Assistant Professor - Association of Volunteers - Maureen & Philip Green Chair in Health Equity

Date Posted: 09/17/2024
Closing Date: 01/15/2025, 11:59PM ET
Req ID: 38895
Job Category: Faculty - Tenure Stream (continuing)
Faculty/Division: Dalla Lana School of Public Health
Department: Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation
Campus: St. George (Downtown Toronto)

Description:

The Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (IHPME) and Public Health Sciences (PHS) in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health (DLSPH) at the University of Toronto invite applications for a full-time tenure-stream faculty position in the area of Health Equity at the rank of Assistant Professor, with an anticipated start date of July 1, 2025. This is a joint appointment between IHPME (51%) and PHS (49%). The successful candidate may be named to the Association of Volunteers – Maureen & Philip Green Chair in Health Equity  (joint between the University of Toronto and Women’s College Hospital) for a five-year, renewable term following a favorable review.

This search aligns with the University’s commitment to strategically and proactively promote diversity among our community members (Statement on Equity, Diversity & Excellence). Recognizing that Black, Indigenous, and other Racialized communities have experienced inequities that have developed historically and are ongoing, we strongly welcome and encourage candidates from those communities to apply.

Applicants must hold a Ph.D. or doctoral equivalent (e.g., MD & MSc, MD & MPH) in a field related to health equity by the time of appointment or shortly thereafter. Areas of health equity may be focused on specific communities (Indigenous or Black communities, for example) including but not limited to: epidemiology, sociology, psychology, health services research, health equity, Indigenous studies, Black studies, etc. Candidates must also have a demonstrated record of excellence in research and teaching.

Applicants must demonstrate expert knowledge in health equity and will have expertise in the application of qualitative or quantitative methods, generation of health/health care data, or evaluation of evidence-based interventions that results in impact through change of practice, policy, or outcomes to reduce health inequities. Experience and demonstrated interest in the development of novel tools and methods for health equity data collection, analysis, and knowledge translation are also a requirement. If applicable, the successful candidate will also have demonstrated conversance with Indigenous research frameworks and Indigenous knowledges and ways of knowing.

The position is open with respect to substantive focus in various areas of health equity including but not limited to: mental health care, maternal/child health, health system equity, health system performance measurement, public health policy, health service access, etc.

Candidates must provide evidence of research excellence which can be demonstrated by a record of publications in top-ranked and field relevant journals or forthcoming publications meeting high international standards, the submitted research statement, presentations at significant conferences, awards and accolades, and strong endorsements from referees.

The successful candidate must have a strong record of community-driven research excellence and ethical engagement and collaboration with communities, organizations, and institutions. This can be demonstrated by impactful community collaboration deliverables.

The successful candidate will be expected to demonstrate the potential for developing  a competitive and externally funded research program, and to develop  an innovative, independent and inclusive program of scholarship that emphasizes equity, community building and partnerships both within and outside of the University.

Evidence of excellence in teaching will be demonstrated by teaching accomplishments, and the teaching dossier, including a teaching statement, sample course materials, and teaching evaluations or other evidence of superior performance in teaching-related activities submitted as part of the application, as well as strong letters of reference. Other teaching-related activities can include performance as a teaching assistant or course instructor, experience leading successful workshops or seminars, student mentorship, or excellent conference presentations or posters.

The applicant should have capacity to work with other health equity scholars (Indigenous or Black scholars, for example) and the ability to mentor trainees. An important facet of the position is to build research capacity in health equity especially through collaboration, training and mentorship.

The successful applicant will contribute to the graduate educational programs, as well as other research and professional programs in IHPME and PHS.  The successful applicant will be expected to teach introductory and upper-level courses, including courses related to health equity and qualitative/mixed-methods. Examples could include Indigenous Health and Health Systems, Black Health and Health Systems, and Quantitative/Qualitative Methods in Indigenous Health Research. The candidate may also have the opportunity to be involved with undergraduate teaching.

Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. 

Established by Royal Charter in 1827, the University of Toronto is the largest and most prestigious research-intensive university in Canada, located in one of the world’s greatest cities. The University has more than 19,000 faculty and staff, some 73,000 students enrolled across three campuses, and annual budget of $1.8 billion, including $376 million in externally funded research, an additional $469 million in research funding in the affiliated teaching hospitals, and one of the premier research libraries in North America.

The Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (IHPME) is one of the largest units of its kind in Canada. It is internationally competitive in the fields of health policy and governance, organizational management and leadership, performance management, comparative health systems, health services research, clinical epidemiology and health care research, knowledge transfer, health economics, quality improvement, and patient safety. It offers rigorous research and professional graduate degree programs, as well as continuing education. Multidisciplinary and collaborative, the Institute’s more than 500 faculty members represent a wide range of disciplines including health policy, economics, law, clinical epidemiology, innovation, e-health and technology, sociology, and political science.

