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• UBC Psychology

The Paid Participant Studies List is hosted on the Psychology Graduate Student Council website. While most studies here are conducted in the Psychology Department, other departments recruiting participants are welcome to advertise. Anyone is welcome to sign up for the mailing list.

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Current Studies

We welcome both the general public and students, and please check the eligibility requirements for each study.

Last updated: April 10, 2024

Study Title: Genetic Architecture of Youth Anxiety (GAYA)

Researcher: Dr. S. Evelyn Stewart (PI)

Description: Anxiety disorders can significantly interfere with youth’s lives, so it is important to better understand how and why these disorders develop through mechanisms like genetics. To better understand the development of anxiety disorders among youth, we need to include larger samples of youth in current genetic research. Participants in the GAYA study will complete questionnaires online, provide a DNA saliva sample, and play two phone games on the GAYA app.You can complete this study entirely at home if you wish, and you will be able to complete the study in less than 45 minutes.

Eligibility:

– 10-19 years of age

– Speak English

– Able to use a smartphone

Location: Online or at BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute 938 W 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4

Contact Information: If you are interested in participating, please contact the study team at [email protected] .

Reimbursement/Time: What participants will be paid $15 after completing the study. The study would take approximately 45 minutes to complete

Study End Date: On going. Posted April 10 2024.

Study Title: Recognition of high-level visual form (In-person)

Researcher: Dr. Ipek Oruc (Principal Investigator); Caitlin Long (Graduate Research Assistant)

Description: In this study, we investigate how human observers recognize complex visual patterns and objects such as letters and faces. You are invited to participate in this study because we would like to understand how visual recognition is normally accomplished in healthy human observers. Participants will be seated comfortably in front of a computer screen where they will view displays of visual stimuli. Participants will then be asked if they recognize the stimuli.

Eligibility: Participants should have normal or corrected to normal vision and hearing.

Location: ICORD at Vancouver General Hospital; 818 W 10th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9

Contact Information: Caitlin Long;  [email protected]

Reimbursement/Time: The study will take approximately 1 hour, and participants will be compensated $10.

Study End Date: June 9, 2024. Posted April 10, 2024.

Title:  Sequency Learning Dyad Keypress (In-person)

Researcher:  Porter Trevisan (RA), Georgia Grieve, Dr. Matthew Scott and Dr. Nicola Hodges (PI; School of Kinesiology, UBC)

Description:  One-off research participant for research project in the School of Kinesiology (right-handed females only). You will be asked to come to the War Memorial Gym to take part in a study looking at the cognitive and behavioural processes involved in motor learning. We will study how people practice and learn various patterns of keystrokes across two days of practice. This study requires attendance of 2 sessions (1 session/day for 2 consecutive days). Day 1 will last approximately 1h 15 minutes. Day 2 will last approximately 30 minutes. Participants may, or may not, learn the task with another participant (depending on group allocation).

Eligibility:  In order to participate in this study, you must meet all of the following requirements:

• Female adult (age 18-35)
• Right-hand dominant
• Normal vision or wear corrective lenses
• No injury to the right hand
• Must be English speaking
• Must be vaccinated against COVID-19
• No known neurological disorders
• No previous participation in a similar study (involving keystroke patterns) conducted by the Motor Skills Laboratory (if in doubt, please check with Aneesha, email:  [email protected] )

Location :  Room 24A (basement level) in the War Memorial Gym (6081 University Blvd;  http://www.maps.ubc.ca/PROD/index_detail.php?locat1=428 ).

Contact Information:  If you meet the qualifications below, please email Aneesha to indicate interest (resume NOT required). In your email provide a UBC email (if applicable), a phone number and your availability over the coming weeks. Please include “ATTN: Keypress” in the subject line of your e-mail.

Reimbursement/Time:  The study is estimated to take up to 2 hours across the two days. Participants will be reimbursed $16.75 per hour.

Study End Date:  Ongoing. Posted Jan 28 2024.

Study Title: Using eye movements as a readout of audiovisual integration 

Researcher:  Jessica Chalissery, Skadi Gerkensmeier, & Miriam Spering (Principle Investigator)

Description:  We are looking for healthy young adults who will participate in two testing sessions lasting up to 60 minutes each (either two short sessions on separate days, or one long session with a 30-minute break in the middle). You will complete short assessments to test your vision and hearing to confirm eligibility, then view visual and auditory stimuli on a computer monitor while your eye movement data is recorded. There are no known risks associated with participating in this study beyond those of working on a computer in daily life.

Eligibility:  

• between ages 19 and 25
• ability to provide informed consent
• have normal or corrected-to-normal vision
• have normal or corrected-to-normal hearing
• no history of hearing impairment
• no history of eye disease (such as strabismus or amblyopia, known as “lazy eye”)
• no history of brain injury or neurological disease (such as multiple sclerosis, stroke, trauma to the head, including a concussion within 12 months of the study.)
• have no history of psychiatric disorders
• not taking any psychiatric medication

Location:  The BRANE Lab, room B28, 2194 Woodward (IRC), Health Sciences Mall, UBC campus

Contact Information:  You can contact Jessica Chalissery at [email protected]  if you are interested in participating in this study.

Reimbursement/Time: You will be paid $10/hr upon completion of this study, which can take up to 2 hours in total.

Study End Date: ongoing. Posted Apr 1 2024.

Study Title:   Substance Use and Gambling Behaviours Among Canadian University Students

Researchers: Daniel McGrath (Principal Investigator and supervisor, University of Calgary); Diandra Leslie (PhD student and co-investigator, University of Calgary); Lianne Tomfohr-Madsen (co-investigator, University of British Columbia)

Description: The Substance Use and Gambling Lab at the University of Calgary and the Healthy Families Lab at the University of British Columbia are running a study about substance use and gambling trends among university students across Canada.

Eligibility: All currently enrolled University of British Columbia students are eligible to participate. You can participate even if you don’t use drugs/substances or gamble.

Location: Online survey. Click this link to join the study https://survey.ucalgary.ca/jfe/form/SV_8ufcigA3cZq6lb8

Contact Information: For more information, send an email to [email protected] or visit https://www.ucalgary.ca/labs/gamblinglab/participate

Reimbursement/Time: The survey takes about 15 to 25 minutes to complete. Everyone who complete the survey can enter to win one of four $100 gift cards to a variety of stores such as Amazon, Apple, Best Buy, Sephora, Skip the Dishes, Starbucks, Walmart, and more.

Study end date: Friday, April 5 at 10:59 pm PDT.

Study Title:  Famous Faces in Focus: Athlete Portraits and Motor Embodiment (in person)

Researcher: Liz Kalenteridis (student lead), Nicola Hodges (Principal Investigator)

Description:  Participants are needed for a UBC study to investigate the influences of perception on our own motor system. In this research study, we examine motor reactions to images of famous tennis and soccer players.

Eligibility: 

– Between ages 18-50 years old

– Identify as male

– Normal or corrected-to-normal vision

– No existing injury to the dominant hand and foot

– No known neurological disorders

– Must be able to understand and speak English

– Must be familiar with famous tennis and soccer players

Location: Room 300A, UBC War Memorial Gym. 6081 University Blvd, Vancouver, BC, V6T1Z1 ( http://www.maps.ubc.ca/PROD/index_detail.php?locat1=428 ).

Contact Information: If you meet the requirements and are interested, please email [email protected] with “Famous Faces Study” in the email subject line. You will receive a pre-screen survey to complete prior to testing.

Reimbursement/Time:  It is anticipated that the study will take approximately 60 minutes. A $10 honorarium will be provided upon completion of the study.

Study End Date: Ongoing. Posted Apr 1 2024.

• You are between 18 and 40 years old
• You have no known significant health problems
• You are not currently participating in a health intervention
• You do less than 1 day of weekly moderate exercise
• You are right-handed
• You have normal or corrected-to-normal vision

Study Title: Normal Values for Cervical and Ocular Vestibular-Evoked Myogenic Potentials (VEMP):  Comparison of air conducted (AC) and vibratory stimuli (bone conduction-BC). The study recommends in person attendance to the lab.

Researcher: Ph.D. student May Elbar under the supervision of Professor Navid Shahnaz, associate professor (School of Audiology and Speech Science).

Description:  In this study, we are investigating the influence of stimulus parameters on the lowest levels (threshold) that we could obtain these responses and the time it will take for each response wave to be produced (latency).  We hope that the normative data obtained using this relatively new method will help find a more reliable way of diagnosing balance issues. The following tests will be conducted in this study: Otoscopic examination (Small equipment that helps us to visualize the external part of your ear), Wideband tympanometry and middle ear muscle reflex (the first test, wideband tympanometry, is a safe test to assess your middle ear function.  In this test, a sound will be presented to your ear while the air pressure in the outer ear canal is changed within a safe range.  You don’t have to do anything.  The only things that you should not do during that test are speaking and/or swallowing.  It lasts for almost 1 minute), Automatic Audiometry (Bekesy Audiometry 250-16000 Hz) (the hearing assessment will be done in a specific testing sound booth and will require you to press a button when you hear beep sounds of varying quality and level that are presented through headphones), Otoacoustic emission: (Assessment of the hearing function through introduction of different tones at different frequencies through prob tip put in your ears), Ocular and cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential vestibular evoked myogenic potential: (We will place some surface electrodes on your head, neck, and around the eye, and small earphones will be inserted into your ears, then a vibrator will be put behind your ear.  In a part of the test, you will have to do a certain position with your neck.  In another part, you have to look at a specific target).

Eligibility criteria:

• Adults between the ages of 18 to 29
• Normal hearing thresholds: more than or equal 25 decibel Hearing level between 250Hz to 8000 Hertz.
• Normal balance function.
• Free of any history of severe head accidents, balance dysfunction, noise exposure, or ototoxic drug.
• No outer or middle ear defects were visible during the otoscopy.
• All participants should have normal middle ear function.
• All participants should be fluent in the English language as they should be able to follow instructions on test protocol during the test. English as a second language participant whose first language is Farsi or Arabic can be accommodated.

Location:  Testing will be completed in the Middle Ear Lab located on the UBC campus in the IRC building. Faculty of Medicine, 2177 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC Canada V6T1Z3

Contact Information:   get in touch with the Middle Ear Lab through email at [email protected] to set up an appointment.

Reimbursement/Time:   There is no reimbursement for participation in this study. However, participants will have a complete hearing check-up and vestibular assessment by VEMP. In case of detecting any abnormality, we can refer the participant to the recommended medical specialist.it takes about one and a half hours to complete a clinical hearing test and other measures of middle ear function and vestibular system.

 Study End Date:   ongoing study.  Posted Mar 16 2024.

Study Title:  Career Development in Recovery Study

Researcher: Dr. Robinder Bedi

Description:  Eight in-person group counselling sessions involving discussions on career development for individuals with a history of problematic substance use.

• Participants will be adults, defined as being at least 19 years old.
• Participants must have previously experienced problematic substance use, but no severe problems with substances in the last year.

Location:  Online. Participants must be located in BC or Alberta.

Contact Information:  If you meet the requirements mentioned above, please email  [email protected]  to indicate interest. Alternatively, you can leave us a message at 604 822 8953 or complete this contact form: https://bit.ly/CareerStudyContact . A researcher will contact you to provide more information about the study and to obtain information to determine eligibility (takes approximately 20 minutes).

Reimbursement/Time:  Up to $160 upon completion of a set of questionnaires before, after, and at 3-months and 9-months after the groups.

Study End Date: Ongoing until July 2026. Posted Mar 16 2024.

Action Observation in Golf Putting

Researcher:  Carrie Peters, Dr. Nicola Hodges (PI)

Description: Participants are needed for a UBC study to investigate how watching someone else perform can help us learn and/or alert us to errors. We are interested in how watching actions of others impacts on processes related to performance and learning. In this research study, you will be asked to practice a golf putting action and will also watch videos of someone else also doing this task (ethics, H23-01790). This study is being run in the Motor Skills Lab in the School of Kinesiology by principal investigator Dr. Nicola Hodges.

Eligibility: A  resume is not required to partake in the study, we simply ask that participants meet all the qualifications listed.  We are looking for individuals who are/have: 1) Between ages 18-60 years old, 2) Right-hand dominant for putting, 3) Experienced golfers (golfed ≥ 10 times in the past 5 years) OR participants with no past golf experience (golfed ≤ 5 times in the past 5 years), 4) Normal or corrected-to-normal vision, 5) No known physical or neurological disorders or injuries that impede a putting action, 6) Must be able to understand and speak English

Location:  Room 300,  War Memorial Gym (6081 University Blvd;  http://www.maps.ubc.ca/PROD/index_detail.php?locat1=428 ).

Contact Information: If you meet these qualifications, please email [email protected] and include “Golf observation” in the subject line. In your email, please include a UBC email address (if available), a phone number, and your availability over the next 2 weeks.

Reimbursement/Time: It is anticipated that the study will take approximately 120-150 minutes. Experienced golfers will only complete the first testing session and participants without golf experience will be asked to return the next day to complete a follow-up testing session that will take ~15 minutes to complete. An honorarium at the rate of $15/hour will be provided upon completion of the study.

Study End Date:  Ongoing.

Study Title:  Relative Contribution in Mandarin-English Bilinguals’ Speech Processing [In Person]

Researcher:  Suyuan Liu (Co-Investigator, UBC Department of Linguistics), Dr. Molly Babel (PI, UBC Department of Linguistics)

Description:  The purpose of this study is to investigate what are some factors that affect one’s perceptual accuracy of others’ speech, with a focus on Mandarin and English. Eligible participants will be asked to will be asked to complete in total of four to five studies. In the first study, you will participate in two 30-minute informal interviews, one in Mandarin and one in English. You will be recorded during these interviews. The interview will consist of focusing on your experience with Mandarin, Mandarin accents, learning English, and English accents. In addition to the interview, we will ask for some personal information, such as, “What languages do you speak?” and “Where have you lived in your life?”. In a period after the completion of the interviews, you will be invited back for another three 30-minute perception studies. In the perception studies, you will be asked to make some judgements on the sound files you heard. After the perception studies, we might invite you back for a 1-hour electroencephalogram (EEG) study. For this study, we will use EEG to measure your brain activity while you make judgements of the sound files you hear. There is no known harm of the EEG. Your participation may involve up to 2.5-3.5 hours of your time total, over four to five sessions (1 hour for session 1, 30 minutes for sessions 2-4, and 1 hour for session 5 if invited). You will be compensated $20/hour for your participation (rounded up to the nearest half hour). If you are interested,  please fill out the eligibility survey with this link ( https://tinyurl.com/mandarin-english-project ) or email Suyuan Liu at suyuan.liu[at]ubc.ca.

Eligibility:  Participants who live in Metro Vancouver, speak Mandarin and English, born and raised in mainland China, have taken the TOEFL exam and attended university in an English-speaking country may be eligible to participate.

Location:  In Lab at Stores Road Annex (6368 Stores Rd, Vancouver, BC V6T 2B4)

Contact Information:  Molly Babel at molly.babel[at]ubc.ca or Suyuan Liu at suyuan.liu[at]ubc.ca

Reimbursement/Time:  $20 CAD/hour, 2.5-3.5 hours

Study End Date:  Ongoing

Study Title : Cognition Under Tension:  A Qualitative Study on the Lived Experience of Being In & Out of Control

Researcher : Laura Bickel (Graduate Student Investigator) and Dr. Rebecca Todd (Principal Investigator; Motivated Cognition Lab, UBC)

Description :

We invite you to participate in our study investigating “what it is like” to feel in control and out of control around food, focusing on those attentional processes and emotions that are likely to generate and motivate restrictive eating and compulsive patterns of overeating. The participation involves keeping a diary via What’s App and journaling to open-ended questions over three weeks.  You will also engage in three interview sessions that will be held at the end of each week.

Eligibility:  In order to be eligible to take part in the study, you must meet the following criteria:

– Must be over 19 years of age

– Must be fluent in English

– Must be located in Metro Vancouver

– Must have access to a smartphone or laptop

– Must have What’s App installed on your mobile phone or laptop and commit to using it at least three times a day

– Must be comfortable with being voice recorded in interview sessions

– Must be willing to share your What’s App diary notes

– Must be able to commit approximately 3 hours per week for 3 weeks (a total of 9 hours) and a 30 minute pre-study meeting

– Must experience at least one binge eating episode per week

The journaling may take place on UBC campus, at participant’s home or in the field. The interview sessions will take place either on UBC campus, via Zoom, or at participant’s home.

Contact Information:

For more information, please email Laura Bickel at [email protected]

Reimbursement/Time:

If you agree to participate, you will be asked to dedicate approximately 9 hours of your time for journaling activities and interview sessions taking place across three weeks (3 hours per week). Participants will receive a gift card (28$) for one yoga session at YYoga or for the book store Indigo.

Study End Date: Ongoing. Posted Jan 28, 2024

Study Title:  Investigation of the Biological Markers of Major Depression (OPTIMUM-D) (In-person)

Researcher:  Research coordinators, Dr. Raymond Lam

Description:  This study involves standard treatment for depression and randomization into placebo groups. Patients will be treated by a psychiatrist for 12 weeks with an antidepressant medication approved to treat depression. The study will involve a total of 5 in-person visits, 3 remote visits over 12 weeks.

Throughout the visits, the study will involve 3 x Collection of blood (Baseline, Week 8, 12) 3 x Stool Sample Collection (Baseline, Week 8, 12) 3 x Urine Collection (Baseline, Week 8, 12) 3 x Electroencephalography (EEG) (Baseline, Week 8, 12) 1 x Electrocardiography (ECG) (Week 1) 2 clinical assessments done by a psychiatrist over the phone (Week 4, 10).

Eligibility:  Are between 18-60 years of age. Have been diagnosed with depression or suspect you may have depression, and are currently feeling depressed. in activities, change in appetite, poor sleep, fatigue, low self-esteem, and poor concentration. Are willing to take a standard antidepressant medication as treatment for your depression. Are willing to undergo blood/lab tests and brain scans.

Location:  UBC Mood Disorders Centre (2nd floor), 2215 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3

Contact Information:  Research coordinator, [email protected] /604-822-7804,  https://app.reachbc.ca/project/study/356

Reimbursement/Time:  To be discussed/12 weeks

Study End Date: Ongoing. Posted Jan 21 2024.

