MESC Funded Master's Positions
The Master in Environmental & Social Change program offered through the Department of Environmental Studies and Sciences and Department of Geography at The University of Winnipeg has fully funded positions for excellent students in the following areas:
Positions Available
Description of Project
Children and adolescents are growing up amid anthropogenic climate change, one of the greatest threats to human health and well-being. Climate change affects mental health, education, and recreation through both direct impacts, like heatwaves and floods, and indirect ones, such as displacement and financial strain. Many young people also experience climate-related anxiety, which can be overwhelming and affect daily life. Schools are well positioned to respond using a Comprehensive School Health (CSH) framework—a holistic model with four pillars: teaching and learning, social and physical environment, healthy school policy, and partnerships and services. This project aims to explore how a CSH approach can support students’ mental and emotional health in the context of climate change.
We invite expressions of interest for an excellent student who will be eligible to enroll in the Master in Environmental & Social Change program at The University of Winnipeg (MEnv or MA) starting September 2026. The successful candidate will work with an interdisciplinary team to 1) support the pilot school in implementing a CSH program 2) explore how student participation in a CSH changes their feelings around climate change.
Qualifications and Support
We seek a hard-working and dedicated colleague with a 4-year Bachelor degree (e.g., Environmental Studies, Environmental and Resource Mgt., Geography, Education, or Health Sciences). The successful candidate will have a track record of academic excellence and strong English writing skills. The successful candidate will receive a guaranteed minimum of $17,500/year in funding support for two years, plus support for direct costs of research and conference participation.
How to Apply
Serious expressions of interest can be sent to Dr. Brenton Button Associate Professor in Education (b.button@uwinnipeg.ca).
Your email must include your 1) updated CV, 2) transcripts (unofficial acceptable at this time), 3) a sample of your writing.
Description of Project
Canada is teeming with lakes, streams and wetlands. Clean, healthy fresh waters support biodiversity and provide extensive health, economic and cultural benefits to Canadian communities. However, rates of climate change in northern boreal regions are among the highest of anywhere on Earth. Rising temperatures, changes to precipitation and declining snow cover will fundamentally alter how water and chemicals move through the environment, and could threaten our valuable aquatic resources.
We invite expressions of interest for a student who will be eligible to enroll in the Master in Environmental & Social Change program at The University of Winnipeg (MSc) starting September 2026. The successful candidate will work with an interdisciplinary team to explore how rising temperatures, shorter winters and changing precipitation patterns alter watershed carbon cycling in boreal catchments. Depending on the interests and background of the student, the project will involve a combination of field work, lab work, data analysis and/or mathematical modelling.
Qualifications and Support
We seek an enthusiastic and dedicated colleague with a 4-year Bachelor degree (e.g., Environmental Science, Biology, Ecology, Forestry, Geography, Earth Science). The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate how their background and goals fit with the graduate opportunity. The successful candidate will receive guaranteed funding support for two years, plus support for direct costs of research and conference participation. The incoming team member will also have access to the CFI-funded Water Quality Analysis Lab at UWinnipeg.
How to Apply
Serious expressions of interest can be sent to Dr. Nora Casson, Canada Research Chair in Environmental Influences on Water Quality and Associate Professor in the Department of Geography (n.casson@uwinnipeg.ca).
Your email must include your 1) updated CV, 2) transcripts (unofficial acceptable at this time), and 3) a brief statement outlining why you want to join our team. Please include “MESC Position 2026” in the subject line of your email.
Description of Project
The purpose of this collaborative research project, supported by the Canadian Biomass Mapping Initiative, is to generate high-resolution, spatially explicit estimates of available forest biomass in recently disturbed areas across southeastern and eastern Manitoba. This project is a partnership between the University of Winnipeg and the Forestry and Peatlands Branch of the Government of Manitoba.
The successful candidates will work on developing and applying innovative remote sensing and machine learning methodologies to quantify biomass from underutilized sources, including wood damaged by wildfire, insect outbreaks, and blowdown events.
The project involves four core activities (successful applicants may be involved one or more of the following):
- LiDAR and Remote Sensing: Integrating airborne LiDAR, UAV imagery, and satellite data with field data to map forest structure and disturbance impacts.
- Biomass Modeling: Applying supervised machine learning techniques (e.g., Random Forest) to generate accurate, spatially explicit biomass volume estimates.
- Cost-Benefit Analysis: Performing a cost-effectiveness and supply chain analysis to determine the economic viability of biomass collection, transportation, and processing for clean fuel development.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Producing publicly accessible biomass maps and data tools to inform clean fuel investment, forest planning, and to support Indigenous-led forest development initiatives.
Qualifications and Support
We seek two hard-working and dedicated potential graduate students with a 4-year Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as Forestry, Geography, Remote Sensing, Environmental Studies, and/or Computer Science.
The Successful Candidates Will Have:
- A track record of academic excellence and strong English writing skills.
- Experience with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing is required.
- Familiarity with programming (Python) for data analysis, machine learning, and/or LiDAR data processing is an asset.
- The ability to support field data collection with our Provincial partners for forest inventory.
Support
The successful candidates will receive a guaranteed minimum of $30,000 per year in funding support for two years. Direct costs of research, fieldwork (e.g., UAV data collection) are covered by our Provincial partners. The start date is preferred for May 2026 to join summer field work, with courses starting Fall 2026.
