Job description:
We seek an Indigenous faculty member at Queen’s University to serve in a part-time role as an Indigenous Research Ethics Lead in the Vice-Principal Research Portfolio for a one-year period with a possibility of renewal.
This position, a collaboration between the Office of Indigenous Initiatives and the Vice-Principal Research Portfolio, offers a unique chance to lay a solid foundation for a new research ethics review process that will foreground the needs of Indigenous researchers, students, and research partners. It is a great opportunity for someone interested in facilitating meaningful change with respect to decolonization and Indigenization of ethics review practices at Queen’s to help ensure that these practices are better aligned with Indigenous ways of being and knowing. If you:
- Have an interest in building a pathway for the creation of an independent Indigenous Research Ethics Review Board at our institution, and are
- An Indigenous faculty member at Queen’s with experience conducting research in partnership with Indigenous communities,
this role may be for you!
Candidate Eligibility
Applicants must be Indigenous persons with clear and demonstrable ties to Indigenous community(ies) and will be required to provide documentation in accordance with the Hiring of Indigenous Specific Positions – Interim Policy.
Background
“Extending the Rafters” – the final report of Queen’s University Truth and Reconciliation Commission Task Force (2016) – asserts the rights of Indigenous communities and individuals to be equal partners and beneficiaries in culturally-appropriate research that addresses the needs of Indigenous peoples. The report highlights the importance of building reciprocal relationships with Indigenous communities, grounded in meaningful consultations and informed consent. One of its key recommendations is to ensure that researchers and members of Research Ethics Boards are appropriately trained on guidelines for ethical conduct of Indigenous research, with a special focus placed on community engagement as a core ethical requirement.
In 2021, the Vice Principal Research Portfolio and the Office of Indigenous Initiatives embarked on a research project with a goal of exploring a potential new model of Indigenous research ethics review at Queen’s University to better address the needs of Indigenous partners and Queen’s researchers who collaborate with them. The Findings Report (PDF 8.9 MB), which was released in February 2022, revealed strong support for the creation of a separate Indigenous Research Ethics Board (IREB) at Queen’s with the authority to grant or refuse ethics approval and renew, propose modifications to, or terminate any proposed or ongoing research involving Indigenous people.
The Indigenous Research Ethics Review Working Group (IRER WG) was launched in November 2022 to advise on actioning the recommendations that emerged from the report, including the creation of IREB and the need to prioritize reciprocity and relational ways of being and knowing in ethics review. The group includes Indigenous and allied faculty members, staff, students, community research partners and representatives from the Office of Indigenous Initiatives and the VPR.
The VPR Portfolio and the IRER WG remain committed to working together on this initiative with the goal of foregrounding the voices and needs of Indigenous communities in the process of research ethics review in line with the university’s commitment to advance Indigenization and decolonization. As a next step, we are looking for an Indigenous Research Ethics Lead to support the process of mapping out the implementation strategy and an administrative pathway for developing an Indigenous Research Ethics Board at Queen’s. The successful candidate, with the support of IRER WG, will lead a collaborative process to chart a path forward in a good way and lay a solid foundation for the long-term process of building an IREB.
Responsibilities
- Leading the development of an implementation strategy for establishing an IREB, including a timeline, milestones, a budget, resources, responsibilities, and a plan for outreach and membership recruitment.
- Leading the development of IREB policy and procedures from the initial consultation phase through submission to governance bodies.
- Consultation, as needed, with internal and external Indigenous research community, e.g. Indigenous faculty members and students, Queen’s Indigenous Council and its working groups, Indigenous research partners, and teams leading similar processes at other post-secondary institutions.
- Working closely with the VPR Ethics Unit, Compliance Unit, the Office of Indigenous Initiatives and the Indigenous Research Ethics Review Working Group.
- Leading and conducting information gathering exercises as needed, including literature reviews, web searches and outreach.
Competencies and Skills
- Knowledge of Indigenous issues in the context of Indigenous and mainstream research.
- Knowledge of Indigenous research ethics protocols and the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans – TCPS 2 (2022), particularly Chapter 9 TCPS2: Research Involving the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples of Canada.
- Understanding of policy development processes.
- Ability to take a broad, long-range, and relational approach to problem-solving and decision-making that involves collaborative analysis, strong listening skills, and forward thinking.
- Demonstrated analytical and planning skills.
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
- Good interpersonal and leadership skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively to map out the IREB implementation in a good way. Demonstrated tact, diplomacy, and judgment.
- Demonstrated ability to create, maintain and build relationships with internal and external community members including researchers, administrators, faculty members, staff, students, Indigenous Knowledge Keepers, etc.
Time commitment
We anticipate that the time commitment for this role will average approximately one working day per week. The Indigenous Research Ethics Lead will be provided with administrative support. With this role there is the possibility of working remotely, but we do prefer that the incumbent spend some time on site.
Compensation
Indigenous Faculty members
In consultation with the relevant unit head or dean, activities included in this role may contribute to the faculty member’s service commitments. In addition, the incumbent may be eligible for a reduction in other responsibilities (e.g., temporary reduction of their teaching load) and/or receive a stipend. Determination of compensation considerations will require negotiation, and conversations with Departmental and Faculty leadership.
How to Apply
The application deadline is February 17, 2025, but applications will be accepted until the position is filled. To apply, in confidence, please submit a single PDF application package to research@queensu.ca, which consists of the following:
- Cover letter (maximum two pages) that outlines the applicant’s qualifications and experience
- Current curriculum vitae
Following review of the applications, selected applicants will be invited to an interview.
If you wish to learn more about the Indigenous Research Ethics Lead role, please contact Dr. Kelly Blair-Matuk. Questions regarding the application process may be directed to research@queensu.ca.
Queen’s is strongly committed to employment equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace, and this is an Indigenous specific opportunity. Recognizing the importance of intersectionality, Indigenous people with intersecting identities, e.g., women, persons with disabilities and 2SLGBTQ+ persons are encouraged to apply.
Queen's is committed to achieving full accessibility for persons with disabilities. The University will provide support in its recruitment processes to applicants with disabilities, including accommodation that takes into account an applicant’s accessibility needs. If you require an accommodation during the recruitment process, please contact research@queensu.ca.