Join the Lab!
Current openings: there is an extremely high chance I will be recruiting a PhD student to start January, May, or September 2027, depending on the outcome of my NSERC Discovery Grant. Positions are often posted on our Instagram. Scroll down for details on how to apply for grad, undergrad, and postdoc opportunities.
Diversity 🌈 & inclusion: Science is ultimately a creative endeavor, and benefits from a diversity of brains and backgrounds. Please see Code of Conduct for lab values that contribute inclusion and belonging.
Diversity 🌈 & inclusion: Science is ultimately a creative endeavor, and benefits from a diversity of brains and backgrounds. Please see Code of Conduct for lab values that contribute inclusion and belonging.
Rachel's Training Philosophy
My goal is to treat my relationship with you somewhere between a colleague and a mentor. “Colleague” in the sense that I view our time together as a collaboration and am excited about ideas you bring and directions you take your research, but “mentor” in the sense that I also have a responsibility to provide training and direction to ensure that you will be successful in your degree (i.e., hit major programmatic milestones, hone your skills) and in your career (i.e., that your CV will be competitive for the goals that you have).
I will give you kind but direct feedback, as soon as I have identified the need – I will be explicit about a training plan, with your input about what works best for you. This way, you don’t need to guess what I’m thinking or why I’m giving you a specific challenge or goal. We may adjust this plan over time based on how things are going. It might take us a bit of time after you start for me to figure out what you need and what mentoring style works best for you, with a bit of trial and error.
For all feedback, for example for writing, I will be as clear as possible about why I am suggesting a particular change, so you can disagree, come up with an alternative solution, or be able to apply that advice to related tasks in the future.
I will emphasize building upon your strengths as much as I emphasize improving upon skills you are in the process of developing, and will connect you with opportunities that align with these strengths. My goal is to help you become the best version of you.
I will help you set small (i.e., weekly) goals that build towards large goals (e.g., a qualifying exam).
We will review your career goals ~once a year and strategize opportunities that will give you options after you graduate.
I will be as “hands on” as needed, decreasing with your experience and confidence with a given task. For example, if you are learning how to write, I might start off a paragraph for you and have you finish it. Once that’s looking good, I might have you write one totally on your own, and provide feedback and revisions. Same goes for code, making talks, time management, etc., i.e., whatever skill it is that you are working to develop.
My goal is for you to develop your own research program and have the freedom to take your research in new directions. I will be clear with you where limits of my own skills and knowledge lie, if these limits are relevant to your project, and if needed, provide you with means of seeking out resources to make up for these limits (e.g., collaborators, workshops, courses). Of course, if things swing too far, there’s a question of whether or not I’m the best advisor for you, but hopefully this is figured out before you join the lab!
I am supportive of you engaging in all kinds of other activities you may want to engage in (e.g., service, teaching, research) so long as they don’t impact your ability to complete the core of your thesis in a timely manner (minimums = 3 chapters for PhD, 1 for MSc). I must be heavily involved in these minimum chapters in order to ensure they are being performed on a timeline and to a quality that will ensure successful completion of the program. I am happy to chat with you about extra activities to strategize if they help advance your career goals or if they will impact your thesis beyond a reasonable degree. I might advise against certain activities based on how far off you are from your intended thesis timeline (no one wants to be here for 7 years!) or based on how many other activities you are working on concurrently (no one wants to get burnt out!).
For the most part, I will give you my advice based on experience, discuss what opportunities/risks different choices might bring and any actual boundaries, but ultimately the choice is yours.
In general, I think the key to success is: publish as you go, staggering projects through time. Why? Each publication is a thesis chapter – at the end, you can staple your publications together and bam: thesis done, and your CV is competitive for jobs. Alternatively, I see some people try and frantically push all chapters out at once at the end of their degree, only to rewrite them for publication after graduation. This seems really stressful and inefficient but is sometimes unavoidable.
Ultimately I am here to guide you towards the finish line - it is our joint responsibility to ensure that you are making progress and staying on top of programmatic milestones (e.g., committee meetings).
I will give you kind but direct feedback, as soon as I have identified the need – I will be explicit about a training plan, with your input about what works best for you. This way, you don’t need to guess what I’m thinking or why I’m giving you a specific challenge or goal. We may adjust this plan over time based on how things are going. It might take us a bit of time after you start for me to figure out what you need and what mentoring style works best for you, with a bit of trial and error.
