Canada Research Chairs Program

Allocation of Canada Research Chairs

The purpose of this document is to clarify the principles and procedures that are used at McGill in the allocation, nomination, and renewal of individuals to the chairs. Please remember that CRCs are allocated to us on the basis of our relative performance in tri-council research funding, so maximizing both participation and the amounts requested are of fundamental importance.

Canada Research Chairs are awarded at two levels: Tier I and Tier II. Tier I Chairs are awarded for a term of seven years, renewable indefinitely. Tier II Chairs are awarded for a five year term and they can be renewed once. Chair holders are in tenure-track academic positions.

Canada Research Chairs representing the NSERC, SSHRC and CIHR-based research areas are allocated to the University based on the University’s performance in attracting funds from these tri-council agencies. The number of Chairs allocated is revised by the CRC Secretariat every two years. The internal allocation of CRCs to University Faculties is made on the basis of tri-council agency disciplinary content and research program performance in agreement with the University’s priorities. Each allocated CRC is defined by a disciplinary expertise (NSERC, SSHRC or CIHR), as well as an end-date for the nomintion of a chair-holder.

The Dean of the Faculty is responsible for ensuring that the Chair is filled in a timely fashion for the intended CRC round. The vacant chair will be returned to the Provost Pool and re-allocated to another Faculty. Exceptionally, an academic staff member from one of the four groups protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, namely, women, persons with a disability, Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities, holding a James McGill Professor or a William Dawson Scholar may be nominated for the Chair.

The following PDF document provides more information about the CRC Program 2011 CRC Information Session.

Nomination of New CRCs

Deans are invited to bring forth the curriculum vitae of suitable candidates, external to the University, whom they wish to recruit to fill their allocated CRC complement. In bringing forward these nominations, Deans should give particular consideration to presenting candidates from the four groups protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms named above. Support for the nominated new recruits is provided by the Provost after careful review. Incoming nominees will be directed to work closely with the Federal Infrastructure and Provincial Programs (FIPP) Office as soon as possible to prepare the file for submission to the CRC for the next upcoming competition.

Internal Procedures for CRC Renewal

Renewal of a CRC is contingent upon an internal university review of the chair holder’s first term in the Chair to determine if continued institutional support is warranted. A necessary part of this internal decision is a process that provides a thorough evaluation of the record of the Chair holder during the first term of the Chair with recommendation to the Provost who adjudicates on the support for renewal.

The criteria for renewal for the two levels of Chairs differ as per guidelines specified by the CRC Secretariat in terms of international recognition and leadership; however, the same procedures apply for both Tier I and Tier II renewals.

The internal review for CRC renewal will be carried out by members of the full-time tenured academic community serving on a standing review committee in the areas of a) the Life Sciences, b) the Applied and Natural Sciences or c) the Social Sciences and Humanities. Committee members will review documents received from the candidates well as the Faculty recommending renewal of the Chairs. Faculties have discretion over the internal review procedures; however, two reports and recommendations are required:

Departmental Report and recommendation
Faculty Report and recommendation

The Provost office advises the Faculty and the candidate of the University’s support for the file to proceed with submission of the CRC Secretariat. Successful candidates are invited to work with their Associate Dean of Research and the FIPP Office to complete the forms and documents towards the renewal application.

It is understood that this review process for renewal of a Canada Research Chair is different and distinct from the existing promotion and tenure review procedure.

University Standing Internal Review Committee

The candidate’s file will be reviewed by the university standing internal review committee with more specific expertise matched to the area or content of expertise of the candidate, CIHR, NSERC, or SSHRC based.

Composition of the University Standing Internal Review Committee

The Committee consists of an Associate Provost, the VP Research and International Relations (VP-RIR) or a delegate and five tenured members of the University chosen jointly by the Associate Provost and the VP-RIR or delegate, in consultation with Deans, so as to ensure appropriate representation of faculties and academic disciplines (NSERC, CIHR SSHRC). Members will be assigned staggered terms of two years each starting September 1st or February 1st.

Documents to be submitted on Behalf of the Candidates

The renewal dossiers being submitted to the internal review committee has to be submitted on the CRC forms. In order to complete the dossiers on-line, please contact the FIPP Office in order to gain access to the renewal forms. Along with the completed forms, the files should include the following:

New Nominations	Renewals
CRC new nomination form and the attachment CRC CV form and the attachment	CRC renewal form and the attachment CRC CV form and the attachment The Department recommendation report (from all departments, if joint) The Faculty recommendation (from all Faculties, if joint)

Evaluation Criteria as per CRC Secretariat

The CRC Program evaluation guidelines & criteria can be obtained from the CRC's website

For Tier I – Demonstrate that the Chair is maintaining his/her status as an outstanding and original researcher of world class calibre and a leader in his or her field.

For Tier II – Demonstrate that the Chair is developing into an outstanding and original researcher of world class calibre who is poised to become a leader in his or her field.

