MSc and PhD Positions in Freshwater Science, Management and Conservation at UBC - Olden Lab

MSc and PhD Positions in Freshwater Science, Management and Conservation at UBC - Olden Lab

Location: Department of Forest & Conservation Sciences, Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship, University of British Columbia, Vancouver (Grey Point campus)

Start date: September 2027 

Deadline: Considering applications on a rolling basis until Jan 15, 2027 (UBC deadlines: Feb 1, 2027)

The Olden Lab at the University of British Columbia (UBC – Vancouver) invites applications for multiple graduate student positions at the MSc and PhD levels. Successful applicants will be supervised by Dr. Julian Olden (Eddie Goldenberg Research Chair of Canada in Freshwater Ecosystem Sustainability) in the Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences at UBC – Vancouver (Grey Point campus). At the Olden Lab, we advance creative, collaborative, and interdisciplinary science to address the intertwined challenges of securing water for people and nature. This is a unique opportunity to help shape the lab from the ground up — you'll be joining the inaugural cohort of students and post-docs as we build our research program and culture together at UBC. 

Successful candidates will work on research that advances freshwater science, management, and conservation in Canada and beyond. Topics include those listed below as well as co-developed research of mutual interest.

• Hydropower and ecologically sustainable water management
• Climate change impacts and adaptation strategies
• Nature-based solutions to restoration
• Protection and recovery of species at risk
• Ecology and management of invasive species
• Community ecology, food-web dynamics, macroecology
• Application of biotracers, eDNA biosurveillance, and other emerging approaches to conservation
• Water security in an era of expanding AI infrastructure
• iEcology, big data, conservation technology, and machine learning
• Knowledge co-production and collaborative, community research

Graduate students will have opportunities to undertake priority research activities that directly advance the Olden Lab’s mission. Additionally, students may contribute to knowledge mobilization activities that engage directly with academic researchers, industry partners, policy practitioners, different levels of government, and Indigenous communities across British Columbia, Canada and beyond.

Visit here to learn.