GET INVOLVED

Supervision: Dr. Gunilla Öberg (recent settler from Sweden), Dr. Susan Chiblow, (Anishnaabe, Garden River) and Dr. Niiyokamigaabaw Deondre Smiles (Ojibwe/Black/Swedish)

Are you concerned about the negative impacts of chemicals on the environment? Are you passionate about Indigenous rights, stewardship, and self-determination? Do you want to transform the current system to a safer place for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people? The Egesta Lab may be the next step in your academic or professional journey!

The Egesta Lab, at the Institute for Resources, Environment, and Sustainability (IRES), is looking to fill 2-5 full-time positions in our new six-year-long project, based at UBC Vancouver. We are open to a wide range of experience levels and backgrounds. This includes people with a doctorate who are interested in pursuing a post-doc, people with an undergraduate interested in pursuing a masters, and people with relevant experience (from any kind of educational background) who would be interested in joining as a research assistant.

Application priority will be given to Indigenous people from North America.

We welcome applicants with backgrounds in education, environmental science, toxicology, chemistry, Indigenous studies, public policy, qualitative research, and other related areas of expertise. We are a part of a large, interdisciplinary, inter-institutional and international initiative: Transforming Chemical Risk Management with Indigenous Expertise, led by Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars across North America and Aotearoa: Dr. Susan Chiblow (Anishnaabe Kwe, Garden River), Dr. M Murphy (Red River Métis), Dr. Gunilla Öberg (recent settler from Sweden), Dr. Kristen Bos (Red River Métis), Dr. Deborah McGregor (Anishinaabe, Whitefish River), Dr. Amanda Giang (settler of Taiwanese heritage), Dr. Jamie Ataria (Rongomaiwahine, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Tūwharetoa), and Dr. Karen Fisher (Ngāti Maniapoto, Tainui), and Dr. Louis Tremblay (Pakeha).

About the Research

With our team, you will be working on developing educational materials for present and future chemicals management professionals, to support their understanding of the colonial histories underlying this field, contribute to the decolonization of the field (e.g. widening the types of expertise and data used in risk assessment), and facilitate co- learning between professionals and Indigenous Nations.

The project is split into 3 phases – we are currently in the first phase:

• Listening: Learning what type of education is needed from educators, scientists, Indigenous scholars, and Indigenous communities, via focus groups and interviews

• Creating: Build educational materials that fulfill the needs from the “Listening” phase

• Piloting: Pilot educational materials in post-secondary courses or professional training programs, and making improvements based on feedback and observations

Your work might include engaging with Elders / Knowledge Holders, professors, and public servants, using Indigenous research methodologies, supporting curriculum development, qualitative research, thematic analysis, and workshop design, all depending on your interests and project direction.

About the Overall Project
Transforming Chemical Risk Management with Indigenous Expertise which seeks to re- envision chemical risk management with Indigenous expertise. Chemical risk management is not confined to chemistry or toxicology —it involves navigating public policy, regulating the production and use of chemicals, responding to environmental and human harms of exposure, and empowering communities who are experiencing these harms. 

Call for Applicants
If you are interested, know of anyone who may be, or have any questions, please reach out to the Research Manager (Noah Depner, noah.depner@ubc.ca), or Dr. Gunilla Öberg (goberg@ires.ubc.ca), Dr. Susan Chiblow, (schiblow@uoguelph.ca) or Dr. Niiyokamigaabaw Deondre Smiles (deondre.smiles@ubc.ca). We may be able to support masters applications past the IRES application deadline – if you are interested, please reach out.

There is no formal deadline to apply - we will be having 1-on-1 conversations with interested candidates between now (December 2025) and February / March 2026

This opportunity is a part of the larger Transforming Chemical Risk Management with Indigenous Expertise project the Egesta Lab is working with. As Manager, Indigenous Research, you would work with  the project leadership team at Technoscience Research Unit (TRU) at the University of Toronto. We have copied a couple excerpts from the job description below:

This position will be hosted at the TechnoscienceResearch Unit (TRU) at the University of Toronto, an Indigenous-led home for critical and creative research on the politics of technoscience with an emphasis on environment and data. Led by M. Murphy and Kristen Bos, the TRU has an internationally recognized focus on Indigenous STS, Indigenous Environmental Data Justice, and Indigenous approaches to chemicals and sustainability. The TRU is the administrative home for stewarding this project.

Manager, Indigenous Research is responsible for developing, maintaining, and contributing to the development of our community-based and academic research, including building strong connections with Indigenous experts, communities, and organizations involved in the project as well as with governmental partners towards our project's objectives. The Manager, Indigenous Research will do some travel nationally and internationally to work with subprojects and partners.

For more information and to apply, read the full description here

Application due date: December 19th