Queen's National Scholars Program Outline

The QNS program has a two-stage process. In the first stage, an invitation to submit Expressions of Interest (EOIs) is extended to all Faculties and Schools within Queen’s. The QNS Advisory Committee reviews these EOIs and selects a subset to advance to the second stage. EOIs will be evaluated based on the criteria set out below, and particularly the likelihood of success in attracting candidates from a limited pool to Queen’s. As modified in 2018, the number of EOIs selected to advance to the second stage will not exceed the number of QNS appointments possible.

At the second stage, those responsible for each successful EOI are invited to prepare and submit a full proposal. Each full proposal nominates ONE individual to be appointed. The adjudication committee will review each QNS proposal file as it becomes available, to assess, 1) whether the nominee has demonstrated the three attributes expected of a Queen’s National Scholar (as identified above); 2) whether the nominee’s teaching and research interests are well aligned with the focus of the EOI; and 3) whether the recruitment and selection processes exhibited a robust commitment to employment equity. If the adjudication committee is satisfied that all of these requirements have been met, it will make a recommendation to the Principal that the nominee be offered an appointment as a QNS.

The objective of the 2022-23 QNS Program is to enhance capacity and academic excellence in the interdisciplinary Indigenous Studies Program at Queen’s. The search is intended to attract Indigenous scholars (First Nations status or non-status, Inuit, or Métis). The call for Expressions of Interest is open to all faculties and schools. It is expected that successful candidates will provide service to and teach within the core of the Indigenous Studies Program in coordination with their home unit(s).

The QNS program’s mandate is to renew and refresh the faculty complement at Queen’s with candidates of the highest quality. Attracting candidates who would add to the diversity and strength of the institution, develop partnerships within and external to their units, and align with the priorities of the institution and those of the Indigenous Studies Program is an intrinsic objective of this QNS selection process. Candidates holding an existing tenure-track or continuing-adjunct appointment at Queen’s will not be considered.

The Expression of Interest is comprised of three sections, including 1) General Information and Summary; 2) Decanal endorsement; and 3) the Proposal.

General Information and Summary

This section should be no more than one page and should include

• A list of all those who were centrally involved in the development of the proposal, indicating their Faculty affiliation(s) and/or Department affiliation(s). Proposals involving more than one department and/or faculty are welcome; and partnership with Indigenous Studies is encouraged.
• The name and contact information of the individual taking primary responsibility for the QNS EOI. Any correspondence with respect to the QNS EOI will be directed to this individual and to the relevant Faculty Dean(s).
• A summary of the proposed QNS appointment that references, among other things,
  • two or three areas in the unit where the unit(s) would like to attract an Indigenous scholar;
  • the expected impact of the appointment with respect to the field(s), as well as for collaboration with, and benefits to, any other departments, schools, or faculties;
  • how the appointment will support and/or enhance the Indigenous Studies Program; and
  • a statement indicating how the proposed appointment will contribute to socio-cultural diversity, diversification of scholarship, or educational equity.

Decanal Endorsement

This section is the responsibility of the Faculty Dean(s) whose faculty members developed the proposal, should be no more than one page, and should include

• a signed statement of support from the Dean(s) for the proposal, including a brief description of how the proposed QNS adds value to and/or aligns with the strategic priorities of the Faculty/Faculties and the university;
• a commitment to fund any costs associated with the appointment beyond the annual allocation of $100,000 that are incurred during the first five years of the appointment; and
• a commitment to fund all costs associated with the appointment that are incurred after the first five years of the appointment.

The Proposal

This section should be no more than four pages and should include consideration of the following topics.

1. Relationship of the proposed QNS’s field(s) of teaching and research to institutional strategic priorities.

• Explain how the QNS will enhance academic excellence in the affiliated department, and how it will support the strategic priorities identified in the affiliated departments’ plans and the faculty plans. There should be clear strategic justification for why this/these area(s) of research and teaching are important to Queen’s, and their proposed contribution and impact.
• Explain how the QNS will enhance academic excellence in the Indigenous Studies Program, including how the appointment can provide support and enhance linkages with this program.
• Proposals that have the potential to attract a diverse set of candidates from many interrelated fields are strongly encouraged.
• Where appropriate, cross-disciplinary and/or cross-departmental collaboration is strongly encouraged. In these cases, proposals in which the home unit of the prospective candidate is not yet identified are encouraged to promote applications from a wide range of candidates.

2. Existing strengths in the proposed QNS’s field(s) of teaching and research, or, in the case of emerging fields, in related fields of research and teaching.

