The Freshwater ecology, Indigenous Science, and Climate Solutions (FICS) Lab at the University of British Columbia (UBC) is seeking applications for M.S. and Ph.D. research positions starting September 2026. These positions are based in the Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, Faculty of Forestry, at UBC's Point Grey campus in Vancouver, Canada. Graduate students will be supervised by Dr. Kimberly Yazzie, Assistant Professor, and will have the opportunity to co-develop research questions with collaborators on topics such as disturbance regimes, ecological processes influencing large wood functions, and the use of geospatial data to quantify riparian and instream habitat in British Columbia.

Research projects may include assessing ecosystem resilience, the impacts of land stewardship and land use on habitat mosaics and salmon in freshwater systems, and engaging with community actors to characterize co-management or land stewardship scenarios. There is also potential for projects involving flume experiments of in-channel habitat dynamics or assessments of water and energy security in transboundary river basins. The lab encourages collaboration with Indigenous communities and values interdisciplinary approaches that integrate Indigenous Science and climate solutions.

Applicants from both Canadian and international backgrounds are welcome. Successful candidates will be funded through a mix of internal (research and teaching assistantships, scholarships) and external sources (such as NSERC). PhD applicants are encouraged to apply for the Four-Year Dissertation Fellowship. More information on graduate program requirements and funding opportunities can be found on the UBC Faculty of Forestry website.

To apply, candidates should prepare a cover letter outlining their research interests and career goals, an academic CV, and contact information for two references. Application materials should be sent to Dr. Kimberly Yazzie at [email protected] with the subject line: Graduate student position in FICS at UBC. The deadline for graduate school applications for thesis-based programs is February 1, 2026. For further details, visit the UBC Faculty of Forestry graduate programs and financial support pages.

Keywords: Freshwater ecology, Indigenous Science, Climate Solutions, Forest Sciences, Conservation, Ecosystem resilience, Geospatial data, Salmon habitat, Land stewardship, Environmental Science.