How York University’s AI research chair limits eligibility by self-identification

Mock York University faculty job posting for a Canada Research Chair in Artificial Intelligence, stamped NO MEN ALLOWED in red

York University in Toronto is recruiting a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Artificial Intelligence and the Arts. The posting states that the position is open only to applicants who indicate on a self-identification form that they identify as women or gender non-conforming. The examples it lists include “trans man” and “trans woman.”

The position

According to the posting:

Faculty: School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD), with a home department to be chosen from Computational Arts, Film & Media Arts, Visual Art & Art History, Theatre, Dance & Performance, Music, or Design.
Rank: Assistant or Associate Professor, tenure-track, starting July 1, 2027, or as soon as possible after.
Salary: an anticipated $130,000–$160,000 (Assistant) or $138,000–$168,000 (Associate).
Deadline: November 18, 2026.
Funding: partly funded by York’s Connected Minds program, which is funded in part by the federal Canada First Research Excellence Fund.

The eligibility rule

The posting says, word for word:

> “Recognizing the underrepresentation of women and gender minorities among CRCs, this position is open only to qualified researchers who indicate on the Affirmative Action self-identification form (see below) that they identify as women or gender non-conforming (e.g., genderfluid, nonbinary, Two-Spirit, trans man, trans woman). The appointment is part of the University’s Affirmative Action program, which is based on the special program provisions of the Ontario Human Rights Code.”

Three features of the wording are worth noting:

1. Eligibility turns on a self-declaration, not on sex. The test is what an applicant indicates on the form. The posting does not describe any other way gender identity is assessed.
2. The eligible group includes people of both sexes. “Trans woman” refers to a male; “trans man” refers to a female. Both are listed as eligible, as are nonbinary, genderfluid and Two-Spirit applicants. Males who do not identify as women or as gender non-conforming are not eligible.
3. Documentation is required for one category but not the other. The same posting says that, under a federal Tri-Agency policy, Indigenous applicants must provide supporting documentation affirming their citizenship or membership in an Indigenous collective. The posting lists no documentation requirement for the gender-identity question. The application instructions describe the self-identification form as “optional.” For this position, completing it with an eligible answer is a condition of eligibility.

What a Canada Research Chair is

The Canada Research Chairs program is a federal program that funds research positions at Canadian universities. Universities nominate chairholders, and an international College of Reviewers assesses each nomination.

Tier 1 chairs are for researchers recognized as world leaders. The institution receives $200,000 a year for seven years.
Tier 2 chairs are for “exceptional emerging researchers.” The institution receives $100,000 a year for five years, plus a $20,000 annual research stipend for first-term chairs.

The program requires every participating university to meet equity targets for four designated groups by December 2029. The target for “women and gender equity-seeking groups” is 50.9%. The program notes that individuals “who self-identify as women, transgender, gender-fluid, nonbinary and Two-Spirit contribute to the program’s equity targets.” In June 2021, that group held 38.6% of chairs. Institutions that miss a target at a deadline may be limited to nominating people who self-identify as members of the groups where they fall short, until the gap is closed.

The Ontario law York cites

The Ontario Human Rights Code protects the right to equal treatment in employment without discrimination because of sex, gender identity, gender expression and other grounds (section 5). Section 23 says that a job advertisement that classifies or indicates qualifications by a prohibited ground infringes that right.

Section 14 provides an exception. A right is not infringed by “a special program designed to relieve hardship or economic disadvantage or to assist disadvantaged persons or groups to achieve or attempt to achieve equal opportunity.” The Ontario Human Rights Commission may formally designate a program as a special program, but designation is not required for an employer to rely on section 14. York states that this appointment is part of its Affirmative Action program and relies on these provisions.

Earlier York postings

York has used the same eligibility wording in other AI research-chair postings, including:

Osgoode Hall Law School: a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Law, with a start date of July 1, 2025.
Lassonde School of Engineering: a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Computer Science: Generative Artificial Intelligence, posted in February 2024.

Each contains the same sentence restricting the position to applicants who identify as women or gender non-conforming.

Representation data

The posting's stated rationale is "the underrepresentation of women and gender minorities among CRCs." Published data give a mixed picture:

As of March 2026, the Canada Research Chairs program reports that women hold 52.4% of active chairs, and 56.3% of Tier 2 chairs (the tier of this position). The program's combined "women and gender equity-seeking" share is 53.6%, above its 50.9% target for December 2029. (CRC statistics)
Statistics Canada reports that for 2024/25, women were 43.7% of full-time university teaching staff overall, but 52.9% of assistant professors (the entry tenure-track rank), 45.1% of associate professors, and 33.6% of full professors. (Statistics Canada, November 2025)
Women are 56.1% of postsecondary enrolment in Canada, though representation varies by field: about 28.6% in mathematics and computer and information sciences, and 24.5% in engineering. (Statistics Canada enrolment data)

In other words, women are now a majority of Canada Research Chairs overall and at the Tier 2 level, and a majority of newly hired assistant professors, while remaining a minority at the full-professor rank and in some STEM fields such as computer science and engineering.

What happens next

Applications are due November 18, 2026. Any appointment depends on York’s nomination being approved through the CRC program’s peer review.

Sources

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