Position: PhD Student – Data-Driven Knowledge Synthesis in Ecological Restoration
This work will take place on the territories of the lək̓ʷəŋən Peoples, now known as the Songhees and Xʷsepsəm/Esquimalt. We acknowledge and respect their relationships to the land, and the relationships of the W̱SÁNEĆ peoples, which are alive and continuing to this day.
Start Date: May 2026
Location: University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Lab: Restoration Futures Lab (School of Environmental Studies)
Duration: 4–5 years
Compensation: $26,000 / year
Overview
The Restoration Futures Lab at the University of Victoria, in collaboration with Restoration and Conservation Of Nature (RACOON) Research Group at the University of Waterloo, invites applications for a funded PhD position focused on data-driven knowledge synthesis in ecological restoration. This project bridges environmental science and knowledge mobilization to develop a tool that synthesizes and visualizes restoration knowledge from diverse sources — including management reports, scientific papers, and other datasets — to support decision-making for restoration practitioners.
We welcome and encourage applicants from all backgrounds and identities. We are committed to creating a supportive, curious, and inclusive research environment that values diverse experiences and ways of knowing. We especially encourage applicants — whether from within Canada, the U.S., or further abroad — who are excited to think differently about Western science and how it can equitably support community action to apply and help shape a collaborative future for restoration practice.
Project Description
The successful candidate will lead the technical and conceptual co-creation of a data-driven synthesis tool for ecological restoration. The project will build on a recently developed ontology of restoration actions, implementing it to annotate a corpus of restoration reports and scientific literature to create structured, interoperable data.
As the work progresses, the PhD student will:
Required Qualifications
Preferred Qualifications
Supervision and Collaboration
The PhD student will be co-supervised by Dr. Nancy Shackelford at the University of Victoria, and Dr. Tim Alamenciak at the University of Waterloo, and will collaborate with interdisciplinary partners in restoration ecology, computer science, and data systems across Canada and internationally.
The expectation will be in person in Victoria, BC for at least the first three years.
Application Instructions
Please submit to [email protected] and [email protected]:
This work will take place on the territories of the lək̓ʷəŋən Peoples, now known as the Songhees and Xʷsepsəm/Esquimalt. We acknowledge and respect their relationships to the land, and the relationships of the W̱SÁNEĆ peoples, which are alive and continuing to this day.
Start Date: May 2026
Location: University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Lab: Restoration Futures Lab (School of Environmental Studies)
Duration: 4–5 years
Compensation: $26,000 / year
Overview
The Restoration Futures Lab at the University of Victoria, in collaboration with Restoration and Conservation Of Nature (RACOON) Research Group at the University of Waterloo, invites applications for a funded PhD position focused on data-driven knowledge synthesis in ecological restoration. This project bridges environmental science and knowledge mobilization to develop a tool that synthesizes and visualizes restoration knowledge from diverse sources — including management reports, scientific papers, and other datasets — to support decision-making for restoration practitioners.
We welcome and encourage applicants from all backgrounds and identities. We are committed to creating a supportive, curious, and inclusive research environment that values diverse experiences and ways of knowing. We especially encourage applicants — whether from within Canada, the U.S., or further abroad — who are excited to think differently about Western science and how it can equitably support community action to apply and help shape a collaborative future for restoration practice.
Project Description
The successful candidate will lead the technical and conceptual co-creation of a data-driven synthesis tool for ecological restoration. The project will build on a recently developed ontology of restoration actions, implementing it to annotate a corpus of restoration reports and scientific literature to create structured, interoperable data.
As the work progresses, the PhD student will:
- Collaborate with a growing community of practice across Canada, engaging directly with restoration practitioners to understand their priorities and use cases.
- Work on data visualization and synthesis, including methods to represent uncertainty, confidence in restoration outcomes and transferability of findings.
- Contribute to the co-design and prototyping of an interactive digital tool that enables users to query and explore restoration evidence.
- Collaborate with an international network advancing machine learning and artificial intelligence applications for restoration knowledge systems.
Required Qualifications
- Experience with data visualization and communicating complex information clearly.
- A strong background in data science, information systems, and/or user interface design.
- Some proficiency in data analysis and programming, particularly using Python and R.
- Experience in user-centered design, co-design, knowledge mobilization or working directly with end users during tool or system development.
- Excellent teamwork, organizational, and communication skills.
Preferred Qualifications
- Background or coursework in restoration ecology, ecology or environmental science.
- Experience with metadata standards, linked open data or ontologies.
- Familiarity with creating web-based tools (e.g., HTML, R Shiny, Dash, Flask or equivalent frameworks).
Supervision and Collaboration
The PhD student will be co-supervised by Dr. Nancy Shackelford at the University of Victoria, and Dr. Tim Alamenciak at the University of Waterloo, and will collaborate with interdisciplinary partners in restoration ecology, computer science, and data systems across Canada and internationally.
The expectation will be in person in Victoria, BC for at least the first three years.
Application Instructions
Please submit to [email protected] and [email protected]:
- A cover letter describing your interest in this position and how your background aligns with the project.
- A current CV.
- Names and contact information for two references.