To achieve a more equitable, diverse and inclusive research landscape, McGill administers the Canada Research Chairs program in alignment with the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Requirements and Practices set out by the Federal program.
Our University is firmly committed to equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) as expressed in our Statement of Mission and Principles. This overarching commitment is further underscored in McGill's Strategic Academic Plan, Strategic Research Plan and Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Strategic Plan 2020-2025. These guiding documents provide a solid foundation for promoting EDI in the Canada Research Chairs Program and across McGill's broader research enterprise.
The McGill leadership team, the Standing Internal Review Committee (SIRC), and all other academic search committee members receive training about McGill's employment equity context and commitments, while also offering strategies and skills for recruiting a diverse and excellent pool of candidates. Equity sessions at McGill are also focused on raising awareness about practices that can help identify and address explicit and implicit bias in the review process, and about how to ensure a substantively fair and inclusive search process. Training sessions are accompanied by reading materials, including peer-reviewed literature, that allow members of the McGill community to explore the research demonstrative of the importance of equity in recruitment, hiring, and retention as a sound practice for enhancing excellence and as an imperative for ensuring substantive fairness in opportunities and outcomes.
Our commitment to and the benefits of EDI are further evidenced by the following:
McGill 's Canada Research Chair Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan
Effective December 2017, the Canada Research Chairs Program required all institutions with 5 or more chairs to develop their own Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Action Plans to ensure that recruitment to CRC positions is undertaken in a manner that provides access to the greatest range of qualified candidates. McGill fully supports this recruitment strategy, which aligns with the University's cross-cutting institutional objectives, strategies, and management of EDI more broadly. Our plan was developed in consultation with the following stakeholder communities for their feedback:
- President’s leadership team (P7)
- Vice-President (Research and Innovation) leadership team
- Faculty Deans
- Faculty Associate Deans (Research)
- McGill CRCs (Tier 1 and Tier 2)
- Equity Team – Office of the Provost and Executive Vice-President (Academic)
- Joint Board-Senate Committee on Equity
- MAUT
Pursuant to this broad consultation process, McGill’s CRC EDI Plan was approved by University leadership. Responsibility for oversight and implementation of the Plan rests with the Associate Provost (Equity and Academic Policies).
Read The Full Plan Here
Institutional EDI Action Plan Progress Report
Institutions are required to report annually to the CRC program on the progress being made in implementing their EDI Action Plan.
Here is the latest 
EDI Progress Report 2021-22 - McGill University
Recruiting, Hiring and Retaining Canada Research Chairs at McGill
McGill’s Canada Research Chair (CRC) jobs are advertised centrally on the Provost’s website. Consult the list of current and archived ads at CRC Opportunities.
A link to the CRC program's requirements for recruiting and nominating Canada Research Chairs can be found on this website..
Employment equity objectives and processes are set by McGill's Employment Equity Policy. Pursuant to this policy, the University commits to building an equitable, diverse and inclusive workforce. For more information, please consult the latest Biennial Report on Employment Equity to McGill Senate.
All policies and procedures related to the employment of academic staff can be found on the Academic Personnel Office website.
Where McGill deems that one of its CRC Tier 1 chairholder should be put forward for a third-term nomination, McGill will follow the process, criteria and requirements laid out on the following website. And post a relevant statement on the CRC opportunities page on the following website.
EDI in the Canada Research Chairs Program
2019 Addendum to the 2006 Canadian Human Rights Settlement Agreement
Institutional Equity Targets 2021 to 2029
The Tri-Agency Institutional Program Secretariat (TIPS) has set a methodology for institutions to establish equity and diversity targets. The program’s targets are set using an availability approach. Availability is determined by estimating the representation of a designated group within the pool of potential nominees. The percentage of the estimated representation becomes the target to be met. The difference between this target and the percentage of current Chairs who are members of that designated group becomes the equity gap to be addressed.
McGill's Equity and Diversity Targets and Gaps as of January 2024 are shown below. Where no gap exists, McGill currently meets or surpasses the minimally accepted target for a Designated Group. Our target-setting tool from June 2021 is also available: Equity Target-Setting Tool - June 2021
| Four Designated Groups | December 2025 Target | Representation | Meeting 2025 Target (Y/N) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women and gender equity-seeking groups* | 65 | 78 | Y |
| Racialized individuals | 31 | 48 | Y |
| Persons with disabilities | 10 | 16 | Y |
| Indigenous Peoples | 4 | ** | N |
*Individuals who self-identify as women, transgender, gender-fluid, nonbinary and Two-Spirit contribute to the program’s equity targets and are reported in the program statistics in the category in which they self-identify.
**Cells with fewer than 5 responses cannot be reported.
Monitoring and Reporting EDI Concerns
All members of the University community (including faculty) have access to the services of the Office for Mediation and Reporting who oversees the Policy on Harassment & Discrimination Prohibited by Law. They can seek her assistance in regard to information that may be needed to determine whether they wish to report an incident of harassment or discrimination.
All members of the University community (including faculty) may turn to the Office for Sexual Violence Response, Support and Education. This is a site of support, information, and accommodation in the event a member of the community experiences an incident of sexual violence, wants to support a survivor, or wishes to work toward the prevention of sexual violence.
All faculty and staff have access to the Employee & Family Assistance Program for supports that may be needed, which operates on a 24-7 basis.
Chairholders may rely on the foregoing policies and processes. In addition, any chairholder may submit, in confidence, a question, concern, or complaint directly to the Senior Employment Equity Advisor. Upon receipt of a communication, the Senior Employment Equity Advisor will consult with the Associate Provost (Equity & Academic Policies) to determine how best to address matter raised.
Allocations
Institutions that have received an average of $100,000 or more from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) each year in the three years prior to the year of the allocation are eligible for regular Chairs.
The allocation method for regular Chairs pools together each granting agency's funding for all universities and allocates Chairs based on the portion of the granting agency's funding that each eligible institution has received. The funding received by each eligible university over three years is calculated. The portion of granting agency support that each eligible institution holds in this grand total determines the number of Chairs allocated (i.e., the percentage of funding secured = the percentage of Chairs allocated).
McGill’s chair allocation is presented in the Utilization Table - July 2023
Contact
Questions or concerns related to the implementation of the CRC EDI Action Plan, or regarding the University's EDI agenda more broadly may be directed to:
Associate Provost (Equity & Academic Policies)
angela.campbell [at] mcgill.ca (Angela Campbell)
514.398.1660
Senior Research Equity Advisor
uzma.jamil [at] mcgill.ca (Uzma Jamil)
514.398.3432
