Funded Master's and PhD Positions
The Master in Bioscience, Technology and Public Policy and the PhD in Bioscience and Policy programs offered through the Department of Biology at The University of Winnipeg has funded positions for excellent students in the following areas:
Positions Available
Overview:
Subject Area: Endangered Species Conservation
Positions: 1
Summary:
Identify critical habitats and understand migratory behaviour and movements of endangered bats
Degree: MSc or PhD
Detail:
Research Project Title: Identifying and protecting critical habitats of bat species at risk in the homelands of the Matawa First Nations
Description of Project: North American bats face dire conservation threats from white-nose syndrome (WNS) and industrial wind energy. For this project, the UofWinnipeg bat lab is working with Four Rivers Environmental Management to identify and protect critical habitats of at least one WNS-affected species on territories of the Matawa First Nations. The successful candidate will work closely with staff from Four Rivers, the environmental services branch of the Matawa First Nations, and local community members/Guardians using radiotelemetry and other techniques to study habitat requirements and space use of bats at local scales of a few kilometers to landscape scale movements between summer roosts and hibernacula. Our project will also help understand how consistent the habitat requirements of bats are across their geographic range and build capacity for research on SAR bats in the Matawa member communities.
Qualifications and Support: We seek an enthusiastic, driven and collaborative student to apply at either the MSc or PhD level to work with us on this project multi-year project. Standard driver’s license is a requirement. Experience conducting or assisting with research on wildlife is preferred (required for a PhD-level candidate) and outdoor/camping experience is required. Experience with public outreach and community engagement is also an asset. Please check requirements for the MSc in Bioscience, Technology and Public Policy or PhD in Bioscience and Policy to confirm eligibility for one of these programs.
How to Apply: Serious expressions of interest can be sent to Dr. Craig Willis, Professor and Graduate Program Chair in Biology (c.willis@uwinnipeg.ca). Your email should include your 1) up to date CV, 2) transcripts (unofficial acceptable at this time), and 3) a brief statement outlining why you want to join our team. Please include “Bat Lab Grad Student Position 2025” in the subject line of your email.
Overview
Subject Area: Environmental Influences on Water Quality
Positions: 1
Summary:
Investigate hydrological and climatic controls on nutrient cycling in forested catchments
Degree: PhD
Detail:
Research Project #1: Boreal watershed carbon cycling
Description of Project #1: Canada is teeming with lakes, streams and wetlands. Clean, healthy fresh waters support biodiversity and provide extensive health, economic and cultural benefits to Canadian communities. However, rates of climate change in northern boreal regions are among the highest of anywhere on Earth. Rising temperatures, changes to precipitation and declining snow cover will fundamentally alter how water and chemicals move through the environment, and could threaten our valuable aquatic resources.
We invite expressions of interest for a student who will be eligible to enroll in the PhD program in Bioscience and Policy at The University of Winnipeg starting September 2025. The successful candidate will work with an interdisciplinary team to explore how rising temperatures, shorter winters and changing precipitation patterns alter watershed carbon cycling in boreal catchments. Depending on the interests and background of the student, the project will involve a combination of field work, lab work, data analysis and/or mathematical modelling.
Qualifications and Support: We seek an enthusiastic and dedicated colleague with an MSc degree in a related field (e.g., Environmental Science, Biology, Ecology, Forestry, Geography, Earth Science). The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate how their background and goals fit with the graduate opportunity. The successful candidate will receive guaranteed funding support for two years, plus support for direct costs of research and conference participation. The incoming team member will also have access to the CFI-funded Water Quality Analysis Lab at UWinnipeg.
How to Apply: Serious expressions of interest can be sent to Dr. Nora Casson, Canada Research Chair in Environmental Influences on Water Quality and Associate Professor in the Department of Geography (n.casson@uwinnipeg.ca). Your email must include your 1) updated CV, 2) transcripts (unofficial acceptable at this time), and 3) a brief statement outlining why you want to join our team. Please include “Bioscience PhD Position 2024” in the subject line of your email.
Note, in addition to these postings other supervisors may have opportunities for graduate students so please see the list of supervisors and contact a faculty member doing research in your area of interest.