This Institute—unique in Canada—brings together leading researchers from across the world and from a wide variety of disciplines to develop and to translate innovative ideas into evidence-informed practices that improve the planning, delivery and outcomes of health care. The current Director, Professor Audrey Laporte, was appointed January 1, 2020. For detailed information on the institute, visit its website. 

The Institute is located within the Dalla Lana School of Public Health (DLSPH). This School was founded in 1927 and has grown to be the largest and most productive cluster of public health scholars in Canada. The Dalla Lana School of Public Health (DLSPH) (http://www.dlsph.utoronto.ca/) has an illustrious history that began in the 1920’s and continued with a recent renaissance beginning in 2008 (see synopsis at http://www.dlsph.utoronto.ca/about/). The most prominent School of Public Health in Canada, the DLSPH now has a roster of over 800 students, and greater than $27 million in annual research expenditures. In addition to the Institute of Health Policy Management and Evaluation, the DLSPH houses the graduate unit of Public Health Sciences, the Waakebiness Institute for Indigenous Health, major initiatives related to Healthy Cities, Big Data for Health, Quality Improvement, and partnerships with institutions throughout Toronto that comprise the largest health-science research complex in Canada, alliances with multiple international partners and a central location in one of the most dynamic, multi-ethnic, and cosmopolitan cities in the world. The current Dean, Professor Adalsteinn Brown, was appointed July 1, 2018 and re-appointed on July 1, 2023.

Women’s College Hospital (WCH) is an academic, ambulatory hospital, fully affiliated with the University of Toronto. WCH embraces the bold concept of healthcare as a human right and recognizes that advancing health equity and addressing the underlying social determinants of health requires action both inside and outside of the health sector. WCH strives for equitable access, quality, and care outcomes. The Association of Volunteers – Maureen & Philip Green Chair in Health Equity, was created to lead research efforts to identify and address gaps in health equity and access that are impacting populations often marginalized and vulnerable. Striving towards a Learning Health System model, WCH is developing ground-breaking innovations that address the most pressing issues related to population health, patient experience, and system costs. At WCH implementation science methodologies are utilized to design, test and evaluate patient-centred care models. Always on the forefront of innovation, WCH is developing the Women's Virtual Care Research Laboratory, a research laboratory that creates and tests digital health care tools and digitally enabled models of care in a real-world environment.

WCH is a full member of the University of Toronto Academic Health Science Network (TAHSN), a dynamic network comprised of the University of Toronto and its full and associate affiliated academic hospitals. TAHSN serves as a leader in Canadian healthcare providing leading edge research, teaching and clinical care and offers a wide range of opportunities for collaborative and interdisciplinary research and training. There is a network of Chairs in Health Equity across the TAHSN community.

Application Process:

All qualified candidates are invited to apply online by clicking on the link below. Applications must submit a cover letter; a curriculum vitae; a research statement outlining current and future research interests; a recent writing sample; and a teaching dossier including a teaching statement, sample course materials, and teaching evaluations or evidence of superior performance in other teaching relating activities as listed above.  

Applicants must provide the name and contact information of three references. The University of Toronto’s recruiting tool will automatically solicit and collect letters of reference from each referee the day after an application is submitted. Applicants remain responsible for ensuring that referees submit recent letters (on letterhead, dated and signed) by the closing date. More details on the automatic reference letter collection, including timelines, are available in the candidate FAQ.

Submission guidelines can be found at: http://uoft.me/how-to-apply. Your CV and cover letter should be uploaded into the dedicated fields. Please combine additional application materials into one or two files in PDF/MS Word format. If you have questions about this position, please contact Samah Khan at IHPME at ihpme.director@utoronto.ca. 

All application materials, including recent letters of reference, must be received by January 15, 2025. 

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

Diversity Statement
The University of Toronto embraces Diversity and is building a culture of belonging that increases our capacity to effectively address and serve the interests of our global community. We strongly encourage applications from Indigenous Peoples, Black and racialized persons, women, persons with disabilities, and people of diverse sexual and gender identities. We value applicants who have demonstrated a commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion and recognize that diverse perspectives, experiences, and expertise are essential to strengthening our academic mission.

As part of your application, you will be asked to complete a brief Diversity Survey. This survey is voluntary. Any information directly related to you is confidential and cannot be accessed by search committees or human resources staff. Results will be aggregated for institutional planning purposes. For more information, please see http://uoft.me/UP.

Accessibility Statement
The University strives to be an equitable and inclusive community, and proactively seeks to increase diversity among its community members. Our values regarding equity and diversity are linked with our unwavering commitment to excellence in the pursuit of our academic mission.

The University is committed to the principles of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). As such, we strive to make our recruitment, assessment and selection processes as accessible as possible and provide accommodations as required for applicants with disabilities.

If you require any accommodations at any point during the application and hiring process, please contact uoft.careers@utoronto.ca.