SENIOR FELLOWS

The Cascade Institute is looking for researchers and other experts interested in taking a 2 to 12-month leave or sabbatical from their home institution to join the Cascade Institute on Vancouver Island, Canada as Senior Fellows. Specifically, we are looking for experts investigating topics related to Energy Systems Transformation including:

  • scaling up community-level energy system innovation to the regional/national/global level,
  • worldview and institutional innovation for accelerating energy system transformation, and
  • ultradeep geothermal systems (including strategies for overcoming political and regulatory obstacles to R&D, implementation, and scaling).

Cascade Institute Senior Fellows are globally recognized and elite researchers and knowledge mobilizers with highly specialized expertise on complex social and technological systems and topics related to the Institute’s evolving research program.

Focused on the dynamics of complex social and technological systems, Senior Fellows scan the knowledge frontier to identify high-impact research opportunities and conduct leading-edge research aimed at addressing the critical issues of our time. Senior Fellows are members of one or more of the Institute’s research teams and work collaboratively with other team members to produce research and analysis.

The stipend for Senior Fellows is CAD 16,666 per month (CAD 200,000 per year). Senior Fellows are expected to dedicate 80% of their time (i.e., 4 days per week) to CI activities and projects and 20% of their time (1 day per week) to their other professional commitments.

Senior Fellows are expected to spend at least 75 percent of their term working at the Cascade Institute offices on Royal Roads University campus in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

Selection process:

We encourage those who are interested to submit an Expression of Interest form (see below). Periodically, the Cascade Institute will issue a call for a Senior Fellow with particular expertise and experience. These calls will be shaped by the expressions of interest received by the Cascade Institute, as well as the evolving research program of the Institute. Everyone who submitted an expression of interest will be notified about new calls via email.

Duration:

Minimum 2 months, maximum 12 months

Compensation:

Minimum CAD 33,333 (2 months), maximum CAD 200,000 (12 months)

Location:

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada (for 75% of contract term). Senior Fellows are expected to work from the Cascade Institute offices on Royal Roads University campus at least 3 days per week.

Payment mechanism:

Senior Fellows are paid through a contract for services. The division of payment between “expenses” and “stipend” is flexible.

Required qualifications:

  • A doctorate in the social or natural sciences
  • Demonstrated ability to write with exceptional analytical clarity
  • Experience working on collaborative/team projects
  • Experience working on interdisciplinary projects
  • Demonstrated ability to effectively tailor outputs for different types of readers
  • Experience communicating research/analysis findings beyond journal articles and academic conferences
  • Demonstrated ability to present research/analysis findings orally in a clear and compelling manner—and to engage critically and constructively with other experts in a meeting/workshop/webinar setting
  • Demonstrated ability to lead or “headline” speaking events, keynotes, or high-profile presentations
  • Demonstrated ability to build broad networks of other experts and practitioners

Preferred qualifications:

  • Demonstrated expertise in complex systems (e.g., writing, publications, other research/analysis outputs)
  • Experience working at a research institute, think tank, or research-focused NGO

Duties and position outcomes:

Development of research and analysis products

  • Works both independently and with other members of the research team(s) to collect data, conduct analysis, and write high-quality deliverables (academic and non-academic papers, reports, briefings, system mapping tools)
  • Collaborates with other members of their research team(s) to scan the knowledge frontier for high-impact research and analysis opportunities
  • Contributes to the development and execution of new strategies and projects in collaboration with the research team(s)
  • Builds new, and expands current, national and international networks of experts and changemakers to shape and sometimes co-develop research and analysis

Knowledge mobilization

  • Collaborates with other members of their research team(s), as well as the communications team to mobilize knowledge, findings, and recommendations to maximize their impact
  • Leads or “headlines” speaking events, keynotes, or high-profile presentations

Teamwork and project management

  • Provides regular progress updates to the Research Director, project team, and various advisory teams/boards
  • Contributes to the tracking of project evaluation metrics and helps to fulfill project reporting requirements
  • Integrates inclusion, diversity and accessibility in processes, activities and resources and upholds the university’s organizational commitment to EDI and Indigenization.