For all feedback, for example for writing, I will be as clear as possible about why I am suggesting a particular change, so you can disagree, come up with an alternative solution, or be able to apply that advice to related tasks in the future.
I will emphasize building upon your strengths as much as I emphasize improving upon skills you are in the process of developing, and will connect you with opportunities that align with these strengths. My goal is to help you become the best version of you.
I will help you set small (i.e., weekly) goals that build towards large goals (e.g., a qualifying exam).
We will review your career goals ~once a year and strategize opportunities that will give you options after you graduate.
I will be as “hands on” as needed, decreasing with your experience and confidence with a given task. For example, if you are learning how to write, I might start off a paragraph for you and have you finish it. Once that’s looking good, I might have you write one totally on your own, and provide feedback and revisions. Same goes for code, making talks, time management, etc., i.e., whatever skill it is that you are working to develop.
My goal is for you to develop your own research program and have the freedom to take your research in new directions. I will be clear with you where limits of my own skills and knowledge lie, if these limits are relevant to your project, and if needed, provide you with means of seeking out resources to make up for these limits (e.g., collaborators, workshops, courses). Of course, if things swing too far, there’s a question of whether or not I’m the best advisor for you, but hopefully this is figured out before you join the lab!
I am supportive of you engaging in all kinds of other activities you may want to engage in (e.g., service, teaching, research) so long as they don’t impact your ability to complete the core of your thesis in a timely manner (minimums = 3 chapters for PhD, 1 for MSc). I must be heavily involved in these minimum chapters in order to ensure they are being performed on a timeline and to a quality that will ensure successful completion of the program. I am happy to chat with you about extra activities to strategize if they help advance your career goals or if they will impact your thesis beyond a reasonable degree. I might advise against certain activities based on how far off you are from your intended thesis timeline (no one wants to be here for 7 years!) or based on how many other activities you are working on concurrently (no one wants to get burnt out!).
For the most part, I will give you my advice based on experience, discuss what opportunities/risks different choices might bring and any actual boundaries, but ultimately the choice is yours.
In general, I think the key to success is: publish as you go, staggering projects through time. Why? Each publication is a thesis chapter – at the end, you can staple your publications together and bam: thesis done, and your CV is competitive for jobs. Alternatively, I see some people try and frantically push all chapters out at once at the end of their degree, only to rewrite them for publication after graduation. This seems really stressful and inefficient but is sometimes unavoidable.
Ultimately I am here to guide you towards the finish line - it is our joint responsibility to ensure that you are making progress and staying on top of programmatic milestones (e.g., committee meetings).
Code of Conduct
My vision is for this lab to operate somewhat like a working group: where people work together and are free to exchange ideas in a non-judgmental, positive, supportive, inclusive, and creative environment. Please see this blog about how to engage positively in a group setting - we all do better when we help each other succeed. On the more obvious end, our training environment should be free from bullying, harassment, and discrimination. Note that bullying, harassment, and discrimination can take many forms, including exclusion, mis-handling intellectual property, jokes making fun of others, gossiping, pressuring others to drink, gaslighting others about academic or personal matters, etc.
We should be aware of our roles as role models for new students and undergraduate researchers who engage with the lab. What we say carries more weight than we realize and can be the difference between inspiring or demotivating mentees (e.g., overly critical comments (“that was stupid”), overly negative sentiments about research careers, speaking negatively about each other)—negativity spreads. Lastly, we should have fun, but we should also be mindful of keeping fun positive and within everyone’s comfort zone, which we should check in with on a regular basis, for example, when new members join the lab. Depending on who is in the lab, certain behaviors or activities may be within everyone’s comfort zone (e.g., Cards Against Humanity) but should still be avoided to prevent our lab culture from drifting into an inappropriate space.
Feel welcome to share your hobbies and interests, build camaraderie with your peers, share your aspirations and goals, and if you feel that personal matters are affecting your progress (e.g., family illness), feel free to share with Rachel if you feel comfortable so we can plan your advising accordingly—I will not ask probing questions or provide advice on personal matters beyond the needs of planning your training. At the same time, try and keep interactions in the lab positive and professional and be mindful of oversharing in ways that might harm others—a good gauge may be, would you say xyz to a grandparent? If I observe behavior that crosses boundaries in these regards, I may have to speak with you and potentially involve the graduate advisors depending on the situation.
