The Prairie Swine Centre is seeking passionate, bright, and highly motivated individuals interested in a position as an MSc or PhD graduate student in the disciplines of swine nutrition, physiology, and health. The successful candidates will join a strong, multidisciplinary academic and research team with expertise in non-ruminant nutrition, feed processing, management, welfare, metabolism, and physiology. The anticipated start date is September 2023.

 The successful candidates will lead and assist with projects involving both classical swine nutrition (e.g., growth performance, nutrient utilization) and advanced (e.g., metabolomics, proteomics, disease challenge, PCR) techniques.  Our current nutrition research program is focused on the impact of early-life nutrition on growth, impact of nutrition on health, and factors affecting nutrient requirements and utilization.  The successful candidate’s research program will focus on one of the following specific project areas:

 MSc Projects:

1. Application of precision feeding techniques using blend-feeding technology
2. Methods to improve performance of pigs receiving mycotoxin-contaminated diets

PhD Projects:

3. Improving weaning transition, including evaluating weaning management practices and development of successful pre-weaning nutritional interventions (creep feed)
4. Amino acid supplementation to improve pig health and performance

Qualifications: The desire and ability to lead research projects and work within a team of other highly motivated individuals are of critical importance to this position.

All applicants will be required to meet criteria for acceptance as a graduate student at the University of Saskatchewan as outlined by the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.  It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that they meet the minimum requirements before applying.

 A vehicle and driver’s licence is required. For international applicants, ability to obtain the necessary documents for travel and work in Canada will be required upon offer of employment.

MSc positions - Candidates must hold, or will have completed, a BSc in a related discipline such as animal science, animal physiology, nutrition, or veterinary science. Previous experience with livestock, especially swine, and knowledge of nutrition and immunology, nutrient utilization, protein metabolism, and feed formulation will be considered an asset.

 PhD positions - Candidates must hold, or will have completed, an MSc in a related discipline such as animal science, animal physiology, nutrition, or veterinary science. Previous experience with livestock, especially swine, and knowledge of nutrition and immunology, nutrient utilization, protein metabolism, and feed formulation is required. Experience in bioinformatics, disease challenge (biosafety-level 2), and meta-analysis and a track record of peer-reviewed publications will be considered an asset.

Prairie Swine Centre (www.prairieswine.com) is a non-profit swine production research corporation affiliated with the University of Saskatchewan and located 10 km southeast of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. It offers a nationally and internationally recognized research programs in nutrition, ethology, and engineering, knowledge transfer, and education all directed towards the efficiency and sustainability of pork production.

The University of Saskatchewan (www.usask.ca) is located in Saskatoon, a city with a diverse and thriving economic base, a vibrant arts community and a full range of leisure opportunities. The Department of Animal and Poultry Science is well-recognized nationally and internationally as a research-intensive department. The department’s highly-trained and enthusiastic faculty members and adjunct professors have extensive, high-quality applied and basic research programs that cover a wide range of topics in animal science and related areas.

 The Prairie Swine Centre and University of Saskatchewan have instated a number of health and safety requirements for faculty, staff and students in consideration of the COVID-19 pandemic. As of January 2022, being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 is a condition of employment and proof of vaccination with a Health Canada approved vaccine will be required. The Centre will consider accommodations requests for individuals in accordance with the requirements of The Saskatchewan

Human Rights Code, 2018.

The Prairie Swine Centre and University of Saskatchewan believe equity, diversity, and inclusion strengthen the community and enhance excellence, innovation and creativity. We are dedicated to recruiting individuals who will enrich our work and learning environments. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, in accordance with Canadian immigration requirements, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority. We are committed to providing accommodations to those with a disability or medical necessity. If you require an accommodation in order to participate in the recruitment process, please notify us and we will work together on the accommodation request.

For more information or to apply please contact Dr. Dan Columbus. Interested candidates are asked to include in their application package a cover letter including their career interests, their curriculum vitae, and copies of transcripts.  Screening of candidates will continue until the positions are filled.  Only those applicants selected for an interview will be contacted. 

Dr. Dan Columbus

Prairie Swine Centre

Box 21057, 2105-8th Street East

Saskatoon, SK, S7H 5N9

Tel: 1-306-667-7432

Email: dan.columbus@usask.ca

The Bennett, Lamb, and Kelln labs in the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Saskatchewan are recruiting multiple post-doctoral positions to start between February and September 2023. Our labs study rangeland ecology and management with an emphasis on plant-soil interactions, fire ecology, grazing ecology, forage production systems, and grassland community ecology.

We are looking for ecologists with strong publication records and strong quantitative skills. We are particularly interested in researchers with a background or interest in grassland fire ecology, plant-soil interactions, soil greenhouse gas production, and grazing ecology, but will consider individuals with backgrounds in related plant ecology, soil ecology, and range management fields. Each position is tied to a project with specific research goals and deliverables; there will be substantial scope for each PDF to develop independent and collaborative lines of research.

