Director, Neuroscience & Mental Health Institute (NMHI)

Competition 1673

This competition is restricted to internal applicants of the University of Alberta. Please log in to verify your internal candidate status.

Location - Work primarily takes place at North Campus Edmonton. 

The Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry is seeking applicants for the position of Director, Neuroscience & Mental Health Institute (NMHI). This is a 0.3 FTE position, reporting to the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry or delegate.

The Director, NMHI, an official University of Alberta research institute, is responsible for the strategic leadership of the institute in collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry Vice-Deans (Research) and in consultation with various strategic partners/constituencies (internal and external to the University of Alberta). The Director is responsible for ensuring the execution of strategic deliverables that contribute to the success of the institute.

The vision of the NMHI is to translate discoveries into improved prevention and treatment options for individuals impacted by neurological and mental health-related diseases and disorders.

The institute brings together more than 170 investigators spanning all areas of neuroscience and mental health research. Their scientists and clinicians are dedicated to discovering how the brain and nervous system function and determining the basis for disease.

The preferred candidate must currently hold a University of Alberta faculty appointment at the associate or full professor level, with an internationally recognized record of accomplishment in neuroscience or mental health. The individual will have an innovative vision for how the NMHI can promote impactful discovery, clinical, community, and population sciences research at the University of Alberta. The candidate will have a commitment to service and leadership and aspire to lead the NMHI to national/international prominence.

The preferred candidate will show evidence of building, managing, and maintaining high-quality and productive relationships across diverse groups of individuals.

The appointment is for a five-year term, renewable upon favorable review by the Dean, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry.

Responsibilities of the Director include:

1. Develop an environment to support high-impact research. Foster excellence in all aspects of discovery, clinical and translational research.
2. Identify emerging research themes and priorities, and help mobilize investigators to develop large-scale NMHI projects (including research infrastructure and core facilities) in order to obtain major grants.
3. Champion a culture of collaborative interdisciplinary research to identify and move forward neuroscience and mental health research priorities provincially, nationally, and internationally.
4. As a University Institute, collaborate and strengthen links with local and provincial partners (including but not limited to: Alberta Health Services and relevant clinical teams, Alberta Innovates, University Hospital Foundation, Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation, and patients and family groups).
5. Collaborate with national and international research organizations to ensure that NMHI’s activities are well integrated with opportunities and leading trends in neuroscience and mental health research.
6. Maintain effective relationships and work collaboratively with other Institutes, Centres, Departments, Faculties, Colleges, and partners to meet objectives (including but not limited to facilitating recruitment of scientists, educators, and clinicians).
7. Develop and coordinate career, educational, and training opportunities for NMHI trainees.
8. Lead the development and implementation of funding support collaboratively with Development.
9. Plan and manage the NMHI annual budget and staff, ensure efficient operation and disbursement of funds, and develop and implement a business model for financial self-sustainability.
10. Advocate for NMHI and neuroscience and mental health research to the public.

Interested applicants are to submit:

• a statement of interest outlining their vision and goals for NMHI and how their experience makes them an appropriate candidate for the director and chair position;
• a description of their research leadership philosophy (maximum 1 page);
• a description of how they plan to collaborate with both internal and external partners (maximum 1 page);
•  An equity diversity and inclusion (EDI) statement outlining past contributions to EDI and the resulting impact on academic (research/scholarship, teaching/learning), professional (non-academic or clinical work), and/or community (local, national, international community-based) settings (maximum 1 page). 
• academic CV; and
• a letter from their department chair (if from the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry), or chair (if relevant) and dean (if from outside the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry) confirming support for the application and the 0.3 FTE time commitment that it will require.

The deadline for submission is January 12, 2025. Please submit in PDF format online.

Further information with respect to the position may be sought from the Vice-Deans Research, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry (Drs. Richard Lehner, richard.lehner@ualberta.ca and Neesh Pannu, neesh.pannu@ualberta.ca).

The FoMD has adopted the Okanagan Charter and is committed to health-promoting learning and working environments supporting psychological safety and well-being.