The Carol McGregor Post-Doctoral Fellowship

This post-doctoral fellowship has been named in honour of Carol McGregor, a long time disability rights activist. Carol McGregor was a researcher in the Research Action Alliance on the Consequences of Work Injury initiative before she passed away September 23, 2006 after a short battle with cancer.

Purpose of the post-doctoral appointment

This initiative seeks to build research capacity by providing mentoring opportunities for graduate students and recently graduated researchers to develop their research skills and research portfolio on the topics and concerns of this initiative. To this end, we are seeking to recruit a new researcher to take up a post-doctoral fellowship for a period of two-years. The fellowship is affiliated with McMaster University in Hamilton, though the activities of the initiative are across the province and most group meetings are held in Toronto. The person taking up the fellowship can be based anywhere as long as he or she is able to attend initiative meetings in Toronto and to participate in initiative activities. Office space is contingent upon availability at partner organizations. We are seeking someone to fill the position in the summer or fall of 2007.

Subject Matter Focus

We welcome applicants with a Ph.D. from any disciplinary background who have a demonstrated interest in the subject matter of this initiative. We are particularly interested in expanding research within the initiative on the topics of deeming and experience rating. Deeming is a component of the adjudication process for benefits determination in some workers' compensation programs and refers to the process of ascribing a labour-market earnings capacity to an injured worker. Experience rating is an aspect of the insurance premium rate setting process and refers specifically to the tying of an organization's premiums to its claims experience in order to provide a financial incentive for prevention. More details about these and other research topics being pursued by researchers in the initiative can be found elsewhere on our website, and by contacting the researchers identified at the bottom of this call for applications.

Conditions of the appointment

1. Applicants should have a recently-completed Ph.D. (or be in the final stages of their Ph.D.).
2. Applicants should have an interest in approaching research questions from a community-based, multidisciplinary perspective.
3. The person taking up the appointment will conduct scholarly inquiry within areas of relevance to the initiative, undertaking her/his own original research, as well as collaborating with other researchers involved in the initiative.
4. The applicant will establish a mentorship or research relationship with one or more RAACWI co-investigators. To receive more information about individuals involved in the initiative, please visit our website (www.consequencesofworkinjury.ca) and contact the researchers identified at the bottom of the call for applications.
5. Applicants must hold Canadian citizenship or be eligible for Permanent Resident status at the time of application.
6. Although the appointment is based at McMaster University, the person taking up the appointment is expected to participate in group meetings and community-based activities, many of which are held in Toronto.
7. The appointment will be awarded for up to 24 consecutive months, commencing in the summer or fall of 2007. If the appointment is terminated during its course, the award will be prorated.
8. The salary support for the appointment is $31,500 per annum. This grant does not preclude the possibility of the person holding the appointment from undertaking other income-generating activities such as teaching, up to a reasonable extent.
9. Interim written reports that briefly describe progress will be submitted at six, 12, and 18 months into the term. A final, detailed report must be filed prior to the conclusion of the appointment.

Applications for this position should include:

1. A covering letter giving the names, addresses and telephone numbers of three references.
2. A curriculum vitae and a transcript of academic records (graduate and undergraduate, complete with description of grading scale employed). Official transcripts are not required.
3. An abstract of the research proposal (maximum 200 words) written in plain language.
4. A full statement (no more than three pages) of the proposed two-year research program. The description of the research program should state the benefits expected to be derived from it and its relevance to the work of the Initiative. Include a detailed response to items # 2-4 from the previous Conditions of the appointment. If resources are required to undertake the research, a description of funding sources (potential or secured) should be included in the write up, since the Initiative can only provide salary support for this appointment.

The successful candidate will be notified by Friday, June 15, 2007.

Applications should be sent by mail to:

Research Action Alliance on the Consequences of Work Injury
c/o Emile Tompa
Institute for Work & Health
481 University Avenue, Suite 800
Toronto, Ontario M5G 2E9

Inquiries should be directed to:

Emile Tompa Initiative Academic Lead Financial Security Academic Lead McMaster University Institute for Work & Health Tel: (416) 927-2027 x. 2113 etompa@iwh.on.ca	Steve Mantis Initiative Community Lead Ontario Network of Injured Workers' Groups Tel: (807) 767-9633 smantis@tbaytel.net
Marion Endicott Legislation Theme Community Lead Injured Workers' Consultants endicotm@lao.on.ca	Ellen MacEachen Heath Theme Academic Co-lead University of Toronto Institute for Work & Health Tel: (416) 927-2027 x. 2136 emaceachen@iwh.on.ca