• Describe how the field has been developed or is emerging at the university over the past five years through, for example, numbers, trends, and growth in
  • faculty recruitment
  • investments in space, infrastructure, labs, libraries, databases
  • new graduate and undergraduate programs, and courses
  • graduate and postdoctoral recruitment
     
• Outline the resulting current strengths in the field(s), or related fields, as evidenced by, for example, numbers and trends related to
  • students in new undergraduate programs and course-based graduate programs
  • graduate students in research-based graduate programs
  • external research support
  • collaboration in national and international teaching or research initiatives

3. The contributions of the proposed QNS to the emergence or further development of the field(s).

• Outline the expectations of the proposed QNS, for example with respect to
  • undergraduate instruction
  • graduate and postdoctoral training and supervision
  • research funding
  • publications and other relevant outputs
     
• Explain how the proposed QNS, by meeting these expectations, will
  • contribute to, and deepen, current or emerging strengths in the field, or related fields
  • broaden or expand those current strengths
  • support innovative, interdisciplinary, and collaborative approaches to teaching and research.
  • support and/or enhance the Indigenous Studies Program

4. A statement indicating how the proposed appointment will contribute to socio-cultural diversity, diversification of research, or educational equity.

5. Letters of support are not required for the EOI submission but will be accepted (if appropriate) to a maximum of two, which may originate from either internal or external sources.

6. A recruitment plan including

• a detailed list of where you plan to post/circulate the advertisement to ensure a robust pool of candidates
• a list of potential candidates, highlighting existing partnerships, as well as the likelihood (if known) of individual candidates joining Queen’s. This is particularly important during a tight job market for attracting for Indigenous candidates and will help the QNS committee assess the likelihood of a successful search.

7. To facilitate prompt advertising should the EOI be successful, it is strongly recommended that draft advertisements be submitted along with the submission of the EOI. Note that for QNS appointments, a complete application should include a statement of experience in, and commitment to, facilitation and promotion of Indigenization, equity, diversity, inclusion, anti-racism, and accessibility.

Applicants must be Indigenous persons (First Nations status or non-status, Inuit, or Métis) with clear and demonstrable ties to Indigenous community(ies). The University will work with Indigenous people and communities to verify these connections. Recognizing the intersectionality of identities within Indigenous communities, applications from Indigenous candidates who also identity as women, persons with disabilities, and 2SLGBTQ+ persons will be welcome.

Deans and Department Heads are expected to employ robust equity hiring practices, and to actively seek applications through venues intended to reach candidates as identified above.

Nominees will not be considered unless their applications have been reviewed in accordance with established Faculty and Departmental appointments procedures, and in accordance with the Collective Agreement or the relevant Senate documents. The Chair of the Departmental Appointments Committee is responsible for ensuring that robust equity practices have been used throughout the recruitment process. Consulting with the Human Rights and Equity Office and the Office of Indigenous Initiatives in advance of advertising is strongly recommended.

Should the Expression of Interest be selected to advance to the second stage, a full proposal will be invited. Full proposals should include, at a minimum, the following documentation:

1. From the nominee,
   • a curriculum vitae which includes a comprehensive list of publications, awards and grants received;
   • a statement of current and future research interests;
   • a statement regarding teaching experience and interests together with a teaching portfolio;
   • a statement of experience with, and commitment to, facilitation and promotion of Indigenization, equity, diversity, and inclusion;
   • a minimum of three letters of reference, preferably from more than one university or other appropriate institutions, at least one of which must be at arm’s length
     Reference letters should be dated, and include the referee’s name, position, department, institution, email address and telephone number, the name of the nominee, and the period of time and the capacity in which the referee has known the nominee;
   • any other materials which may be useful to the Advisory Committee in evaluating the nominee.
      
2. A report from the Department’s appointment committee and the relevant Head(s) and/or Dean(s), outlining the strengths and weaknesses of the candidate, and the alignment between the candidate’s teaching and research interests and the area of focus of the proposal.
   • Departments are asked to explain how they plan to assist and support the candidate in developing their scholarly and research careers in terms of mentoring, teaching release, and research support.
   • Departments should clearly indicate how the candidate will support and/or enhance teaching and research in the Indigenous Studies Program as it is expected that candidates will provide service to and regular teaching in the core of the program.
   • It is the responsibility of the Departments, Faculties and Schools to provide sufficient documentation to demonstrate to the QNS Advisory Committee that the candidate possesses the three attributes expected of a QNS.
      
3. All nominations for QNS candidates must be accompanied by a completed and signed Appointments Committee Equity Checklist. The full proposal also requires a detailed report of the efforts made to support the university’s equity goals, including efforts made to attract a diverse pool of candidates and to mitigate unconscious bias in the selection process.
    
4. Full proposals should be sent to the Office of the Provost through provost@queensu.ca.
    
5. The QNS Co-Chairs reserve the right to rescind the offer of a QNS from a hiring department should the search be unsuccessful over a 12-month cycle.