Tenured appointment at the rank of Full Professor, or Associate Professor with promotion to Full Professor within two years of starting the appointment. Bishop’s University invites applications for a Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Astronomical Instrumentation. The successful candidate will be an internationally recognized leader in the conception, design, development, and deployment of cutting-edge astrophysical instrumentation, broadly defined. Closing date for full consideration: 15 January 2026.
Areas of focus may include, but are not limited to:
- Optical, UV, and infrared instrumentation (e.g., detectors, spectrographs, imagers, adaptive optics, astrophotonics)
- Radio and sub-millimetre instrumentation, including digital backends and large-N interferometric arrays
- High-energy and X-ray instrumentation
- Time-domain and multi-messenger astronomy instrumentation (including gravitational-wave and neutrino observatories)
- Space-based or sub-orbital platforms, cubesats, or balloon-borne experiments
- Software infrastructure, instrument control, data acquisition, and real-time data processing systems (including applications of AI)
The specific research vision is intentionally broad: we seek a transformative instrumentation leader whose program will enable major advances in astrophysics and aligns with the objectives of the CERC program, including the generation of social and economic benefits for Canadians through innovation, training, partnerships, and knowledge mobilization. This CERC position aligns with federal Science, Technology, and Innovation Priorities, specifically “Technologically Advanced Canada”:
https://www.cerc.gc.ca/program-programme/priority_areas-domaines_prioritaires-eng.aspx
The CERC chairholder will be expected to:
- Establish an ambitious, internationally visible research program in astrophysical instrumentation;
- Build and lead a diverse research team of highly qualified personnel (HQP), including postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and undergraduate researchers;
- Develop and sustain strong collaborations with Canadian and international observatories, space agencies, research institutes, and industry partners;
- Contribute to undergraduate and graduate teaching in Physics & Astronomy, with a reduced teaching load appropriate for a CERC-level research appointment, in accordance with the faculty collective agreement and program guidelines;
- Play a leading role in enhancing Bishop’s capacity in experimental and instrumental astrophysics, including mentoring of junior faculty and fostering cross-disciplinary collaborations (for example, with computer science, engineering partners, or data science groups);
- Demonstrate leadership in equity, diversity, inclusion, decolonization, and accessibility in research, training, outreach, and team culture.
The position will be tenured at the rank of Associate Professor or Full Professor. Appointment at Bishop’s will be conditional upon the successful nomination of the selected candidate to the CERC program and the subsequent confirmation of the CERC award by the Tri-agency Institutional Program Secretariat.
Candidate profile and qualifications
Consistent with recent CERC competitions at Canadian universities, we anticipate that the successful nominee will:
- Hold a PhD (or equivalent) in astronomy, physics, engineering, or a closely related discipline (required by Bishop’s University but not by the CERC program);
- Be currently at the rank of Full Professor, or Associate Professor who would be promotable to Full Professor within two years of starting the appointment, or have equivalent senior-level research experience in a non-academic setting;
- Have an internationally recognized track record of excellence in astronomical instrumentation, including leadership roles in major projects or facilities (e.g., principal investigator, project scientist, instrument lead), and a strong record of peer-reviewed publications;
- Demonstrate a sustained ability to attract significant external research funding and to build large, collaborative, multi-institution teams;
- Show clear evidence of leadership in training and mentoring diverse groups of HQP, including graduate students and postdoctoral fellows;
- Demonstrate excellence in teaching and supervision at the undergraduate and/or graduate level;
- Demonstrate a strong and sustained commitment to EDI, reconciliation, and inclusive excellence in research, training, and recruitment, consistent with CERC program expectations.
Proficiency in English is required, as Bishop’s is an English-language institution. Familiarity with French, or a willingness to learn French to function effectively in the Québec context, is considered a strong asset.
Please find here full details.