Skip to: content – navigation

Opportunities for Graduate Students and Post-Doctoral Researchers

Current Opportunities
We are always interested in exploring opportunities with talented people who would like to join our team. The application period for September, 2016 intake for graduate students is closed.

  • PhD Students: People interested in enrolling in the PhD in Social and Ecological Sustainability (Department of Environment and Resource Studies, University of Waterloo) in September, 2017 should contact Rob de Loë.
     
  • Master's Students: Contact Rob Loë early in Fall 2016 or earlier regarding opportunities for September, 2017 at the University of Waterloo. Contact Ryan Plummer early in Fall 2016 regarding opportunities at Brock University.
     
  • Post-Doctoral Fellows (Externally Funded): We are interested in hosting scholars who have secured, or are applying for, a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Post-Doctoral Fellowship, a Banting Post-Doctoral Fellowship, or equivalent social science fellowship. The next application deadline for the/se programs is Fall, 2017. Potential applicants should contact Rob de Loë or Ryan Plummer as early as possible to discuss fit and the availability of space.

Desired Qualifications
Members of our team study water governance, water policy and water management. However, we share interests with people in related fields such as environmental governance, resource management, and planning. Appropriate disciplinary backgrounds for prospective students include (but are not necessarily limited to) the following:

  • Environmental Studies
  • Political Science
  • Public Administration
  • Environmental Science (with a focus on policy making or environmental management)
  • Geography
  • Planning

Because we are a social science research group, a background that is purely in the natural science or engineering will not be a good fit. Contact us if you’d like to discuss your qualifications.
 
Prior to contacting us to discuss opportunities, give some thought to how your research interests fit within or complement the WPGG research program. A match with specific projects isn't necessary. We're always on the lookout for people who have interests that will help us to expand our research program into new areas – as long as these interests can be funded from one or more of our current or future grants. For current and future research directions, review the information about current projects, and then contact one of us for more information. Our publications offer an excellent window into the kind of research that we’ve conducted in the past.

Funding, Facilities and Resources
We operated a funded graduate program. Graduate students who are members of the WPGG receive excellent financial support from a combination of sources, including teaching assistantships provided by the University of Waterloo, scholarships from internal and external sources, and research assistantships. Reflecting the level of integration between student researchers and their faculty advisors, we also provide support for research expenses (field work, data collection, etc.).
 
WPGG members have access to resources in their home units, and to dedicated WPGG space and equipment. The WPGG workroom at the University of Waterloo contains our main library and work spaces for graduate students, research associates and post-doctoral researchers. The WPGG library has an extensive collection of books, reports, and journal articles in paper and electronic formats. All resources are catalogued in a searchable database with over 8,000 entries. The WPGG also provides research tools and equipment (computers, digital voice recorders, cameras, etc.) used by students and other researchers.

WPGG Alumni – Where Are They Now?
Our alumni are pursuing careers with universities, municipalities, provincial and state agencies, federal government agencies, consulting firms, and non-government organizations. Examples of positions held by WPGG alumni include the following:

  • Assistant Professor, University of Alberta
  • Assistant Professor, University of Waterloo
  • Assistant Professor, University of Saskatchewan
  • Manager, Alberta Environment
  • Senior Policy Advisor, Ontario Ministry of the Environment
  • Policy Advisor, Natural Resources Canada
  • Program Specialist, Ontario Ministry of the Environment
  • Stewardship Technician, Credit Valley Conservation
  • Business Analyst, Cabo Drilling Corporation
  • Resource Planner, Grand River Conservation Authority
  • Research Analyst, Corporation of Delta
  • Environmental Planner, Conservation Halton
  • Environmental Assessment Analyst, Infrastructure Canada
  • Environment & Sustainable Development Officer, Health Canada
  • Source Water Protection Liaison, Conservation Ontario
  • Watershed Planning Specialist, Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority
  • Watershed Planning Project Manager, Toronto and Region Conservation

Additional Information
More information about graduate studies at the University of Waterloo is available below:

  • Apply Online
  • Funding and Tuition
  • Housing
  • Campus Life