The other criteria for evaluation are as follows:

Record of research results dissemination:
For example, in peer-reviewed journals, monographs and books; at conferences, and in the form of patents, copyrights, products, services and technology transfer. The information will be examined to determine the extent to which the research has made a significant impact in the field.
Record of training of Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP):
A description of (a) the training strategies the Chair has created to attract students, trainees and future researchers; (b) the means through which the Chair has encouraged these individuals to develop expertise; and (c) how the Chair has created an environment that attracts , develops and retains outstanding researchers in areas and technologies that are critical to Canada’s cultural, social and economic growth, vital public policy issues, and quality of life should be provided.
Program of Research:
An account of how the Chair has (a) achieved the goals of his or her program of research, and (b) improved Canada’s ability to lead in research that has high social, cultural, scientific or technological impact.
Integration with the University’s Strategic Research Plan:
A description of how the Chair has (a) helped build relationships with other research initiatives in Canada and abroad; (b) produced impacts that demonstrate the institution’s strategic development of research; and (c) improved (if applicable) the institution’s ability to leverage additional research funding.

Deadlines

There are currently two yearly CRC competitions with deadlines for submission at the CRC Secretariat of October and April. In order to optimize the quality of the applications being submitted to Ottawa, all applicants are asked to be working closely with the FIPP Office, starting the application process as soon as possible, but no later than 8 weeks prior to the national submission deadline.

Deadline for "New" submissions

Current vacant CRC Chairs with an end date in the Spring/Fall that remain unassigned by the week of 15 January / 01 July will be returned to the Provost pool to be reallocated. The Dean of the Faculty must submit a signed statement of responsibility for the budget and University commitment sections submitted. This statement should be submitted no later than the week of 15 April / 01 October to the Office of the AP-FARA .

These dates are a guideline. Please contact Naomi Belinsky by naomi [dot] belinsky [at] mcgill [dot] ca (email) or at 514-398-1415 for more information about the actual dates for the current cycle.

New Application	Spring Deadline	Fall Deadline
Approval for support by the Provost	Week of 15 January	Week of 01 July
Submission of dossiers to the AP-FARA Office for internal review	Week of 15 February	Week of 01 August
Comments and recommendations from the review committee to the Faculty	Week of 15 March	Week of 01 September
Deadline for uploading FINAL version of application with the committees comments incorporated	April	September
Submission by the Faculty of budget and the University commitment confirmation	Week of 15 April	Week of 01 October
Final submission at the FIPP Office	Week of 20-24 April	Week of 07-11 October

Deadline for "Renewal" applications

For the Spring / Autumn National renewal applications, the internal review committee is scheduled for the week of 05 March / 01 September. Documents for review are therefore to be received by the AP-FARA by the week of 15 February / 15 August at the latest. The decision of support by the Provost as well as the notification to the candidates will be provided the week of 15 March / 07 September. The Dean of the Faculty must submit a signed statement of responsibility for the budget and the University's commitment submitted. This statement should be submitted no later than the week of 15 April / 01 October to the Office of the AP-FARA. Final applications are to be received by FIPP at the latest the week of 20-24 April / 07-11 October.

These dates are a guideline. Please contact Naomi Belinsky by naomi [dot] belinsky [at] mcgill [dot] ca (email) or at 514-398-1415 for more information about the actual dates for the current cycle.

Renewal Applications	Spring Deadline	Fall Deadline
Submission of dossiers to the AP-FARA Office for internal review	Week of 15 February	Week of 01 August
Candidate notification on the decision by the Provost	Week of 15 March	Week of 01 September
Deadline for uploading FINAL version of application with the committees comments incorporated	April	September
Submission by the Faculty of budget and the University's commitment confirmation	Week of 15 April	Week of 01 October
Final submission to the FIPP Office	Week of 20-24 April	Week of 07-11 October

Notices of Award

New CRCs

The CRC Secretariat requires Universities to wait until after the official National Announcement before publicizing their new chair holder appointments in a news release or on their website and that new chair holders must wait until then, before using their Canada Research Chair title when writing and delivering papers, granting media interviews, or on their personal websites.

Renewed CRCs

Those incumbents whose CRCs have been renewed (via a Notice of Award & Renewal form duly signed and returned to the CRC Secretariat) may continue to use the CRC title on business cards, official letterheads. However, no official announcement of the renewal can be made until after the National Announcement.

Minerva Appointment Form

Once the Notice of Award is finalized and the CRC main fund is established (for new CRCs), the Minerva Appointment Form must be issued using the appropriate CRC position code as indicated on the Award, Stipend and Other Payment Codes page, to record the CRC position in Banner.

The professorial labour distribution on the professorial position code will also need to be modified accordingly.

Listings of CRC Chairholders

Find out who McGill's current Canada Research Chairholders are by visiting CRCs Tier 1 or CRCs Tier 2.

Updated on Wed, 2013-07-24 13:02

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