**Now hiring undergrads for summer 2025: click here for details***

Note that Carly will be on sabbatical for the 2025/2026 academic year, and thus does not anticipate taking on new graduate students during this period

Interested in joining us?

Concordia is an English-speaking University in the vibrant and diverse city of Montreal, Quebec. Our lab is based in the Department of Biology on Loyola Campus - a beautiful green campus in the western part of the city, but within reach of downtown. Students  have numerous opportunities to learn and collaborate outside the lab, especially given the presence of 4 universities in Montreal, as well as affiliations with the Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science and Concordia's Next Generation Cities Institute.

I have diverse interests in the fields of urban ecology, landscape ecology, ecosystem services, sustainability, and biodiversity science, and am always happy to discuss opportunities with creative, enthusiastic, and motivated undergraduate and graduate students. Graduate research projects can be developed with close ties to ongoing research in the lab, or based on particular student interests if applicable to our work and expertise. Research in our lab typically combines field work with laboratory and/or computer analysis, with most data collection occurring in the summer in urban or peri-urban areas. Please take a look through the Research and Publications pages to get an idea of our recent and on-going projects. Interested students are encouraged to contact Dr. Carly Ziter directly ([email protected]) to discuss available projects, funding opportunities, or specific research ideas they may have. Please include your CV, (unofficial) transcript, and a description of why you want to join the lab. 

Note that our lab does not typically accept regular volunteers, as we strongly believe that paid positions are an important component of achieving a more equitable, diverse STEM workforce. We do occasionally invite volunteers to join us for short-term events (such as community science events or field days). If you would like to be included on a an email list for these opportunities, please let us know.

Ways to join the lab (and current opportunities):

Undergraduate Students
We often hire undergraduates for summer research opportunities, and encourage students to apply for summer research funding through Concordia's Undergraduate Research Opportunities (see current opportunities, below). The best time to contact Carly about summer research is early in the Winter semester. Students can also obtain credits for independent research done in the lab through Concordia's BSc Honours' program (BIOL490), Science College (SCOL 290, SCOL 391), or the Loyola College for Diversity and Sustainability (LOYC398). Please contact Ian Ferguson for more information regarding undergraduate  research in biology, Rebecca Tittler for more information regarding undergraduate research in Sustainability, and Patricia Paul regarding Science College

CURRENT OPPORTUNITIES: 
We are currently looking for students to assist with projects supporting urban insect biodiversity. Details can be found here.

Graduate Students
While the lab sometimes has funding for new graduate students (see current opportunities, below), eligible candidates are also encouraged to apply for independent research funding (e.g. through NSERC, FRQNT). Carly is happy to help you work through these applications (but be aware that deadlines are often far in advance of admission!). Concordia also offers fellowships for very strong applicants (considered at time of application). You can read more about the Biology graduate program here.

​CURRENT OPPORTUNITIES: 

• We anticipate recruiting a student (or possibly postdoc) in 2025 to join a multi-university (Toronto/Laval/Concordia/Alberta) project focused on  mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from urban forestry waste, in partnership with industry and municipalities. The position will be built around quantifying potential changes in ecosystem services. Ad to come, but informal inquiries welcome (bilingual French/English strongly preferred for this position).​​

Postdocs
We do not currently have funding in hand for postdoctoral positions for 2024. However, there are provincial (FRQNT), and national (NSERC) funding opportunities for Canadian citizens and permanent residents. Additional funding opportunities for postdoctoral work in Canada include Liber Ero, and Mitacs. Please contact Carly if you are interested in working on an application together.

***We also (occasionally) hire motivated, creative students outside of the above opportunities. If you think your interests and experience are a strong fit with the lab, and would like to discuss other opportunities, please contact me directly ([email protected]). Please note that it is extremely rare that I can support international MSc students due to funding structures. ​

A general note for (graduate/PDF) applicants:

If you are applying for a specific, advertised graduate or postdoc position, please refer to that position's advertisement for guidance (and mention the opportunity you are applying to in your email). However, if you are applying to the lab generally, read on...

​Rather than proposing a specific project, I prefer to work closely with students to develop a project idea they are excited about. Particular project directions may include (but are not limited to):

• Characterizing relationships among biodiversity and multiple ES provided by green infrastructure. eg: 
  • Does a variety of urban green space types improve landscape multifunctionality? 
  • Which aspects of biodiversity are most strongly correlated with urban ES?
• ​​The role of urban landscape structure in moderating biodiversity and ES provision. eg: 
  • ​Does configuration of urban green space - especially land sharing vs. sparing approaches to development - drive spatial   tradeoffs among biodiversity and ES? 
  • Can we leverage private management to scale up biodiversity and/or ES provision in a high-density city?
• Ecosystem services (and particularly climate adaptation) provided by the urban forest. eg:
  • ​How will interacting drivers (impervious surfaces, tree canopy, weather conditions) affect urban temperatures in a future warmer climate?
  • How will direct and indirect changes in biodiversity alter forest-based ecosystem services?

Note: The lab currently has particular expertise in tree/plant biodiversity, and climate and regulating ecosystem services (e.g. those related to soil properties and nutrients, carbon storage, temperature regulation). Studying additional services/taxa may be an option depending on the interests and expertise of the applicant, and funding sources available. Co-supervision is also an option.