Canada Impact+ Research Chair - Faculty of Law (Advanced Digital Technologies)

University of Manitoba

Canada Impact+ Research Chair – Faculty of Law Advanced Digital Technologies (including AI, quantum computing, and cybersecurity) and the Law Associate Professor or Professor (Continuing Appointment, tenured)
Position #37347 Chair [8 years, renewable]
Position #37348
Posting Start Date: 2026-01-23
End Date: February 23, 2026.

he Faculty of Law invites applications for a full-time continuing academic appointment at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor, with a concurrent term appointment as the Canada Impact+ Research Chair in Artificial Intelligence, aligned with the federal strategic priority area of Advanced Digital Technologies (including AI, quantum computing, and cybersecurity). This proposal aligns squarely with the federal Canada Impact+ priority on Advanced Digital Technologies. The proposed Chair builds on the Faculty of Law’s established strengths in private law, public law, public international law, international human rights law, Indigenous rights and legal orders, and technology governance in the context of human rights.

Successful nominees will be expected to start their position at the University of Manitoba within 12 months of accepting the award. The successful candidate will be appointed to a full-time tenured position at the rank of Full Professor, or at the rank of Associate Professor with an opportunity to apply for promotion to Full Professor within two years of starting their appointment. Salary will be based on the candidate’s qualifications and experience, in accordance with the University of Manitoba Faculty Association collective agreement. The position will be provided with a start-up package and opportunities to compete for additional equipment funding through the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI).

The Chair is aligned with the federal strategic priority area of Advanced Digital Technologies (including AI, quantum computing, and cybersecurity). The successful candidate will provide research leadership and build partnerships and pathways to mobilize research into policy, practice, and solutions consistent with the Canada Impact+ program’s emphasis on knowledge translation and uptake.

The successful candidate will contribute to all three pillars of academic life: teaching, research, and service.
Teaching:
Candidates will have the opportunity to teach in their area of research expertise. They will also be expected to teach in the core graduate and undergraduate curricula at the University of Manitoba in the Faculty of Law. Teaching assignments will be determined in consultation with the Faculty, and will reflect the candidate’s expertise and the needs of the programs.

Research:
The successful candidate will demonstrate an established, internationally recognized research program in Advanced Digital Technologies as well as AI and law (broadly conceived), including legal dimensions of AI governance, regulation, rights, responsibilities, international law or related public/private law impacts, including relevant intersections with human rights. The candidate will be expected to provide research leadership consistent with Canada Impact+ objectives, including building a team, developing partnerships and working across disciplines.

Service:
The candidate will contribute to faculty governance and institutional service appropriate to rank, and is encouraged to engage in service that strengthens the Faculty of Law’s mission and human rights-oriented graduate programs and clinics and supports responsible, socially beneficial innovation.

Qualifications:
Applicants must demonstrate:
• A strong academic background with a J.D., LLB, or equivalent and an advanced research degree (Ph.D. or equivalent), as required by the nominating/hiring committee, in Law or a related field, or comparable research expertise appropriate to appointment at the Associate Professor/Professor rank
• An established record of research excellence and leadership appropriate to appointment at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor
• Evidence of teaching excellence and the ability to teach in the core graduate and undergraduate curricula at the University of Manitoba in the Faculty of Law
• Commitment to collegial service and academic citizenship

The appointment is dependent on a successful Canada Impact+ Research Chair Award, and the two-stage process of this appointment is:
1. Applicants must apply to this University of Manitoba advertisement for review and endorsement, and
2. The successful candidate will then prepare the required nomination package, with the support of the Office of the Vice President (Research & International) at the University of Manitoba. Completed nomination packages will be submitted to the Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat (TIPS) as part of the national Impact+ Program’s application process. An academic appointment at UM is dependent on a successful review by the multidisciplinary selection committee and approval by the TIPS Steering Committee.

Applicants must apply to this University of Manitoba advertisement through the UM Careers portal https://viprecprod.ad.umanitoba.ca/DEFAULT.ASPX?REQ_ID=43829 for review and endorsement and clearly state the application position number in the cover letter. Applicants should upload their cover letter separately, their curriculum vitae separately, and then combine their research plan, teaching statement, personal statement and a list of three referees into a single PDF file and upload it under ‘Additional Documentation’ when applying in UM Careers. If you experience any difficulties accessing UM Careers, please contact Jodi Petch at Jodi.Petch@umanitoba.ca for assistance.

Further details on the application materials are:
• a concise cover letter describing suitability for the position
• a curriculum vitae (including examples of significant research contributions)
• a research plan (3 page maximum) outlining an independent, innovative research program, and its potential to attract funding and contribute to student training
• a teaching statement (1/2 page) that documents the applicant's experience in and/or approach to training and mentoring diverse students and the candidate's teaching philosophy
• a personal statement reflecting on the applicant's positionality, demonstrated commitment, and approach to issues pertaining to anti-racism and social justice (including principles of equity, access, and participation) in the following areas: teaching, research, and service
• the names and contact information of three referees

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis; interviews will begin as early as February 26, 2026, and will continue until the position is filled. Application materials, including letters of reference, will be handled in accordance with the protection of privacy provision of The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (Manitoba). Please note that curriculum vitae may be provided to participating members of the search process.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Considerations

Equity, diversity and inclusion are embedded as foundational principles in Impact+ objectives, expected outcomes, and reporting requirements of the competition. The three agencies expect that institutions and chairholders will demonstrate and implement the highest EDI standards for the duration of their award.

UM is committed to these principles and to promoting opportunities in hiring, promotion and tenure (where applicable) for systemically marginalized groups who have been excluded from full participation at UM and the larger community including Indigenous Peoples, women, racialized persons, persons with disabilities and those who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ (Two Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, questioning, intersex, asexual and other diverse sexual identities).

The Canada Impact+ Research Chair nomination selection committee will receive equity training that includes instruction on how to recognize and combat unconscious, implicit, overt, prejudicial and other kinds of bias.

If you require accommodation supports during the recruitment process, please contact Janique Philippe UM.Accommodation@umanitoba.ca or 204-474-7195. Please note this contact information is for accommodation reasons only.

The University acknowledges the potential impact that Career Interruptions and Personal Circumstances can have on an applicant's record of research achievement. We encourage applicants to explain the impact of any such interruption(s) in their submission. Measures will be taken to ensure that these leaves will be taken into careful consideration during the evaluation process.