Feasibility study of long-term light and ion therapy for maintenance treatment in depression (LIMIT-D) (In-person)

Researcher: Dr. Raymond Lam, Department of Psychiatry

Description: The UBC Mood Disorders Centre at the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health is now recruiting for a feasibility study exploring the use of two separate non-medication treatments, light therapy and ion therapy, as maintenance treatment in major depression. We are interested in exploring factors affecting the two treatments as maintenance treatments (to help prevent the return of symptoms) instead of medications in people with Major Depressive Disorders who wish to stop their antidepressant treatment.

Participation would include daily use of a bright light device or ion device provided by our clinic for 6 months, as well as regularly completing self-rated scales and meeting the study doctor for assessments. However, half of the treatment devices have been modified so that they are inactive (placebo). You have a 1 in 2 chance (like flipping a coin) of receiving an active or an inactive device.

Eligibility: We are looking for people who:

• are 19-65 years old;
• meet criteria for major depressive disorder (not bipolar disorder) and have had two or more episodes of depression;
• are currently taking an antidepressant for depression, and have taken it continuously for at least 3 months and no more than 12 months, with no dose change in the past month
• are interested in or are considering stopping your antidepressant
• are feeling well (no longer depressed) and in remission, according to a clinical interview
• do not have a seasonal pattern of depressive episodes (seasonal affective disorder)
• have no other major medical conditions or psychiatric conditions (except for major depressive disorder);
• do not have a problem with substance use currently or within the past 6 months.

Location: UBC Mood Disorders Centre, at the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health

Contact information: Tina Chen [email protected]

Reimbursement/Time: $15 per visit (1-2 hours)

Study End Date: Sep 2024

Study Title:  Effects of transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) on spontaneous thought (In Person)

Researcher: Dr. Lawrence Ward and Aakanksha Sahu

Description:

We are looking for volunteers to participate in a study of the effects of transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) on spontaneous thought. It will involve viewing and responding to stimuli presented on a computer screen while you receive weak electrical stimulation on the scalp.

We are studying spontaneous thought. We are specifically interested in how people’s thoughts progress when they are not thinking about anything in particular. In this study you will engage in a task that requires you to spend some time thinking spontaneously and then rating those thoughts on two scales. Occasionally you will be asked to explain your ratings.

The experiment will consist of two 2-hour sessions, and you will receive $10 for each hour of participation.

To be eligible to participate you must NOT:

– Have magnetizable metal in your brain/skull

– Have cochlear implants

– Have an implanted neurostimulator

– Have a history of seizures (epilepsy)

– Be suffering from a neurological or psychiatric disorder

– Be suffering from a skin disease

– Be allergic to lidocaine (topical anesthetic)

– Be pregnant

– Be taking psychotropic medicines

Location:  Douglas Kenny Building, Room 3014, 2136 West Mall, V6T 1Z4

If you are interested in participating or have any questions, please contact [email protected] .

Study End Date: Ongoing. Posted Jan 21, 2024

Study Title:   Alcohol Use in Emerging Adulthood: A Virtual Daily Diary Study

Researcher:

Student Principal Investigator: Jasmin Katz, M.A., Ph.D. Candidate, Clinical and Counselling Psychology Graduate Student, Psychology of Emerging Adulthood Research Lab Applied Psychology and Human Development, OISE/University of Toronto

Faculty Supervisor:

Abby Goldstein, Ph.D., C. Psych., Associate Professor Director, Psychology of Emerging Adulthood Research Lab Applied Psychology and Human Development, OISE/University of Toronto

• The purpose of this study is to better understand the relationship between depression and problematic alcohol use among emerging adults
• We are interested exploring potential psychological factors that contribute to problematic alcohol use
• We hope this information will provide us with a better understanding of alcohol use in emerging adulthood and give us insight into treatment targets for emerging adults struggling with depressive symptoms and alcohol use
• We hope that a total of 50 emerging adults will participate in this study

What will you be asked to do? This study involves two phases, each described below.

• Complete initial baseline assessment in a virtual video meeting
• Provide 14 days of daily self-report data on REDCap through accessing a link sent to smartphone

You may participate in this study if you:

• Reside in North America
• Are between the ages of 18 and 29
• Own a smartphone
• Are fluent in written English
• Use alcohol regularly (2+ times/week)
• Experience depressive symptoms (CES-D-10 score of > 10)

Location:  Virtual

Contact Information:   Please contact: [email protected] if you are interested in participating.

Other questions: Jasmin Katz, M.A. Ph.D. Candidate Email: [email protected]

Reimbursement/Time:  This study requires you to take approximately 30 minutes for the baseline assessment appointment (20 minutes for the online survey and 5-10 minutes for training on the daily diary survey), and then 5-10 minutes each day for 14 days. We want to be sure you are compensated for the time you are putting into the study. You will be compensated $for filling out the online baseline survey. As a thank you for your ongoing efforts, you will be paid $15 for each week you complete the survey. We will also give you a bonus $10 for completing 80% of the surveys (34 out of 42 surveys). In total, you have the opportunity to receive $60 for participating in the study. Payment will be in PayPal e-transfer, or Amazon.ca gift card at the end of the study.

Study End Date: Estimated end date is May 2024

Study Title:  Social networks of adults 50 years and older in BC

Researcher:  Primary Investigator- Dr. Carolyn Szostak

Directed Studies Student- Siu Lin Rodriguez

Description:  Researchers from UBC Okanagan are interested in learning more about the social networks of adults 50 years and older. We hope to gain insight into the social connections that make up the social networks to help us better understand how to improve the quality of these relationships and, hopefully, enhance people’s well-being.

Eligibility: – 

If you answered  yes  to these questions, you are eligible to participate.

Location : To participate, please click on the following link:   https://bit.ly/SocialNetworks2023

Contact Information:  If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact: Harshita Gupta ( [email protected] )

Reimbursement/Time:  Survey participants will have the opportunity to enter a draw for a chance to win one of five prizes! Most people are able to complete the survey in about 1.5 hours. The exact time will depend upon how many people are in your social network.

Sensorimotor Control and Adaptation of Voluntary Movement (In-person)

Researcher: Gregg Eschelmuller, Annika Szarka, Nick Butler, Tim Inglis (Co-I), Hyosub Kim (Co-I), Romeo Chua (PI)

Description: We are conducting studies to examine the use of vision and limb position sense in movement control. We are interested in how we prepare, control, and adapt our voluntary movements.  In this study, you will be asked to make reaching movements in response to visual targets. Your primary goal will be to make target-directed reaches under a variety of sensory conditions. A computer-controlled motion analysis system will be used to monitor eye and hand movements. Visual and position sense stimuli will be presented via visual displays and muscle vibration.

Eligibility: You may be able to participate if:

• Have normal or corrected vision
• No known neurological disorder

Location: Room 202, Osborne Ctr Unit 2, 6108 Thunderbird Blvd, UBC Vancouver Campus

Contact Information: If you are interested in participating, please send an email to [email protected] . We will be in touch with further study information and scheduling.

Reimbursement/Time: The study consists of one session of testing, approximately 60-75 minutes. Participants will receive a $10 honorarium for participation.

Study End Date: Ongoing. Posted Jan 3 2024.

Designing cognitively accessible financial technology to support people as they age (in-person interviews)

Dr Jiamin (Carrie) Dai, Postdoctoral Fellow, Co-Investigator,

Dr Joanna McGrenere, Professor, Principal Investigator,

Department of Computer Science, University of British Columbia

Description:  We are conducting a study to help design future financial technologies that are easier to use for older adults. We will conduct interviews to discuss fictional user profiles (personas) and what could help such users with online banking and digital payment scenarios. The interview will be audio-recorded. You will be asked to fill in a short background questionnaire at the end.

Pairs including an older adult (aged 65+) and a family member (spouse or adult child) who helps with technology or banking

– Both have used online banking or digital payment at least once in the past year

– Both are able to read, write, and communicate verbally in English

We particularly welcome older adults:

– who are experiencing confusion or memory loss with aging

– who have been diagnosed by a medical professional with mild cognitive impairment or early-middle stage dementia

Location: The study will be conducted in person at a place of mutual convenience in Vancouver (e.g., your home, a community centre, or a UBC research lab).

Contact Information: Dr Jiamin (Carrie) Dai, [email protected] , 514-756-4580

Reimbursement/Time: $20 cash honorarium per person for a 1-hour interview with both of you.

Study End Date: Ongoing. Posted Nov 7 2023.

Cannabidiol Adjunctive Therapy for Acute Bipolar Depression: A Randomized Double-Blind, Placebo Controlled Trial (in-person study)

Researcher:  Lakshmi Yatham (Principal Investigator), Shannon Reid (Research Coordinator)

Description:  This study is examining whether cannabidiol (also known as CBD) is effective in treating episodes of depression in people diagnosed with bipolar disorder when added to their regular medications for 6 weeks. Participants visit the clinic for a screening visit and a baseline visit, as well as visits at week 2, 4, and 6 to complete clinical assessments with a study doctor, laboratory tests, and answer questionnaires. Eligible participants will receive either placebo (i.e. an inactive substance) or 200-600mg of CBD to take daily for 6 weeks. The assignment to placebo vs CBD group is random, and neither the participant nor the study staff will know to which treatment group the participant has been assigned.

Eligibility:  Individuals who meet the following criteria are eligible to participate:

·         Aged 19-70 years

·         Diagnosed with bipolar disorder

·         Currently experiencing depression

·         Currently taking medication for mood stabilization (e.g. lithium, epival/valproate, risperidone, olanzapine, quetiapine, aripiprazole, ziprasidone, and/or lamotrigine)

Individuals meeting any of the following criteria are not eligible to participate in this trial:

·         Current or past month daily use of CBD/cannabis

·         Have met criteria for an alcohol/substance use disorder within the past 6 months

·         Are pregnant or lactating

Location:  Mood Disorders Centre (2 nd floor of UBC Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health), 2215 Wesbrook Mall

Contact Information:  Please email or call the study coordinator at [email protected] or (604) 822-8045

Reimbursement/Time:  The total time commitment required for the study is approximately 7-8 hours over 8-10 weeks, and participants will be compensated for their time and travel expenses.

Study End Date: Ongoing. Posted Oct 31 2023.

Researcher: Dr. Connor Kerns (PI), Dr. Daniela Palombo (Co-PI), Dr. Jason Rights (Co-PI), Dr. Veronica Dudarev (Collaborator)

Description: We would like to invite autistic and non-autistic young adults to help us better understand the relationship between social and emotional processing and well-being in young adulthood. This is a three-part study that includes one in-person visit at UBC (1-2 hours) and two online sessions (45 minutes each).

• Part 1: Approximately 5 days prior to your scheduled in-person visit (study part 2), you will be asked to complete some online questionnaires at home.
• Part 2: The second part of the study will involve a testing session at our lab. During this session, you will complete an online questionnaire about your emotions and some cognitive tasks, including one that involves a computer-based eye tracker. Please note that one of the cognitive tasks will involve some images that may be disturbing or upsetting.
• Part 3: For the third part of the study, you will be asked to complete some computer-based cognitive tasks at home.

Approximately, 5 days prior to your scheduled visit, we will send you a link to the sample images in the welcome email.

Identifies as a man; 18-30 yrs old; fluent in English; and does not have/meet any of the following conditions:

• colour blindness
• documented intellectual disability
• psychotic disorder
• history of psychosis
• seizure, epilepsy, and/or head injury (last 6 months)
• eye movement abnormalities
• wears glasses with more than one power
• Parts 1 and 3 of the study are completed online (45 mins each).
• Part 2 is a 1-2 hour in-person lab visit at: Room 4207, Douglas T. Kenny Building (2136 West Mall, Vancouver BC, V6T1Z4)

Contact Information: If you’re interested, please complete a brief screening survey: https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0k4rlcA33CLdZKm . If eligible, we will email you a link to Part 1 of the study and schedule you for Part 2 (in-person visit) of the study.

Please contact [email protected] if you would like to view the consent form prior to signing up for the study or if you have any questions regarding the study.

Reimbursement/Time: You will receive $15 per hour as an Amazon gift card. The study will take approximately 2.5 hours (for non-autistic participants) or 3.5 hours (for autistic participants).

Study End Date: Ongoing (until 2026). Posted Oct 30 2023.

• 19-45 years of age
• Have normal or corrected-to-normal vision

Visuomotor Learning (in-person)

• 6-10 years of age

Clairvoyant – Psilocybin Assisted Psychotherapy for Alcohol Use Disorder (In-person)

Study Title : Clairvoyant – Psilocybin Assisted Psychotherapy for Alcohol Use Disorder (In-person)

Eligibility:  Participants must meet the following criteria in order to participate. Additional criteria may apply.

• Individuals between 19 and 70 years of age.
• Generally healthy with no unstable health conditions. 
• Have alcohol dependence and/or use alcohol almost daily and in large amounts.

Location : UBC Hospital – Detwiller Pavilion ( 2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC)

Study end date:  March, 31st, 2024

The vocational experience of autistic adults: A self-deterministic perspective (Online Study)

Researcher:  Talia Vacca, Dr. Charles Chen (PI) 

Description:  We are conducting a research study on vocational experiences in autism. The purpose of this study is to better understand the career experiences of individuals with a confirmed autism diagnosis. We are looking to conduct virtual interviews with a total of 15 individuals who would like to share their work experience, with the ultimate goal of understanding how their diagnosis, motivations and meaning, influence their career outcomes and work experience.  

• Between 18 and 25 years of age 
• Have a confirmed diagnosis from a psychiatrist or psychologist
• Have worked for a minimum of 2 consecutive months within the last 5 years
• Fluent in English , as interviews will be conducted in English

Location:  Online (Microsoft Teams) 

Contact Information :  I ndividuals who are interested in participating can contact the researcher by email at  [email protected]  to learn more about the study.  

Reimbursement/Time : The interview will last approximately 1 hour. Participants will receive $10 for their time. 

Study End Date : Ongoing.  

Exploring multi-modal expression of programming intent (In-person)

Researcher : Anika Sayara, Dongwook Yoon (PI)

Description : During the study, you will watch a series of videos in Virtual Reality (VR) showcasing various game logics and interactions. Following each video, you will be immersed in a virtual environment resembling the scenarios depicted in the videos, complete with 3D models. Your task will be to instruct an AI to code the same game logics and interactions demonstrated in the videos. This process is similar to interacting with ChatGPT, but in a VR setting and unlike ChatGPT that only takes text as input, the AI you will be interacting with is capable of understanding all natural input such as voice, hand, head movement, etc. Afterwards, you will participate in a brief interview session where you will be asked to share your thoughts and experiences regarding the activities you performed during the study. The entire study will be completed in a single session of 60 minutes.

Eligibility : ● Be of age 19 years or older ● able-bodied with sound vision and hearing capabilities to use the VR headset ● Have actively engaged in coding VR experiences [optional]

Location : Room 306A, Department of Computer Science (2366 Main Mall #201, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4)

Contact Information : If you are interested in participating, please fill out the survey here: bit.ly/screener_survey Any queries should be directed to Anika Sayara at [email protected]

Reimbursement/Time : Participants with VR programming experience will receive $100 and those without will receive $30 as honorarium.

Study End Date : ongoing

DaNI – Daily Nature Interactions (online)

Researcher: Johanna Bock (PhD student), Dr. Lorien Nesbitt (PI)

Description: The aim of this study is to understand how people living in cities use nature in their day-to-day life to support their mental health. We are asking you as a resident of Metro Vancouver to share your experiences with us in order to learn about the diverse interests and perceptions of the many different people living in this city. For this study, we send you a survey link every night for a week with a quick survey about your day, how you are feeling and how much time you spent engaging with nature, doing different activities, and in different places.

Eligibility: Individuals between 18 and 65 years of age, living in Metro Vancouver, without physical impairments that affect their use or enjoyment of natural environments.

Location: Online survey (compatible with phone, tablet, computer). This is the link to the first survey: https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1Sa0qiCvO62fPeK , please fill it out at the end of the day.

Contact Information: If you have any questions, contact Johanna Bock, [email protected]

Reimbursement/Time: The study will take about 40 minutes in total over seven days (Ten minutes on day one, five minutes for the following six days). All participants will be entered into a draw to win $100.

Study End Date: September 30, 2023

Disruptive Technologies and Negative Heritage: Evaluating the Social and Economic Impacts of the 3D printed Triumphal Arch of Palmyra (In-person Study)

Researcher : Dr. Lindsay Der (PI); Pamela Zamora Quesada (RA), Rachel Thibeault (RA).

Description : We are looking for Syrian citizens for a research study on Syrian cultural heritage. Eligible participants will be invited to attend in-person focus group sessions for up to two hours and/or in-person individual interviews for up to three hours (interviews may be divided into different sessions if it is convenient for participants). In the focus groups, participants will be asked their views and thoughts on cultural heritage, the impact of the Syrian civil war on cultural heritage and any work done to mitigate such destruction. In the interview, participants will be asked more in-depth questions about the 3D-printed Triumphal Arch of Palmyra, cultural heritage and cultural diplomacy.

Eligibility :

Adults, 19 years old or older.

Self-identified Syrian nationals.

Fluent in English and/or Arabic.

Location : Focus groups will primarily take place ace in Vancouver and Surrey. Interviews will take place in Metro Vancouver.

Contact Information : Dr. Lindsay Der, [email protected].

Reimbursement/Time : Selected participants will be compensated $16.75 per hour.

Study End Date : Ongoing.

Psychoeducation for Bipolar Risk (Online)

Researcher:  PI: Kamyar Keramatian; Research Assistant: Heeva Chavoshi

Description:  The purpose of this study is to test a novel intervention for individuals at high risk for bipolar disorder (BD) to reduce the delay in its accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment initiation. First, a screening and baseline visit is completed. After, the intervention begins, which will consist of 8 weekly group sessions, each 60 minutes in duration and will be conducted using Zoom. After each session, participants will be asked to complete a brief survey about their views on the content and process of the session and their suggestions for improvements. After the final session, four additional surveys will be completed and a focus group will be conducted to obtain feedback from participants.

You may be eligible to participate in this study if you:

– are between the ages of 15 and 24 years old

– are able to understand and communicate in English

– have a family history of bipolar disorder or are having challenges with problematic mood changes

You are not eligible to participate in this study if you:

– have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder

– have significant alcohol or substance use disorder

– are currently severely depressed or actively suicidal

Location:  Online study (over Zoom).

