successful applicant is expected to contribute meaningfully to the SCA’s research strengths and to help sustain the collegial atmosphere within the School. The research program will support SFU’s  Strategic Research Plan, the goals of which include: advancing community-centred climate innovation; supporting health and wellness of individuals, populations and communities; expanding the foundations of knowledge and understanding our origins; strengthening democracy, justice, equity and education; and transforming industry and economies through technology, management, and policy. The Chairholder will be expected to maintain an outstanding program of research and a strong record of grants funding. Knowledge mobilization to the scholarly community, professional groups, the general public, and other stakeholders, as appropriate, is expected. Demonstrated experience in increasing diversity in the candidate’s current institutional environment, and in curriculum, is also an asset.

Experience mentoring equity-seeking students is expected, and experience mentoring equity-seeking faculty is an asset. Although 50 % teaching relief relative to regular faculty members will be provided to the Chairholder, the successful candidate will be expected to make significant contributions to the teaching mission of the SCA, including supervising and helping to secure financial support for graduate students.

Appointment to a continuing faculty position in the SCA requires an MFA or PhD completed by the time of appointment in a field or discipline of demonstrated relevance.

To reaffirm our commitment to increasing diversity and confronting institutional underrepresentation, we are limiting this opportunity to applicants who identify as Indigenous, as permitted by Section 42 of the B.C. Human Rights Code.  Applicants are requested to articulate lived experience as Indigenous people and/or relationships to Indigenous communities.

The successful candidate will be asked to:

• Mobilize, lead, and sustain an impactful practice and/or research program that contributes nationally and internationally;
• Obtain successful and significant research and/or production funding to support collaborative research and graduate students
• Teach courses at the graduate and undergraduate levels;
• Support and foster innovative approaches to learning and curriculum development, including the integration of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) within the curriculum; and
• Join colleagues in service to the school, faculty, university, and wider community.
  

How To Apply

To apply, applicants should provide the following:

• Cover letter explaining how you meet the position requirements regarding experience, interpersonal skills, research and collaborative values, including how you would contribute to SFU’s commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion;
• Up-to-date, full curriculum vitae (include details of research, teaching, and service, scholarly record, funding, and list of collaborations/partnerships);
  
• Portfolio of creative work (if applicable);
  
• Proposed program of research practice (2-5 pages, single spaced) that:
      o   clarifies its alignment with the CRC position and proposed CRC research;
      o   includes an explanation of how the research aligns with and advances SFU’s Strategic Research Plan; and
      o   a discussion of how this Chair will strengthen graduate training at SFU;
• Teaching portfolio including a two-page statement of teaching philosophy and experience, including experience with and understanding of inclusive teaching and diverse student needs, as well as other evidence of teaching strengths; and
• Names and email addresses of 4-5 referees, ranked in order of preference (long-listed candidates will be informed before referees are contacted).

SFU recognizes that alternative career paths and/or career interruptions (e.g., parental leave, leave due to illness) can impact research achievements and commits to ensuring that leaves are taken into careful consideration. Candidates are encouraged to highlight in their application how alternative paths and/or interruptions have had an impact on their career. SFU also recognizes the value of mentoring and research training, outreach, professional service, and nontraditional areas of research and/or research outputs; demonstrated experience in increasing diversity in the previous institutional environment, and in curriculum, is also an asset.

All applications should be submitted to:

Elspeth Pratt
Director
School for the Contemporary Arts
Simon Fraser University
149 West Hastings Street
Vancouver, BC, V6B1H4
Email: epratt@sfu.ca
CC: scasec@sfu.ca

Applications received by January 15, 2024 will be given full consideration. Screening of applications will commence on January 15, 2024 and remain open until the position is filled. Any general inquiries regarding this posting may be directed to Elspeth Pratt, Chair of the Search Committee, epratt@sfu.ca.

This position is contingent upon the applicant receiving a Tier 2 CRC prior to being appointed to a tenure-track or tenured faculty position at SFU. The successful candidate will work with the Dean and support staff in the Faculty of Communication, Arts and Technology to prepare a nomination package for a Canada Research Chair. After review and approval by SFU’s Office of the Vice President, Research and International, the nomination will be submitted to the CRC program, ideally in October 2024. The nomination package will then be evaluated by the CRC program’s external reviewers. Should the applicant be successful at this step, we estimate the earliest start date possible to be April 2025.

The position is subject to the availability of funding and to final approval by the University Board of Governors and the Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat (TIPS). The Canada Research Chair is tenable for five years and may be renewed once, subject to the Chairholder demonstrating that they have achieved their objectives from their first term. Interested applicants are invited to review the initial appointment and chair renewal details of the CRC Program https://www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca/program-programme/index-eng.aspx.