How To Apply
Serious expressions of interest can be sent to Dr. Christopher Storie (c.storie@uwinnipeg.ca) in the Department of Geography at the University of Winnipeg with the email subject to read “Forest Biomass Project – Student Inquiry”. The deadline for submissions is January 31, 2026.
Your email must include your:
- Updated CV
- Transcripts (unofficial acceptable at this time)
- A research writing sample (e.g., an undergraduate thesis or major paper)
- A statement of qualifications and interests as they related to the project description.
All potential applicants will be reviewed by the research team. Only the successful applicants will be supported through the official application process.
Project Description
The Paris Agreement emphasizes the importance of global collaboration in reducing greenhouse gas emissions through carbon markets. The COP26, held in Glasgow in 2021, established a framework to operationalize carbon markets and create pathways for voluntary cooperation among parties in implementing their nationally determined contributions (NDCs), aimed at achieving higher climate ambition. As a follow-up, India announced a carbon credit trading scheme (CCTS) in 2023 that creates the institutional framework for a national market for carbon trade. The scheme allows the creation of a national-level mechanism where interested parties can obtain credit certificates by registering their projects that meet requirements set for the reduction or avoidance of greenhouse gas emissions. The Carbon Credits and Renewable Energy in India project involves analyzing the policy framework governing carbon credits and renewable energy in India and supporting opportunities for communities in Gujarat and Karnataka to help advance the green transition.
Drs Kirit Patel and Alan Diduck invite expressions of interest for two dedicated students who will be eligible to enroll in the Master of Environmental & Social Change program at The University of Winnipeg (MEnv or MA degree) starting September 2026. The successful candidates will work with an interdisciplinary team to help 1) analyze the proposed national carbon credit trading scheme, 2) examine the efficacy of involvement in the global voluntary carbon market, 3) review national and state incentive mechanisms for production of renewable energy, and 4) explore opportunities for enhancing the ability of local communities to participate effectively in state-promoted projects and establish their own energy and carbon credit projects.
Qualifications and Support
The successful candidates will have a related 4-year bachelor’s degree (e.g., Environmental Studies, Environmental Law, Public Policy, International Development). Previous experience working or studying in India is a definite asset. The successful candidate will have a track record of academic excellence and strong English writing skills. The successful candidates will receive a guaranteed minimum of $20,000/year in funding support for two years, plus support for direct costs of research and conference participation.
How to Apply
Expressions of interest can be sent to Dr. Kirit Patel (k.patel@uwinnipeg.ca), Department of Environmental Studies and Sciences. Please send your 1) current CV, 2) transcripts (unofficial acceptable at this time), 3) a writing sample (e.g. senior level undergraduate thesis or course project report or academic publication), and 4) a brief statement of interest regarding your proposed research. Please note that only successful candidates will be contacted.
Project Description
The Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF), National Government of the Red River Métis, has a number of programs aimed at monitoring the impacts of human activities on ecosystems across the National Homeland, including the Red River Métis Knowledge Data Catalogue and the Red River Métis Citizen Science Program. However, in order to better advocate for Red River Métis Citizens and Harvesters when the cumulative effects of proposed projects have the potential to impact their exercise of Red River Métis rights, there is a need to understand where and when this monitoring is sufficient and where it needs to be enhanced. This project aims to develop a cumulative effects framework which is comprehensive, regionally-specific and responsive to arising community concerns.
We invite expressions of interest for a student who will be eligible to enroll in the Master in Environmental & Social Change program at The University of Winnipeg (MSc or MEnv stream) starting September 2025. The successful candidate will work with the MMF to undertake an analysis of past, present and reasonably foreseeable development projects, natural disturbances, and climate fluctuations on waters within the MMF’s 7 Regions. The main focus of the project will be the development of a living database that allows MMF to understand what data and capacity exist to understand and assess cumulative effects across Manitoba. The development of the database will be guided by facilitated workshops with MMF Youth and Knowledge Holders to ensure it is informed by Red River Métis perspectives. The student will lead the collation of existing biophysical data and Red River Métis traditional knowledge around observed changes and areas of concern focusing largely on streamflow, water quality and aquatic ecosystem health data, with flexibility to include other vulnerable environmental components.
Qualifications and Support
We seek an enthusiastic and dedicated colleague with a 4-year Bachelor degree (e.g., Geography, Environmental Science, Biology, Natural Resource Management). The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate how their background and goals fit with the graduate opportunity. The successful candidate will receive guaranteed funding support for two years. This project is a collaboration between the MMF and the University of Winnipeg, and thus both will be involved in the selection of the successful candidate. Preference will be given to qualified Red River Métis applicants, and they are encouraged to self-identify on their cover letter.
How to Apply
Expressions of interest can be sent to Dr. Nora Casson, Canada Research Chair in Environmental Influences on Water Quality and Associate Professor in the Department of Geography (n.casson@uwinnipeg.ca). Your email must include your 1) updated CV, 2) transcripts (unofficial acceptable at this time), and 3) a brief statement outlining why you are interested in this opportunity. Please include “Cumulative Effects MESC Position 2024” in the subject line of your email.