Contact Information:  [email protected]

Reimbursement/Time:  The study’s intervention consists of 60 minute weekly sessions for 8 weeks. You will receive the total of $40 for completing the screening and baseline visits, $15 for completing each psychoeducation session, and an additional $30 for participating in the post-intervention group feedback session.

An Exploration of Parents with ADHD and Their Experiences of Raising Children with ADHD (online)

Researcher:  Bethany Ee (PhD Candidate) & Dr. Laurie Ford (PI)

Description: This study aims to explore and describe the lived experiences of mothers with ADHD while they raise a child with ADHD. While there is a lot of research documenting the difficulties that families with ADHD experience, we hope to explore the potential strengths that mothers with ADHD have when it comes to parenting their child with ADHD. The study will require participating in a Zoom interview (60mins) and completing four short journal entries (5-10mins).

Eligibility: Mothers with ADHD, who have a biological child with ADHD between the ages of 6 to 12 years old.

Location: online

Contact Information: [email protected]

Reimbursement/Time: Participants will receive an honorarium in the form of a $25 Amazon gift card

Study End Date: Ongoing

Visual Anticipation in Volleyball

Researcher: Ellie Saplywy (RA), Ryan Jinn (RA), Matt Krueger, Dr. Matthew Scott, and Dr. Nicola Hodges (PI; School of Kinesiology, UBC)

Description: This study will require participants to come to the War Memorial Gym for a testing session taking up to 1 hour. In this experiment, participants will be shown various videos of offensive volleyball plays that will be occluded (edited) at various points in time to prevent information about ball flight. Participants will be asked to respond on force plates (pressure sensitive mats) about the direction of the ball (left, right, centre/straight-up).

Participants will be reimbursed $15 minimum for participation in 1 testing session (or $15.65/hr whichever is more depending on time).

No resume is required, we simply as that you meet all the listed qualifications. If you meet these qualifications, please email  [email protected]  with the subject line “ Volleyball anticipation “. In your email, please include your ubc email if applicable, a phone number and your availability over the coming weeks.  Thank you for your interest!

Eligibility: In order to participate in this study, you must meet all of the following requirements:

• Males and females between ages 19-35 years
• Must have some experience playing volleyball. We are looking for individuals of two different experience types. You may participate if you have NOT played post-secondary/competitive volleyball (i.e., only played recreationally). Alternatively, you can partake if you are have played at the Collegiate or USport level in Canada (high level of experience).
• Normal or corrected-to-normal vision
• No existing injury to lower limbs and no known neurological disorder
• Good understanding of English instructions

Location: 300A in the War Memorial Gym (6081 University Blvd;  http://www.maps.ubc.ca/PROD/index_detail.php?locat1=428 ).

Contact Information:  If you meet the eligibility criteria, please email  [email protected] and include “Volleyball” in the subject line. In your email, please include a UBC email (if available), a phone number, your gender and availability over the next two weeks.

Reimbursement/Time: The study is estimated to take up to 1 hour across one visit. Participants will be reimbursed $15.65 per hour.

Study End Date:  Ongoing. Posted Apr 12, 2023

Efficacy of Lurasidone in Improving Cognitive Functioning in Euthymic patients with Bipolar I Disorder (ELICE BD- H20-00129; In-person )

Researcher : Lakshmi Yatham (Principal Investigator); Jayasree Basivireddy (Primary Study Coordinator)

Description:  The purpose of this study is to examine the efficacy of Lurasidone in improving cognition in bipolar type-1 and type-2 participants.  Some people with bipolar disorder have problems with memory, concentration, and decision making skills even after their mood symptoms have improved.  Such cognitive deficits are associated with impairments in everyday functioning and quality of life. This study has 4 (screen, baseline, week-3, week-6) clinic visits and 4 phone appointments. At screen visit neurocognitive testing (paper and pencil tests of memory, problem solving etc) is completed. Only participants with cognitive impairment will complete clinical assessments, physical examination and laboratory tests. At baseline visit, eligible participant are randomized to receive either cariprazine or Placebo over 6 weeks. Neurocognitive testing, blood sample collection and clinical assessments are completed at all clinic visits.

Eligibility:   Individuals who meet all of the following criteria are eligible to participate

• You are between the ages of 19 and 65 inclusive
• You must be diagnosed with Bipolar disorder
• You are not stable on your current medication
• You are not in a manic or depressive episode currently

No changes will be made to your current medications

Location:  Mood Disorders Centre (2 nd  floor of Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health), 2215 Wesbrook Mall

Contact Information:  Please email or call the study coordinator at  [email protected]  or (604) 822-3769

Reimbursement/Time:   The study will take approximately 11-13 hours of your time over 10-12weeks.  You will receive $25 at screen and week-3 visits.  $50 at baseline and week 6 visits. In addition, your transportation / parking expenses will be covered for the clinic visits.

Study end date :  31 Dec 2025

Efficacy of Cariprazine in Improving Cognitive Functioning in Euthymic patients with Bipolar I Disorder ( CARPZ-01 :H20-01293; in-person study)

Description:  The purpose of this study is to examine the efficacy of cariprazine in improving cognition in bipolar type-1 participants.  Some people with bipolar disorder have problems with memory, concentration, and decision making skills even after their mood symptoms have improved.  Such cognitive deficits are associated with impairments in everyday functioning and quality of life. This study has 4 (screen, baseline, week-3, week-6) clinic visits and 4 phone appointments. At screen visit neurocognitive testing (paper and pencil tests of memory, problem solving etc) is completed. Only participants with cognitive impairment will complete clinical assessments, physical examination and laboratory tests. At baseline visit, eligible participant are randomized to receive either cariprazine or Placebo over 6 weeks. Neurocognitive testing, blood sample collection and clinical assessments are completed at all clinic visits.

Reimbursement/Time:   The study will take approximately 11-13 hours of your time over 10-12weeks.  You will receive $25 at screen and week-3 visits.  $50 at baseline and week 6 visits. In addition, your transportation / parking expenses will be covered for the clinic visits.

Study end date :  30 Sept 2026

Recovery Transitions Research Study

Researcher : Dr. Robinder Bedi

Description : Eight in-person group counselling sessions involving discussions on the life transitions that occur after achieving abstinence from alcohol use or successful controlled drinking following past problematic alcohol use.

• Participants must have a previously experienced problematic alcohol use, but no major problems with alcohol in the last year.

Location : Groups running in Vancouver and Surrey

Contact Information : If you meet the requirements mentioned above, please email [email protected] to indicate interest. Alternatively, you can leave us a message at 604-822-8953. A researcher will contact you to provide more information about the study and to obtain information to determine eligibility (takes approximately 20 minutes).

Reimbursement/Time : Up to $120 upon completion of a set of questionnaires before and after the group sessions.

Gambling PET/MR Imaging Study (In-person)

• A gambling task during the PET & MRI brain imaging scans
• Uses a small amount of radiation (4.63mSv) attached to a known chemical compound to help the scanner image chemicals in your brain
• 90 minutes to complete
• Uses a large magnet inside the scanner to take pictures of your brain and measure
• Done at the same time as the PET scan in the same scanner
• Total time requirement is 3 hours
• Healthy male and female volunteers age 19-50
• Normal or corrected to normal vision and hearing
• Fluent English

Study End Date: Ongoing, posted March 29, 2023.

Fostering Empathy through Intergenerational Storytelling in Embodied Virtual Reality

Researcher: Chenxinran Elise Shen (MSC student), Joanna McGrenere, Dongwook Yoon

Description: 

The study involves using our experimental VR system to switch bodies and discuss life events in different points of views. We will ask the participants to do the following:

(1) Participants are required to complete an online screening survey to confirm their eligibility.

(2) A 20-minute Zoom meeting will be scheduled with the older adult participant to share information about their memorable life events and relevant photos.

(3) Participants will be invited to attend a 30-minute VR session at the UBC lab, where the older adult participant will share their life event in a designed VR space to the younger participant.

(4) After the VR session, participants will be interviewed for 20 minutes about their experience in a semi-structured format.

• Participants must have at least one generational gap (e.g. parent and child, grandparent and grandchild, uncle and niece)
• Both participants must be 18 years or older and able to effectively communicate in English.
• The older family member will share life stories and provide relevant photos. Participants will also need to provide photo(s) of their front face for VR avatar modeling

Location: Room x521, Department of Computer Science (2366 Main Mall #201, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4)

Contact Information: If you are interested in participating or would like more information, please contact  Chenxinran Shen at [email protected] or text me at 4379730599.

Reimbursement/Time: You and your family member will receive $80 in total via e-transfer for your commitment to the project, at a prorated amount. We will cover the transportation expense with a cap at $50.

Normal Values for Cervical and Ocular Vestibular-Evoked Myogenic Potentials (VEMP): Comparison of air conducted (AC) and vibratory stimuli (bone conduction-BC) (In-person)

Study End Date:   ongoing. Posted 2023 march 1

Emerging Adults’ Experience of Caring for Parents with Advanced Disease (Online Study)

Researcher: Eryn Tong, Dr. Abby Goldstein (PI)

Description: We are currently conducting a study to better understand the experience of emerging adults caring for parents living with an incurable, terminal illness. This study is being conducted at the University of Toronto. Interested individuals will be invited to participate in a one-to-one interview lasting approximately 60 minutes. We are hoping to recruit a range of individuals with diverse experiences.

• Between 18 and 29 years of age
• Currently providing unpaid support to a parent living with an incurable, terminal medical condition
• Living in Canada
• Fluent in English

Location:  Online (Microsoft Teams)

Contact Information : Please include “Caregiving Study” in the subject line; Eryn Tong [email protected]

Reimbursement/Time : The interview will last approximately 1 hour. Participants will receive a $20 gift card for their time.

Study End Date : Ongoing. Posted 2023 Feb 7

Study title: Synapse-BD: Assessing neurite density and neuroinflammation in bipolar disorder (in-person study)

Researcher : Lakshmi Yatham (Principal Investigator); Shannon Reid (Research Assistant)

Description: The purpose of this study is to determine if there are differences between individuals with bipolar disorder (BD) and healthy individuals in the position and density of nerve cells in the brain, and if they are related to inflammation. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) will be used to obtain this information. Participants will come to the clinic for a screening visit to answer questionnaires, provide saliva and blood samples, and talk to a study psychiatrists. Participants who are found to be eligible after the screening visit will be scheduled to come in for a subsequent 90 minute PET/MRI scan as well as a cognitive test and a second blood sample.

Eligibility: Participants are either people who have been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder type I for 5 years or more, or people who are healthy controls with no personal or family history of any mood and/or psychotic disorders. You may be able to participate if:

• You are between the ages of 19 and 50
• You have a good working English language ability
• You have no history of any major medical illnesses or head injury
• Your body mass index is between 18.0 and 29.9
• Those who can get pregnant must be using contraception

Location: Mood Disorders Centre (2 nd floor of Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health), 2215 Wesbrook Mall

Contact Information: Please email or call the study coordinator at [email protected] or (604) 822-8045

Reimbursement/Time:   The study will take approximately 6 hours of your time, and time and travel expenses will be reimbursed.

Study end date : Ongoing. Posted 2023 Feb 7

Effect of Audiovisual Multisensory Integration on Manual Interception (in-person)

Researcher: Dr Miriam Spering (Principal investigator), Abibat Akande, Philipp Kreyenmeier (Graduate students)

Description: We are looking for healthy volunteers to take part in a study on audiovisual multisensory integration on manual interception. If you agree to participate in this study, you will be asked to look at a moving object on a screen and follow its motion with your eyes. You will also be asked to intercept it by hitting it on the screen with your finger. You can collect points during the experiment based on your performance.

Eligibility:   To participate, you must fulfill the following requirements:

• be between 19-49 years old.
• have normal or corrected-to-normal visual acuity.
• do not have hard contact lenses.
• have no history of neurological disease (such as multiple sclerosis, stroke, trauma to the head, including a concussion within 12 months of the study).
• have no history of eye disease (such as strabismus or amblyopia, known a “lazy eye”)
• do not have an implanted pacemaker or defibrillator.
• have no history of psychiatric disease (such as schizophrenia or depression).

Location: The study location is 2366 Main Mall, Computer Science building, ICICS Room X715, UBC campus.

Contact Information: Please email Abibat: [email protected]

Reimbursement/Time: The experiment consists of a single session lasting up to 90 minutes. You will be compensated $10/hour in cash upon completion of this study. In addition to this, you will be paid out your winnings based on the number of points you collected during the experiment.

Study End Date: Ongoing. Posted Jan 10, 2023

Join the Mailing List

If you would like to receive regular emails listing the paid surveys available at UBC, join the paid participant studies mailing list! Emails are typically sent out on a weekly or bi-weekly basis (depending on whether there are new studies available).

To join the list, please sign up at http://www.tinyletter.com/PaidParticipants . You may unsubscribe yourself at any time.

Advertise on the List

If you have paid studies you want to list on the mailing list/listserv, please send an email to Melanie Butt [[email protected]] with the following information. Please send your listing plain-text in an email with 1) ethics approval attachment; 2)  “Paid study posting” in the email subject to ensure your email does not get lost.

Study Title: A unique title used to identify your study (Indicate if this is an online study or not)

Researcher: The grad student(s) and the primary investigator

Description: A few sentences or a short paragraph about what participants will do. You can use the Human Subjects Pool style as a guide.

Eligibility: Any restrictions, such as if you only want students, psych majors, a certain age, etc.

Location: Where the participant will take part in the study (e.g., Kenny building, UBC campus, Vancouver General Hospital, online). Please note that not all readers of the list are UBC students, and so if your location is a building on campus, we recommend you include a street address so participants can look up the location of the building.

Contact Information: A name, email address/phone number, a scheduling link (if eligible) so participants can organize a time to participate

Reimbursement/Time: What participants will be paid and how long will the study take

Study End Date: When the study will be removed from the list. Studies labelled ongoing will remain on the list for one year or until you contact Melanie to remove them.

Please note: This list is a posting service only. All studies affiliated with UBC involving human participants are required to have a research ethics certificate before using this service and the use of this site needs to be specifically outlined in the research ethics application. It is the responsibility of the researcher to ensure proper ethics guidelines are being followed in using this list as an advertising space. For information on UBC Research Ethics, consult the Office of Research Ethics website . This list is hosted online by, but not affiliated with, the Psychology Graduate Student Council.

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Support UBC research and make some extra cash

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Do you have long breaks between classes? Want to make some extra cash? Participate in research studies on campus and get gift cards or money.

What are the studies like?

It really depends on what you sign up for. Different labs run different types of studies, all researching various topics. Usually, you can receive at least $10 for 1 hour of your time.

Some I’ve done include:

• Washing a cup of chocolate syrup with as little water as possible
• Maintaining eye contact with a stranger for 10 minutes
• Locating an unknown building on campus without a phone

Sounds interesting, right? Here’s a list of studies to get you started!

Paid Psychology Studies

These studies are open to the general public, so make sure you review the eligibility requirements before signing up. Usually, you'll receive cash for your time.

View studies

Visual Cognitive Lab

Get $10 cash for 1 hour of participation. These studies focus mostly on visual intelligence—how the human visual system works to create perceptual experiences—so you may be evaluating dots or lines on screens.

Browse opportunities

Marketing Studies

Sauder offers paid studies for UBC students from time to time. An example study could be to provide feedback about a retail company’s online interactions with its customers.

Request an account

Motor Skills Lab

UBC Kinesiology researchers run studies investigating human motor learning or movement. Past studies have featured dart-throwing and balance tests.

Find studies

CareersOnline

Sometimes research units promote their studies via the online job board. Search keywords including “ research study ”, “ participant ”, or “ paid research study ” to browse available studies. Make sure that you’re signing up for UBC research.

Visit CareersOnline

Answer questions about your student experience, or do quick tests for the students.ubc.ca website to get a gift card. Join the mailing list to be notified for in-person or online tests.

• Studies aren’t always available. Sign up for notifications.
• Some studies aren’t just for UBC students. Check eligibility requirements.
• Spots fill up fast! Once you’re notified of a study, sign up ASAP.
• Know what you signed up for—read the study description in detail.
• Don’t book a study too close to your class time!
• Arrive at least 10 minutes early to the study.
• Give your honest opinion and feedback.
• If you feel uncomfortable during any part of a research study, you can stop at any time.

Good luck maximizing your break time—and feel good knowing you’re contributing to UBC research!

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Find a Researcher

With over 400 faculty investigating sustainability-related topics at UBC, it can be hard to know where to start. We’ve curated a list of researchers with expertise across a wide range of disciplines.

To find a researcher in a particular discipline, enter a Name, Faculty, Department, Unit, or Research Interest in the text field below and search. Use an exact search term. Boolean search will not work.

CAN YOU HELP IMPROVE OUR LIST?

We welcome suggestions for new additions or updates to our ‘Find a Researcher’ tool. Send us your name, department, research interests, and website link (if applicable).

GET IN TOUCH

Ritland, Kermit

Mawani, renisa.

Sheppard, Stephen

To find an expert in a particular discipline, enter a name, department, faculty or research interest in the text fields below and search.

https://edst.educ.ubc.ca/facultystaff/ali-abdi/

Affolder, Natasha

https://allard.ubc.ca/about-us/our-people/natasha-affolder

Ahenakew, Cash

https://edst.educ.ubc.ca/facultystaff/cash-ahenakew/

Aitken, Sally

https://forestry.ubc.ca/faculty-profile/sally-aitken

Alam, Shahria

https://engineering.ok.ubc.ca/about/contact/shahria-alam/

Alila, Younes

https://forestry.ubc.ca/faculty-profile/younes-alila

Allen, Susan

https://www.eoas.ubc.ca/people/susanallen

Altintas, Yusuf

https://mech.ubc.ca/yusuf-altintas/

https://www.eoas.ubc.ca/people/aliameli

Anderson, Siwan

https://economics.ubc.ca/faculty-and-staff/siwan-anderson/

Angeles, Leonora

https://scarp.ubc.ca/people/nora-angeles

Angert, Amy

https://botany.ubc.ca/people/amy-angert

Antweiler, Werner

https://www.sauder.ubc.ca/people/werner-antweiler

Aquino, Karl

https://www.sauder.ubc.ca/people/karl-aquino

Arbel, Efrat

https://allard.ubc.ca/about-us/our-people/efrat-arbel

Arcese, Peter

https://forestry.ubc.ca/faculty-profile/peter-arcese

Armstrong, Jeannette

https://ccgs.ok.ubc.ca/about/contact/jeannette-armstrong/

Arneil, Barbara

https://politics.ubc.ca/persons/barbara-arneil/

Asselin, Edouard

http://mtrl.ubc.ca/faculty/edouard-asselin/

Atabaki, Nima

https://mech.ubc.ca/nima-atabaki/

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Research Centres, Institutes & Clusters

Research cluster.