Ultimately this is our lab. We all contribute to its culture and to pushing ourselves and each other to grow scientifically and personally.
We should be aware of our roles as role models for new students and undergraduate researchers who engage with the lab. What we say carries more weight than we realize and can be the difference between inspiring or demotivating mentees (e.g., overly critical comments (“that was stupid”), overly negative sentiments about research careers, speaking negatively about each other)—negativity spreads. Lastly, we should have fun, but we should also be mindful of keeping fun positive and within everyone’s comfort zone, which we should check in with on a regular basis, for example, when new members join the lab. Depending on who is in the lab, certain behaviors or activities may be within everyone’s comfort zone (e.g., Cards Against Humanity) but should still be avoided to prevent our lab culture from drifting into an inappropriate space.
Feel welcome to share your hobbies and interests, build camaraderie with your peers, share your aspirations and goals, and if you feel that personal matters are affecting your progress (e.g., family illness), feel free to share with Rachel if you feel comfortable so we can plan your advising accordingly—I will not ask probing questions or provide advice on personal matters beyond the needs of planning your training. At the same time, try and keep interactions in the lab positive and professional and be mindful of oversharing in ways that might harm others—a good gauge may be, would you say xyz to a grandparent? If I observe behavior that crosses boundaries in these regards, I may have to speak with you and potentially involve the graduate advisors depending on the situation.
Ultimately this is our lab. We all contribute to its culture and to pushing ourselves and each other to grow scientifically and personally.
How to Apply
Key Dates (exact dates vary slightly among years)
|
NSERC CGRS-D
Internal deadline: ~Sept. 9 |
NSERC CGRS-M
Internal deadline: ~Dec. 1 |
Admissions to UBC
Deadline: ~Jan. 1 |
Why do grad school at UBC/the Biodiversity Research Centre/Dept. Zoology?
How the application process works
To inquire about graduate student opportunities, the first step (once identifying a strong interest in UBC and the research we do in this lab) is to send me an email ([email protected]) with your CV and transcripts attached. I will review all inquiries - if there are signs that our interests are well aligned, I will contact you to set up an interview*, either on Zoom or in person if you live nearby (if things seem less well aligned I will also let you know, except in cases where I felt someone wasn't seriously applying to the lab). In the interview we will chat about your research experiences, your career goals, research topics you find interesting, etc. - I will likely contact your references at some point throughout this process. If things go well there, I will invite you to think about formally applying by Zoology's admission deadline (usually in January) and connect you to some of my current students. If you do decide to formally apply, I will give you several rounds of feedback on your materials to improve your chances with internal fellowships. I may also ask you to apply for NSERC assuming that deadlines have not passed and will give feedback on your materials.
What happens next depends on a few factors. If the lab is in a good financial position and I feel certain that we are well aligned, I may offer you a position with no contingencies. Alternatively, if funds are tighter or more students are applying than can reasonably be admitted, admissions decisions may be more strongly influenced by fellowship outcomes, which are usually announced at the end of March.
* One caveat: sometimes emails get lost in my inbox. If you did not hear back from me, I may have missed your email - please resend your email. Side not: this is not a sign that I am hard to get ahold of, as my students communicate with me over Slack where I usually respond within seconds.
Funding details (current as of Feb. 2026)
The funding package at the Dept. of Zoology at UBC is constantly changing (usually for the better). Please use the following link for the latest.
An important note about stipends: "minimum stipends" reported by the Dept. of Zoology = your take-home salary; at some other institutions (e.g., EEB at UofT as of 2026), stipends appear much higher but students must pay tuition from this stipend (which is not the case here) - this should be factored in when comparing stipends among institutions, as our stipends are competitive compared to similar institutions in cities with a similar cost of living.
International students: Tuition and fees are the same as domestic students up until the final years of the PhD program.
Below are additional details on funding specific to my lab.
I ask that my students apply for fellowships like the 4YF, NSERC, etc. if they are eligible. Students are then asked to contribute a minimum of $13224** towards their stipend from a combination of fellowships and/or TAing* ($13224** is the current pay for TAing two terms), with stipend revisions occurring as needed. Students can bring in smaller grants (e.g., Sigma Xi) to support their direct costs of research (e.g., experiments, travel) without revising the stipend.
