About this role
Project Description. The pELAstic Project is an interdisciplinary collaboration of scientists and students from across Canada and the US who have been investigating the fate and effects of microplastics in freshwater ecosystems. Since 2019, our team has conducted large-scale limnocorral and whole-lake manipulation experiments in boreal lakes at the IISD-Experimental Lakes Area, Ontario. To date, our team has published 15 scientific papers, appeared in national and international media, and trained over 40 students. In the next phase, funded by the NSERC-ECCC Plastics Science and Innovation for a Cleaner and More Sustainable Future initiative, we examine how freshwater ecosystems recover from plastic pollution, both naturally and through remediation strategies. We are recruiting for two positions:
Position 1 - Amphibian Ecotoxicology: assesses whether legacy microplastics remain a risk to health of American toads through sampling natural population of toads in boreal lakes and in situ experiments.
Position 2 - Sediment Remediation: examines factors controlling degradation of microplastics in boreal lake sediments and tests the efficacy of novel remediation techniques through field-based experiments.
Online Resources.
QE3 Research Group: https://qe3research.ca/
pELAstic Project: https://thepelasticproject.com/
IISD-Experimental Lakes Area: https://www.iisd.org/ela/
Department of Biology, Queen's University: https://biology.queensu.ca/
Key Requirements
- Position Details. The successful candidates will be appointed (PDF) or enrolled in a graduate program (MSc or PhD) in Biology or Environmental Studies at Queens University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. The successful student/PDF will be supervised by Dr. Diane Orihel (Associate Professor, Queens National Scholar in Ecotoxicology) and will join the Queens Ecotoxicology for Environmental Policy (QE3) research group. Preferred start date of May 2027 or September 2027.
- Desired Qualifications.
- University degree in Biology, Environmental Sciences, Environmental Chemistry, or related field.
- BSc-Honours (for MSc Position), research-based MSc (for PhD Position), or PhD (for PDF Position).
- Theoretical knowledge of limnology, aquatic ecology, ecotoxicology, and/or environmental chemistry.
- Practical experience in aquatic field sampling and chemical analyses of environmental samples.
- Proficiency in data analysis and scientific writing, with a track record of peer-reviewed publication.
- Team-oriented and committed to promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion.
- Applications from Indigenous, Black, LGBQT+, and persons from other underrepresented groups are welcomed.
- To Apply.
- Please email an application package to QE3recruitment@gmail.com (with subject: pELAstic26) containing the following:
- One-page cover letter with: (a) your interest in the pELAstic Project, and which position (amphibian or sediment) you are applying for; (b) the program you are eligible for (MSc, PhD, or PDF); (c) how you meet the desired qualifications; and (d) your citizenship status (position is open to Canadian citizens and permanent residents only).
- Your curriculum vitae or resume; and university transcripts.
- A writing sample (e.g., published scientific paper, or most recent thesis).
- Contact information (name, position, affiliation, work email) for three references.
- Application deadline is December 15, 2026, but early applications are encouraged.
About the company
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