• AATHEN - The UBC Advanced Angiotensin Therapeutics Network
• Accelerated Translational Opioid Research Cluster
• Action on Sepsis
• Advanced Materials Manufacturing
• Advancing Mental Health Equity in a post-COVID-19 Asia-Pacific
• Advancing Multifunctional Dental Biomaterials
• Advancing the Science of Physiologic Birth
• Airway Centre
• Ars Scientia
• Balanced Supply of Housing
• BC Diabetes Research Network
• BC Pediatric Eating Disorders (BC-PED)
• BC Regenerative Medicine - BCRegMed
• Bee Health, Impact, and Value in the Environment (BeeHIVE)
• Beyond Window-Dressing Reconciliation in Health: Settler-Clinician Responsibilities
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• Climate Change Health Effects, Adaptation, and ResiLience (HEAL)
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• Disaster Resilience Research Network
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• Gynecologic Cancer Initiative
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• Indigenous Land-Based Health, Wellness, and Education Research Cluster
• Interdisciplinary Histories Research Cluster
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• MATRIX-N: Multidisciplinary Alliance for Translational Research and Innovation in Neuropsychiatry
• Memory as Transformative in the Afterlives of Mass Violence
• Mobilizing Sport and Sustainability Collective
• Origins of Balance Deficits and Falls
• Precision Medicine in Transplantation
• Quantum Computing Research Cluster
• Re-ROW - Rethinking the Right of Way
• Reducing Male Suicide
• Relational Technologies: Land, Sovereignty, and Language in Community-Led Immersive Storytelling
• Research-Based Theatre Collaborative
• Resuscitating More Patients from Sudden Unexpected Death: Transformative Research
• SmarT Innovations for Technology Connected Health (STITCH)
• The Score: Performing, Listening, and Decolonization
• The Social Exposome Cluster
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• The Vision Research Cluster: From Molecules to Behavior to Society
• Transformative Health and Justice
• Trustworthiness of Machine-Learning-Based Systems
• UBC Shakespeare First Folio Research Cluster
• UBC Wild Berry Research Cluster: A Community-Driven Participatory Knowledge Transfer (CDP-KT) Plan
• Wingspan: Dis/ability Arts, Culture & Public Pedagogy
• Women's Health Research Cluster

Research Network

• Academy of Translational Medicine
• Canadian Network of Law and Humanities
• Critical Image Forum: Research in Photography and Expanded Documentary
• Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP)
• Public Humanities Hub

Affiliated Institute

• BC Cancer Research Institute
• BC Children's Hospital Research Institute
• Providence Health Care Research Institute
• Women's Health Research Institute

Research Centre

• Biodiversity Research Centre
• CAIDA: UBC ICICS Centre for Artificial Intelligence Decision-making and Action
• Canadian Center for the Culture of Microorganisms
• Center for Transportation Studies
• Centre for Aging SMART
• Centre for Applied Ethics
• Centre for Asian Legal Studies
• Centre for Blood Research
• Centre for Brain Health
• Centre for Chinese Research
• Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Management
• Centre for Climate Justice
• Centre for Culture, Identity and Education
• Centre for Early Childhood Education and Research
• Centre for Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Research
• Centre for European Studies
• Centre for Excellence in Indigenous Health
• Centre for Health Education Scholarship
• Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences
• Centre for Health Services and Policy Research
• Centre for Heart Lung Innovation
• Centre for India and South Asia Research
• Centre for Indigenous Fisheries
• Centre for Innovative Data in Economics Research
• Centre for Intercultural Languages Studies
• Centre for Japanese Research
• Centre for Korean Research
• Centre for Migration Studies
• Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics
• Centre for Operations Excellence
• Centre for Plant Research
• Centre for Research on Personhood and Dementia
• Centre for Southeast Asia Research
• Centre for Sustainable Food Systems
• Centre for Urban Economics and Real Estate
• Centre for Wildfire Coexistence
• Clean Energy Research Centre
• Dairy Education and Research Centre
• Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging
• International Canadian Studies Centre
• Media and Graphics Interdisciplinary Centre
• Phelps Centre for the Study of Government and Business
• Phillips, Hager & North Centre for Financial Research
• Pulp and Paper Centre
• Stigma & Resilience Among Vulnerable Youth Centre (SARAVYC)
• Vancouver Prostate Centre
• Wine Research Centre

Global Research Excellence

• BioProducts Institute
• Language Sciences Institute
• Quantum Matter Institute

Affiliated Centre

• British Columbia Centre on Substance Use
• Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Evaluation (C2E2)
• Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS
• Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity
• International Centre for Criminal Law Reform
• International Collaboration On Repair Discoveries

Research Institute

• Data Science Institute
• Institute for Computing, Information and Cognitive Systems (ICICS)
• Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies
• Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability
• Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries
• Institute of Applied Mathematics
• Institute of Asian Research
• Life Sciences Institute
• Liu Institute for Global Issues
• Michael Smith Laboratories
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Research Institutes and Centres

Most UBC Department of Medicine research is conducted under the auspices of multiple centres and institutes that are part of UBC or affiliated with it, in collaboration with our health partners and Health Authorities.

Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute ( VCHRI)

VCHRI Associate Dean, Research: Dr. Robert McMaster

VCHRI Signature Contact:  Sybil Zhang

VCHRI Grant Signing

Associated Research Institutes/Centres

• Air Pollution Exposure Lab (APEL)
• Research focus:  consumer-driven clinical research and trials related to arthritis diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, care outcomes and quality of life issues
• Research Focus: Outcomes research in cardiovascular health
• Resources: Refinement of research questions, planning and study design, budget consultation, grant preparation
• Research focus: neuroscience research with focus on promoting neuron survival and functional recovery
• Resources : Peptide synthesis and In Vivo imaging
• Research focus: to accelerate the development of novel therapeutics for patients with neurological disease
• Resources: genetics, computing/statistics and molecular biology, model generation and characterization including behavioral testing, microdialysis, brain slice electrophysiology and neuropharmacology
• Resources: Spectroscopy, Crystallography, Spectometry, netCAD
• Centre for Clinical Epidemiology & Evaluation (C2E2)
• Centre for Hip Health and Mobility (CHHM)
• Research focus: The physical and psychological causes and effects of ovulation disturbances on women’s overall health
• Centre for Respiratory, Cardiac, & Critical Care Medicine
• Research focus: lung disease related to workplace and environmental exposures
• Research focus: Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS, MS, Mental Health and Addiction, Stroke, Neurotrauma
• Research focus: to discover innovative solutions to optimize the outcomes of rehabilitation and improve the lives of those with disabilities and their families
• Research focus: development and translation of more effective strategies promoting prevention of spinal cord injury, functional recovery, and improved quality of life after SCI
• Resources: rehab gym, Access Lab (kitchen, physical activity labs), biomechanical engineering lab, neurophysiology and autonomic research labs
• Research focus: infectious disease, transplant immunology, molecular mechanisms of immune response
• Resources: Cell analysis, gene analysis, protein/lipid analysis
• Research focus: Advancing knowledge of blood disorders and to meet the needs of patients for whom we provide care
• Resources: Hematology cell bank of BC
• Research focus: pulmonary research and on-going clinical drug trials
• Research focus: improving all aspects of life for patients with MS
• Research focus: developing better trial methodologies to improve the lives of people with neurological diseases
• Resources: Consultation on study design and feasibility along with a full range of central MRI analysis services
• Research focus: use of Positron Emission Tomography (PET), and recently with functional fMRI to study the natural history and progression of Parkinson disease, genetic forms of Parkinson, the complications of long-term disease and its therapy and the placebo effect
• Resources: MRI, PET, Electrophysiology
• Resources: performs Electroencephalography (EEG) tests to record the electrical brain activity that occurs with seizures
• Vancouver Prostate Centre (VPC)
• Vancouver Stroke Program (VSP)
• Research Focus: Translational laboratory investigation in the field of aging, mobility, cognition, and mood

Providence Health Care Research Institute ( PHCRI )

PCHRI Associate Dean, Research: Dr. Daryl Knight

PCHRI Signature Contact:  Gwen Sin

PCHRI Grant Signing

• Research Focus: Epidemiology & Population Health, Gender & Sexual Health
• Resources: Routine clinical HIV/AIDS lab services, specialized HIV related testing (including drug resistance and therapeutic drug monitoring)
• Research Focus: Developing blood tests to better predict, diagnose, manage and treat heart, lung, and kidney disease
• Resources: The PROOF Centre’s service arm provides expertise in computation, “-omic” science and biomarker workflow to organizations seeking to discover, develop, and implement blood-based molecular biomarkers in a clinical setting
• The BCCSU is a provincially networked organization with a mandate to develop, help implement, and evaluate evidence-based approaches to substance use and addiction.
• The BCCSU seeks to achieve these goals through integrated activities of its three core functions: research and evaluation, education and training, and clinical care guidance.
• Research Focus: Leading an innovative multidisciplinary program of research, monitoring, evaluation and quality improvement activities to guide health system improvements in the area of substance use
• Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences (CHEOS)
• Centre for Healthy Aging at Providence (CHAP)
• Research focus: Understanding the link between genes and the environment in causing heart, lung, and blood vessel disease
• Resources: Cellular imaging and biophysics core, digital slide scanning, GEM facility, Graphic & Imaging services, Histology, HIC, Info Systems, Molecular Phenotyping and Genotyping, Registry and Biobank, Technology Development
• Centre for Practitioner Renewal (CPR)

Provincial Health Services Authority ( PHSA )

PHSA Associate Dean, Research: Dr. Wyeth Wasserman

PHSA Signature Contact:  Nur Eisma

please note

*Dr. Francois Benard (c/o **Karen Hagan ) signs for BCCA

**Dr. Robert McMaster (c/o *Bryan Wong ) signs for BCCDC

PHSA Grant Signing

• *BC Cancer Agency (BCCA)
• **BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC)
• BC Children's Hospital (BCCH)
• BC Mental Health & Substance Use Services (BCMHSUS)
• BC Provincial Renal Agency (BCPRA)
• BC Transplant (BCT) 
• BC Women's Hospital and Health Centre (BCWH)
• Cardiac Services BC
• Child & Family Research Institute  (CFRI)
• Women's Health Research Institute (WHRI)

Fraser Health Authority ( FHA)

Fha research.

Interior Health Authority ( IHA )

Iha research.

• BC Support Unit - Interior Centre
• Regional Alliance for Rural Health

Southern Medical Program

Vancouver Island Health Authority ( VIHA )

Viha research, island medical program.

Northern Health Authority ( NHA)

Nha research, northern medical program.

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UBC Theses and Dissertations

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The UBC Theses and Dissertations collection promotes open and comprehensive access to a significant body of unique knowledge created by graduate students to support further research and for private study. The authors retain copyright ownership and moral rights to their theses. The content of theses may not be re-purposed or exploited for commercial gain without the explicit permission of the authors.

UBC graduate students began submitting their theses online via cIRcle, UBC’s digital repository, in fall 2007, a practice that both simplified the submission process and also ensured the availability of this research to a global audience in a timely manner. As of March 2012, UBC Library has digitized and made openly accessible the full-text of more than 32,000 theses submitted by graduate students between 1919 and 2007. In addition to providing information about specific fields of study these theses also reveal important information about changes in pedagogy at the University and within academic disciplines. Authors concerned about having their pre-2007 theses included as part of this collection can notify [email protected] to have their thesis removed. Similarly, if copyrighted material appears in a thesis the copyright owner can request that material be removed.

Browse Theses & Dissertations

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• UBC Campuses /
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• Institutes & Centres

UBC is affiliated with several research institutes, centres, organizations, and hospitals, many of which are located on the university’s Vancouver Campus.

• Advanced Studies, Peter Wall Institute for
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Interdisciplinary Organizations

• Advanced Materials & Process Engineering Laboratory (AMPEL)
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• Neglected Global Diseases Initiative
• Tri-University Meson Facility (TRIUMF)

UBC-affiliated Hospitals

Clinical academic campuses.

• BC Cancer Agency
• BC Children’s Hospital & Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children
• BC Women’s Hospital & Health Centre
• Kelowna General Hospital
• Royal Columbian Hospital
• Royal Jubilee Hospital
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• Vancouver General Hospital
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Affiliated Regional Centres

• Abbotsford Regional Hospital
• Campbell River & District General Hospital
• Chilliwack General Hospital
• Cowichan District Hospital
• Dawson Creek & District Hospital
• Fort St. John General Hospital
• Lions Gate Hospital
• Mills Memorial Hospital
• Nanaimo Regional General Hospital
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• Vernon Jubilee Hospital
• Carey Theological College
• Fragment Analysis DNA Sequencing Services (FADSS)
• Green College
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• St. Mark’s College
• Vancouver School of Theology
• Youth Leadership Millennium

UBC Directories

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UBC Okanagan Campus

• Faculties & Schools at UBC’s Okanagan Campus

• UBC Research + Innovation
• Research Excellence

Our international research reputation is built on the outstanding work of researchers within our faculties.

At UBC we believe that many of the most innovative ideas occur when researchers in diverse areas share their knowledge and expertise with each other.

We promote interdisciplinary research collaboration across our two campuses and affiliated teaching hospitals and support numerous interdisciplinary centres and institutes, including the Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies.

Read an overview and find research-specific links for each of the following faculties.

Vancouver Campus

Applied Science

Vancouver + Okanagan Campuses

Land and food systems

peter a. Allard school of law

pharmaceutical sciences

sauder school of business

graduate and postdoctoral studies

Okanagan campus.

Irving k Barber Faculty of arts and Social sciences

creative and critical studies

Health and social development

College of graduate studies

School of engineering

Part of the Faculty of Applied Science

Okanagan School of EDUCATION

Part of the Faculty of Education

IrVing k. Barber faculty of Science

SOUTHERN MEDICAL PROGRAM

Part of the Faculty of Medicine

The Faculty of Education spans both campuses

The Southern Medical program is offered through the Faculty of Medicine

PhD in Educational Studies

• EdD in Educational Leadership and Policy
• MA in Educational Studies
• MEd : (ALE) Adult Learning and Education
• MEd : (ALGC) Adult Learning and Global Change
• MEd : (CULE) Curriculum and Leadership
• MEd : (EDAL) Educational Administration & Leadership
• MEd : (HIED) Higher Education
• MEd : (SCPE) Society, Culture & Politics in Education
• MEd : Ts’‘Kel Concentration
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Graduate admission

• Requirements

The PhD in Educational Studies is a research-oriented doctoral program for students interested in any of the study areas offered in the department.

Students are required to take three doctoral seminars. All other courses in a student’s program are determined in consultation with faculty. Students in the PhD program typically devote two years to coursework, and two to four years to developing and carrying out a research project designed to make an original contribution to knowledge in the study area.

The university allows doctoral students up to six years to complete program requirements. There is no set number of credits required for PhD programs at UBC.

For further facts and figures about the PhD in Educational Studies, please click here .

Admissions Requirements for Graduate Study

All graduate program applicants in the Department of Educational Studies (EDST) must meet the minimum entry requirements established by the Faculty of Graduate Studies, which oversees graduate work at UBC. Applicants who do not meet the minimum requirements will be considered for admission only in exceptional circumstances.

Admission to the PhD program is highly competitive, based on the pool of applicants considered by the Admissions Committee, and subject to university and departmental requirements and departmental capacities for supervision.

More Info: http://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students/graduate-degree-programs/phd-educational-studies

Please note: Applicants with full-funding from scholarships, fellowships, or alike, are still required to complete the PhD application process in the Department of Educational Studies (EDST).  In addition, all applicants will undergo adjudication by the PhD committee to determine admission. To be clear, applicants who bring full-funding with them are not automatically admitted .

General Eligibility

To be eligible for admission to a PhD program at UBC, applicants must hold a master's degree (or equivalent) from an approved institution with clear evidence of research ability or potential; or a bachelor’s degree with one year of study in a master's program with 12 credits of first class average, of which 9 credits must be at the 500-level or above and at least 9 credits must be of first class standing and clear evidence of research ability or potential. (For more detailed admissions requirements, please see the links below).

Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies - Minimum Academic Requirements: Canadian or U.S. Credentials http://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students/application-admission/minimum-academic-requirements-canadian-or-us-credentials

Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies - Minimum Academic Requirements: International Credentials http://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students/application-admission/minimum-academic-requirements-international-credentials

English Requirements

English Proficiency Test Score: Applicants whose degrees are from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must present evidence of competency to pursue studies in the English language prior to being extended an offer of admission. Acceptable English language proficiency tests for applicants to graduate studies are:

• TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language): Minimum score of 600 (paper version), 250 (computer version), 92 with a minimum of 22 in each component (iTB) is required for admission to all programs in Educational Studies. Visit TOEFL’s website
• IELTS (International English Language Testing Service): Minimum overall band score of 6.5 with no other component score less than 6.0.
• MELAB (Michigan English Language Assessment Battery): Minimum overall score of 81.

The applicants must have an official report of their score on one of these tests sent directly from the testing service to the Graduate Program Assistant, Department of Educational Studies at the address below by the application deadline. Score reports more than two years old will not be accepted.

More Information: http://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students/application-admission/english-proficiency-requirements

Most importantly with regard to a PhD application, please note that among other applicable requirements requested by the Faculty of Graduate Studies and by other UBC competent jurisdictions, as part of such an application you must submit:

• A Statement of Intent (800-1200 words) which clearly shows that your research topic/interest fits within the department in terms of prospective supervisors and areas of interest. Such a statement should also articulate the general research directions you would like to pursue during your program, if admitted. This statement should be 800-1200 words.
• A sample of your writing and engagement with research  (maximum 5,000 words without references). The intent is to demonstrate your ability to communicate your ideas and your interests in a clear way. Writing samples typically take the form of an excerpt from a chapter from a masters thesis, a published article, or a substantial scholarly paper
• Entries on your transcript showing evidence of having taken courses on research methods (quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, ethnographic or philosophical) and research more generally at the Masters level.

