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Joining the lab

Scholarly studies

To be happy in my lab, your research interests should be close to mine. Read some of our articles to make sure you find what I do interesting. Visit the videos page to see montages of photos taken during our fieldwork. You can also check out what the media is saying about our work.

Financial considerations

Research is expensive, and ecological research is no exception. We will need money for your project, and you will need a salary. All graduate students must receive a salary of at least $20,000/year. This salary can come from a national (NSERC) or provincial (OGS, FQRNT) scholarship. Otherwise, you will need to obtain a lab demonstration load (200 hours/year for $10,000), and I will pay the additional $10,000 from my research funds. You will have to pay tuition fees ($8,000/year). In any case, if your grades are very good (8.5/10), you will receive a scholarship from the University in the form of a tuition waiver.

My expectations

I firmly believe that it is essential for a researcher to publish their results in peer-reviewed journals. Therefore, I expect all my students to publish their research results. I will do everything in my power to facilitate this process, but I expect you to take the lead in the publication process. I explain my expectations in detail in this document . These articles provide excellent advice on graduate school:

Still interested?

Contact me by email . Tell me about your research interests, experience, grades, and why you want to work in our research group. Send me a copy of your resume and an unofficial copy of your transcript. Send me your articles if you have any. Have a few emails sent by people who can evaluate your research potential. Contact my students, collaborators, and colleagues to get their opinion of me, the Department of Biology, and the University of Ottawa. Ideally, we should try to meet to make sure we can get along.

Summer employment

Every summer, we hire field assistants. Most of our work is not done near Ottawa, so the assistants usually live on-site with the graduate students they are assisting. The salary is $1,600/month. Assistants work approximately 40 hours/week, but the hours are irregular. The work is demanding, and applicants must be in very good physical condition. You must also have a driver's license. For turtle projects, you also need a Pleasure Craft Operator's Card.

If you would like to work with us, please contact me by email . Tell me about your work experience, your physical condition, your qualities that will make you a good assistant, and tell me why you want to work with us. Send me a short resume that includes contact information for people who can assess your work skills.