Students with a fellowship over the minimum stipend may choose whether or not to TA*, with all TA funding going to them.
Students who earn $23,000 or more through a combination of fellowship and TAships will have the rest of their minimum stipend covered by the grant plus a $2000 bonus, up to $40,000. The reason why the bonus only applies up to $40,000 is because my goal is to make sure everyone has adequate support and I would rather re-allocate those funds to increase the stipends of students with less fellowship support.
This is my attempt to keep things reasonably fair amongst students in the lab, while still incentivizing TAing and applying for fellowships beyond what is needed to meet the minimum (so the lab doesn’t go broke).
I ask my students to be informed about their funding package (both current and future years) and disbursement timelines (feel free to reach out if I can help clarify), and budget finances accordingly without seeking out additional employment unless doing so doesn’t impact your thesis progress (e.g., one student worked at an observatory on weekends, which was fine). I am happy to connect you to budgeting resources at UBC if needed.
Each year, I will do my best to evaluate the lab's budget and find ways for extra money to become available to be used to increase stipends above the Zoology-set minimum.
If anything written here is confusing please feel free to ask me about it.
* TAing could be replaced by a BRITE, LDP, or MITACS internship or similar options.
** this amount will increase over time with TA rates and may not be up to date
- access to CV/network-builders such as internships, certificates, and working groups through the BRITE program and Living Data Project
- access to one-credit skills-based graduate modules (only open to Dept. Zoology), including: data science, science writing, presentations, etc. See list here.
- the Biodiversity Research Centre is world-famous for its contributions to ecology & evolution research; many past graduate students have become leaders in their fields
- the Dept. of Zoology is well funded and has a fun social vibe (our dept. head is amazing), and has incredible staff (Mimi!)/faculty (the Graduate Advisory Committee) constantly working to improve functioning of the graduate program to best serve students
- several pools of funding for conference travel
- more departmental discussion groups, social events, and seminars than you'll be able to participate in
How the application process works
To inquire about graduate student opportunities, the first step (once identifying a strong interest in UBC and the research we do in this lab) is to send me an email ([email protected]) with your CV and transcripts attached. I will review all inquiries - if there are signs that our interests are well aligned, I will contact you to set up an interview*, either on Zoom or in person if you live nearby (if things seem less well aligned I will also let you know, except in cases where I felt someone wasn't seriously applying to the lab). In the interview we will chat about your research experiences, your career goals, research topics you find interesting, etc. - I will likely contact your references at some point throughout this process. If things go well there, I will invite you to think about formally applying by Zoology's admission deadline (usually in January) and connect you to some of my current students. If you do decide to formally apply, I will give you several rounds of feedback on your materials to improve your chances with internal fellowships. I may also ask you to apply for NSERC assuming that deadlines have not passed and will give feedback on your materials.
What happens next depends on a few factors. If the lab is in a good financial position and I feel certain that we are well aligned, I may offer you a position with no contingencies. Alternatively, if funds are tighter or more students are applying than can reasonably be admitted, admissions decisions may be more strongly influenced by fellowship outcomes, which are usually announced at the end of March.
* One caveat: sometimes emails get lost in my inbox. If you did not hear back from me, I may have missed your email - please resend your email. Side not: this is not a sign that I am hard to get ahold of, as my students communicate with me over Slack where I usually respond within seconds.
Funding details (current as of Feb. 2026)
The funding package at the Dept. of Zoology at UBC is constantly changing (usually for the better). Please use the following link for the latest.
An important note about stipends: "minimum stipends" reported by the Dept. of Zoology = your take-home salary; at some other institutions (e.g., EEB at UofT as of 2026), stipends appear much higher but students must pay tuition from this stipend (which is not the case here) - this should be factored in when comparing stipends among institutions, as our stipends are competitive compared to similar institutions in cities with a similar cost of living.
International students: Tuition and fees are the same as domestic students up until the final years of the PhD program.
Below are additional details on funding specific to my lab.
I ask that my students apply for fellowships like the 4YF, NSERC, etc. if they are eligible. Students are then asked to contribute a minimum of $13224** towards their stipend from a combination of fellowships and/or TAing* ($13224** is the current pay for TAing two terms), with stipend revisions occurring as needed. Students can bring in smaller grants (e.g., Sigma Xi) to support their direct costs of research (e.g., experiments, travel) without revising the stipend.