One position is available for a start as early as February 2023. Pending confirmation of funding, additional positions will become available for starts in spring or summer 2023. Depending on the position you will be primarily supervised by one of Lamb or Bennett or co-supervised by two of the three PIs. Links to our individual lab webpages are here:

• Bennett Lab: https://research-groups.usask.ca/bennett-lab/index.php
• Lamb Lab: https://research-groups.usask.ca/saskatchewan-plant-community-ecology-lab/index.php
• Kelln Lab: https://agbio.usask.ca/faculty-and-staff/people-pages/bree-kelln.php

Minimum qualifications:

• Have received a PhD in a relevant discipline within the last 5 years, or have a defense scheduled prior to July 2023.
• Lead author on at least one paper published or in review at a peer reviewed venue.
• Willing to relocate to Saskatoon, SK. All of the positions involve fieldwork in Saskatchewan. We welcome international applicants; see the link to the appointment process below for information about work permits.

Compensation

A minimum of $55,000 CAD per year plus benefits. This is a unionized position with a range of health and other benefits paid by the employer. For more information on the appointment process and benefits please see this link: https://cgps.usask.ca/postdocs/appointment-info/future-postdocs.php

Application Procedure

Send a cover letter including a description of your research interests and your CV to Eric Lamb (eric.lamb@usask.ca). There is no deadline for application, but we expect that the first positions could be hired as early as February 2023.

The Project:

• Seeking a PhD student to collaborate with Indigenous communities in Western Canada as part of a large research team.
• Conduct interdisciplinary research that bridges science and Traditional Knowledge on wildlife and food security.
• Share research results back to communities.
• Four years of funding for student stipend ($25,000/year) and research costs.

Philosophy: our research group aims to recruit bright, mature, and kind students and train them in research design by giving each student considerable latitude to develop the project in ways that best fit their skills and career aspirations.

Qualifications: Masters in any relevant field, excellent writing and communication skills, and enthusiasm to work in cross-cultural environments is required, interdisciplinary experience preferred. Existing experience working with Indigenous communities, Geographic Information Systems, spatial and statistical analysis and fieldwork experience are all strong assets.

Preferred Start: January 3, 2023, negotiable.

To Apply: send a cover letter summarizing your research interests and qualifications, CV, indication of academic performance (unofficial transcripts are fine at first), and names of 3 references to ryan.brook@uask.ca   Feel free to reach out to discuss prior to applying.

The Project:

• Dr. Ryan Brook (College of Agriculture and Bioresources at the University of Saskatchewan) and Dr. Todd Shury (Parks Canada) are seeking a Postdoctoral Researcher to collaborate with Parks Canada in their efforts to develop and deliver vaccines to wild bison herds, including via the oral route.
• The overall long-term goal is to reduce the prevalence of bovine tuberculosis and brucellosis and protect existing disease-free bison herds from these two introduced pathogens.
• The candidate will have access to captive bison herds both at the University of Saskatchewan and Parks Canada and would collaborate in a friendly academic environment that values equity, diversity, and inclusion.
• Expected outcomes will include a report to Parks Canada and several peer-reviewed publications.
• Two years of salary at $60,000/year, including benefits, contingent on strong progress in year 1.

Qualifications: PhD in natural sciences in the past 5 years in ecology, agriculture, veterinary science, or a relevant field, excellent writing and communication skills, enthusiasm for collaboration, strong independent work ethic and enthusiasm to work in bison conservation.

Preferred Start: November 1, 2022, negotiable. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

To Apply: send a cover letter summarizing your research interests and qualifications and how your skills and background match with the outcomes sought, CV, indication of academic performance (unofficial transcripts are fine at first), two of your peer-reviewed papers where you are the senior author, and names of 3 references to ryan.brook@uask.ca Feel free to reach out to discuss prior to applying.

The Prairie Swine Centre is seeking a passionate, bright, and highly motivated individual interested
for a position as PhD graduate student in the disciplines of swine nutrition, physiology, and health. The
successful candidate will join a strong, multidisciplinary academic and research team with expertise in
non-ruminant nutrition, feed processing, management, welfare, metabolism, and physiology.

The successful candidate will lead and assist with projects involving both classical swine nutrition
(growth performance, nutrient utilization) and advanced (metabolomics, proteomics, disease
challenge, PCR) techniques. Our current nutrition research program focused on the impact of earlylife
nutrition on growth, impact of nutrition on health, and factors affecting nutrient requirements and
utilization. The Postdoctoral Associate will also assist with the training and supervision of both
masters and doctoral graduate students. Pursuit of independent project funding is encouraged.

Qualifications: The desire and ability to lead research projects and work within a team of other highly
motivated individuals are of critical importance to this position. A vehicle and driver’s licence is
required. Candidates must hold, or will have completed, an MSc in a related discipline such as animal
science, animal physiology, nutrition, or veterinary science. Previous experience with livestock,
especially swine, and knowledge of nutrition and immunology, nutrient utilization, protein
metabolism, and feed formulation is required. Experience in bioinformatics, disease challenge
(biosafety-level 2), and meta-analysis and a track record of peer-reviewed publications will be
considered an asset.

Position start date is May 1, 2022. Screening of applications will continue until the position is filled.

