MSc student - Forest Research Assistant

MSc student
- Forest Research Assistant
- Research Affiliate Program Natural Resources Canada
- Canadian Forest Service - Atlantic Forestry Centre

Selection process number
2026-RSN-EA-CFS-682177

Employment tenure
This M.Sc. RAP Bursary will start January 2027 and end January 2029. It is expected that the student will work part-time (approximately 22.5 hours per week) for a two-year period (eight semesters).

Salary
Scholarship of approximately $25,500/year divided into 3 equal installments each year.

Who can apply
Persons residing in Canada, and Canadian citizens and Permanent residents abroad.

To be considered for RAP opportunities, students must be:
1. Recognized as having full‑time student status by the post‑secondary academic institution at which they are presently enrolled OR be a part‑time student who is recognized by their academic institution as a having a disability;
2. The minimum age to work in the province or territory where the job is located; AND
3. Enrolled in an academic program that requires research as part of their curriculum.

Duties
We are seeking an MSc student interested in remote sensing, tree physiology, and genetics to identify productive and resilient black spruce seedlings under climate change‑related stressors. Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of drought events while also influencing forest insect disturbances such as spruce budworm outbreaks, both of which threaten forest health and productivity. This project will investigate the combined effects of drought stress and spruce budworm defoliation on a black spruce breeding population grown in a greenhouse.

The student will assess a broad range of physiological and morphological traits and use multi‑spectral remote sensing technologies to develop high‑throughput phenotyping approaches. These phenotypic data will then be integrated with genotyping information to identify seedlings and families with enhanced resilience to multiple stressors. The experiment has already been established in the AFC greenhouse. The student will be responsible for plant maintenance, data collection, processing, and analysis throughout the project.

Work environment
At Natural Resources Canada, a federal government job means developing leadership skills, fostering teamwork, and supporting creativity and innovation. We know it takes people from diverse pools of talent to make this happen. That is why we are looking for people like you. As an employee at Natural Resources Canada you can enjoy diverse employment opportunities, a range of career development programs, and a learning culture that supports you to learn on an ongoing basis.

We support balancing your work and private life by offering the benefits of flexible work arrangements.

Intent of the process
The intention is to staff one student position for the completion of a masters degree supervised by Dr. Funda Ogut (Canadian Forest Service - Atlantic Forestry Centre).

Positions to be filled
1

Important messages
You must provide proof of your education credentials, and a list of courses may be required.

Persons are entitled to participate in the appointment process in the official language of their choice.

A random and/or top‑down selection of candidates may be used in the determination of those to be given further consideration in the assessment process.

Candidates from outside the public service may be required to pay for travel and relocation costs associated with this selection process.

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: …