Science Education Fellows

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The Office of Science Education (OSE) is seeking candidates for four graduate student positions related to teaching and learning in higher education. These positions are open to Master’s or Doctoral students who are interested in developing their knowledge and skills in teaching and learning. 

The successful applicant will contribute to a range of activities currently undertaken by the Office of Science Education. To complement our current team and projects, we particularly invite candidates who have skills and interests in one of four areas: 

• Research and Inquiry: Includes activities such as liaising with McGill students and instructors to encourage engagement with science education research; the collection, analysis and dissemination of evidence of effective teaching and learning.  

• Science communication: Includes activities such as training and supporting team members and the broader community in presenting and sharing research in a variety of media; writing and editing short articles to promote and highlight project outcomes, planning engaging activities to share relevant research. 

• Teaching and learning initiatives: Includes activities such as TA training, science education research projects, instructor workshops and learning communities.  

• Undergraduate initiatives: Includes activities such as the  Undergraduate Science Showcase, Peer Mentoring Program, and SciLearn Peer Collaboration 

Tasks:  
As these positions will each focus on a particular area, specific roles and duties may vary depending on the project requirements. Generally, Science Education Fellows will provide support for activities such as:  

• Planning workshops and other teaching support activities (e.g., webinars, brown bag sessions, guest speakers);   

• Developing program materials (manuals, contact lists, calendar of upcoming events);   

• Communicating with students, instructors, facilitators, speakers and/or participants;   

• Facilitating sessions that focus on pedagogical topics such as course design, learning strategies, science communication, etc.   

• Gathering and summarizing information to use for planning and evaluation;   

• Preparing project documents and reports;   

• Advertising instructor and student support offerings and other activities; 

• Promoting effective science communication through blog posts, the OSE newsletter, etc.  

• Contributing to research projects e.g., designing surveys, leading interviews, writing literature reviews, conducting statistical analysis, conducting qualitative data analysis, performing coding, programming.  

Skills/abilities:   

• Demonstrated teamwork and interpersonal skills   

• Excellent oral and written communication skills  

• Excellent information literacy skills (i.e., ability to define research terms; search online databases, journals, websites; prepare annotated bibliographies; and critically evaluate resources)  

• Experience and/or interest in using facilitation and presentation skills 

• Experience and/or interest in supporting peer learning 

• Experience and/or interest in planning large events for students, TAs and/or instructors  

• Experience and/or interest in planning events for students, TAs and instructors 

• Experience and/or interest in developing workshop content and learning materials  

• Knowledge of French and English: McGill University is an English-language university where day to day duties may require English communication both verbally and in writing. The level of English required for this position has been assessed at a level 4 on a scale of 0-4. 

Eligibility  

To apply for this position, candidates must be registered in a graduate program at McGill or have applied and received an Offer of Admission from McGill.   

Application Procedures 

If you are interested in applying, please submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and a copy of your unofficial McGill transcript. In your cover letter, please provide your preferred areas of interest (i.e., Research and inquiry, Science communication, Teaching and learning initiatives or Undergraduate initiatives). In our holistic review process, we consider the academic performance of students as a secondary factor to complement the skills above, as well as the candidate’s personal motivation for getting involved with the Office of Science Education.   

Applicants who are selected for an interview will be required to provide a note from their supervisor or advisor indicating that they support the candidate undertaking this work. We thank all applicants for their interest in McGill University. However, Office of Science Education will only contact applicants selected for an interview.  

This position is located in Montreal, Quebec and the work for this position is expected to be performed in Quebec. 

Before applying, please note that to work at McGill University, you must be both authorized to work in Canada and willing to work in the province of Quebec at the campus where the position is based / located.

McGill University is an English-language university where most teaching and research activities are conducted in the English language, thereby requiring English communication both verbally and in writing.

McGill University is committed to equity and diversity within its community and values academic rigour and excellence. We welcome and encourage applications from racialized persons/visible minorities, women, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, as well as from all qualified candidates with the skills and knowledge to engage productively with diverse communities.

At McGill, research that reflects diverse intellectual traditions, methodologies, and modes of dissemination and translation is valued and encouraged. Candidates are invited to demonstrate their research impact both within and across academic disciplines and in other sectors, such as government, communities, or industry.

McGill further recognizes and fairly considers the impact of leaves (e.g., family care or health-related) that may contribute to career interruptions or slowdowns. Candidates are encouraged to signal any leave that affected productivity, or that may have had an effect on their career path. This information will be considered to ensure the equitable assessment of the candidate’s record.

McGill implements an employment equity program and encourages members of designated equity groups to self-identify. It further seeks to ensure the equitable treatment and full inclusion of persons with disabilities by striving for the implementation of universal design principles transversally, across all facets of the University community, and through accommodation policies and procedures. Persons with disabilities who anticipate needing accommodations for any part of the application process may contact, in confidence, accessibilityrequest.hr@mcgill.ca.

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply; however, in accordance with Canadian immigration requirements, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.