Students with a fellowship over the minimum stipend may choose whether or not to TA*, with all TA funding going to them.
Students who earn $23,000 or more through a combination of fellowship and TAships will have the rest of their minimum stipend covered by the grant plus a $2000 bonus, up to $40,000. The reason why the bonus only applies up to $40,000 is because my goal is to make sure everyone has adequate support and I would rather re-allocate those funds to increase the stipends of students with less fellowship support.
This is my attempt to keep things reasonably fair amongst students in the lab, while still incentivizing TAing and applying for fellowships beyond what is needed to meet the minimum (so the lab doesn’t go broke).
I ask my students to be informed about their funding package (both current and future years) and disbursement timelines (feel free to reach out if I can help clarify), and budget finances accordingly without seeking out additional employment unless doing so doesn’t impact your thesis progress (e.g., one student worked at an observatory on weekends, which was fine). I am happy to connect you to budgeting resources at UBC if needed.
Each year, I will do my best to evaluate the lab's budget and find ways for extra money to become available to be used to increase stipends above the Zoology-set minimum.
If anything written here is confusing please feel free to ask me about it.
* TAing could be replaced by a BRITE, LDP, or MITACS internship or similar options.
** this amount will increase over time with TA rates and may not be up to date
UBC has a number of programs students can use to gain research experience. Many students start with us in Work-Learn or NSERC USRA/UBC SURE positions and then stay for directed studies or an honor's thesis. Although positions are often posted publicly, it is worth interacting with faculty whose labs you might be interested in working in (e.g., by attending office hours) so they can keep you in mind when positions open up.
Work-Learn program: These are paid part-time positions, 10h/week in the fall/winter semesters (150 h per semester), and 20h/week in the summer (300 h). These positions are either posted on UBC CareersOnline for anyone to apply (we review all applications and invite ~5 people to interview) or are privately arranged (e.g., if a student stood out to us in class). Prior research experience is not required and grades do not strongly affect hiring decisions. These positions are a great way to try out a research environment for the first time. Usually Work-Learn students assist with ongoing projects and are trained to perform different tasks in the lab or greenhouse. For us the most important attributes for a Work-Learn student is a solid work ethic (e.g., showing up on time, being communicative) and being able to complete the full amount of hours (otherwise, the lab loses out on valuable help). We usually host 1-2 Work-Learn students per year. See details here.
NSERC USRA/UBC SURE: These are paid full-time positions that last 16 weeks in the summer. Students in this program sometimes join us for remote fieldwork (depending on the project). Positions for this program are usually posted on our Instagram (@germain_lab) and circulated by course instructors. We then arrange interviews with students and based on those interviews invite 1-2 people to submit an NSERC application to UBC. The student must complete Part 1 of an NSERC USRA application (this involves uploading an official transcripts + putting in a few details about your program) and on our end we complete Part 2 describing the project you will work on if awarded the position. UBC receives the application and ultimately decides who will be awarded a position. Unfortunately most of their decisions are based on grades and we do not recommend applying for these positions with an average below 87; senior students who have not previously held an NSERC USRA are also more likely to receive an award. We usually host 1-2 NSERC USRA/UBC SURE students per year. More details here.
Directed studies: Students in directed studies lead their own research project under the guidance of a faculty member (and often but not always work closely with a graduate student). These experiences can run for 1 or 2 semesters, for course credit (BIOL488), and usually involve collecting/analyzing data in an experiment the student designs and sets up, and writing a journal-style article. The student meets weekly with their primary mentor (either the faculty member or the graduate student) - grading is based on a rubric we agree on together, which is usually based on the written paper, a presentation (poster or talk), work ethic in the lab, and engaging at lab meeting. Several Directed Studies students who have worked with us in the past have published their research in journals. For these positions, we do look for students who have had prior research experience (e.g., Work Learn). These positions are usually either posted on our Instagram (@germain_lab) or are arranged with students who have done a Work-Learn or USRA/SURE with us in the past. This is usually arranged a semester or two before the course starts.