Faculty salaries at SFU are based on the salary scales bargained between the University and the SFU Faculty Association. A reasonable estimate of the salary range for a tenure-track faculty position at the rank of Assistant Professor is $89,652.00 to $114,866.00. Candidates with experience commensurate with higher ranks may also be considered for appointment at the associate professor rank.  A reasonable estimate of the salary range for a faculty position at the rank of Associate Professor is $112,065.00 to $134,478.00. Note, the expected salary range does not include the value of benefits.  The University and the SFU Faculty Association have reached a tentative agreement.  New salary scales will be effective pending ratification.  The most current salary scales can be found here: https://www.sfu.ca/faculty-relations/salary.html.

SFU is an equity employer and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including women, persons with disabilities, visible minorities, Indigenous Peoples, people of all sexual orientations and gender identities, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of the University. SFU is committed to ensuring that no individual is denied access to employment opportunities for reasons unrelated to ability or qualifications. Consistent with this principle, SFU will advance the interests of underrepresented members of the work force, ensure that equal opportunity is afforded to all who seek employment at the University, and treat all employees equitably. Candidates who belong to equity-deserving groups are particularly encouraged to apply.

SFU offers several benefits and services aimed at creating a more inclusive and accessible campus community for faculty, please see the Faculty Relations, Benefits and Service page for more details. SFU is also committed to ensuring that the application and interview process is accessible to all applicants; if you require accommodations or have questions about SFU benefits, services, accommodations policies, or equity considerations, please contact the Specialist, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Faculty Relations.

Under the authority of the University Act, personal information that is required by the University for academic appointment competitions will be collected. For further details see the Collection Notice.

We invite applications for a tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor in the area of Digital Publics & Promotional Cultures. Areas of research and teaching may include, but are not limited to, mediated/networked publics, affective publics, the attention economy, branding & influencer culture, microcelebrity, and the intersections of mass media and social media. We especially welcome scholars who engage with Indigenous studies, Black studies, intersectional feminisms, decolonization and postcolonial studies, queer theory, trans studies, disability studies, critical race/ethnic studies, and transcultural and global studies. We are open to a range of approaches, including qualitative, quantitative, digital methods, and/or applied practices.

The School of Communication at Simon Fraser University is a national and global leader in the discipline and a dynamic site of research and teaching. Founded on a tradition of critical approaches to media and culture, technology studies, global communication, culture industries and policy, and applied media production, the School is home to several research groups, including the Digital Democracies Institute. We are a large and thriving unit with 1400 undergraduate majorsand 100+ graduate students. We acknowledge the Squamish (Sḵwx̱ wú7mesh Úxwumixw), Musqueam (xʷməθkʷəy̓ əm), Tsleil-Waututh (səl̓ ilw̓ ətaʔɬ), Katzie, and Kwikwetlem (kʷikʷəƛ̓ əm) peoples, on whose traditional territories Simon Fraser University’s three campuses stand. By recognizing the Unceded Traditional Coast Salish territories, we aspire to create space for reconciliation through dialogue and decolonizing practices.

The successful candidate should demonstrate potential for publication and research funding, for collaborative initiatives, and for working with students from diverse backgrounds. The candidate will be expected to teach and supervise students at all levels of the undergraduate and graduate curriculum and to undertake service and work with partners inside and outside the University.

Candidates are expected to have a completed PhD in Communication, Media Studies, or a cognate discipline. PhD candidates with solid indication of imminent completion may be hired at the rank of Instructor and will be promoted to the rank of Assistant Professor upon completion of the PhD.

Simon Fraser University is an institution whose strength is based on our shared commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion. Diversity is an underlying principle of our Strategic Vision, which pledges SFU to “foster a culture of inclusion and mutual respect, celebrating the diversity reflected among its students, faculty, staff and our community.” SFU is committed to ensuring no individual is denied access to employment opportunities for reasons unrelated to ability or qualifications. Consistent with this principle, SFU will advance the interests of underrepresented members of the work force, including Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, racialized persons and women; embrace gender and sexual diversity; ensure that equal opportunity is afforded to all who seek employment at the University; and treat all employees equitably. Candidates that belong to underrepresented groups are particularly encouraged to apply.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority.

Faculty salaries at SFU are based on the salary scales bargained between the University and the SFU Faculty Association. A reasonable estimate of the salary range for this role is $89,652 to $114,866. 

Candidates are asked to submit:

Cover letter, with indication of Canadian citizenship/residency status (2-3 pages)

• Curriculum vitae
• One (1) sample of work (e.g. one journal article, policy report, creative work)
• Short statement with a description of past or potential contributions to equity, diversity, and inclusion through teaching, mentoring, research, or service to the profession and/or community (1 page maximum)
• Names of three references

Long-listed candidates may be asked to arrange for the provision of letters of recommendation and additional documents at a later date.

