Canada Research Chair Tier 1 in Abundant Intelligences

Concordia University’s Department of Design and Computation Arts in the Faculty of Fine Arts invites applications to fill a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Abundant Intelligences. The successful candidate will work with the Office of the Vice-President, Research, Impact, and Innovation to prepare the formal CRC application for submission to the CRC Secretariat at the earliest opportunity according to the guidelines of the CRC program.  

Abundant Intelligences is a framework that draws together a wide array of disciplines—artificial intelligence (AI), data science, human-computer interaction, Indigenous science and technology studies, research-creation, and community-based inquiry—to investigate and understand a broad spectrum of intelligent action in the world, approaching the design and development of AI as a cultural and technological project.  According to this framework, the Tier 1 chair position in Abundant Intelligences will foreground concepts of relationality, reciprocity, and culturally-anchored knowledge systems as robust complements and correctives to the narrow instrumentalist orientation of mainstream AI. As such, the successful candidate will be expected to secure fresh funding streams, deepen interdisciplinary synergy across Faculties, drive new large-scale endeavors that benefit multiple disciplines, from software engineering to fine arts and from data science to the social sciences, and mentor a diverse body of students, with a view to teaching existing courses in the unit's curricula.  

We are seeking applicants who have a research program and teaching experience that will: 

1. Serve as a key anchor for significantly expanding existing initiatives as well as for launching new ones, including projects with Indigenous communities, industry collaborators, and international networks 
2. Integrate with a robust, thriving research ecosystem at Concordia, centered on computational media, digital arts, AI, and Indigenous futures 
3. Serve as a nexus for interdisciplinary inquiry, uniting faculty, graduate students, and external collaborators around Indigenous-led AI design, data sovereignty, equitable machine learning, and novel research-creation 
4. Reinforce Concordia’s standing as a bold and collaborative institution shaping Canada’s digital future while further solidifying the university’s influence on the evolving Canadian AI landscape 
5. Champion the integration of cultural knowledge, ethical governance, and socially beneficial innovation at the forefront of new technologies

Applicants for this position must: 

1. Hold a terminal degree (master’s or PhD) in a relevant field of research (or possess the equivalent combination of education and professional experience)  
2. Have a minimum of 10 years relevant teaching experience at the post-secondary level (or possess equivalent experience) 
3. Be a world-class researcher who has made major contributions to the general area of Indigenous ways of knowing and practices relative to Artificial Intelligence, and especially in the sense of Abundant Intelligences as described above 
4. Have been the principal investigator on successful Tri-agency and other research and arts council grants 
5. Have a superior record of attracting and supervising graduate students 
6. Propose an original and innovative research program of the highest quality 

NB:  This position is open only to current tenured Associate Professors and tenured Professors at Concordia University. 

The Department of Design and Computation Arts will host the Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Abundant Intelligences. Restricted to internal candidates, this position aligns directly with Concordia University’s CRC Equity Action Plan and its commitment to meeting federally mandated equity targets. The research mandate of this specific chair is inherently inclusive and equity-driven, informed by Indigenous, non-Western, and justice-oriented perspectives. Equity-conscious approaches are also foundational to the research methods and research goals, which will help to expand participation of Indigenous groups in advanced computing, AI, data science, and machine-human interaction, as well as science and technology studies. 

Candidates eligible for Tier I chair positions must be outstanding researchers acknowledged by their peers as world leaders in their fields. Nominees for Tier 1 chair positions must be full professors or associate professors who are expected to be promoted to the full professor level within one or two years of the nomination. Alternatively, if they come from outside the academic sector, nominees must possess the necessary qualifications to be appointed at these levels. Please consult the Canada Research Chairs website for full program information, including further details on eligibility criteria. 

Candidates are encouraged to share any career interruptions or personal circumstances that may have had an impact on their career goals (such as the decision to have a family, eldercare, illness, and so forth) in their letter of application. These will be carefully considered in the assessment process. The Department values diversity among its faculty and strongly encourages applications from those who will contribute to that profile. Concordia University is an English-language institution of higher learning at which the primary language of instruction and research is English. Since this position supports academic functions of the university, proficiency in English is required. Working knowledge of French, including reading and grading student work in French, is an asset.  

Please note that this position is open only to current faculty members of Concordia University meeting certain criteria, as detailed above. All eligible and qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and Permanent Residents will be given priority. To comply with the Government of Canada’s (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) reporting requirements, the University is obliged to gather information about applicants’ status as either Permanent Residents of Canada or Canadian citizens. While applicants need not identify their country of origin or current citizenship, all applicants must include one of the following statements:  

Yes, I am a citizen or permanent resident of Canada  

or  

No, I am not a citizen or permanent resident of Canada 

Applications should be submitted electronically to michelina.sardella@concordia.ca on or before November 3, 2025, but will continue to be reviewed until the position is filled. Only short-listed candidates will be notified. Submissions should consist of a single PDF and include the following items in the order specified below:  

1. A cover letter that clearly identifies the job title and position code (25-C-DCART-M), summarizing the applicant’s career fit to the Tier 1 CRC in Abundant Intelligences as well as addressing how their research and/or experience contribute to equity, diversity, and inclusion (up to two pages) 
2. A complete updated curriculum vitae  
3. A summary and documentation (preferably in the form of online links) of the candidate’s three most important research contributions or publications to date in Abundant Intelligences (up to two pages)  
4. A research statement detailing the applicant’s relevant research history and accomplishments along with their vision for continuing to build and expand the research culture of the department, faculty, and university while benefiting Canadian society as a whole (up to three pages)  
5. The names and contact information of three referees 
6. A declaration of immigration status: “Yes, I am a citizen or permanent resident of Canada.” or “No, I am not a citizen or permanent resident of Canada.”  

All inquiries regarding this CRC position may be directed to Dr. Pippin Barr, Chair, Department of Design and Computation Arts at pippin.barr@concordia.ca. 

Concordia University is strongly committed to building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community, and recognizes the importance of inclusion in achieving excellence in teaching and research. As part of this commitment to providing our students with the dynamic, innovative, and inclusive educational environment of a Next‐Generation University, we require all applicants to articulate in their cover letter how their background, as well as lived and professional experiences and expertise have prepared them to teach in ways that are relevant for a diverse, multicultural contemporary Canadian society.  

Possible examples to demonstrate a diverse experience may include, but are not limited to:  

• teaching about underrepresented populations  

• mentoring students from underrepresented backgrounds  

• committee work  

• offering or organizing educational programming  

• participation in training and workshops  

All applicants will receive an email invitation to complete a short equity survey. Participation in the survey is voluntary and no identifying information about candidates will be shared with hiring committees. Candidates who wish to self-identify as a member of an underrepresented group to the hiring committee may do so in their cover letter or by writing directly to the contact person indicated in this posting. 

Applicants who anticipate requiring adaptive measures throughout any stage of the recruitment process may contact, in confidence, the equity office at: equity@concordia.ca.