Job Description

The Department of Biology of the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Université Laval is accepting applications for a Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Cold Ecosystems Conservation. The CERC Program enables the University to recruit world-class researchers in line with the government of Canada’s priorities in science, technology, and innovation. The CERC in Cold Ecosystem Conservation aims to transform our understanding of how cold ecosystems function in a changing world and to propose relevant management and mitigation solutions. The Chairholder and the research group they assemble will pursue an ambitious research program to elucidate the key ecological and evolutionary processes of cold ecosystems. The approach should include exploiting exceptional field data acquired over several decades by Université Laval researchers and the use of models to address open questions in Cold Ecosystem Conservation to inform environmental policy. This program could include the following: 1) measuring and quantifying the impacts of climate change on populations, communities, and ecosystems in cold regions; 2) understanding how these changes affect population dynamics and the persistence of ecosystem functions; and 3) predicting how ecosystem components at the level of individuals and populations, and ecosystems will respond to future climate change to inform environmental policy. This overarching research theme is too complex for one person or one discipline alone. It requires collaboration among experts in cold environments (northern and southern), including holders of Indigenous Knowledge. The proposed CERC at Université Laval’s Department of Biology will serve as the core for this collaborative effort, uniting experts in ecology, conservation, and climate science to enhance our understanding of cold region ecosystems and develop effective protection strategies. The CERC will foster collaboration among Université Laval’s major research networks to train the next generation of scientists in the development of cutting-edge tools and new knowledge.

In the current context of climate change, conservation ecology is the subject of intense international activity. We are seeking someone with proven leadership experience in integrating ecological and climate science. The ideal candidate have experience cold system research and is able to mount a research program to understand and predict how cold region ecosystems respond to rapid environmental change to support adaptive conservation strategies and environmental policies. We are looking for a candidate whose expertise will enrich existing Université Laval centers and institutes and create synergies within the University strengths in cold region ecology. This will foster a dynamic and collaborative research environment within our institution. The CERC holder will combine recent and emerging methods in conservation science with Université Laval’s solid, well-established expertise in ecology, evolution, and oceanography to bring together the different disciplines and establish a center of expertise in conservation ecology for the conservation of complex, cold systems. These disciplines include: • Conservation biology. • Integrative biology. • Population ecology. • Ecosystem dynamics. • Statistical ecology. • Climate-ecosystem modeling.

For more information, see https://www.services-recherche.ulaval.ca/system/files/public/documents/financement/CERC/v4/CERC_COLD_ECO_CONS_final.pdf