All documents should be combined into a single PDF file with bookmarks.

Please send applications to Brenda Baldwin, Director's Assistant, at cmnsdsec@ sfu.ca, addressed to:

Dr. Zoë Druick, Search Committee 
Chair School of Communication
Simon Fraser University
8888 University Drive
Burnaby, BC 
Canada V5A 1S6

Review of applications will begin on October 2, 2023 and continue until the position is filled. The start date for the successful candidate is expected to be July 1, 2024.

Under the authority of the University Act, personal information that is required by the University for academic appointment competitions will be collected. For further details, please see the Collection Notice. 

Revised: November 22, 2022
Closing date to begin reviewing applications: January 15^th, 2023

The School of Interactive Arts & Technology (SIAT) at Simon Fraser University (SFU) invites applications for a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Technological Change for Inclusion. This tenure-track position is intended for applicants with an exceptional research record at the Assistant or Associate Professor level. The anticipated start date of this position is Fall 2023 or as negotiated. As a technology research-focused school that occupies the traditional territories of the Squamish (Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw), Musqueam (xʷməθkʷəy̓əm), Tsleil-Waututh (səlil̓ w̓ətaʔɬ), Katzie, and Kwikwetlem (kʷikʷəƛ̓əm) peoples, SIAT aspires to create a space for reconciliation through dialogue and decolonizing practices. With these aspirations in mind, we invite applicants whose research aims to create opportunities that foster inclusion, justice, equality, equity, and wellbeing through critical uses of emerging technologies.

While technological advances aim to improve our quality of life, they often perpetuate and reproduce long-standing structural and systemic social injustices and inequalities. SIAT acknowledges the urgency for critical research in issues such as systemic racism, social inequity, and decoloniality that advocate for inclusion and justice in technology, and we acknowledge our challenges in meeting these needs.  The successful applicant will join us in advancing technological change for inclusion, especially in an area for change that we see as a priority in SIAT. This includes critical algorithm studies and algorithmic bias, intersectional and decolonial approaches to technology, and climate justice or labour at the intersection of technological innovation. We are also open to other related programs of research that address the goals of technological change for inclusion.

The Canada Research Chairs Program stands at the centre of a national strategy to foster research excellence in Canada and improve our depth of knowledge and quality of life, strengthen Canada's international competitiveness, and help train the next generation of highly skilled people through student supervision.  The applicant’s research area should primarily align with the mandate of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) or Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), as outlined in the Guidelines for Selecting the Appropriate Federal Granting Agency.

About the School of Interactive Arts & Technology

SIAT is a diverse group of anthropologists, artists, cognitive scientists, computer scientists, dancers, designers, historians, and neuroscientists who value innovative and collaborative approaches to teaching, research, creation, and knowledge production. We are a collective of research, teaching, art, and literary award winners, internationally exhibited artists, keynote speakers, and recognized fellows in art, science, technology, and teaching societies and associations.

We work together in experimenting with knowledge creation through our collaborative acts of production, research, and practice. We commit to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community where all feel welcome, safe, accepted, and appreciated in learning, teaching, research, and work.

SIAT is also home to internationally recognized labs and institutes that situate our research within diverse collaborative contexts and methodologies. Our SIAT research collective includes research in transdisciplinary SFU institutes such as the Chronic Pain Institute, Vancouver Institute of Visual Analytics, and the Digital Democracies Institute. Our research and pedagogical impacts extend beyond our school, reaching across the university to connect worldwide partners, as exemplified in hosting the Dutch and Italia international design field schools and engaging in joint professorships through the Eindhoven University of Technology. Our faculty and undergraduate research and partnerships include collaborations with Indigenous organizations, communities, and cultural institutions and pedagogical innovations such as our Semester in Alternate Realities, which challenges students to design meaningful immersive experiences for the betterment of humanity and our planet.

SIAT is based on SFU’s Surrey Campus and part of the Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology (FCAT). SlAT offers degrees at Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral levels. The School is home to about 800 undergraduates and 110 Ph.D. and Masters's graduate students, 31 faculty members, and 12 professional staff members. SFU’s five campuses are located in the Metro Vancouver area, which is frequently ranked as one of the most livable areas in the world.

SFU is consistently ranked as Canada's best comprehensive university by Macleans Educational rankings, including for 2022.  In the 2020 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, SFU was ranked in the top 20 innovative universities worldwide for social, economic, and environmental impact.  Also, recently the Times Higher Education Worldwide University Rankings ranked SFU #46 on the sustainable development goals ranking, reaching #5 in the category of peace, justice, and strong institutions, #6 in sustainable cities and communities, and #7 in climate action.

