Assistant

Description:

The University of Manitoba invites applications for a Research Chair in Potato Sustainability, a tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant or Associate or Professor. The Chair’s program will be funded with an investment by a consortium of potato industry stakeholders including growers, processors, potato marketers, sector suppliers, and service providers. The Chair position will be conferred for a five-year term. The Chair’s distribution of work duties will be research (55%), extension and sector engagement (25%), and teaching (20%). The tenure-track position will continue after the term without it being designated as a Chair. The position is expected to commence September 1, 2024 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The Chair will be a faculty member in the Department of Plant Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences (FAFS). FAFS is investing heavily to grow and modernize its horticulture and agronomic research and training capacity. Crop and soil research teams have been renewed by the addition of eleven new tenure-track faculty positions over three years (2020-23) as well as new infrastructure. The potato sector is an important part of Canadian agriculture, representing the fifth largest primary agriculture crop in Canada. Potatoes are Manitoba’s fourth most valuable crop. Most potatoes produced in Manitoba are for processing, though fresh and seed potatoes are also grown. Research and innovation are key to enabling this sector to thrive and remain sustainable. In the 2022 Manitoba Potato Science and Technology Strategy, potato sector stakeholders presented a bold vision statement: “Make Manitoba Canada’s leader in potato research and innovation”. Following extensive consultation, the key priority areas identified in the Manitoba Strategy were soil productivity, fertility, and health; irrigation and water management; disease and pest management; variety evaluation and management; and storage. One of the primary recommendations in the strategy was to enhance the research and training capacity in potatoes at the University of Manitoba in areas including agronomy, soils, potato quality, and sustainability.

The Manitoba Research Chair in Potato Sustainability will ensure the University remains a recognized leader in agronomic sciences and crop production systems, supporting each of the four pillars identified in the Faculty’s 2022-2027 Strategic Research Plan (https://umanitoba.ca/agricultural-food-sciences/sites/agricultural-food-sciences/files/2023-04/FAFS-Strategic-Research-Plan-2022-2027.pdf): promoting sustainable, resilient, fair, diverse & healthy, and technologically advanced agri-food systems. FAFS is actively working with Manitoba Agriculture to highlight research efforts by dedicating significant resources to foster knowledge translation and mobilization activities. It is expected that the Chair will play a significant role in knowledge exchange and extension as it applies to sustainable potato production.

Responsibilities:

The UM Research Chair in Potato Sustainability will be a North American leader in cutting-edge potato research, training, and extension to support a thriving and resilient potato industry in Manitoba and beyond. The Chair will be expected to:

§ Develop a research program on sustainable potato production systems that integrates the areas of agronomy, soil health, disease and pest management, in both field production and storage management

§ Conduct innovative, collaborative, and applied research to address production challenges and sustainability goals identified by the potato sector

§ Identify current and potential production issues and investigate alternative management strategies

§ Participate in knowledge transfer activities targeted to the potato sector, both provincially and nationally

§ Effectively train and prepare diploma, undergraduate and graduate students for the job market with skills applicable to sustainable potato production systems

Qualifications:

The successful candidate will have (i) a Ph.D. in agronomic sciences (i.e., horticulture, plant science, soil science), or related fields; (ii) academic qualifications commensurate with an appointment at the rank of Assistant or Associate or Professor; (iii) a proven track record to demonstrate the potential to lead an externally-funded research program in potato sustainability with a strong knowledge-translation component; (iv) experience in industry consultation and engagement, and (v) an ability to train highly qualified personnel, diploma, undergraduate and graduate students on subject matters related to sustainable potato production. The Chair will be expected to have a demonstrated commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) as it applies to high-quality research output, student training, and collegiality. Salary and rank will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.