Call for a Centre Leader, ENRICH

The University of Calgary Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute is seeking all Expressions of Interest (EOI) for an established or early career researcher to serve as Centre Leader in Calgary for the Empowering Next-generation Researchers in perinatal and Child Health (ENRICH) Health Research Training Platform.

ENRICH is an inter-jurisdictional, interdisciplinary, intersectoral, and bilingual team of over 190 experienced applicants representing a total of 55 organizations, networks, and institutions, with funding from CIHR and other sources. Our goal is to train child health researchers to improve the health and development of mothers, infants, children, youth, and families in Canada and throughout the world. We represent expertise across all clinical and research disciplines, providing the highest quality mentorship grounded in equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) principles. By embracing an intersectoral approach with public, private (for profit), and non-profit partners, ENRICH will ensure research learners are prepared for careers within and beyond academia.

Our core competency framework will guide all levels of training, via 3 three distinct, but interconnected and complementary components:

1) Raising Interdisciplinary Scientist Excellence Learning Management System (RISE LMS), is an online, free-to-all training resource for scientific and professional skills development;

2) Enrichment Programs provide training in advanced competencies for learners with personalized mentorship, and experiential learning opportunities;

3) Illumination Program includes an annual symposium, networking opportunities with cross-sectoral employers, engagement with patient and community partners involved in research, and activities to promote ideation processes to create and implement knowledge to respond rapidly to emerging problems.

These components work synergistically to foster tailored learning opportunities appropriate for an individual’s stage of training, area of science, discipline, career goals, and sociocultural contexts.

Centre Leaders promote child health research training through interactions with leadership at their institution, directly mentor and support trainees, and serve as the institutional liaisons for the ENRICH program. Responsibilities include reviewing, providing guidance and helping with trainee applications for ENRICH awards. Centre Leaders are also encouraged to host local curricular sessions to promote research training and networking. Centre Leaders will join a national network of ENRICH mentors, participating in an annual trainee-directed symposium with a variety of workshops, with opportunities to mentor trainees from any of the 17 ENRICH centres across the country. For additional information on this role please review the attached Terms of Reference. As ENRICH is a volunteer network, there is no honoraria associated with this position.

ENRICH is strongly committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from racialized persons/persons of colour, Indigenous Peoples of North America, persons with disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ persons, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of our community. ENRICH believes that diversity positively impacts science and is essential to sustain our vibrant training and mentoring community. We encourage anyone who is eligible and interested to apply.

Centre Leaders are nominated by the local institution and approved by the ENRICH Executive to serve a 5-year term under the leadership of the ENRICH Director, Dr. Susan Samuel. For more details regarding roles and responsibilities of Centre Leaders, please email Dr. Samuel (susan.samuel@ahs.ca), or ENRICH Program Manager, Linda Pires (linda.pires@sickkids.ca).

Interested candidates:

Please submit your CV together with a brief statement of interest and qualifications by email to Dr. Susa Benseler (susanne.benseler@ahs.ca) by Thursday, June 30, 2022.