Canada Excellence Research Chair in Sustainable Agriculture for Grape and Wine Professor or Associat
Job Description
Description
This position is part of the
BUFA (Employee Group)
Brock University is located on the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe peoples, many of whom continue to live and work here today. This territory is covered by the Upper Canada Treaties and is within the land protected by the Dish with One Spoon Wampum Agreement.
We are one of Canada’s outstanding comprehensive universities, where excellence and innovation thrive! Brock has been recognized as a Top Employer in Hamilton-Niagara for seven consecutive years. We have been ranked #3 as Canada’s Best Employers and top 10 as one of Canada’s Best Employers for Diversity. For 2025, Brock has been proudly recognized as one of Canada’s Top Employers for Company Culture, ranked seventh by Forbes in partnership with Statista. At Brock, you will find a welcoming, inclusive community and an exciting range of meaningful career opportunities.
Ignite new possibilities for your career. Break through at Brock.
Post End Date:
Note to all candidates: This posting will close at 12:01 am on the date listed .
September 8, 2025
About the CERC program
Brock University welcomes applications from outstanding established scholars in the area of Sustainable Agriculture for Grape and Wine for consideration as a nominee to the 2026 Canada Excellence Research Chairs (CERC) competition.
The CERC program is one of Canada’s most prestigious and well-funded research initiatives, designed to help Canadian universities attract and retain the world’s top research talent. Successful nominees and their teams receive either $8 million or $4 million over eight years, depending on the nature and costs of the proposed research program.
CERCs support world-leading, high-impact research aligned with the Government of Canada’s Science, Technology and Innovation(ST&I) priorities . The CERC program builds critical mass in key areas of expertise, advances science and technology development, and strengthens Canada’s global research reputation while generating social and economic benefits for Canadians.
The CERC recruitment process is multi-staged. Interested applicants must first apply to this institutional posting. Selected candidates will work closely with Brock University to co-develop and submit a full nomination package to the 2026 CERC competition.For more information, including eligibility criteria, visit the Canada Excellence Research Program website .
Brock University is committed to supporting the selected candidate in a full nomination to the CERC program. Appointment to a faculty position at the rank of Professor or Associate Professor is contingent upon the outcome of the CERC nomination. CERC nominations are subject to review and final approval through the CERC program. Benefits associated with Chair appointments include teaching release and start-up research funds.
If research infrastructure is required, candidates may also apply to the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF), in alignment with CERC timelines. For more information, visit the Canada Foundation for Innovation John R. Evans Leaders Fund webpage .
For questions about Brock’s CERC process, please contact Samantha MacLean ( ).
About the Position
The Department of Biological Sciences in the Faculty of Mathematics and Science invites applications from world‑leading researchers for a Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Sustainable Agriculture for Grape and Wine at the rank of Professor or Associate Professor (subject to qualifications) Tenured, to commence May 1, 2027. The ideal candidate will be interested in developing collaborations with the local Ontario and wider Canadian grape and wine industry, taking advantage of existing research and development support through Brock’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI), the Environmental Sustainability Research Centre (ESRC) and the Brock–Niagara Validation, Prototyping, and Manufacturing Institute (VPMI). There will be opportunities to collaborate with biologists in the department of Biological Sciences and scientists within CCOVI as well as colleagues in the departments of Engineering, Computer Science, Chemistry, Geography and elsewhere. Brock University is located a short drive from a cluster of research universities in southern Ontario. This position belongs to the Brock University Faculty Association (BUFA) employee group.
The CERC will focus on sustainable agriculture for grape and wine advancing two CERC priority challenge areas : Sustainable Food Systems and Clean Sustainable Prosperous Canada. This person would become a core member in the Department of Biological Sciences, within the focus area of Plant Sciences, Oenology and Viticulture. Brock has a strong research network across Biological Sciences, CCOVI, Engineering, and ESRC, focused on sustainable agriculture. We are especially interested in candidates who take an integrated agriculture approach towards sustainable viticulture practices, one who can bridge research in applied vineyard management with innovative digital and AI tools. The Chair’s research could include focus on improving grapevine and soil health with application to digital viticulture management.
The Chair will join the department in contributing to the training, mentorship, and well-being of Brock undergraduate and graduate students through teaching and research supervision.
Qualifications
Applicants should ideally have a completed Ph.D. (or equivalent) in a relevant or related discipline, as required by Brock University. CERC nominees must be full professors or associate professors expected to be promoted to full professor within one or two years of the nomination. Alternatively, if they come from outside the academic sector, nominees must possess the qualifications necessary to be appointed at these levels.
The candidate will be a recognized national and international leader in sustainable viticulture, bringing a body of coherent research and associated social impact to the Department of Biological Sciences and Brock University. We are open to a diverse range of methodological approaches. In addition to traditional scholarly outputs such as peer review publications, applicants are also invited to demonstrate research excellence and impact through a track record of technology
Company
Brock University, Biological Sciences
Location
, , Canada
Country
Canada
Salary
100.000
URL