Unfortunately, the Sunday Lab will not be accepting new students in Fall of 2024.
Nevertheless I hope the advice below helps you with other opportunities.
Advice for finding / creating positions in undergraduate and graduate research
A career in biology is sufficiently challenging without the need to navigate etiquette and unwritten rules associated with moving through the steps of academia. This page is meant to draw together resources and some advice for finding and creating opportunities for funded research at the undergraduate and graduate level, with specific resources for doing so at McGill. This advice applies to joining the Sunday Lab, although we will also post specific positions with application guidelines as they arise.
How to get involved in research as an undergraduate
If you're an undergraduate student in biology and interested in the idea of a career in biology research, you will want to build yourself some research experience - this will help you immensely to decide if you even like research, and is often a key factor in getting into an Masters or PhD program of your choice (i.e. grad school, more on that below). Research groups in universities usually expect to have a few undergraduate students working with them, and there are many opportunities to be compensated for this kind of work (in other words, you don't have to volunteer!). You can get paid through scholarships, work-study programs, and paid internships, or you can gain course credit e.g. directed studies or honours research projects (see below for McGill-specific links). These positions are often not advertised, but professors receive emails all through the year from students. The email you write to professors is key, and you can find lots of advice online about how to do this effectively (e.g. here, and here). Read the advice, read the professors' websites and some of their papers (seriously, read the papers), and get to know what funding is available to you, before you write to the professor. Also, if you do not hear back after you write your email, do not take this personally - professors receive many more emails per day than they can respond to whilst also doing the rest of their jobs. It's usually okay to politely try again (but check the email to see if you can improve it as well). Finally, seek mentorship. This can help you focus your ideas and compose the email. Your favourite TA is most likely a grad student, and could give you advice on this; profs can provide advice - attend their office hours with great questions and they'll likely become very willing mentors to help you in this step.
Independent research for credit (not for money) at McGill:
Honours Program in Biology - allows final year to be dedicated to research for credit. The program has specific requirements and deadlines, so be sure to read up on it.
Independent Research Projects - undergraduate students participate in research in exchange for course credit
Ways to make money doing research in your undergrad:
NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA) - The NSERC USRAs provide Canadian students with financial support to carry out full-time research under the supervision of a McGill professor holding an NSERC grant during the summer. You want to be contacting profs in January and February - applications usually due end of February. These are currently still very GPA-focussed.
Science Undergraduate Research Award (SURA) - SURAs also financially support full-time summer research but are funded by private donors and the Faculty of Science. Unlike NSERC USRAs, SURAs can be awarded to students of any nationality and can be supervised by McGill professors that do not hold an NSERC grant. Applications usually due end of February.
Work Study Program - The McGill work study program provides paid research opportunities in laboratories around McGill, based on student's financial need - this is a great option that is not based on GPA. To check your eligibility for the program, see the requirements here and apply by following these steps.
ECO Canada Internship - ECO Canada, in partnership with the Government of Canada, offers wage funding to undergraduate students - they can support up to 50% of your wage in a research position, while the prof needs to pay the rest.
QCBS Biodiversity Science Award (BSDA) - The Quebec Biodiversity Science Centre provides funding for undergraduate research related to their research framework.
Other research and funding resources for undergrads:
McGill Faculty of Science Awards, Scholarships and Prizes
McGill Scholarship and Student Aid Office
McGill Schull Yang International Experience Awards
MITACS Globalink Research Award
German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
NSERC Indigenous Student Ambassadors (NISA) grant
INRS Undergraduate Summer Research Internships
In the Sunday Lab, we value enthusiasm and a commitment to learning, and are committed to creating an inclusive and supportive research environment while challenging ourselves to rigorously address key questions in climate change ecology. Most of the undergraduate students in our lab have worked on data synthesis and analytical data science projects; these are great because students leave with hard and soft transferable skills in data synthesis science. We also sometimes have technical laboratory positions in the Microcosm Ecology lab (currently on hold until ~2021). We will post, as much as possible, research positions as they open, and will strive to create a mixture of entry-level as well as higher level research positions, but please also consider getting in touch about the opportunities above. If the fit is right, we can create a project for a student who comes to us with funding, or an interest in directed studies research.
Independent research for credit (not for money) at McGill:
Honours Program in Biology - allows final year to be dedicated to research for credit. The program has specific requirements and deadlines, so be sure to read up on it.
