The most common form of funding for graduate students is the Research Assistantship (RA). These assistantships are provided through research grants awarded to faculty supervisors for specific projects (which can often provide thesis topics). Some of these grants come from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council. Many professors also receive funding from a variety of industrial sources. Amounts paid monthly vary a great deal, depending on the amount of funding available, the nature of the work and whether there is a maximum amount that can be paid as per the rules of the funding agency.
The decision on whether to grant a research assistantship to a student is made by the individual supervisory professor. Students who have been accepted into the graduate program must contact their supervisor directly regarding the possibility and amount of a research assistantship.
If your supervisor has indicated to you that you will be receiving a Research Assistantship, please remind him/her to set this up as soon as possible. RA appointments are processed by the ECE Administration Office. If you are not a Canadian citizen they will require a copy of your student visa or PR card. You will also need a Social Insurance Number. You can apply for one here.
Requests to initiate RA appointments must come from your supervisor. To ensure that we do not miss any payments, please be aware of the dates of your appointment and remind your supervisor in advance to renew your appointment. RA appointments can only be made for up to one year at a time.
Masters and Ph.D. students, with strong academic standing, are encouraged to apply for Research Assistantship positions which match their research interests and qualifications. Below is a general overview of some RA positions available; not all positions are listed. Please note that not all RA positions are paid positions.
BiSICL |
1 MASc and 1 PhD Student |
An ideal candidate will have a background in biomedical engineering with experience or interest in ultrasound and/or medical image processing and strong computer programming and experimentation skills. The Biomedical Signal and Image Computing Lab (BiSICL) has a number of funded positions. Exceptional candidates with strong mathematical, coding and technical writing skills are encouraged to apply. Candidates holding scholarships are eligible for various top-ups. |
rafeef [at] ece [dot] ubc [dot] ca (subject: Postdoctoral%20Research%20Fellow) (Rafeef Abugharbieh) |
LERSSE | PhD Research Assistantship | There are two Ph.D. RA-ship positions available in online social network security, mobile device security, and usable security. For more information, see http://lersse.ece.ubc.ca/positions | Kosta Beznosov |
MINA | Artificial Muscle | Seeking a graduate student interested in investigating artificial muscle based on metal nanowires. These nanowires are stronger than steel and we hope to show that they can actively contract in response to applied voltage, creating the strongest 'muscle' known. Please apply to the UBC graduate applications web site and mention your interest in working with John Madden. | John Madden |
MINA | PhD Research Assistantship in MEMS and microfabrication | The Takahata Lab is seeking motivated, competitive graduate students interested in creating novel microfabrication and MEMS technologies. Visit http://www.ece.ubc.ca/~takahata/opportunities.html for details. |
Kenichi Takahata |