** Please note – applications are now closed for these positions. Many thanks for your interest.**
UBC’s Animal Welfare Program is inviting applications for two graduate student positions, starting in the summer/fall 2023. The duration of the position will be about 2 or 4 years, the time typically required to complete MSc or PhD programs, respectively. Students will be expected to complete coursework, conduct independent research, prepare their findings for publication, and write a thesis. In the case of the PhD, students must also pass a comprehensive exam at or about the midpoint of the program.
The UBC Animal Welfare Program is one of the largest and most respected programs in this field of science. Since its inception in 1997, research from the Animal Welfare Program has led to improvements in the lives of animals around the world. The Animal Welfare Program seeks to improve the welfare of animals through research, education and public outreach.
For the current positions we are seeking students interested in working with dairy cattle, with a special interest in one of the four following areas: 1) Calf and Heifer Rearing, 2) Cow Health and Lameness, 3) Housing Facilities and Management, and 4) Painful procedures.
We will expect the successful applicant to be able to collaborate effectively with the relevant communities, and to develop their own research questions, with guidance, within one of the four research areas described above. The research scope will be established with the incoming student and take into consideration whether they are pursuing an MSc or PhD; prospective applicants are encouraged to describe their research interests.
The candidate must be comfortable conducting research with dairy cattle and with living and working at the UBC Dairy Education and Research Centre located in Agassiz, BC. Students are expected to pursue funding opportunities and contribute to knowledge translation through conference presentations and other methods.
A minimum graduate student stipend of CAD $22,000 per year is provided, with opportunities for additional funding through teaching assistantships and scholarships.
The Animal Welfare program is committed to increasing team diversity through equitable and inclusive recruitment best practices. The program promotes academic excellence and is welcoming of any gender, race and sexual orientation.
The research undertaken by the prospective graduate students will have wide implications in developing guidelines to improve the welfare of dairy cattle.
Students will be co-supervised by Professors Marina (Nina) von Keyserlingk and Daniel Weary, who are both NSERC Industrial Research Chairs in Dairy Cattle Welfare.
If you are interested, please submit a cover letter including research interests, CV, and names for a minimum of two academic references (reference letters not required at the time of application). ** Please note that applications are no longer being accepted for these positions **