The Successful Applicant

Tier 2 Canada Research Chair positions are intended for emerging scholars who have completed their highest degree less than ten years ago; applicants who are more than ten years from their highest degree that have experienced career breaks, such as maternity or parental leave, extended sick leave, clinical training, and family care, may have their eligibility assessed through the program’s Tier 2 justification process. If you have questions related to your eligibility for the position, please contact the committee chair (Dr. Thecla Schiphorst siat_dir@sfu.ca ; cc: dseciat@sfu.ca)

Tier 2 CRCs are tenable for five years and may be renewed once. In addition to national and international recognition, the position offers salary top-ups, teaching releases, and additional research funding.  The successful candidate must hold a PhD by the employment start date; however, PhD candidates with solid indication of imminent completion may be hired at the rank of Instructor and will be promoted to the rank of Assistant Professor upon completion of the PhD.

The successful candidate will be asked to:

• Mobilize, lead and sustain an impactful research program or creative-practice that contributes nationally and internationally, obtain successful and significant research and/or production funding to support collaborative research and post-doctoral fellows and graduate students
  
• Teach courses at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Support and foster innovative approaches to learning and curriculum development, including the integration of equity, diversity, and inclusion within the curriculum
• Join colleagues in service to the school, faculty, and university governance, and community building

SFU recognizes that alternative career paths and/or career interruptions (e.g., maternity leave, leave due to illness) can impact research achievements and commits to ensuring that leaves are taken into careful consideration. Candidates are encouraged to highlight how alternative paths and/or interruptions have impacted them in their application. SFU also recognizes the value of mentoring and research training, outreach, professional service, and nontraditional areas of research/practice and/or research outputs; demonstrated experience in promoting and increasing diversity and inclusion in the previous institutional environment and in the curriculum is also an asset.

Application Instructions:

To apply, a focused application package should include the following:

• a letter of intent stating how the candidate’s research and theoretical, technical, and/or artistic practice contributes to the position as described and also contributes to the School of Interactive Arts and Technology
  
• a recent curriculum vitae and, if applicable, portfolio
• description of their research and its contributions, a description of their teaching philosophy and experience
• three examples of scholarly work (e.g., publications, exhibitions, artifacts, media, documentation of community-based work)
• a statement of your position and contribution to equity, diversity, and inclusion
• four - six academic referees with contact information including addresses (including email), institutional affiliation, and telephone numbers. Letters will be requested for shortlisted candidates

Please send all materials to:

Dr. Thecla Schiphorst, Director
Chair, Search Committee
School of Interactive Arts & Technology
Simon Fraser University
250-13450 102nd Avenue
Surrey, BC CANADA V3T 0A3

Email: siat_dir@sfu.ca

CC: dseciat@sfu.ca

Review of applicants will commence on January 15, 2023 until a successful candidate has been chosen.  Any general inquiries regarding this posting may be directed to Dr. Thecla Schiphorst (siat_dir@sfu.ca ; cc: dseciat@sfu.ca)

Faculty salaries at SFU are based on the salary scales bargained between the University and the SFU Faculty Association. A reasonable estimate of the salary range for this role is $89,652 to $114,866.

SFU will nominate the hired faculty member for a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair. This position is not contingent upon the applicant receiving a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair. However, alignment with the CRC nomination criteria will be part of the overall selection process. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority.

The position is subject to the availability of funding and to final approval by the University Board of Governors and the Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat (TIPS). The Canada Research Chair is tenable for five years and may be renewed once, subject to the Chairholder demonstrating that they have achieved their objectives from their first term. Interested applicants are invited to review the initial appointment and chair renewal details of the CRC Program.

SFU is committed to ensuring no individual is denied access to employment opportunities for reasons unrelated to ability or qualifications. Consistent with this principle, SFU will advance the interests of underrepresented members of the work force, including Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, racialized persons and women; embrace gender and sexual diversity; ensure that equal opportunity is afforded to all who seek employment at the University; and treat all employees equitably. Candidates that belong to underrepresented groups are particularly encouraged to apply

SFU offers several benefits and services to create a more inclusive and accessible campus community for faculty. Please see the Faculty Relations, Benefits and Service page for more details. SFU is also committed to ensuring that the application and interview process is accessible to all applicants; if you require accommodations or have questions about SFU benefits, services, accommodations policies, or equity considerations, please contact the Director, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Faculty Relations.

Under the authority of the University Act, personal information that is required by the University for academic appointment competitions will be collected; for further details, see the Collection Notice.