Also, while this is not a requirement, it is very important for you to contact at least one faculty member who could be a potential supervisor of your work (has expertise and interest in the area and/or topic you want to focus on) and inquire whether they would be willing to supervise your work ( see list of faculty and areas of expertise at: https://edst.educ.ubc.ca/faculty-staff/faculty ). Even if they do not commit to supervising your work, you could list such a faculty member (one or even two is acceptable) as a potential supervisor when you apply (which would provide further proof of your suitability for the PhD and familiarity with the programmes and areas of expertise of faculty).

In May 2017 the UBC-V Senate approved the establishment of a university-wide minimum funding level for all PhD students. Specifically, all full-time students who begin a UBC-Vancouver PhD program in September 2018 or later will be provided with a minimum funding package equal to $18,000 for each of the first four years of their PhD. The funding package may consist of any combination of internal or external awards, teaching-related work, research assistantships, and graduate academic assistantships.

For more information, see:

https://www.grad.ubc.ca/awards/minimum-funding-policy-phd-students

Doctoral students are also expected to apply for and obtain  funding. Our faculty are very supportive in this regard, and are able to help their supervised students build their applications, as well as supporting them by writing letters of appraisal.

If you do not live in Vancouver at present, you may want to consider the cost of living in Vancouver, and obtain further information from the website of the Faculty of Graduate Studies ( http://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students ).

Program Requirements

Program Worksheets are available here: https://edst.educ.ubc.ca/resources/policies/

Doctoral Seminar and Colloquium

There are three required courses in the PhD program.

The first doctoral seminar (EDST 601A) is designed to help beginning students become familiar with the department, policies and procedures related to doctoral studies, and for an examination of critical theoretical traditions and conceptual problems in the social sciences as applied to education.

The second doctoral seminar (EDST 601B) exposes students to positivist, interpretive, historical, and philosophical methods, and a deep understanding of current methodological issues and debates.

The third doctoral seminar (EDST 602) explores what it means to engage in a doctoral experience with particular focus on scholarly writing, preparing for comprehensive exams, and thesis proposals.

Coursework in Specialization

Students in the PhD program are expected to take courses in their specialization so that they are familiar with current theory and research. Courses are selected in consultation with an adviser or program advisory committee.

Courses in the student’s specialization should be completed in the first year of the program.

Other Coursework

PhD students typically take additional courses to give them the breadth and depth of understanding of contemporary educational theories. Doctoral study is oriented toward the thesis research, but relevant coursework beyond the student’s specialization is recommended.

Research Methods

PhD students are expected to be familiar with the various methods used in contemporary educational research and to master the particular methods relative to their research. Developing proficiency in research methods normally requires enrolling in available courses and reading widely in the research methods literature. Before research proposals are approved, students are expected to demonstrate that they have acquired the knowledge and skills necessary to successfully carry out their research plan.

Comprehensive Examination

All students in the PhD program are required to successfully complete a comprehensive examination after their coursework and before they present their research proposal. The examination is prepared by the student’s program adviser or research supervisory committee. Details about the mechanics of the examination and the options in format of the examination can be obtained from advisers or the department’s Graduate Program Assistant.

The PhD thesis is an original piece of research in the student’s area of specialization. Students develop research proposals which must be approved by a research supervisory committee of a supervisor and at least two other committee members. Research supervisory committees provide direction to the student, read and critique drafts of the thesis, and participate in the final oral examination.

PhD Residency

There is no residency requirement per se, but PhD students are expected to make steady progress through their coursework, comprehensive exams and thesis research. Current policies require PhD students to achieve candidacy by the end of their third year of study. Achieving candidacy involves completing all coursework, passing the comprehensive exam and having an approved research proposal.

Apply Online: http://www.grad.ubc.ca/apply/online/

Admission to the PhD program is on a competitive basis, within the broader context of the pool of applicants considered by the Committee, subject to university and departmental requirements and to departmental capacities for supervision.

Applications should be submitted online at  www.grad.ubc.ca/apply/online . All of the following components of an application must be received by the department’s Graduate Program Assistant before the file can be reviewed by the appropriate admissions committee. Without complete documentation, the application review process cannot begin.

a. Online UBC application form . When you submit an online application at  www.grad.ubc.ca/apply/online , the completed form is automatically forwarded to the Department's Graduate Program Assistant. A non-refundable processing fee payable is to UBC: see the cover of the official UBC application form for the exact amount.

b. Upload digital copies (.pdfs) of official transcripts.  See Digital Copies of Official Transcripts tab for details

c. Three references –  The purpose of the references is to provide a comprehensive portrayal of your relevant background and capacity to complete the PhD. Letters of reference should speak to your ability to pursue research and produce scholarly writing at the doctoral level. Suitable referees include professors, supervisors, principals, or other persons to whom you are, or have been, accountable academically in employment or as a volunteer. Academic references are preferred. If the original letter is in another language, the letter must be accompanied by a certified English translation. There are three possible formats for references:

• Electronic references : In the online application system, applicants are asked to provide an email address for each referee. Once the online application has been submitted, a unique link will be emailed to each referee, allowing her or him to log in to a secure site and submit an online reference or upload a reference document as an attachment.
• Letters of reference (hard copy or email attachment) : Your referee may wish to send a paper letter. Paper letters of reference should be on referee’s official letterhead and must be mailed directly by the referee to the Graduate Program Assistant (see address below) in a sealed and endorsed envelope, or as a .pdf email attachment.
• Reference forms (hard copy or email attachment) : UBC provides a  general reference form . Your referee may fill out this form and mail it directly to the relevant program in a sealed and endorsed envelope, or send it as a .pdf email attachment.
• All references must be sent by referees directly. Reference letters or forms submitted by the applicant will not be accepted .
• The application system and department are unable to accept referee emails from Hotmail, Yahoo, Gmail, MSN or other free email accounts.
• By “sealed, endorsed envelope” we mean that the envelope needs to be sealed and that the signature of the referee be placed over the seal (i.e., partially on the flap and partially on the rest of the envelope).

Note: It is advisable to contact referees and inform them of the Admissions deadline early in your process.

d. Statement of intent.  You need to describe your specific interests in pursuing a PhD and precisely why you are applying to the Department of Educational Studies and to the program or concentration you have selected (800-1200 words). This statement should highlight the following:

• Your engagement with graduate research , which clearly shows that your research topic/interest fits within the department in terms of prospective supervisors and areas of interest.
• The general research directions you would like to pursue during your program, if admitted.
• Name(s) of faculty member(s) with whom you have been in contact and/or who you identify as being suitable as research supervisor

e. Writing Sample (maximum 5,000 words without references)

• The intent is to demonstrate your engagement with research and your ability to communicate your ideas and your interests in a clear way. Writing samples typically take the form of an excerpt from a chapter from a masters thesis, a published article, or a substantial scholarly paper.

f. Curriculum Vitae / Resume

Please provide a CV as evidence of your potential to succeed in EDST at the graduate level.

After submitting your application, it is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all supporting materials are submitted by the application deadline. The Admissions Committee will only review completed applications. You can check the status of your application and supporting materials through the online application system .

Applicants from outside Canada should be aware of additional requirements that may apply. Please read the following to determine which of these requirements may apply to you.

International Credentials Equivalency

Please see the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies website: http://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students/application-admission/minimum-academic-requirements-international-credentials

International Transcripts and Translation Requirements

See International Transcripts and Translation Requirements tab for details

Entering Canada

To enter Canada, a “Student Authorization” (Student Visa) is required. Apply as soon as possible to the nearest Canadian Consular or Immigration Office since it may take 8–10 weeks for processing. For applicants applying from the People’s Republic of China it may take 3–6 months. Applying for a Student Authorization requires a UBC letter of admission/acceptance; a valid passport; and evidence of adequate funds for tuition, maintenance of the student and, if married, the student’s spouse and children, plus travel funds to and from Canada. Please consult the Immigration Canada website:  http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/index.asp .

If the application for a visa is approved, the UBC letter of admission/acceptance will be returned to the student and must be retained for presentation to the Immigration Officer at the Canadian point of entry.

Canadian Transcripts

UBC has changed its application document requirements.

If you are applying to begin study in 2016 or beyond, you will normally scan and upload digital copies (.pdfs) of official required documents in the application system. These are considered "unofficial documents". These uploaded copies of your official documents will be used for initial evaluation of the applicant.

Conditional admission offers may be made based on documents uploaded to the application system. However, admission offers will not be finalized and applicants will not be allowed to register in a graduate program until one set of all required official academic records are received and validated by the University.

UPLOADING UNOFFICIAL COPIES OF TRANSCRIPTS IN THE APPLICATION SYSTEM

Applicants with Canadian transcripts (other than UBC) must obtain an official paper transcript for every post-secondary institution they have attended.  UBC transcripts are not required.

Each transcript should be scanned as an individual .pdf file and then uploaded to the application system as indicated. They should be named: "Applicant Full Name-Document Description.extension"

Kelly Smith-University of Waterloo Transcript.pdf Kelly Smith-CV.pdf Kelly Smith-Journal of Neurosciences Paper.pdf

Transcripts must be scanned front and back. All pages of one transcript, front and back, should be uploaded as a single file (rather than a separate file for each page).

OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS

To be considered official, academic records must either be received in official university envelopes, sealed and endorsed by the issuing institution, or be sent via secure electronic delivery by the issuing institution.

If you have been offered admission conditional upon receipt of official documentation, you must provide UBC with one set of official transcripts for every postsecondary institution you have attended for the equivalent of one year or more of full-time study. UBC reserves the right to also require any individual applicant to provide official transcripts for study of less than one year duration. Do not send official transcripts before receiving an offer of admission unless you have received special instructions from the graduate program to which you have applied.

Documents being provided to meet conditions of admission should be sent directly to:

Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies University of British Columbia 6371 Crescent Rd Vancouver, BC CANADA  V6T 1Z2

CURRENT AND FORMER UBC STUDENTS

You do not need to submit UBC transcripts as part of your graduate application, as this data is already available through the student database system. However, be aware that you are still responsible for submitting transcripts from all other post-secondary institutions that you have attended (e.g., exchange year, transfer year, etc.).

International Transcripts and Translations

UPLOADING UNOFFICIAL COPIES OF REQUIRED DOCUMENTS IN THE APPLICATION SYSTEM

Applicants with transcripts from non-Canadian post-secondary institutions must obtain an official paper transcript for every post-secondary institution they have attended.

Each transcripts should be scanned as an individual .pdf file and then uploaded to the application system as indicated. Otherwise, they should be named: "Applicant Full Name-Document Description.extension"

Peng Zhang-Peking University Transcript.pdf Peng Zhang-Peking University Transcript English Translation.pdf Peng Zhang-CV.pdf Peng Zhang-Journal of Neurosciences Paper.pdf

If you have transcripts that are issued in a language other than English, then in addition to uploading digital copies of the documents in their original language, you must also upload a certified literal English translation of your transcripts from your home university's translation service or certified English translator.

Please consult the document scanning and uploading instructions provided within the online application for detailed instructions.

OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS

After being offered admission: If you have been offered admission conditional upon receipt of official documentation, you must provide UBC with one set of official transcripts for every postsecondary institution you have attended for the equivalent of one year or more of full-time study. UBC reserves the right to also require any individual applicant to provide official transcripts for study of less than one year duration.

If an official transcript does not indicate the degree name and the degree conferral date, then an official copy of the degree certificate must also be submitted

If your university issues only one original copy of transcripts/degree certificates:

Make photocopies of your original academic records and send them to your home university. Ask your home university to:

• verify that the photocopies are consistent with their records.
• attest that the copies are true photocopies and stamp them with an official university stamp.
• put the attested, stamped photocopies in sealed envelopes endorsed by the Registrar.
• mail the sealed, endorsed envelopes directly to Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies.

If your transcripts are issued in a language other than English:

• arrange to have a set of all official transcripts issued in their original language.
• obtain a certified literal English translation of your transcripts from your home university's translation service.
• send both the original transcripts and the literal English translation to UBC Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies.

If your home university does not provide English translations of transcripts:

• make a photocopy of your copy of your transcripts. Do not open a sealed, endorsed envelope containing transcripts intended for submission to your program.
• take the copy to a certified English translator and ask them to provide a complete, word-by-word, literal English translation.
• tell the translator to put both the original language photocopy and the English translation into a sealed envelope, and endorse the envelope by signing across the seal.
• send the sealed, endorsed envelopes from the translator to UBC Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies.
• send your original transcripts in the original language to UBC Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies.

Note: Academic records must be translated in their entirety, including any information that appears on the reverse side of any document.

UBC does not accept the following:

• photocopies that have not been stamped, attested and endorsed by the Registrar at your home university
• documents in envelopes that have been opened
• documents that do not arrive in sealed envelopes endorsed by the issuing institution or certified translator
• documents that arrive without the official seal of the university
• photocopies notarized by a notary public
• photocopies endorsed by a lawyer, professor, judge etc.
• unofficial translations
• non-literal translations

Do not send academic records that are not in sealed and endorsed envelopes. It will only delay the processing of your application.

Documents being provided to meet conditions of admission  should be sent directly to:

Tuition for PhD and EdD Programs

Tuition fees for PhD and EdD Programs are found on the UBC Calendar  website .

Note that fees are subject to change by the University.

Deadlines for applications

Deadlines for the EDST PhD program can be found on the EDST website .

Quick links:

Graduate Program Assistant Email:  [email protected] Tel: 604.822.6647

Department of Educational Studies Faculty of Education The University of British Columbia 6445 University Boulevard, V6T1Z2

Dr. P   Taylor   Webb , PhD Management Chair Email: [email protected] Tel: 604–822–6381

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UBC School of Information’s Doctor in Philosophy in Library, Archival and Information Studies is a four-year funded program that combines coursework with focused independent study and research. Our students have ready access to faculty members and benefit from unique opportunities at a comprehensive, world-class, research-intensive university.

We designed our PhD program to provide advanced research education for outstanding and highly motivated students who have already obtained a Master of Archival Studies (MAS) degree, a Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS) or an equivalent related degree.

• Information seeking, retrieval and use
• Human-computer interaction and design
• Critical approaches to information systems and services
• Information appraisal, classification and organization
• Social computing
• Information ethics and information policy
• Personal archives, digital archives, and online communities
• Records and information management
• Data management and natural language processing
• Blockchain technologies, information trust and governance
• Digital cultural heritage and preservation
• Digital humanities

Program highlights

• Advanced education in information and archival studies
• Focus on scholarship and research, with strong support for interdisciplinary approaches
• State-of-the-art research and learning facilities at a world-class university

Identify a potential supervisor

The doctoral program is highly selective. The strongest applicants have research interests aligned with the faculty expertise in the School of Information. Identifying a faculty member who can support your application does not guarantee an offer of admission. Still, it can ensure that your application is read carefully in light of the limited number of positions available each year. The following paragraphs provide suggestions for reaching out to potential supervisors.

• Familiarize yourself with program requirements. You want to learn as much as possible from the information available before reaching out to a faculty member.

Focus your research

• Identify faculty members who are conducting research in your specific area of interest.
• Read up on the faculty members in the program and the research conducted in the department.
• Familiarize yourself with their work, and read their recent publications and past theses/dissertations they supervised. Be sure that their research is indeed what you are hoping to study.

Make a good impression

• Do not send mass emails to everyone in the department hoping for a match.
• Address the faculty members by name. Your contact should be genuine rather than generic.
• Include a brief outline of your academic background, why you are interested in working with the faculty member, and what experience you could bring to the department.
• Highlight your achievements and why you are a top student. Faculty members receive dozens of requests from prospective students, and you may have less than 30 seconds to pique someone's interest.
• Convey the specific ways you are a good fit for the program.
• Convey the specific ways the program/lab/faculty member is a good fit for the research you are interested in/are already conducting.
• Be enthusiastic, but don't overdo it.

Course requirements

Students entering the doctoral program with an approved master’s degree will be required to take a minimum of 24 credits of coursework before achieving candidacy.

Your advisor may recommend additional courses, and you may be required to take courses in the iSchool Master of Library and Information Studies program or the Master of Archival Studies program to provide sufficient background for your research focus.

In addition, we strongly encourage our doctoral students to take graduate-level courses from other UBC departments in their chosen area of research.

Program details

Upon entering the doctoral program, you will be assigned an adviser who will work with you to develop an appropriate coursework schedule relevant to your research plan. You will take advance study in the major and minor areas (LAIS 620 and 621) with your advisor or the faculty member(s) best aligned with your research focus.

The qualifying exams assess your knowledge of the relevant literature, analytic capacity, and skill in developing original written and oral presentations of ideas. Typically, your advisor becomes your dissertation supervisor through the qualifying examinations.

Upon successfully completing the qualifying examinations, you will enter the dissertation stage of the program. Working closely with your supervisor, you will assemble a dissertation committee of no fewer than two additional eligible faculty members; these may be the same faculty who assessed your qualifying exams.

You will develop and defend a dissertation proposal of not less than 30 pages following the guidelines in the Doctoral handbook of policies and procedures . The goal of the proposal is to ascertain your research readiness.

Upon the successful defence of the proposal, you are recommended for candidacy.

You will then undertake the research and writing to prepare the dissertation following the guidelines of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (G+PS). When the dissertation is completed and successfully defended, you will be recommended for your Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree.

Qualifying examinations

The qualifying exams for the School of Information PhD consist of coursework (LAIS 620 and LAIS 621) as well as a formal examination with written and oral components. This overview of the qualifying exam process is meant as a guide for students and faculty. While specific details of each student’s exam preparation, writing and defence will vary, there are consistent timelines, objectives and expectations of all doctoral students. This document sets out a process for preparing for, writing, and assessing the qualifying examination as a key milestone in a student’s progress toward degree.

Students receive course credit (and faculty receive teaching credit) for LAIS 620 and LAIS 621. As such, the policies related to student resources, academic concession, academic integrity, academic accommodation, and conflicting responsibilities that apply to all other coursework also apply to the qualifying examination. Students who have needs or concerns related to these policies can negotiate adjustments to the exam procedures with their advisor and the Doctoral Studies Chair. Details of the policies and how to access support are available here.

Upon completion of all other degree coursework requirements (See: degree requirements), a student is enrolled in LAIS 620 (Advanced Study in the Major Area) and LAIS 621 (Advanced Study in the Minor Area) by the Program Assistant. The courses are six credits each, and should be taken over the course of the Winter 1 & 2 terms of the second year of doctoral study. These courses represent the preparation for the qualifying exam (50%) as well as the exam itself (50%). The preparation portion of each course is satisfied through a directed study with the student’s advisor or potential committee member. The advisor may recommend additional coursework for credit course auditing, depending on the student’s background or intended topic of study.