Independent Research Projects - undergraduate students participate in research in exchange for course credit
Ways to make money doing research in your undergrad:
NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA) - The NSERC USRAs provide Canadian students with financial support to carry out full-time research under the supervision of a McGill professor holding an NSERC grant during the summer. You want to be contacting profs in January and February - applications usually due end of February. These are currently still very GPA-focussed.
Science Undergraduate Research Award (SURA) - SURAs also financially support full-time summer research but are funded by private donors and the Faculty of Science. Unlike NSERC USRAs, SURAs can be awarded to students of any nationality and can be supervised by McGill professors that do not hold an NSERC grant. Applications usually due end of February.
Work Study Program - The McGill work study program provides paid research opportunities in laboratories around McGill, based on student's financial need - this is a great option that is not based on GPA. To check your eligibility for the program, see the requirements here and apply by following these steps.
ECO Canada Internship - ECO Canada, in partnership with the Government of Canada, offers wage funding to undergraduate students - they can support up to 50% of your wage in a research position, while the prof needs to pay the rest.
QCBS Biodiversity Science Award (BSDA) - The Quebec Biodiversity Science Centre provides funding for undergraduate research related to their research framework.
Other research and funding resources for undergrads:
McGill Faculty of Science Awards, Scholarships and Prizes
McGill Scholarship and Student Aid Office
McGill Schull Yang International Experience Awards
MITACS Globalink Research Award
German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
NSERC Indigenous Student Ambassadors (NISA) grant
INRS Undergraduate Summer Research Internships
In the Sunday Lab, we value enthusiasm and a commitment to learning, and are committed to creating an inclusive and supportive research environment while challenging ourselves to rigorously address key questions in climate change ecology. Most of the undergraduate students in our lab have worked on data synthesis and analytical data science projects; these are great because students leave with hard and soft transferable skills in data synthesis science. We also sometimes have technical laboratory positions in the Microcosm Ecology lab (currently on hold until ~2021). We will post, as much as possible, research positions as they open, and will strive to create a mixture of entry-level as well as higher level research positions, but please also consider getting in touch about the opportunities above. If the fit is right, we can create a project for a student who comes to us with funding, or an interest in directed studies research.
How to get into graduate school in ecology and evolution
Here are three things that you should know about grad school in ecology and evolution:
(1) You will get paid. Not a lot - something slightly near or above minimum wage in most cases, and maybe more if you land a good scholarship - but you will not go further into debt and you are not expected to work other jobs.
(2) You typically need to contact a professor and develop a discussion with them directly about the possibility of a Masters or PhD position in their research group, before applying at the university level. Other fields sometimes have a general admission followed by a laboratory rotation in which you get to know various research groups before deciding on a direction and a placement, but in ecology and evolution, by the time you are applying at the university you should have already had discussions with the professor.
(3) Experience is a huge asset. This may depend somewhat on the research group in which you are applying, but experience in research prior to graduate school sets you apart in strides - it helps professors know that you have experience to fall back on before they invest in you, and it helps you to know what research is all about before investing further. If you are coming to the end of your undergraduate degree and have not had research experience, peruse the options in the above section. This is not a hard and fast rule for all labs or all positions, but it's a big piece a lot of the time.
See more here: ESA Primer for getting into grad school (but ignore advice about GRE tests which you don't need for Canadian Institutions)
So, how do you write to a professor about your interest in graduate school? This is a key step, so do your research. Read these great posts for advice on writing inquiry emails specific to the field of Ecology and Evolution:
So you want to go to grad school? Nail the inquiry email
Dear Dr. Neufield
Mentorship is a big part of getting this right, so seek mentorship - this is another advantage of working in a research lab, where you can ask a professor or other lab members for advice. You can also build a rapport with professors and TAs by attending office hours with great questions. Profs receive many emails a day, more than they can respond to if they are also doing the rest of their job. So if you don't receive a reply, this may not be a reflection of your perceived potential (on a bad email day, the email could just be lost) - it is usually ok to try again, but do review the contents of the email against the advice in the links above.
Do you need to have funding to go to grad school? Depends. Most graduate programs in Canada have a minimum guaranteed stipend that you will receive one way or another, so if you don't have a scholarship, you can make up enough to cover tuition and living expenses through TAships and funding directly from your professor, but that shifts the costs directly to the professor's research budget. Sometimes, a professor will only be able to take you on if you have funding, so even if you start the conversation about the potential of joining their lab, they may need to see if you get a scholarship before the final acceptance. Other times, a professor might be prepared to pay out of their research funds. In that case, winning a scholarship will still increase your position if the prof is deciding between you and other prospective students. Finally, there is the question of match - each professor has their own set of research goals as well as mentoring style and research philosophy, so funding is not be the be-all-and-end-all, they are also looking for a match of philosophies and research goals.
