Please check the IRES and GRSJ program websites for application requirements and deadlines.
- Experience of Shifting Water Governance: Comparative Study of Water Access, Narrative and Citizenship in Accra, Ghana and Cape Town, South Africa
Funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, MA and PhD students are invited to work with Professor Leila Harris on this comparative research project. In general, MA students will likely focus on one of the study sites, while PhD students would be expected to include both sites in their research projects. Applications should speak to elements of the varied project goals, depending on your interests. Please communicate in the near term with Dr. Harris on your potential research questions. Overall project goals include:
1) To analyze the effects and experiences of shifts in contemporary water governance among relatively impoverished and underserved communities in Accra, Ghana and Cape Town, South Africa
2) To analyze relationships between water use, access, governance, and citizenship
3) To develop new approaches for narrative analysis, particularly for political ecology
4) To contribute to policy debates regarding possibilities for extending water access and promoting participatory governance, particularly in underserved areas.
The project also seeks to work with partners in each context to promote research capacity and to disseminate knowledge. As such, working with local governmental and non-governmental partners is essential.
Successful applicants for this opportunity should have strong research, analysis, community engagement, and writing skills, be highly motivated and organized, and be able to work independently and in a team environment. Quantitative analysis skills a plus. Travel is also required.
To apply: submit CV, a very brief summary of your background and qualifications (including GPA) and please provide several research question(s) you propose to work on, in line with the opportunities as outlined above. Email these materials to lharris@ires.ubc.ca prior to formally applying to the MA/PhD program. Please check program deadlines and make sure to meet all application requirements. More information, including several theses already concluded as part of this project available at www.edges.ubc.ca
- Improving Water governance in small communities and First Nations in British Columbia
As part of the Res’Eau WATERNET NSERC Strategic Network (http://www.reseauwaternet.ca/), the Program on Water Governance has funding for one MA or PhD student to work on research in line with the network, with a focus on improving water governance in small and First Nation communities. As part of the strategic network ‘community circle’ effort, work with a particular community is likely (e.g. Cowichan Valley Regional District or Lytton First Nation). Here applicants are asked to communicate initially with Dr. Harris and Dr. Bakker about your interest, and frame your potential project in line with the overall project goal as stated above (and on the Res’Eau website). For this project, engagement with community partners and broader science communities is a must.
Successful applicants for this opportunity should have strong research, analysis, community engagement, and writing skills, be highly motivated and organized, and be able to work independently and in a team environment. Travel in British Columbia is also required.
To apply: Please check program deadlines for admission (RMES, GRSJ, or Geography all possible), and ensure eligibility and all materials required for program admission. In the near term, please submit a CV, a very brief summary of your background and qualifications (including GPA) and several proposed research questions you hope to work on in line with the opportunities as outlined above. Initial communications should be sent to lharris@ires.ubc.ca and Karen.bakker@ubc.ca
UBC hires on the basis of merit and is strongly committed to equity and diversity within its community. We especially welcome applications from visible minority group members, women, Aboriginal persons, persons with disabilities, persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, and others with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with diverse communities. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.