Through the LAIS 620 and 621 coursework, the student provides evidence that they are able to:

• Identify and describe Major and Minor areas of focus that will frame the examination process;
•  Read for both depth and breadth in the areas of focus;
• Curate bibliographies of academic sources that represent key concepts, ideas, theories, or methods in the areas of focus;
• Develop research relevant questions that emerge from the reading;
• Connect the research focus area(s) with the broader discipline;
• Communicate clearly and effectively to academic audiences, in written and oral forms.

Key outputs from the LAIS 620/621 coursework are materials that guide the examination process, specifically:

• An overview document for the Major and Minor areas (length determined by the advisor, however 1500 to 3000 words is typical) that provides a fulsome description of the areas of focus, important concepts and definitions, and key questions that emerge from reading in these areas; and
• A guiding bibliography of 40-50 sources for each of the areas of focus.

The Major and Minor areas of focus are developed with the approval and consultation of the advisor and examination committee. The Major and Minor together should support the development of student thinking, but not encapsulate exhaustively the thinking within a discipline. The level of specificity and scope are important considerations. The Major and Minor areas should be complementary but not overlap. For example, the Major area may be the central focus of a student’s intended inquiry, with the Minor area a complementary theory or method, or a cognate area related to but not a subset of the Major.

The qualifying exam has two overarching objectives: 1) to assess the student’s knowledge of current trends, theories, and methods in the areas of focus; 2) to determine if the doctoral student is sufficiently prepared to design their dissertation project.

• Through the qualifying exam, the student provides evidence that they are able to:
• Identify and critically read relevant literature in the areas of focus;
• Comprehend and evaluate arguments in the areas of focus;
• Integrate and synthesize ideas within the areas of focus;
• Put their research focus area(s) in conversation with the broader discipline;

The student will be expected to demonstrate their knowledge, and critical analysis in the discipline through:

• Knowledge of the main issues or problems in the areas of focus;
• Incisive evaluation of current and past research;
• Rigorous analysis, organization and synthesis of information;
• Clear written, and oral communication of ideas, concepts and arguments.

Students are expected to read carefully and write to issues that are contained within these bibliographies, but cannot be expected to read or write outside them as part of the examination process.

The faculty member who advises a doctoral student through their course work and qualifying exams is known as an adviser. This is usually (but not always) the same person who supervises their work as they write their dissertation, the supervisor.

The student and their adviser will assemble an Examination Committee that will adjudicate the Major and Minor focus areas by setting the exam questions and assessing the answers. The Examination Committee will consist of the adviser and two or three additional faculty members. These are typically faculty who have served as instructors to the student, have supervised reading courses in one or more of the areas of study, or have expertise related to the focus areas. The student's adviser will chair the committee.

The Examination Committee will set the questions for both the Major and Minor area exams. The questions will be based on the Major and Minor focus area descriptions and accompanying bibliographies approved by the committee by the end of January of their second year. After committee approval, the scheduling of the written exam and oral defense can occur.

Structure of the examinations

• The qualifying examination occurs in the Winter 2 term of the student’s second year in the Doctoral Program, and must be completed within 24 months of starting the program, as required by the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.
• Writing of the Major and Minor areas will occur within a 30-day period, and the overall length of the examination should not exceed two months.
• The format for the written examination is a take-home examination to be completed during a 21-day writing period. The writing period must begin and end on a weekday. The dates can be negotiated, and a one-day extension granted if a statutory holiday, religious holiday or cultural observance falls within the writing period (see UBC policy on conflicting responsibilities).
• The examination is intended to be a sequestered writing period, during which the student should have minimal contact with other students and faculty. Peer editing and reviewing of draft answers is not permissible, nor should the student and advisor or examination committee consult on the questions once they are administered. Students who need accommodations such as an extended exam period or writing support should consult with their advisor and DSC Chair in advance of the examination scheduling.
• The examination will comprise two significant essays, one each for the Major and Minor focus areas. The essay prompts will be formulated by the committee, and reflect the depth and breadth of the Major and Minor. The major area essay prompt should be presented as an opportunity for the student to compose a “state of the field” review related to the student’s area of research focus. The Minor essay prompt should permit the student to focus on a theory, method or cognate area that complements the Major area, without being redundant. In terms of length, approximately 5,000 words (including references) would constitute a minimal answer for each essay, with 7-10,000 words judged more acceptable in most cases.
• An oral examination of not more than three hours will occur not more than two weeks following the completion of the writing period.
• The oral examination committee consists of at least three members of Examination Committee.
• The Chair of the DSC serves as examination chair, and there is no audience present.

Sample Exam Timeline (Actual dates negotiated among student, committee, and DSC Chair):

• Supervisor submits questions vetted and approved by the examining committee to the Program Assistant one week before the exam writing period begins (February 24).
• Student receives exam questions on Friday March 3 at 9am [21-day writing period begins].
• Student submits written answers to Program Assistant on Thursday March 23 at 5pm [Writing period ends].
• Committee has seven days to read and evaluate essays.
• Committee communicates to DSC Chair that oral exam will proceed on Thursday March 30.
• Oral exam occurs Friday March 31.

After a student submits the written qualifying exam essays, the examination committee will have no less than seven days to read and evaluate them prior to the oral examination. The committee should confer prior to the oral examination to confirm that the quality of the written essays is adequate to proceed. If the essays are adequate, the student will proceed to the oral examination. If the essays are deemed inadequate, the committee will recommend either a mark of FAIL, or Adjournment (see below). The committee’s agreement to proceed or not proceed to the oral examination should be a consensus decision sent to the DSC Chair at least one day prior to the oral examination.

The purpose of the oral examination is to allow the student to provide context for their written exam answers, to demonstrate additional depth and breadth of knowledge in the area, and to show their communicative competency. The questions of the oral examination will be related to the questions answered by the student in the written examination of the major and minor areas. Examiners' questions will be based on peripheral or related material that contributes to a complete answer to the questions posed.

The oral examination will be comprised of the following parts:

• Introductions and clarification of procedures by the DSC Chair or designate
• Student presentation (15 minutes maximum – see below)
• Examination of the Major Area: At least one round of questions from each examiner, until all examiners are satisfied.
• Examination of the Minor Area: At least one round of questions from each examiner, until all examiners are satisfied.
• In-camera session: The student is dismissed, and the examiners meet with the Chair to discuss the outcome, feedback, and mark for the examination.
• Feedback: The student returns to the exam session and the Chair or Advisor provide the outcome and next steps.

At the beginning of the oral exam the student may take the opportunity to expand on their answers to the written exam questions, amplifying the answers or outlining the key points. This speaking opportunity must take no longer than 15 minutes, and may be strictly oral or aided only by notes or a visual presentation (i.e., the student is not allowed to read a prepared paper). The student may bring into the oral examination only a copy of the written exam and the notes or software (e.g., PowerPoint) for the 15-minute presentation.

During the in-camera session of the examination, the faculty will evaluate the student’s written and oral performance on each of the Major and Minor areas of focus. The student will be given one of three marks for each the Major and Minor. Faculty will assess the written and oral examination for each area as a combined mark.

• Unconditional PASS : The student’s performance in the written and oral examination meets all the indicators. The examination milestone is considered met and a grade is assigned.
• Conditional PASS : The student’s performance in the written and oral examination meets most of the indicators, but may need additional writing or revision to satisfy the committee. A student who receives the mark of Conditional PASS must complete revisions under the direction of the Advisor within two weeks. The committee will assess the revised responses and either provide the mark of FAIL or Unconditional PASS. Further oral examination is not required.
• FAIL : The student’s performance in the written and oral examination does not meet the exam indicators above. A student who receives the mark of FAIL must withdraw from the program. UBC procedures for appeal of assigned academic standing are detailed in the Academic Regulations section of the UBC Calendar.

A student may receive a split decision for the Major and Minor areas; that is, the mark assigned may be different if the written or oral performance is inadequate in either area. If a student receives a Conditional PASS in either area, the numerical grade will be provided after the revision period. If a student receives a FAIL in either the Major or Minor area, the milestone is not met, and the student must withdraw from the program.

A student receives a grade for each of the Major (620) and Minor (621) area examinations. This grade is a score that reflects their combined written and oral performance. The examination grade constitutes 50% of the grade for the Major or Minor area, the other 50% being the score assigned for the exam preparation. The Advisor should bring the preparation scores to the in-camera session. The grades for preparation and examination are averaged and submitted to the Program Assistant using the grading form provided on the school’s internal website.

A student who receives the mark of Unconditional PASS should receive a grade that is appropriate to their level of achievement, i.e., in the A to A+ range (85-95). A student who shows weaker performance in either the oral or written components, but not to the point where revision is necessary, may receive a lower grade. However, all grades for an Unconditional PASS must be above the B level (74+).

In the event the examination committee is unable to reach consensus on either the mark or numerical grade in the in-camera session, the DSC Chair (or their designate as examination chair) will serve as arbiter.

An adjournment may occur when the examination process needs to be halted for additional preparation, or for personal reasons arising from the student’s situation. There are two conditions under which the exam process may be halted or adjourned.

• Faculty requested adjournment: If one or both examination essays are of an unacceptable quality, but there is confidence they can be improved with additional preparation, the chair of the examination committee may request an adjournment. This request should be made between the submission of the essays and the oral examination. The request should be made to the DSC Chair.
• Student requested adjournment: If the student experiences a personal situation that puts their ability to complete the examination in question (significant illness, unexpected life incident, or emergency), they may request an adjournment. This request should be made during the writing period to the advisor and DSC Chair.

If an adjournment is granted, the student will have six months to complete the examination process. The student may not proceed to the oral examination until the written essays are deemed of sufficient quality. If the student does not produce passable essays on the second try, the student will be given the mark of FAIL and must withdraw from the program. The student must be informed of the committee’s decision in writing, and will have the opportunity to appeal to the DSC Chair. A candidate will be permitted to re-write the examination only once. The student is responsible for scheduling the re-writing.

All students can appeal the examination mark or numerical grade if they feel that the process for administration or assessment was unfair or in error. To appeal, the student must send a written note of appeal, along with any evidence to support their claim, to the DSC Chair within one week of receiving their examination feedback. The Chair will review the written essays and chair report to identify if any redress is appropriate. The outcome of the appeal will be provided to the student in writing no more than 30 days after receipt of the appeal.

Career outcomes

Graduates of the School of Information Doctoral Program have held positions in academia, including tenure track faculty at some of the world's leading universities, the IT industry, and leadership roles in libraries, archives, and other public sector institutions.

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The PhD program in the Department of History is designed to take five years to complete. It requires full-time academic residency until the attainment of candidacy.

PhD Program Overview

Students in the PhD program complete their coursework in their first year; take their comprehensive exams, defend their prospectus, and advance to candidacy in their second year; spend a year and a half doing dissertation research; and a year and a half writing the dissertation.  Students should create a personal program completion timeline in conjunction with their supervisor during Term 1 of Year 1 of their program.  Students who require more than six years to complete their program can apply for and receive an extension through the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

Admission to the PhD program is on a full-time basis only.  Most PhD students enter the program with a completed MA degree.

Applicants and candidates for the PhD program should also review the general requirements of the Faculty of Graduate Studies ( www.grad.ubc.ca ) regarding residency, coursework, examinations, and dissertation preparation and submission.

Program Requirements – PhD Degree:

PhD students must complete  three courses.  Two of these courses are mandatory: “Professional Development for Historians” (HIST525) and “The Doctoral Research Seminar” (HIST699).  Students choose their third course in consultation with their supervisor. Note that students who have not previously taken a graduate-level historiography course must choose Historiography (HIST 548) for this third course.

Graduate courses for PhD students:

Course 1 (3 credits) : HIST 525 - Professional Development For Historians: This is a mandatory course taken in Year 1 of the PhD program . This course introduces students to professional skills and options for historians in both academic and non-academic careers.

Course 2 (3 credits): HIST699 -  The Doctoral Research Seminar: This is a mandatory course taken in Year 1 of the PhD Program .  The course guides students through the process of doing research for and drafting their dissertation prospectus.

Course 3 (3 credits): Choose from options below: Students should take this course in Term 1 of Year 1.  However, where appropriate and in consultation with their supervisor, they may choose to take it as late as Term 1 of Year 2. For their third course, students choose ONE of the following:

• HIST 548D - Historiography (3 credits) Students who have not previously taken a graduate-level historiography course must choose HIST 548D: Historiography.  This course is offered annually only in Term 1.
• Area and Thematic course (3 credits) The History Department's readings courses introduce students to the main historiographical problems and secondary literature in their fields of specialization. Readings and topics courses require written work (approximately 3,000-4,000 words per course) from students as evidence of their growing mastery of secondary literature.
• Graduate course offered outside of the History Department (3 credits) With permission of the Graduate Advisor, students may take 3 credits of graduate coursework from outside the History Department. Language courses may not be substituted for graduate readings courses.  Please consult your supervisor for possible graduate courses offered outside of the History Department.  (Examples of non-history graduate seminars represent 500+ level courses from the STS department, Asian Studies, FNIS, etc.)
• HIST 547D - Directed Studies Course (3 credits) This course (HIST 547D) represents a one-on-one or small group directed readings course with a professor.  When a professor (usually the supervisor) agrees to do a directed readings course with a student, the professor must contact the graduate programme assistant to set up the course and register the student into the course.
• Graduate course through the Western Dean's Agreement (3 credits) Students at participating Universities in Western Canada can attend partner institutions as visiting students without having to pay the host university's tuition fees through the  Western Dean's Agreement  (WDA). As per the UBC Academic Calendar , courses taken by PhD students under the Western Deans' Agreement will not be credited to their degree programs.  If a PhD student wishes to take a graduate course through the WDA, they must also get approval from the graduate advisor for an exemption to the PhD Course requirements.

1b. Graduate Course Schedule & Course Planning Guide

Updated: May 26, 2023

Link to Document: Graduate Course Schedule Link to Document:  Graduate Course Planning Guide

2. Language requiremen t

Before receiving the PhD degree, candidates must demonstrate an adequate knowledge of a language other than English. The language exam typically takes the form of a written test of reading ability, although under certain circumstances, oral proficiency can satisfy this requirement.

Students who require a foreign language (or languages) for their dissertation research must take the language exam in that language. In cases where the dissertation research involves only English-language sources, students may take the exam in the language of their choice.

For students who will be examined on their reading ability, the department holds a language exam twice a year (usually in November and April) in which candidates must successfully translate a passage from the language they have chosen into English, with the aid of a dictionary, but without the assistance of online translation tools.

The exam is a one page translation of text testing for reading ability of the target language. The grading scale represents:

• First class: student demonstrates professional level translation in target language.
• Pass: student demonstrates reading ability in target language
• Fail: student does not demonstrate reading ability in target language.

Requesting an Exemption to the Language Requirement/Exam:

Exemption from the language exam may be granted under certain circumstances, on a case by case basis, by submitting a written request to the History graduate advisor:

• Several departments at the university offer courses to help students acquire a reading knowledge of a foreign language, such as French, German, or Russian. Students who have successfully completed such a course at the third-year level or above, with at least a B (72%) average, can apply for exemption from the History Department’s translation exam by submitting evidence of completion of the course to the History graduate advisor.
• Students whose projects rely on oral sources in a language other than English can make a request to be exempted from the language exam and to instead satisfy the language requirement with their demonstrated oral proficiency in the relevant research language.  In such cases, the graduate advisor will consult with the student’s supervisor to confirm their ability and determine whether this requirement has been met.
• For all other circumstances, please contact the History graduate advisor in writing.  Exemptions may be granted on a case by case basis.

3a. Comprehensive Examinations

PhD students are required to complete written and oral comprehensive examinations in two major fields.  One field is geographically defined; the other is thematic .  Examination fields and the composition of the examination committee are determined through consultation involving the student, research supervisor, and Graduate Advisor. The major fields that will be examined are determined by the student’s research and the department’s research clusters.

The PhD Field Examination Committee is comprised of four field examiners. One of the four examiners is the research supervisor.  Regular meetings should be held with all four of the examining professors. Discussion of the types of questions likely to comprise the exam is also highly recommended.  Professors and students should agree on the number of questions and amount of choice well in advance of the exam. The standard is two questions answered per field (a total of 10,000 words for both fields) from a list of questions any of which might be asked during the oral part of the examination.

Students must complete all of their coursework requirements before sitting their comprehensive examinations.  Students are expected to complete their comprehensive examinations within fifteen months of the date of initial registration.

In order to advance to candidacy, students must successfully pass the written and oral comprehensive exams, and then defend their dissertation prospectus within the subsequent four months.  A student who has not advanced to candidacy within 36 months from date of initial registration must withdraw from the program.  Extension of this period may be permitted by the Dean of Graduate Studies in exceptional circumstances.

Preparation for Comprehensive Exams

Students should have working reading lists in hand for their two fields by the end of Term 1 of Year 1.  They begin studying for comprehensive exams at the beginning of Term 2 of Year 1.

As an approximate guide to the preparation expected, students generally read the equivalent of 75 books (with 3 or 4 articles counting as the equivalent of a book) for each field.  Examiners in each field provide the candidate in advance with titles comprising 70-80% of the bibliography. Students themselves identify titles to comprise the remaining 20-30% of the list.

Form of the examination

• Written Examinations.  The examinations test the candidate's mastery of the factual knowledge, central historiographical issues, and theoretical concepts of the field.  Doctoral students are required to complete two written take-home examinations, one in each field, over a two-week period.  Students have a week to write for each field and may choose which field they do first. The comprehensive exams should total no more than 10,000 words.
• Oral Examination.  In the week following the written examinations, candidates take an oral examination, to be based mainly on the candidate's written field examinations.  All of the questions posed in the written examinations are open to oral questioning.  Other questions relevant to the field reading lists also may be expected.  The oral examination is normally three hours in duration.  The written and oral examinations in each field will receive one grade (pass/fail).  A student who fails either major field must repeat the written and oral examinations in all fields.  No substitution of fields at re-examination will be permitted.  A student will be allowed to re-sit comprehensives only once, and will be required to withdraw from the PhD program upon a second failure in one or more fields. Comprehensive doctoral examinations should be held between October and December of the second year.