Places to find funding opportunities:
McGill Department of Biology Graduate Awards and Scholarships
Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution (CSEE) open positions and awards
Aerin Jacob's list of Scholarships, Grants, Research Funding and Awards - see the Canada-only section
Marissa Baskett's list of graduate funding sources
EduCanada International Scholarships
Other financial information:
McGill Department of Biology Financial Support information
In the Sunday Lab, we are committed to creating an inclusive and open research environment. We share a philosophy of reproducible science, while focussing on questions of strong impact in global change ecology. While we will sometimes advertise specific positions directed towards fulfilling specific research goals, at other times, we will be interested to hear from prospective graduate students (you) about your research ideas, how they might align with our ongoing projects, your prospects for funding, and how you think you would be a good fit to our group.
(1) You will get paid. Not a lot - something slightly near or above minimum wage in most cases, and maybe more if you land a good scholarship - but you will not go further into debt and you are not expected to work other jobs.
(2) You typically need to contact a professor and develop a discussion with them directly about the possibility of a Masters or PhD position in their research group, before applying at the university level. Other fields sometimes have a general admission followed by a laboratory rotation in which you get to know various research groups before deciding on a direction and a placement, but in ecology and evolution, by the time you are applying at the university you should have already had discussions with the professor.
(3) Experience is a huge asset. This may depend somewhat on the research group in which you are applying, but experience in research prior to graduate school sets you apart in strides - it helps professors know that you have experience to fall back on before they invest in you, and it helps you to know what research is all about before investing further. If you are coming to the end of your undergraduate degree and have not had research experience, peruse the options in the above section. This is not a hard and fast rule for all labs or all positions, but it's a big piece a lot of the time.
See more here: ESA Primer for getting into grad school (but ignore advice about GRE tests which you don't need for Canadian Institutions)
So, how do you write to a professor about your interest in graduate school? This is a key step, so do your research. Read these great posts for advice on writing inquiry emails specific to the field of Ecology and Evolution:
So you want to go to grad school? Nail the inquiry email
Dear Dr. Neufield
Mentorship is a big part of getting this right, so seek mentorship - this is another advantage of working in a research lab, where you can ask a professor or other lab members for advice. You can also build a rapport with professors and TAs by attending office hours with great questions. Profs receive many emails a day, more than they can respond to if they are also doing the rest of their job. So if you don't receive a reply, this may not be a reflection of your perceived potential (on a bad email day, the email could just be lost) - it is usually ok to try again, but do review the contents of the email against the advice in the links above.
Do you need to have funding to go to grad school? Depends. Most graduate programs in Canada have a minimum guaranteed stipend that you will receive one way or another, so if you don't have a scholarship, you can make up enough to cover tuition and living expenses through TAships and funding directly from your professor, but that shifts the costs directly to the professor's research budget. Sometimes, a professor will only be able to take you on if you have funding, so even if you start the conversation about the potential of joining their lab, they may need to see if you get a scholarship before the final acceptance. Other times, a professor might be prepared to pay out of their research funds. In that case, winning a scholarship will still increase your position if the prof is deciding between you and other prospective students. Finally, there is the question of match - each professor has their own set of research goals as well as mentoring style and research philosophy, so funding is not be the be-all-and-end-all, they are also looking for a match of philosophies and research goals.
Places to find funding opportunities:
McGill Department of Biology Graduate Awards and Scholarships
Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution (CSEE) open positions and awards
Aerin Jacob's list of Scholarships, Grants, Research Funding and Awards - see the Canada-only section
Marissa Baskett's list of graduate funding sources
EduCanada International Scholarships
Other financial information:
McGill Department of Biology Financial Support information
In the Sunday Lab, we are committed to creating an inclusive and open research environment. We share a philosophy of reproducible science, while focussing on questions of strong impact in global change ecology. While we will sometimes advertise specific positions directed towards fulfilling specific research goals, at other times, we will be interested to hear from prospective graduate students (you) about your research ideas, how they might align with our ongoing projects, your prospects for funding, and how you think you would be a good fit to our group.
