Research Student - Research Affiliate Program

Important messages

To be considered for Research Affiliate Program (RAP) work opportunities, you must meet the following criteria:

Be recognized as having full-time student status by the post-secondary academic institution at which you are currently enrolled (a proof will be required).

Be the minimum age to work in the province or territory where the job is located.

BEFORE applying, the candidates must verify with their academic supervisor or department head that they will be authorized to conduct research work in an off-campus laboratory.

Student must be willing to start work on July 15, 2017 to April 15, 2017. The student will be expected to work approximately 30 hours per week and be willing to commit to the research project for a period of about 8 months. The candidate's RAP research activities must be aligned with their PhD Program that is being conducted to fulfill degree requirements at a recognized post-secondary institution.

Duties

In Canada, there is a need to collect more information about how to best integrate public health and climate change considerations into health and emergency management practices, and to assess health risks to Canadians. The successful candidate will assist with completion/review of one or more of the key impacts and health adaptation research initiatives in the areas of extreme heat, climate change and health risk assessments, health system impacts, or extreme weather events. The successful candidate will also assist with various aspects of the current activities to increase knowledge of climate change impacts on health, and assist Canadians and health professionals to adapt to them. This may include developing policy-relevant advice to support health and emergency management interventions to reduce climate change health risks, engage and empower communities to protect their vulnerable populations, and identify effective adaptation measures that will result in change of individual behaviour.

Work environment

The Climate Change and Innovation Bureau at Health Canada is the focal point within the Safe Environments Directorate for coordinating research and disseminating information about the impacts of climate change on the health and well-being of Canadians.

The mandate of the Climate Change and Innovation Bureau is to help Canadians better understand and adapt to the impacts of climate change on their health. The mandate is accomplished through work on 6 key areas: (1) Heat resiliency; (2) Understanding risks and vulnerabilities; (3) Healthy resilient communities; (4) Resilient health care systems; (5) Research and evidence; and (6) International collaborations.

The work undertaken in the office includes facilitating knowledge development through scientific research, understanding current coping and adaptive capacity, promoting climate change and health adaptation strategies, and dissemination of information and tools to partners.

Positions to be filled: 1

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

Contact information for 1 references.

A list of the courses you have taken as well as any courses that you are taking now, or that you will be taking this academic year.

You must meet all essential qualifications in order to be appointed to the position. Other qualifications may be a deciding factor in choosing the person to be appointed. Some essential and other qualifications will be assessed through your application. It is your responsibility to provide appropriate examples that illustrate how you meet each qualification. Failing to do so could result in your application being rejected.

In order to be considered, your application must clearly explain how you meet the following (essential qualifications)

Education:

Completion of a Bachelor degree from a recognized post-secondary institution with acceptable specialization in economics, sociology or statistics. Candidates must always have a degree. The courses for the specialization must be acceptable and may have been taken at a recognized post-secondary institution, but not necessarily within a degree program in the required specialization. The specialization may also be obtained through an acceptable combination of education, training and/or experience.

The Student must be currently enrolled in a PhD Program in a recognized post-secondary academic institution with full-time status in one of the following specializations: public health, geography, health geography, health sciences, or related program, with a focus on qualitative research and climate change studies is an asset.

As the nature of the work to be carried out in the position is focused specifically on climate change and health, it is critical that the candidate have relevant educational background in one of the above areas.

Degree equivalency

The following will be applied / assessed at a later date (essential for the job)

English essential

Information on language requirements

Knowledge

Knowledge of climate change impacts on health.

Knowledge of public health adaptation measures.

Knowledge of climate change and health vulnerability assessments.

Competencies:

Strong qualitative research skills.

Strong analysis and writing skills.

Effective stakeholder engagement.

Personal Suitabilities:

Works very well both independently and as part of a team.

Displays initiative and sound judgement.

Respectful of Diversity

Conditions of employment

Reliability Status security clearance - Reliability Status security clearance

Other information

Each student hired through the Research Affiliate Program (RAP) must meet the security requirements of the position as a condition of employment, and therefore will be asked by the hiring organization to complete security-relevant documents.

Successful completion of both a RAP work assignment and your educational program may lead to a temporary or permanent federal public service position for which you meet the merit criteria and conditions of employment.

For further information on the Research Affiliate Program (RAP),
please visit: https://www.canada.ca/en/publicservicecommission/jobs/services/recruitment/students/research-affiliate-program.html.

The Public Service of Canada is committed to building a skilled, diverse workforce reflective of Canadian society. As a result, it promotes employment equity and encourages candidates to indicate voluntarily on their application if they are a woman, an Aboriginal person, a person with a disability or a member of a visible minority group.

The Public Service of Canada is also committed to developing inclusive, barrier-free selection processes and work environments. If contacted in relation to a job opportunity or testing, you should advise the Public Service Commission or the departmental official in a timely fashion of the accommodation measures which must be taken to enable you to be assessed in a fair and equitable manner. Information received relating to accommodation measures will be addressed confidentially.

Preference

Preference will be given to Canadian citizens.

We thank all those who apply. Only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.