3b. Comprehensive Exam Checklist

Comprehensive Exam Checklist

• Assemble your committee (Term 1, Year 1) 1a. Major Field in ___________   Professor___________; Professor_________________ 1b. Major field in ___________    Professor___________; Professor_________________
• Communicate this list to the Grad Advisor for final approval, and the Graduate Programme Assistant ( [email protected] ), who will notify the graduate committee member in charge of exams  to find a chair for your oral exam.
• Finalize reading list. Send an electronic copy of the reading list to Graduate Programme Assistant ( [email protected] ) along with a copy of email approval from the professors involved. Alternatively, a hard copy signed  by you and the professors involved. (The final list can be submitted just prior to the commencement of the examination.)
• Organize the comprehensive exam date.  The comprehensive exam involves three academic weeks.  The first two weeks represent written exams for each field. The Oral exam will be held in the third week.  Set a date  and time (3 hour block) with your committee members and communicate the date and time to the Graduate Programme Assistant ( [email protected] ).

Upon receiving the confirmed "date and time", the Graduate Programme Assistant will:

• Arrange a Room,
• Alert the Member of the graduate committee responsible for exams, who will find a chair for your oral exam,
• Send out a formal written schedule with a request to the committee members to submit their written comprehensive exam questions, and;
• Update the schedule once the graduate committee member has confirmed a chair.

For reference, the Graduate Programme Assistant will be invigilating the written exams.

Note on Remote Setup for Virtual Meetings: The supervisor is responsible is responsible for setting up a skype (or zoom) virtual meetings for comprehensive and prospectus examinations .

Important Note about Scheduling: The oral comprehensive examination date should be set with a minimum of 5-6 weeks in advance in order to allow enough time to find a chairperson.   For Oral examination dates set with less than 5 weeks’ notice, the graduate committee member in charge of comprehensive and prospectus exams may require the supervisor to find a chairperson.

4a. Dissertation Prospectus Examination

When a student has completed all coursework and the comprehensive examinations, the candidate and Graduate Advisor establish a Dissertation Committee.  This Committee is composed of  a minimum of three faculty members  including the Dissertation Supervisor and is presided over by the Dissertation Supervisor.

Candidates are required to present a dissertation prospectus for approval by the Dissertation Committee.  As a guideline, the dissertation prospectus is usually presented between one month to  no later than four months after completion of the PhD comprehensive examinations.   The examination of the dissertation prospectus can occur as early as Term 1, Year 2 and typically, no later than the end of Term 2, Year 2.

Candidates should first present to the Dissertation Supervisor a 10-12 page prospectus indicating the nature of the problem the candidate plans to investigate, the body of literature relevant to the problem and the candidate's expected contribution to that literature, the specific research methods and plans to be followed in the study, the availability and accessibility of the relevant materials including specific archival collections and other sources, and a tentative schedule for research and writing. After consultation with the Dissertation Supervisor, the prospectus must be presented to the Dissertation Committee and discussed at the prospectus examination.  If one of the Dissertation Committee members cannot attend the prospectus examination, another faculty member will join the committee for this purpose.

Additional Resources:

What is a Prospectus? ( February 2013 )

by Chris Laursen, PhD (Alumni)

• Just get to the heart of what you want to do with your dissertation in the prospectus.  You may not feel anywhere near ready to create a prospectus, and that's okay!  You have to start somewhere.  What you write will be critiqued.  You can't escape that, and it's fine because it's part of being a scholar.  Whatever advice you are given, remember that you will end up moving in better directions in your dissertation research and writing as a result of it.  Make the prospectus a fun exercise, one in which you use your imagination and creative thinking, as well as showing that you have something to contribute to historical studies and can defend your preliminary arguments (which will become stronger as you get into the real work of your dissertation).  Start by asking yourself, "What is my dream dissertation?"  With that, get the essential bits in there: a strong thesis, proposed chapter outline, and showing how it makes a contribution to the study of history (through a historiographical section).
• Once you've explained how you're making a contribution, put all of those scholars you've read aside, go back to what you've outlined, and think for yourself.  Unless your committee indicates they expect application of an existing theoretical model based on your study, I would advise being more concerned about focusing on how you are going to approach your topic.  Myself, I felt an invisible pressure after taking so many courses that focused on so many theoretical or philosophical models.  I assumed that I was expected to think about my dissertation through the lens of at least a few of these existing models.  Unless you're absolutely passionate about applying one of these models (which, honestly, I wasn't), you should start with yourself.  After writing - and fumbling in my defense - on how my project could fit existing theoretical models (what a disaster!), the advice my committee gave was liberating: worry about your own methodological development, not applying that of others.  It's not that it's easier to develop your own methodological approach.  But the prospectus is your opportunity to propose how you would do so.  You've been working on it in everything you've done up to this point.  If there's one thing I wish I had done it would have been to say to myself, "Okay, I've learned all sorts of approaches.  I've outlined how my works fits in the historiography.  Now I'm going to put others' work aside and think for myself.  How do I want to approach collecting research materials and analyse them?  How would I get what I want out of them?"  I think the ability to say this is what I want to do is crucial in a prospective defense.  My committee wanted to know how I was going to develop my own scholarly style through the dissertation process, and some of that was in my prospectus, but I spent way too much time writing about other scholars' approaches.  You've already recognized related scholars in a historiographical section.  Make the rest of the prospectus about how you want to do things.  What you produce will not be perfect, but it's a significant step toward thinking for yourself as a member of a community of scholars.
• How one of your PhD colleagues or faculty members does something does not mean you have to do it the same way.  First of all, remember to consult with your committee as you develop these approaches before you get to prospectus defense.  This will be a big help.  As your prepare, when you look at sample prospecti, read dissertations, or published works, concern yourself with how they're organized and consider how strong their thesis is.  Apply structures and content that strongly benefits what you want to say in your dissertation.  Ultimately, you are going to build an idea for a dissertation in the way you want to do it. From there, your committee is going to give advice, some of which you won't implement, much of which will completely lift you up in terms of strengthening your scholarship.  I thought of my defense more as a formal brainstorming session.  I loved hearing what my committee members and defense chair had to say.  Nothing went as I imagined, and really, life is like that anyway.  Defend your ideas as carefully as you can, but be open to all critiques and advice.  Be thankful for it.  This is really an opportunity to grow.  It's a forum where you walk in with a document and walk out with new ways of thinking about your research, writing, and scholarly style.
• Start early , gather your sources, and set yourself a tight schedule with milestones to complete your prospectus after passing comps.  For those preparing for comps, insert key scholarly works to read that you'll be using in your dissertation research.  This is so important.  For those starting grad school, collect as many key sources as you can well ahead of time.  If you haven't already started doing that by the time you begin your PhD, you'd better get going on that!  (I had been gradually collecting sources since 2006, two years before commencing my MA, and defended my prospectus in January 2012, two months after my comps exam; writing the prospectus was a quick process because I already had key sources read and ready to consider in my prospectus.)  Once you are ready to write the prospectus, make it an efficient process.  In my opinion, you can probably write it, get outlines and drafts reviewed by committee members over a month or two, then refine it and defend.  Set your defense date early to motivate getting it done.  With candidacy, you can get to the real work of research and writing your dissertation. Don't draw the prospectus process out too long.
• It's a defense ; that's nerve wracking, and that's okay.  It's part of being a scholar.  The prospectus defense is probably not going to feel smooth.  You're early on in your dissertation.  Your ideas are just forming.  Write as strong of a document as you can in a limited time.  Consult with your committee members ahead of the defense to see what they think of an outline of it, and then on a draft of it.  They'll catch the early weaknesses that you can work on. Expect to hear questions and ideas that hadn't been mentioned earlier in your defense - things you'd hadn't considered before.
• Myself , I'm writing a succinct reimagined prospectus one year after defending.  The first prospectus felt like a beginning, a way of getting feedback, and a way of showing that I can carry on with my dissertation work.  The second one - only a revised working thesis, succinct overview of methodology and argument, and a more developed chapter outline - is an opportunity to truly shape the dissertation.  The prospectus you write to achieve candidacy will be a useful tool to develop your methodology, analysis, and research travel strategies. As a candidate, I have put a lot of thought into those three elements over the past year.  I also consulted a lot with people knowledgeable about my research topic - invaluable!  Now the content seems all the more concrete, although I fully expect my committee to have a variety of new ideas and directions based on this revised prospectus.  It's an ongoing process - and one that should be both as delightful and challenging as you can make it.
• So what is a prospectus really? It is an essential step for you and your committee to feel that you are ready to do the real work of the dissertation - so make this a time to show them and yourself that you're ready to proceed with that.  It's an exercise in imagining what you would really enjoy doing, getting your key sources lined up, assessing the contribution your work with make to historical studies, and above all an opportunity to say, "This is how I want to be a historian.  This is the approach I'm thinking about.  What do you think, colleagues?"

4b. Prospectus Examination Checklist

The last step to advancement to candidacy is the prospectus defence (examination). Once you are ready to defend your prospectus:

• Please arrange a “2 hour time slot” with your prospectus committee.  This should be done with at least five week's notice in order to leave ample time to find a chairperson.
• Email the Date, time, and names of the prospectus committee to Graduate Programme Assistant at [email protected] .
• The Graduate Programme Assistant will book the room, notify the graduate committee member responsible for comprehensive and prospectus examinations to find a chairperson, and send out a schedule to everybody involved.

Important Note about Scheduling: The oral prospectus examination date should be set with a minimum of 5 weeks in advance in order to allow enough time to find a chairperson.   For Oral examination dates set with less than 5 weeks’ notice, the graduate committee member in charge of comprehensive and prospectus exams may require the supervisor to find a chairperson.

5. Admission (Advancement) to Candidacy

Once candidates have completed their residency period, completed all required coursework, passed their comprehensive examinations, and the dissertation proposal has been approved by the Dissertation Committee, the student is admitted to candidacy and may proceed with the dissertation.  Advancement to candidacy can occur as early as Term 1, Year 2 and typically no later than the end of Term 2, Year 2.

For reference, the date for advancement to candidacy usually represents the date of the prospectus defense because the prospectus examination is usually the final requirement to be completed.  

A student who is not admitted to candidacy within three years (36 months) from the date of initial registration will normally be required to withdraw from the program.  Where extenuating circumstances exist, students can apply to G&PS for an extension. 

6. PhD Dissertation

The doctoral dissertation must be an original contribution to historical knowledge, based upon primary sources. The PhD candidate is strongly advised to select a dissertation topic and research supervisor as early as possible, and to begin work on the dissertation within one of the research seminars.  The dissertation must not exceed 400 pages, including footnotes, bibliography, and appendices.

• Dissertation Supervisor and Dissertation Committee The Dissertation Committee is composed of  a minimum of three faculty members  including the Dissertation Supervisor and is presided over by the Dissertation Supervisor.  Although the supervisory work is largely done by the Dissertation Supervisor, the final responsibility for supervision, for approving the dissertation proposal, for judging the acceptability of the dissertation, and for recommending its submission to the University Thesis Examining Committee rests with the Dissertation Committee.
• Progress Reports and the Role of the Dissertation Committee There should be frequent contact between candidates and thesis supervisors to facilitate the giving of advice and the reporting of research progress. The Dissertation Supervisor should be available, even when on leave. The Faculty of Graduate Studies suggests that there be contact between students and supervisors at least every three months. The Dissertation Committee may also request progress reports from a candidate. If research prevents the candidate from being in Vancouver, such reports may be submitted by arrangement with the supervisor and/or Dissertation Committee by mail or e-mail. A full committee meeting with the candidate must occur once a year.  Students should plan to submit their work-in-progress at a department colloquium in Year 3 or 4.  Students who plan to complete by the end of Year 5 should have a full dissertation draft ready for the entire committee to review by the end of Year 4. While the Dissertation Committee should be an important source of advice and aid to the student, it is not responsible for the final quality of the dissertation. Its responsibility is to see that the candidate does the best possible job within a reasonable period of time, and then to decide, after discussions with the candidate, whether the dissertation should be laid before a University Committee for evaluation.
• Final Doctoral Examination The Dissertation Committee must be convinced of the quality and acceptability of the dissertation before approving its submission to the External Examiner, which begins the process of its submission for public examination to the University Thesis Examining Committee.  The final examination of the dissertation by the University Thesis Examining Committee is not a mere formality. Candidates may be asked to undertake revisions, or the dissertation may be rejected at this stage. For further information on the composition of the University Thesis Examining Committee and the results of examinations see the Faculty of Graduate Studies document  " The Final Oral Examination: Guide for Doctoral Candidates ."  Candidates should acquaint themselves with the submission procedures and technical requirements for formatting of theses. These requirements are listed in the Faculty of Graduate Studies document  " Dissertation and Thesis Preparation ."

7. Submitting your PhD Dissertation To Formally Close Your Program

After you have successfully completed your Final Defense, the final step is to submit your thesis to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (GPS) to close your program.

Step 1: Read the overview of the submission process: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/current-students/final-dissertation-thesis-submission

Step 2: Carefully follow the steps in the link below to submit your thesis to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies to close your program: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/current-students/final-dissertation-thesis-submission/final-submission-instructions

Note: Once the student has all of the forms in step 1, they can email them to the Graduate Programme Assistant ( [email protected] ) to verify the signatures and forward the forms to GPS on behalf of the student.

Dissertation/Thesis Submission Deadlines: Check deadlines for dissertation/thesis submission dates: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/deadlines (Under Deadline Type -->Select Option: Thesis Final Submission --> Click: Filter)

Thesis approval deadlines are for having your thesis fully approved in cIRcle , not just submitted. You are expected to submit at least five days ahead of any deadline in order to allow yourself time to make any needed corrections.

8. Applying For Graduation

For Reference: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/current-students/graduation/applying-graduate

Every candidate for a degree must make formal application for graduation. Students apply through the Student Service Centre (SSC). Please check the Deadlines section of this website or contact your program to find out when the Application to Graduate is open.

If your application to graduate is not approved, then you must re-apply for the next graduation season.

Doctoral Students Doctoral students must also complete a 350-character doctoral citation. For details and information on how to submit this, please see Doctoral Citations for Graduation .

Not attending the graduation ceremony? You must apply to graduate regardless of whether or not you plan to participate in the scheduled ceremonies.

Questions? For questions about applying to graduate, please contact [email protected]

Conference Travel Funding

Graduate students are now eligible to receive travel funding to attend a conference at which they are presenting a paper. Over the course of a graduate career, each PhD student will have access to $3,000 to attend conferences. Eligibility continues for up to four months after completion of the degree. As per University guidelines, payments will be made via reimbursement.

Co-operative education is an optional program that allows you to gain work experience as you work on your doctoral degree. You will have access to various resources to help support your job search and build career skills.

Research on co-op programs has shown that students typically return to their studies after co-op terms highly motivated and increasingly successful in their studies (marks, completion rates, etc.).

Eligibility:

You are eligible to apply to the UBC History PhD Co-op Program if you have achieved candidacy (or are expecting to achieve candidacy by the time you begin your co-op term, typically in January of your third year in the PhD program). You also must have two years of PhD study left, in which to schedule three, 4-month work terms. You cannot enrol in the Co-op Program without advancing to candidacy first: that is, Co-op students must be ABD (all but dissertation).

SSHRC-holders and international students are both eligible to apply and go through the same application process.

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Physiology explores the basis of life. Physiologists view life from the simplest to the most complex levels of organization--from the subcellular to the whole person. For example, they research the male and female reproductive systems, the process of birth, and the physiology of the fetus and newborn. Some physiologists study neurophysiology in an attempt to unravel mysteries of the brain with respect to control of eye and limb movements and the neural control of circulation. Others do cardiovascular research including the study of normal and abnormal heart rhythms, mechanisms of contraction of the heart, age-related changes in heart function, and the influence of the kidney in the control of blood pressure. Physiologists that study cellular physiology examine how the stomach is protected from its own acid, how nerve and muscle cells communicate with each other, how bone cells make and break down bone, and how various hormones are produced, secreted, and are involved in controlling cell function. Physiology provides the basic information for understanding the normal function of the body, explains how normal function may be altered in pathological conditions, and provides insight for developing strategies to manage and treat various diseases and conditions.

• Major Cellular, Anatomical and Physiological Sciences

Chemistry is the study of matter and the changes matter undergoes. It can be applied to make stronger metals, to improve soil, and to destroy bacteria. It has also made possible the development of substances such as rubber, nylon, and plastics from other, completely different materials. Chemists play a key role in the development of drugs. They are involved in biochemistry and genetic engineering, which can lead to synthesizing useful products such as human insulin. They are also involved in environmental issues, helping to tap new sources of energy and replace the earth's finite reserves of petroleum. Chemists can also enter chemistry-related fields, such as materials science, biomedical sciences, bioengineering, chemical engineering, food science, pharmacology, toxicology, oceanography or marine science. An education in chemistry can also lead to medical, dental, osteopathic or veterinary school or professional studies in other health-related areas.

• Major or Honours, Chemistry
• Combined Honours, Chemistry and Mathematics
• Combined Honours, Chemical Biology
• Combined Honours, Chemical Physics (See Physics)
• Combined Honours, Chemistry and another science subject

Cognitive Systems

Cognitive systems explores how intelligent systems (eg. human beings and autonomous robots) perceive, act upon and learn about their world. It sits at the intersection of computer science, linguistics, philosophy and psychology. It is the study of the systems that enable people to think, of the systems that can help and hinder our thinking, and of the artificial systems in which something like cognition is accomplished. UBC's COGS program provides students with a thorough grounding in the principles and techniques used by intelligent systems (both natural and artificial) to interact with the world around them. Strong, multidisciplinary foundations established through the COGS program provides our students with a unique, multifaceted perspective and prepares our graduates to think flexibly. People with backgrounds in cognitive systems design intelligent computer systems (for example, medical diagnosis systems), or may become psychiatrists or researchers in cognitive neuroscience. The field is useful to researchers who want to know how people take in and interpret information and communicate with language. All students in the COGS programme have a hands-on experience of research.

• Major Cognitive Systems: Cognition and Brain
• Major Cognitive Systems: Computational Intelligence and Design

Combined Major in Science

The CMS provides a structured curriculum that develops breadth by offering foundations in three discipline areas of science as well as an introduction in a fourth generalist requirement. Lab and field experiences through newly developed courses will promote experiential learning, and provide students the opportunity to understand how research is done. A statistics requirement will familiarize them with basic data interpretation and statistical modeling. A computing requirement will provide students with a basic ability in computation and data manipulation as well as develop problem-solving skills using computers. SCIE 300 (Communicating Science) will help students develop skills in critical evaluation and communication of scientific issues.