Honour's thesis: This program is similar to Directed Studies except for a few differences. First, the program runs for 2 semesters only, also for course credit (BIOL449). Second, at the end of the semester, students submit their written thesis for adjudication by a committee. They then must be able to defend their work at an in-person oral exam, which includes an oral presentation. The committee then assigns the student a grade. This course closely simulates what it is like to be a graduate student. Students typically apply to undertake an honor's thesis at the end of 2nd year. In third year, they take a course aimed at preparing them for a thesis (BIOL447), and in 4th year, the research commences. Some students have also done an honour's thesis with us through the Environmental Science program, which runs a bit differently than the Biology program.
BUDR: This is a great option for students to get their foot in the door in a research lab for the first time. Students gain access to mentors and also paid "micro-experiences", 40 hours total in a lab. Students apply to the BUDR program and faculty submit projects; students select a subset of projects from the list that interest them, and then BUDR matches students to projects. Details here. These "micro-experiences" can be a great way to get high-quality references from a faculty member for future positions.
Volunteers: Our lab does not take volunteers for equity reasons.
Work-Learn program: These are paid part-time positions, 10h/week in the fall/winter semesters (150 h per semester), and 20h/week in the summer (300 h). These positions are either posted on UBC CareersOnline for anyone to apply (we review all applications and invite ~5 people to interview) or are privately arranged (e.g., if a student stood out to us in class). Prior research experience is not required and grades do not strongly affect hiring decisions. These positions are a great way to try out a research environment for the first time. Usually Work-Learn students assist with ongoing projects and are trained to perform different tasks in the lab or greenhouse. For us the most important attributes for a Work-Learn student is a solid work ethic (e.g., showing up on time, being communicative) and being able to complete the full amount of hours (otherwise, the lab loses out on valuable help). We usually host 1-2 Work-Learn students per year. See details here.
NSERC USRA/UBC SURE: These are paid full-time positions that last 16 weeks in the summer. Students in this program sometimes join us for remote fieldwork (depending on the project). Positions for this program are usually posted on our Instagram (@germain_lab) and circulated by course instructors. We then arrange interviews with students and based on those interviews invite 1-2 people to submit an NSERC application to UBC. The student must complete Part 1 of an NSERC USRA application (this involves uploading an official transcripts + putting in a few details about your program) and on our end we complete Part 2 describing the project you will work on if awarded the position. UBC receives the application and ultimately decides who will be awarded a position. Unfortunately most of their decisions are based on grades and we do not recommend applying for these positions with an average below 87; senior students who have not previously held an NSERC USRA are also more likely to receive an award. We usually host 1-2 NSERC USRA/UBC SURE students per year. More details here.
Directed studies: Students in directed studies lead their own research project under the guidance of a faculty member (and often but not always work closely with a graduate student). These experiences can run for 1 or 2 semesters, for course credit (BIOL488), and usually involve collecting/analyzing data in an experiment the student designs and sets up, and writing a journal-style article. The student meets weekly with their primary mentor (either the faculty member or the graduate student) - grading is based on a rubric we agree on together, which is usually based on the written paper, a presentation (poster or talk), work ethic in the lab, and engaging at lab meeting. Several Directed Studies students who have worked with us in the past have published their research in journals. For these positions, we do look for students who have had prior research experience (e.g., Work Learn). These positions are usually either posted on our Instagram (@germain_lab) or are arranged with students who have done a Work-Learn or USRA/SURE with us in the past. This is usually arranged a semester or two before the course starts.
Honour's thesis: This program is similar to Directed Studies except for a few differences. First, the program runs for 2 semesters only, also for course credit (BIOL449). Second, at the end of the semester, students submit their written thesis for adjudication by a committee. They then must be able to defend their work at an in-person oral exam, which includes an oral presentation. The committee then assigns the student a grade. This course closely simulates what it is like to be a graduate student. Students typically apply to undertake an honor's thesis at the end of 2nd year. In third year, they take a course aimed at preparing them for a thesis (BIOL447), and in 4th year, the research commences. Some students have also done an honour's thesis with us through the Environmental Science program, which runs a bit differently than the Biology program.
BUDR: This is a great option for students to get their foot in the door in a research lab for the first time. Students gain access to mentors and also paid "micro-experiences", 40 hours total in a lab. Students apply to the BUDR program and faculty submit projects; students select a subset of projects from the list that interest them, and then BUDR matches students to projects. Details here. These "micro-experiences" can be a great way to get high-quality references from a faculty member for future positions.
Volunteers: Our lab does not take volunteers for equity reasons.