Prairie Swine Centre (www.prairieswine.com) is a non-profit swine production research corporation
affiliated with the University of Saskatchewan and located 10 km southeast of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. It offers a nationally and internationally recognized program in research, technology
transfer, and education all directed towards the efficiency and sustainability of pork production.

The University of Saskatchewan (www.usask.ca) is located in Saskatoon, a city with a diverse and
thriving economic base, a vibrant arts community and a full range of leisure opportunities. The
Department of Animal and Poultry Science is well-recognized nationally and internationally as a research-intensive department. The department’s highly-trained and enthusiastic faculty members and adjunct professors have extensive, high-quality applied and basic research programs that cover a wide range of topics in animal science and related areas.

The Prairie Swine Centre and University of Saskatchewan have instated a number of health and safety
requirements for faculty, staff and students in consideration of the COVID-19 pandemic. As of January
4, 2022, being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 is a condition of employment and proof of vaccination with a Health Canada approved vaccine will be required. The Centre will consider accommodations requests for individuals in accordance with the requirements of The Saskatchewan Human Rights Code, 2018.

The Prairie Swine Centre and University of Saskatchewan believe equity, diversity, and inclusion
strengthen the community and enhance excellence, innovation and creativity. We are dedicated to
recruiting individuals who will enrich our work and learning environments. All qualified candidates
are encouraged to apply; however, in accordance with Canadian immigration requirements, Canadian
citizens and permanent residents will be given priority. We are committed to providing accommodations to those with a disability or medical necessity. If you require an accommodation in order to participate in the recruitment process, please notify us and we will work together on theaccommodation request.

For international applicants, ability to obtain the necessary documents for travel and work in Canada
will be required upon offer of employment.

For more information or to apply please contact Dr. Dan Columbus. Interested candidates are asked to
include in their application package a cover letter including their career interests, their curriculum vitae,
and copies of transcripts. Only those applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.

Dr. Dan Columbus
Prairie Swine Centre
Box 21057, 2105-8th Street East
Saskatoon, SK, S7H 5N9
Tel: 1-306-667-7432
Fax: 1-306-955-2510
Email: dan.columbus@usask.ca

The University of Saskatchewan has acquired funding to support eight West African and two Canadian Early Career Researcher (ECR) / Postdoctoral Fellow (PDF) / PhD scholars (at dissertation stage) for an interdisciplinary exchange program between Canada, Ghana, and Senegal.

Please see the application for more details. 

Two M.Sc. and 1 Ph.D. positions are available immediately for work within the area of plant protein ingredients and food chemistry. The demand for plant-based protein alternatives around the globe is on the rise as consumers and the food industry search for non-dairy non-soy alternatives that are low cost, abundant, nutritious, functional and environmentally sustainable. However, significant ingredient innovation is required in order to bring new oilseed, cereal and pulse derived ingredients to the marketplace, and be competitive. The three research projects are as follows:

[1] Evaluation of the effects of germination on the physicochemical, functional and nutritional properties of Navy bean and red lentil flours.  This M.Sc. project examines changes to seed composition and morphology during germination overtime, and then accesses the functional attributes of their resulting flours (solubility, water/oil holding capacities and, foaming, emulsifying and pasting abilities). The project will also access changes to in vitro starch and protein digestibility.

[2] Examination of the impact of particle size on the wet extraction process for protein isolates from yellow pea, red lentil, Navy bean and Kabuli chickpeas, and their resulting physicochemical, functional and nutritional properties. This M.Sc. project examines the impact of particle sizes on the ability to extract proteins from a range of pulses for purposes of developing an isolate. The formed ingredients will be evaluated based on their composition, protein profile, interfacial properties functionality and nutritional value.

[3] Evaluation of the protein quality and functionality of flour and protein isolates from a variety of advanced pea breeding lines. This Ph.D. project examines the nutritional value, interfacial properties and functional attributes of flour and isolate ingredients derived from advanced pea lines bred for their amino acid profile and total protein content. Protein quality, will involve measuring amino acid profiles using multiple methods, and in vitro digestibility for determination of PDCAAS values).

Ideal applicants will: have a B.Sc. or M.Sc. degree in Food Science or related discipline; have hands on experience in food chemistry or material science; have excellent oral and written communications skills; and have a publication record (in the case of Ph.D. applicants).

Funding for these opportunities is available at the University of Saskatchewan (Dr. Michael Nickerson) at a level of $20,000/yr for 2 years (M.Sc.) and $24,000/yr for 3 years (Ph.D.).

How to Apply*: Send your Curriculum vitae, transcripts, any recent publications, English test scores and a covering letter stating how your background and qualifications match the position to Dr. Michael Nickerson

*Only qualified matches will be asked to submit a formal application and interviewed.

The Department of Plant Sciences along with the Crop Development Centre is now accepting applications for summer employment for the 2023 growing season.

Submit the application below and in a separate email attach a current resume listing education, employment history, and names and contact information of three references and an unofficial transcript from PAWS or your educational institution to General Office-Plant Sciences

• Plant Sciences & CDC Summer Student Application Form