McMaster University is located on the traditional territories of the Haudenosaunee and Mississauga Nations, and within the lands protected by the Dish with One Spoon wampum agreement.
Position Description
The Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track faculty position in the Cognitive Neuroscience of Music at the Assistant or Associate Professor level, beginning July 1, 2022.
McMaster is known internationally for the scientific study of music. The McMaster Institute for Music and the Mind (MIMM) involves an interdisciplinary group of researchers from Psychology, Neuroscience, Kinesiology, Engineering, Music, and Health Science, who conduct fundamental and applied research related to music. MIMM houses the unique LIVELab (https://livelab.mcmaster.ca), a 106-seat research concert hall with exquisite active acoustic control and the capacity to measure movement, EEG and other physiology simultaneously in interacting musicians and audience members.
We seek a researcher who studies fundamental mechanisms and/or applied questions related to the cognitive neuroscience of music. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, sensorimotor processes underlying perception and performance; coordination between musicians; neural encoding of music; effects of experience and culture; physiological synchrony in musicians and audience members; the role of music in optimal development and/or mental health and wellbeing; the protective value of music against cognitive decline in aging; music and developmental disabilities; and improvisation and creativity. Expertise in computational modelling, measurement and analysis of EEG and other physiological signals, and movement analysis would be an asset.
In addition to the scientific study of music, the Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour has long-standing strengths in auditory, visual and tactile sensory systems; development; computational neuroscience; behavioural neuroscience; cognition and learning; evolutionary and social psychology; and animal behaviour. We value and encourage collaboration among researchers and educators, and have close ties with the Departments of Biology, Kinesiology, Music, Electrical & Computer Engineering, and Psychiatry & Behavioural Neuroscience. Many of our faculty are affiliated with McMaster’s interdisciplinary graduate programs in Neuroscience and Computational Science & Engineering. For more information on the Department, please visit https://www.science.mcmaster.ca/pnb/.
McMaster University is a globally renowned institution of higher learning and a research community committed to advancing human and societal health and well-being. Our focus on collaboratively exchanging ideas and approaches makes us uniquely positioned to pioneer ground-breaking solutions to real-world problems leading to a Brighter World. The Faculty of Science works to create global impact by advancing scientific discovery and knowledge, and promoting greater understanding. Our innovative, interdisciplinary approach generates new methods and insights, results, and lasting change.
Commitment to Inclusive Excellence
The diversity of our workforce is at the core of our innovation and creativity and strengthens our research and teaching excellence. In keeping with its Statement on Building an Inclusive Community with a Shared Purpose, McMaster University strives to embody the values of respect, collaboration and diversity, and has a strong commitment to employment equity.
The University seeks qualified candidates who share our commitment to equity and inclusion, who will contribute to the diversification of ideas and perspectives, and especially welcomes applications from First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples, members of racialized communities (“visible minorities”), persons with disabilities, women, persons who identify as 2SLGBTQ+.
We invite all applicants to complete a brief Diversity Survey, which takes approximately two minutes to complete, through McMaster’s application submission portal. The answering of survey questions is voluntary with an option to decline to answer. All information collected is confidential and will be used to support efforts to broaden the diversity of the applicant pool and to promote a fair, equitable and inclusive talent acquisition process.
Job applicants requiring accommodation to participate in the hiring process should contact the Office of the Dean, Faculty of Science at baileyd@mcmaster.ca to communicate accommodation needs.
How to Apply
Complete applications must be made online at https://hr.mcmaster.ca/careers/current-opportunities/ (Faculty Positions, Job 39966) by October 1, 2021 to the attention of Dr. Mel Rutherford, Professor & Chair, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 4K1.
A complete application consists of:
- a cover letter (including a statement regarding whether the applicant has Canadian citizenship/permanent resident status (see below))
- a current Curriculum Vitae
- three (3) representative publications (reprints or preprints)
- a statement of research interests (2-page maximum)
- a statement of teaching philosophy and interests (2-page maximum)
- a statement of experience and plans for advancing equity, diversity and inclusion in post-secondary education, community-based or other professional settings (2-page maximum)
- the names and full contact information of at least three referees.
Letters of reference are not required and will not be reviewed at the application stage; the Department will request letters of recommendation from referees at later stages of the search process.
Review of complete applications will begin October 1, 2021 and continue until the position is filled. All applicants will receive an on-line, system-generated confirmation of receipt of their application; however, only short-listed applicants will be contacted for interviews. Please be advised that any full-time, permanent faculty member of the Department can request confidential access to the application materials, including the reference letters. Progressive policies are in place to assist faculty members to achieve a work-life balance. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.
All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority. To comply with the Government of Canada’s reporting requirements, the University is obliged to gather information about applicants’ status as either Canadian citizens or Permanent Residents of Canada. Applicants need not identify their country of origin or current citizenship; however, all applications, as stated above, MUST include one of the following statements in their application package: “I am/am not a citizen or permanent resident of Canada.” Applications that do not include this information will be deemed incomplete.
Contact information
Dr. Bruce Milliken
Search Committee Co-chair
millike@mcmaster.ca