Key Dates (exact dates vary slightly among years)
|
NSERC PDF
Deadline: ~Oct. 17 |
Killam Fellowship
Internal deadline: ~Nov. 7 |
Biodiversity PDF
Deadline: ~Jan. 10 |
NSERC Discovery Grants are rarely large enough for PIs to hire postdocs - many postdocs at the Biodiversity Research Centre are funded through external fellowships. Below are some of those opportunities (though many more exist). Note that the details below were last updated 02/2026 and have have changed since then.
Killam Fellowship: These fellowships are $60k (as of 2026) for two years and require a host lab. Although UBC says the due date is Nov. 7, Zoology's internal deadline is usually much earlier (~Oct. 15). I usually ask prospective Killam postdocs to reach out to me by Sept. 15 for several reasons. First, as part of your Killam application, I write you a nomination letter; for this reason I usually only nominate 1 person per year. Second, I have served on the adjudication committee for the Killam in the past (and was funded by a Killam myself), so applying early gives me time to give you multiple rounds of feedback so your application has the best shot. To apply to our lab, please reach out to me by email (rgermain [at] zoology.ubc.ca). Zoology usually receives a small number of nominations (5-7 per year) and forward 1 to the UBC-level competition; these odds are pretty good! If you miss the Sept. 15 deadline but are still interested in applying, please still feel free to reach out (but sooner is better).
Biodiversity Postdoctoral Fellowship: These fellowships are $77k (as of 2026) for two years, with a $7k/year research stipend. These postdocs fill a vital role in the BRC, organizing discussion groups, an internal seminar series, and the annual retreat. For that reason, these postdocs benefit from immediately having a high profile in the BRC when their position starts, since everyone will see them filling a prominent leadership role. I have worked with several prospective BRC postdocs to develop applications in the past - I was both funded by this fellowship myself and chaired the hiring committee in 2026. Applications are usually due mid January, however, it is possible the deadline may move to an earlier date in the coming years. The application process typically includes a zoom interview for short-listed candidates. This postdoc usually receives 100-200 applications per year for 1 to 2 positions, however, usually only a handful of applications stand out - there's a lot of room to rise to the top based on how your CV and statements are structured.
NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship: These fellowships are $70k (as of 2026) for 2 years. They used to only be open to domestic applicants but this recently changed. The official deadline is October 17.
Other funding opportunities for postdocs: Liber Ero Fellowship, Mitacs Fellowships
Killam Fellowship: These fellowships are $60k (as of 2026) for two years and require a host lab. Although UBC says the due date is Nov. 7, Zoology's internal deadline is usually much earlier (~Oct. 15). I usually ask prospective Killam postdocs to reach out to me by Sept. 15 for several reasons. First, as part of your Killam application, I write you a nomination letter; for this reason I usually only nominate 1 person per year. Second, I have served on the adjudication committee for the Killam in the past (and was funded by a Killam myself), so applying early gives me time to give you multiple rounds of feedback so your application has the best shot. To apply to our lab, please reach out to me by email (rgermain [at] zoology.ubc.ca). Zoology usually receives a small number of nominations (5-7 per year) and forward 1 to the UBC-level competition; these odds are pretty good! If you miss the Sept. 15 deadline but are still interested in applying, please still feel free to reach out (but sooner is better).
Biodiversity Postdoctoral Fellowship: These fellowships are $77k (as of 2026) for two years, with a $7k/year research stipend. These postdocs fill a vital role in the BRC, organizing discussion groups, an internal seminar series, and the annual retreat. For that reason, these postdocs benefit from immediately having a high profile in the BRC when their position starts, since everyone will see them filling a prominent leadership role. I have worked with several prospective BRC postdocs to develop applications in the past - I was both funded by this fellowship myself and chaired the hiring committee in 2026. Applications are usually due mid January, however, it is possible the deadline may move to an earlier date in the coming years. The application process typically includes a zoom interview for short-listed candidates. This postdoc usually receives 100-200 applications per year for 1 to 2 positions, however, usually only a handful of applications stand out - there's a lot of room to rise to the top based on how your CV and statements are structured.
NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship: These fellowships are $70k (as of 2026) for 2 years. They used to only be open to domestic applicants but this recently changed. The official deadline is October 17.
Other funding opportunities for postdocs: Liber Ero Fellowship, Mitacs Fellowships