Research Affiliate – Ph.D. Student - Research Affiliate Program

Important messages

We are committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free work environment, starting with the hiring process. If you need to be accommodated during any phase of the evaluation process, please use the Contact information below to request specialized accommodation. All information received in relation to accommodation will be kept confidential.

Assessment accommodation

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 (see Education requirements listed below), or pending approval of acceptance (proof will be required).

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

- The student will be expected to work approximately 35-40 hours per week and be willing to commit to the research project for a period of about 36 to 60 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.

Health Canada is committed to increasing representation of Black employees and other racialized groups, Indigenous People, women and persons with disabilities. Health Canada would like its workforce to be reflective of the population it serves. Therefore, we encourage candidates to indicate voluntarily on their application if they are a member of one of these groups.

Give yourself the best chance to succeed! As the objective of this process is to assess qualifications needed for the position(s) to be staffed, let us know if you have a functional limitation/ disability, which may affect your performance. For example, contact us if you need assistance in completing and submitting your application. Should you then proceed to the next assessment stage, such as an exam or interview, we will send you an e-mail with additional information on the assessment format so that you can determine if you may require an accommodation (such as a different test format, an adaptive technology, or additional time). Assessment accommodations are designed to remove the obstacles without altering the criteria being assessed so candidates with functional limitations can fully demonstrate their abilities.
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Health Canada welcomes applications from Veterans. We recognize your contribution to Canadians and would like to offer you the opportunity to continue your career in an environment where multi-talented employees with diverse skills are appreciated and supported.

EVERYONE IS WELCOME
Health Canada and the Public Health Agency are dedicated to building an inclusive workforce that comprises individuals who have an array of identities, abilities, background, culture, skills, perspectives, and experiences that are representative of Canada’s current and evolving population. We are passionate about fostering a workplace where all people feel welcome, can reach their full potential, and contribute their unique perspectives and experience to the success of the team.

BRING YOUR WHOLE SELF TO WORK
We encourage all qualified candidates to apply, regardless of race, colour, religion, sex (including gender identity and/or expression), national origin, sexual orientation, civil union or relationship status, disability, age, parental status, military service, or other status protected under federal law.

PLEASE NOTE THAT YOUR RESPONSES TO THE SCREENING QUESTIONS, YOUR COVER LETTER, AND YOUR RESUME, WILL EVALUATE YOUR ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY IN WRITING.

Work environment

The Regulatory Toxicology Research Division in the Bureau of Chemical Safety engages in research activities related to the assessment of potentially hazardous chemicals in the food supply to ensure that they are not present at levels that would pose an unacceptable risk to health. These chemicals include food contaminants, food packaging materials and incidental additives, allergens, and natural toxins.

The successful candidate will use genomics, bioinformatics, immunohistochemistry, and molecular biology techniques to investigate adverse reproductive effects using tissues from in vivo model studies. The project will leverage existing in vivo rodent studies completed at Health Canada, to identify microRNA (miRNA) and other molecular targets modulated by dietary exposure to these chemical contaminants. The project is funded by the Genomics Research and Development Initiative of the Government of Canada.

Intent of the process

The immediate need is to staff one Student position. English Essential

In support of achieving a diversified workforce, consideration may be given to candidates self-declaring as belonging to one of the following Employment Equity groups: Aboriginal peoples, Persons with disabilities, Members of visible minorities, and Women.

Positions to be filled: 1

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

A covering letter "Cover letter outlining your suitability for the position and your research interests. Please note that this will be used to evaluate your ability to communicate effectively in writing."

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

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

Education:
The student must be enrolled or in the process of enrolling in a full-time Ph.D. degree program at the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS) with a specialization in Biology. In order to enroll in this programme, the student must hold a Master’s degree or equivalent in biology or related discipline and hold a cumulative average of 3.2 (out of 4.3) or equivalent.

By the start date, the student must be registered in the Department of Biology at INRS in their first year of a doctoral program with specialization in biology, for which supervised laboratory or field research is required for graduation.

Degree equivalency

Experience:
Experience working in a molecular or cellular biology laboratory*

*This does not include lab-based experience taken as part of course work in undergraduate studies.

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

English essential

Information on language requirements

Knowledge:
Knowledge of experimental methods in biology

Abilities:
Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing

Personal Suitabilities:
• Respectful of Diversity
• Effective interpersonal relationships
• Initiative

The following may be applied / assessed at a later date (may be needed for the job)

Organizational Needs:
• Willing and able to work overtime when required and on short notice
• Willing and able to work in Laval QC and sometimes in Ottawa ON
• Willing and able to work with animals (rodents)

Conditions of employment

Reliability Status security clearance

Medical clearance and periodic health evaluations

Other information

The Public Service of Canada is committed to building a skilled and diverse workforce that reflects the Canadians we serve. We promote employment equity and encourage you to indicate if you belong to one of the designated groups when you apply.

Information on employment equity

You must meet all essential qualifications in order to be appointed to the position. Some essential 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.

Persons are entitled to participate in the appointment process in the official language of their choice. Applicants are asked to indicate their preferred official language in their application.

For this process, emails are the most efficient way to communicate with you. Candidates who apply to this selection process must include an email address that accepts email from unknown users (some email systems block these types of email). If you do not wish to receive results by email or if you change your email address during the process, it is your responsibility to inform us.

Please note that candidates are responsible for submitting their application by the closing date in order to be considered. ALL APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED ONLINE THROUGH THE PSRS SYSTEM. No applications will be accepted once the deadline has passed. Candidates will not be solicited for incomplete or possibly missing information.

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: The PSRS system will time out after 60 minutes of inactivity which may result in your inability to save your work or loss of data. It is recommended that you draft ALL RESPONSES in another document on your PC which may be saved (e.g. in MS Word or WordPerfect) and copy/paste into the PSRS system when completed. HEALTH CANADA IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR SYSTEM PROBLEMS WHICH MAY RESULT IN LOSS OF DATA AND/OR INCOMPLETE OR NON SUBMITTED APPLICATIONS.

Please note that volume management strategies, such as random selection, top-down approach, invoking any asset(s) and/or cut-off scores, MAY be used at any point in the staffing process for the purpose of managing volumes of applications/candidates.

You must provide your proof of education (degree) and a copy of your transcript.

References will be asked for at a later date.

Preference

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