The Government of Canada and the Canada Research Chairs Program (CRCP) are committed to excellence in research and research training for the benefit of Canadians. Achieving a more equitable, diverse and inclusive Canadian research enterprise is also essential to creating the excellent, innovative and impactful research necessary to seize opportunities and respond to global challenges.
Our Commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Rooted in Unama’ki, connected to the world, Cape Breton University envisions a rich research culture that champions equity, diversity and helps create a truly inclusive place to work, study and research. Our pursuit of excellence in research is guided by the knowledge that identity is complex, and the belief that diversity and inclusion support academic excellence by inspiring innovation, increasing collaboration, improving learning and advancing research. A signatory to the Dimensions Charter, CBU is committed to these principals and associated practices that will further strengthen its research activities. We believe that success in our equity, diversity and inclusion efforts will make us more resilient, innovative, and strengthen the impact of research in our communities – we are better together.
CBU’s commitment to strengthening efforts related to equity, diversity and inclusion involve internal reflection, increasing awareness, building capacity and promoting policy supported by a community of scholarship. CBU’s five-year Strategic Research Plan prioritizes:
Raising Awareness of EDI at CBU
As part of CBU’s strategy to raise awareness within the institution of its commitment to, and the benefits of, equity, diversity and inclusion, both broadly and in respect to the Canada Research Chairs program, CBU has implemented the following initiatives:
Information About CRCP – Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
EDI Progress Reports
CBU 2022-2029 CRC Equity Target Plan
Contact Information for Questions or Concerns Related to Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity
Any person who believes that they may have been harassed or discriminated against by any members of the University campus community may contact the Human Rights and Diversity Officer. The Office of Human Rights oversees the university’s Respectful Campus Policy and Procedures.
Human Resources
Jeremy Oliver, Manager of Human Resources
Phone: 902-563-1157
Email: Jeremy_Oliver@cbu.ca
Alternatively, current members of CBUFA, NSGEU, and CUPE may submit questions or concerns related to EDI to their union representative.
Concerns About Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Related to the Canada Research Chair Program
The Vice-President, Academic & Provost is responsible for receiving formal complaints concerning equity with respect to the CRC program.
Dr. Rod Nicholls
Vice-President Academic & Provost (interim)
President’s Office
(902) 563-1980
Rod_Nicholls@cbu.ca
Complaint Process
All complaints and concerns are treated in strict confidence. A person filing a complaint retains the right to withdraw that complaint or redirect it to another process at any time. If a complaint relates to a subject covered by one of our existing policies (e.g. Respectful Campus Policy and Procedures) that policy will be invoked to address the complaint.
It is the responsibility of the Vice-President, Academic (Provost) and the Director of Human Resources to ensure that complaints are tracked to resolution and the HR Director is also responsible for keeping all records and statistics related to complaints received.
The University encourages inclusion of restorative approaches as part of the resolution process to allow all parties to learn from their mistakes rather than focusing on punitive measures.
CBU’s Equity Targets
All participating CRC institutions are subject to equity and diversity targets to address the under-representation of members of the four designated groups among their Chairholders. The CRC program uses this data to monitor the institutions’ progress toward meeting their established targets. CBU has fewer than five CRCs; therefore, the University does not make its equity targets public to protect the privacy of Chairholders.
Policies and Procedures
The following policies help govern staffing at CBU, including CRC positions:
When Canada Research Chair vacancies occur, CBU’s CRC Selection Committee issues a university-wide call for proposals to identify potential CRC research target areas or strategic research themes. Following review of these proposals, the selection committee identifies target areas that will be used as the focus for recruitment (external call) and/or retention (internal call) to fill CBU’s CRC allocation. The committee also decides on how to best use the corridor of flexibility (as described in the CRC’s method of allocating chairs) in managing the institution’s chair allocations.
CBU’s Office of Research and Graduate Studies (ORGS) is in the process of creating policy and procedures for the CRC allocation process. Once that policy had been approved it will be posted to this website. In the meantime, for more information about CBU’s allocation and recruitment process, contact the research office at research@cbu.ca.
For more information about CBU’s Chair allocation, refer to the utilization spreadsheet noted in the following section.
CRC Chairholders
Current Research Chairs at CBU
Please see the CRC utilization spreadsheet for more information on CBU’s Chair Allocations. This CRC utilization spreadsheet is prepared by the CRCP for each institution. It outlines how many chair allocations CBU has, how many are filled and by which chairholders, term start and end dates, which allocations are available, and the type of flex moves used.
CRCP Requirements for recruiting and nominating CRCs
Current and Archived CRC Postings
Unless otherwise noted, all job advertisements are open to both internal and external applicants.
Any current openings are posted on CBU’s Career Opportunities webpage.
Past Postings:
CRCP EDI Action Plan