A funded two-year MSc position is available in the Faculty of Forestry at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver under the supervision of Profs. Hamish van der Ven and Qingshi Tu. The expected start date will be either 1 September 2025 or 1 January 2026.
The successful candidate will contribute to a New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF)-funded project exploring how sargassum algae can contribute to the blue economy in the Caribbean and South America (Dr. Maycira Costa, University of Victoria, principal investigator). The candidate will research the different valorization options for sargassum algae at one research site in Mexico and estimate the economic and environmental benefits as well as the capital investment associated with each option. The successful candidate will work in close collaboration with a multidisciplinary team located at UBC, the University of Victoria, and partner institutions in Canada, the USA, Mexico, France and Brazil.
The MSc student will receive guaranteed funding of $20,000 CAD per year for two years with the possibility of an extension if required. Note: tuition fees must be paid out of this amount. Supplementary funding is available through the Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA) program at UBC. For information on program requirements and domestic and international student tuition and fees at UBC Forestry, please see the MSc Program Overview.
Eligibility
- Domestic and international applicants are welcome
- Applicants must meet the minimum academic requirements for admission established by the UBC Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies office
- All applicants must meet eligibility requirements to live and study in Canada
- All applicants must be eligible to conduct field research in the Caribbean state of Quintana Roo in Mexico
Required Qualifications:
- Completion of a relevant undergraduate degree from an accredited post-secondary institution
- Fluency in English and Spanish
- Outstanding written and verbal communication skills
- Prior experience or training relevant to the bioeconomy
Preferred Qualifications
- Coursework or prior experience in quantitative and/or qualitative methods
- Proficiency in R, Jupyter Notebook, and NVivo
- Coursework or prior experience in lifecycle assessment (LCA), techno-economic analysis TEA), and/or cost-benefit analysis (CBA)
- Previous experience working on large, multi-disciplinary research projects
- Demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a team
How to apply
Interested candidates should email the following materials to Prof. Hamish van der Ven (hamish.vanderven@ubc.ca) by May 1, 2025:
- A 1-2 page letter of intent
- A current curriculum vitae
- Scans of official transcripts in PDF
While we thank all candidates for applying, only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interviews. Short-listed candidates will then need to submit the following additional materials by June 1, 2025:
- Three academic references
- Proof of English proficiency (if applying from a non-English institution)
- A writing sample (submitted as ‘additional material’ through the online portal)
All materials must be submitted by the June 1, 2025 deadline (including references).
For full application procedures, admission requirements, and other relevant information, please visit: https://forestry.ubc.ca/programs/graduate/thesis-based-degrees/master-of-science-master-of-applied-science/how-to-apply/.
For inquiries about this position:
Please contact Prof. Hamish van der Ven, Assistant Professor of Sustainable Business Management of Natural Resources, hamish.vanderven@ubc.ca or Santiago Ramirez Said, SargaSTREAM Project Lead and Manager, santiramirezsaid@uvic.ca
For further information about application procedures or graduate studies at UBC Forestry:
Please contact the Graduate Admissions Coordinator: forestry.grad@ubc.ca