Computer Science

Computer science deals with using and improving computers as tools for numerous applications. For example, one stream of computer science is in computational intelligence, where people work to create computer systems that can perceive and reason about the world and surroundings. Bioinformatics is another stream in which computers are used to characterize and sequence the molecular components of living things. The Human Genome Project relied heavily on computer systems to store the human gene sequence. One can also study and design hardware and software programs and develop databases. Computer graphics and animation is another stream, which is used for creating games and movies and even modeling human body parts, which can be used to train medical students. Computer Science graduates move into high-tech careers as software engineers, systems analysts, technical writers, web developers, researchers, programmers, and software testers. They may also apply their computer skills to enhance careers as biologists, architects, foresters, teachers, and psychologists.

• Major or Honours, Computer Science
• Major or Honours, Computer Science (with Software Engineering option)
• Combined Major and Honours, Computer Science and Biology
• Combined Major, Computer Science and Another Science Subject
• Combined Major or Honours Computer Science & Microbiology and Immunology
• Combined Major and Honours, Computer Science and Mathematics
• Combined Major and Honours, Computer Science and Physics
• Combined Major and Honours, Computer Science and Statistics
• Combined Major, Computer Science and Chemistry

Earth and Ocean Sciences

Earth and ocean sciences spans virtually all aspects of understanding the history and dynamics of our planet, as well as how to best manage its resources and the environment we live in. The field is all about understanding how the earth works, from the core to the atmosphere, and from the distant genesis of our planet to current and future trends in environmental and global issues.

• Major, Earth and Ocean Sciences

Environmental Sciences

Environmental Sciences is the application of scientific knowledge from many disciplines to issues and questions relating to the increase in human population, the sustainability of resource use, degradation caused by pollution and disturbance, and the endangerment and extinction of species and natural systems. There are many career opportunities in environmental sciences, as population and consumption rates rise alongside the Earth's finite space and resources. Some graduates choose to go into environmental protection or conservation, exploring ways of reducing pollution and finding alternate methods of extracting resources from the Earth that are minimally destructive. Others choose to enter the promotion and lobbying side of environmental science, increasing public awareness of environmental issues. It is also possible to work in the management sector by working in environmental policy and law. The opportunities to work in environmental science are certainly varied and diverse, as society becomes increasingly conscious of the vulnerability of Earth's ecosystems and inhabitants.

• Major or Honours, Environmental Sciences

Forensic Science

Forensic science is the application of science to criminal and civil laws during a criminal investigation. The Biochemistry and Forensic Science specialization will provide students with job ready skills and abilities to become the future leaders of the forensic science and biochemistry industries. The curriculum taught at UBC and BCIT will include courses in core science and provide a broad exposure in biochemistry, forensic science, chemistry and molecular biology.

Graduates will be proficient at working in a laboratory setting and gain important critical-thinking and analytical skills. In addition, graduates will have conducted both academic and applied research, conducted forensic testing, and will be able to communicate their results effectively. Graduates will also have gained knowledge of the accredited laboratory environment, which will help expand their employability beyond accredited forensic laboratories. This program is the only forensic science bachelor of science degree offered in Western Canada.

BCIT Program Website https://www.bcit.ca/study/programs/9940bsc

BCIT Program Advisor: Jason Moore https://www.bcit.ca/study/programs/9940bsc#contacts

• Combined Honours, Biochemistry and Forensic Science

Geographical Sciences

The program focuses on the fundamental interactions between life (including human societies) and the Earth's atmosphere, hydrosphere and geosphere. Students build on a broad base in the basic sciences by completing at least two of five upper-year 'concentrations' in biogeography, climatology, geographic information science, geomorphology or hydrology. With appropriately selected electives, this degree forms a suitable basis for completing the academic requirements for registration as a professional geoscientist, which is legally required of all people practicing geoscience in Canada. Students should also consider geoscience related electives in other departments.

• Major, Geographical Sciences

Geological Sciences

Geology is the science of the solid earth, including its composition, structure, physical properties, and history. Professionals in geological fields tend to have a strong background in chemistry and basic sciences, but they must also be able to integrate a wide variety of information in order to make decisions about where resources might be, how to extract them, what impact human activities will have on the Earth, and so on. Vancouver is the world capital for mineral exploration, and UBC has been supplying geologists to the mineral exploration industry for decades. Many graduates find work in the geo-environmental sector (especially within hydrogeology) or continue on to advanced studies at the graduate level and research careers in industry and academia.

• Major Geology
• Honours, Geological Sciences
• Combined Honours, Geology and another subject

Geophysics involves the use of physics and mathematics to understand the history, structure and processes of Earth and other planets. The field explores topics such as the cause of earthquakes and the Earth's magnetic field. Today's geophysicists contribute their expertise to solving a host of practical and fundamental problems that range from locating buried contaminants to using high-performance computers to simulate the flow of Martian ice caps. Many geophysics undergraduates find employment with companies involved in environmental engineering, petroleum exploration, or mineral exploration. Those who are interested in becoming research scientists continue their studies as graduate and postgraduate students.

• Major or Honours, Geophysics
• Combined Honours, Geophysics and another subject

Integrated Sciences

The Integrated Sciences specialization is designed for students whose interests cross disciplinary boundaries within the sciences. It gives students the opportunity to design their own interdisciplinary course of study.

• Major or Honours, Integrated Sciences

Mathematics

Mathematics is a powerful tool for solving practical problems and a highly creative field of study, combining logic and precision with intuition and imagination. It is more than just numbers and rules for calculating with them. The basic goal of mathematics is to reveal and explain patterns - whether the pattern appears as electrical impulses in an animal's nervous system, as fluctuations in stock market prices, or as fine detail of an abstract geometric figure. The ability to simplify complex situations through abstraction and systematic reasoning is a great asset. However, math is not just an abstract, academic pursuit. There are many career opportunities for math students. A math background is one of the best ways to get into an Education program--there is a shortage of math teachers at the secondary school level, and teaching positions at the university and college level. The business and IT sectors also employ math grads, especially in the software industry, actuarial field, investment and banking.

• Major or Honours, Mathematics
• Major, Mathematical Sciences
• Combined Major, Mathematics and Economics
• Combined Major, Computer Science and Mathematics (See Computer Science)
• Combined Honours, Mathematics and another subject

Microbiology and Immunology

Microbiology is the study of minute, simple life forms (microbes), including bacteria, algae, fungi, protozoa, and viruses. Microbes are everywhere - in the air, in our food, and in our bodies. They are critically important in many processes of life on Earth and despite their small size, microbes exert a huge influence on all terrestrial and aquatic environments, thereby affecting all plants, animals, and humans. Immunology is the branch of science that deals with how the body defends itself against disease-causing microbes. Microbiology and immunology together involve studying how microbes can be controlled to prevent disease. Microbiology is one of the fastest developing fields of research in biology. Some examples of what microbiologists do include manipulating bacteria to produce useful products like human insulin, and using other microbes that naturally feed on pollutants to clean up polluted water bodies. They have also developed pesticides made out of microbes that attack only pests and not the plants they are sprayed on (unlike traditional chemical pesticides).

• Major or Honours, Microbiology and Immunology
• Combined Major or Combined Honours, Computer Science and Microbiology and Immunology
• Biotechnology in Microbiology and Immunology

Neuroscience

Neuroscience is interdisciplinary by nature: It is a tremendously varied field composed of individuals engaged in a wide variety of research and non-research activities. Neuroscience has displayed accelerated growth in recent decades. In the past decade, biotechnological advances have dramatically expanded the toolkit of neuroscientists, further fueling this growth.

Neuroscientists conduct both basic and applied neuroscientific research, they serve as consultants to communities and organizations, they diagnose and treat people, and they teach future neuroscientists and other types of students. They assess behavioural and mental functioning—stepping in to help when appropriate. Neuroscience comprises a large number of subdisciplines, including but not limited to: neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, neuroendocrinology, neuropathology, neuropharmacology, neurophysiology,  neuropsychology, behavioural neuroscience, and cognitive neuroscience. 

Neuroscience at the University of British Columbia (UBC)

Neuroscience has been a research area within UBC for at least 6 decades. Currently, there are over 110 research faculty members on the UBC Vancouver campus who either identify as being neuroscientists or are involved in neuroscience-related research. Neuroscientists at UBC represent over 13 departments from the Faculties of Medicine , Science , and Arts . Laboratory and teaching areas are located across the UBC-Vancouver campus, at UBC Hospital, and at Vancouver General Hospital.  Since 1984, there has been a graduate program in neuroscience at UBC, offering MSc and PhD degrees. The UBC graduate program in neuroscience is a multidisciplinary, research-oriented program administered through the Faculty of Medicine and the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health at UBC , and aims to provide students  with a broad knowledge of Neuroscience as well as intensive program in at least one area of research.

Beginning in 2022W, UBC’s Faculties of Science, Arts, and Medicine will offer an Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience at the UBC Vancouver Campus. This new BSc specialization in Neuroscience brings together research and teaching expertise spanning the three faculties and multiple departments to offer a unique interdisciplinary approach to neuroscience. Graduates with the Neuroscience specialization will be well positioned to apply their unique training to tackle complex problems in healthcare, research, and policy.

Oceanography

Oceanographers study the physical and chemical properties of ocean water, as well as the life within it, the sea floor and the ocean's connection to the rest of the planet. Oceanography draws from biology, physics, chemistry and geology, making it a truly multidisciplinary science. Oceanographers work in many different areas of the field. For example, the most popular conception of this vocation is in biological oceanography, where one studies the various ocean life forms and their relationships with each other, with humans, and with their environments. Other oceanographers study the physics of waves, tides, and currents, while others study the creation, evolution and structure of sea floors over time. Chemical oceanographers study properties and useful chemicals in seawater and analyze the effects of pollutants.

• Combined Major: Oceanography and Chemistry
• Honours, Fisheries Oceanography
• Combined Honours, Oceanography and another subject

Pharmacology

Pharmacology is the science of drug action on biological systems. It deals with the sources, chemical properties, biological effects, mechanisms of action, therapeutic uses and adverse effects of drugs. It is a science that is basic not only to medicine, but also to pharmacy, nursing, dentistry, midwifery and veterinary medicine. Pharmacologists' work ranges from exploring the potential hazards of pesticides and herbicides, to developing treatment and prevention of major diseases by drug therapy. Pharmacologists are also involved in molecular modeling of drugs, and the use of drugs as tools to dissect aspects of cell function.

• Major or Honours, Pharmacology

Physics, which deals with matter and energy and the interactions between the two, allows us to understand phenomena that take place around us and in the universe. Physical laws help us perceive our world. Some physicists use these principles in theoretical areas, such as the nature of time and the origin of the universe; others apply their physics knowledge to the development of advanced materials, electronic and optical devices and medical equipment. Physicists design and perform experiments with lasers, cyclotrons, telescopes, mass spectrometers, and other equipment. Based on observations and analysis, they attempt to discover and explain laws describing the forces of nature, such as gravity, electromagnetism, and nuclear interactions. Physicists also find ways to apply physical laws and theories to problems in nuclear energy, electronics, optics, materials, communications, aerospace technology, navigation equipment, and medical instrumentation. Most physicists work in research and development. For example, basic research in solid-state physics led to the development of transistors and, then, of integrated circuits used in computers. Physicists also design research equipment. For example, lasers designed by physicists are used in surgery. Although physics research may require extensive experimentation in laboratories, research physicists also spend time in offices planning, recording, analyzing, and reporting on research.

• Major or Honours, Physics
• Honours, Biophysics
• Combined Major, Computer Science and Physics
• Combined Honours, Physics and another science subject
• Combined Honours, Chemical Physics
• Combined Honours, Physics and Mathematics

Statistics is a science that deals with collecting, organizing and analyzing data, and the theory for statistical methods involves mathematics and probability. Statisticians extract information from data. Nowadays, due to increased computer use, massive amounts of data are collected and, thus, statistics has become one of the most pervasive of all disciplines. Statisticians work in almost all areas of science, engineering, business, government and industry. Their expertise is required in practical projects such as the design of clinical trials to test a new drug, economic model-building to value financial instruments, assessment of risk factors to determine insurance premiums, predicting the outcome of a national election, conducting market research and estimating animal populations. The average citizen now requires some familiarity with statistical analysis in order to critically assess the steady flow of information in society.

• Major or Honours, Statistics
• Combined, Major Statistics and Economics
• Combined Major or Combined Honours, Computer Science and Statistics
• Combined Honours Mathematics and Statistics

Zoology is the study of animals, their function and way of life. It includes: development, evolution, ecology, physiology, and behaviour. Zoologists study everything from single-celled protozoa to whales. All aspects of animal function are included - molecular biology, cell ultrastructure, tissues and organs, and the physiology of animals, through to the interactions of individual animals, the dynamics of whole populations of animals, and the structures of communities and ecosystems. Some zoologists specialize in studying particular kinds of animals: entomologists study insects, herpetologists study amphibians and reptiles, ornithologists study birds and mammalogists study mammals. Other zoologists concentrate on special kinds of questions, such as: workings of digestive processes, mechanisms and function of aggressive behaviour, or the special adaptations of parasites. Yet other zoologists work in special fields: aquaculture and mariculture, wildlife conservation and management, and population or community structure. Zoology makes a direct contribution to society through its contributions to veterinary science, medicine, dentistry, animal husbandry, aquaculture, fisheries biology, environmental management and conservation.

• Major or Honours Biology, Animal Biology

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Institute of Asian Research

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The Institute of Asian Research (IAR) was founded in 1978 to be the focal point for Asia-related policy and current affairs as well as interdisciplinary scholarship on contemporary Asia at the University of British Columbia. It aims to build knowledge and networks that support deep understanding of and effective action on a wide range of domestic, regional, and global issues centered on Asia. IAR’s core expertise covers a range of Asia Pacific-relevant policy issues and current affairs, and its affiliated faculty are among the world’s leading experts on contemporary Asia.

IAR regularly hosts events on that bring together scholars, practitioners, and community members to assess the Indo-Pacific region and Canada’s engagement with it. Recent highlights include hosting events with: His Highness Tunku Zain Al‘Abidin from Malaysia, Director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) David Vigneault , and a delegation from ASEAN Universities .

Public, academic & policy engagement through collaborative research & partnerships

Core teaching & training, including in the master of public policy and global affairs program, global network-building, community engagement & events.

IAR is currently led by Director Kai Ostwald , Associate Professor with the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs and the Department of Political Science.

Located on UBC’s Vancouver campus in the beautiful C.K. Choi Building that was designed and built to house the institute, IAR is home to five interdisciplinary and regionally-focused research centres, as well as several related programs and initiatives.

IAR also provides funding and support to the Myanmar Initiative led by Dr. Kai Ostwald , the Xinjiang Documentation Program led by Dr. Timothy Cheek and the Program on Inner Asia led by Dr. Julian Dierkes .

A Rich History

Iar fellows program.

IAR Fellows are UBC graduate students with a deep knowledge of Asia and an interest in advancing research with relevance to policy and global affairs. There are currently 34 fellows associated with the Institute of Asian Research.

IAR Publication Awards

IAR Publication Awards provide grants to students whose works are accepted in high-visiblity and wide-impact Asian publishing outlets.

IAR hosting His Highness Tunku Zain Al‘Abidin

Nila Utami, IAR Open House

Lecture with Dr. Sida Liu

IAR Open House

IAR Director Kai Ostwald

CCR Directors Timothy Cheek & Qiang Fu

CISAR Director Priti Narayan

Past IAR Director Pitman Potter

Nay Yan Oo, Myanmar Initiative

IAR Fellows

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Language Sciences welcome new Research, Engagement, and Operations Manager

April 9, 2024 Language Sciences is thrilled to welcome Dr. Adriana Osa Gómez del Campo as our new Research, Engagement, and Operations Manager!   Adriana holds a Linguistics PhD at UBC's Linguistics Department, with a focus on discourse markers in Spanish. She brings a wealth of experiences in Language Sciences from her previous positions. Prior to joining Language Sciences, she has served as the Administrative Coordinator at UBC's Linguistics Department and a Lecturer at the National University of Singapore. These diverse roles have cultivated a sound understanding of Language Sciences' multifaceted nature. At the junction of a new turn, Adriana shares her thoughts with us.    1. Hi Adriana, we are so excited to have you! Can you tell us a bit about yourself?    I have always been interested in language in one form or another. I decided to switch majors from Biology to English studies because of my love for literature, and during my second year I fell in love with Linguistics since it allowed me to study the topic I loved through a humanistic, social, and scientific lens. After finishing my PhD in 2020 I realized that what made me most excited was talking about language with the general public and to discuss how important language-related research is for any area of life. That is what attracted me to this role, the possibility to help researchers and the communities that benefit from their work.   2. What interests you most in Language Sciences, and how did your work intersect with it?    I’m afraid that my answer here is as general as it gets: everything interests me about language and language sciences! I guess that what interests me the most is its collaborative nature – language is so fundamental to everyone’s experience that it is crucial for many fields. My work and interests focused quite a bit on conversations and how we signal what we know and how we know it, which made me dive into research conducted by linguists, philosophers, psychologists, science communicators, and many others. Many of the most important “aha” moments came from reading something from outside of my field, and hopefully we can create those “aha” moments with the Language Sciences initiatives!   3. How do you feel about being the new LangSci coordinator? What perspectives are you hoping to bring to the Institute?   Previous coordinators have worked extremely hard to achieve important milestones for the Language Sciences Institute, and I can only hope to contribute to their work! What I hope I can bring to the Institute is an understanding of different perspectives: I’ve been lucky enough to experience language sciences from different approaches and different roles, and I understand how different the challenges and concerns are.   Please join us to extend a warm welcome to Adriana, and don't hesitate to reach out for any ideas or projects that require support! Her email is: [email protected] We look forward to working with Adriana on many projects to come!

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We acknowledge that UBC’s campuses are situated within the traditional territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh, and in the traditional, ancestral, unceded territory of the Syilx Okanagan Nation and their peoples.

UBC Language Sciences

4031 Audain Art Centre Vancouver, BC Canada V6T 1Z4 Tel 604 822 7435 E-mail [email protected] Website languagesciences.ubc.ca

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Contrasting studies show possible impact of safer supply in B.C.

One study found program led to reduced risk of death from overdose; other found increase in hospitalizations.

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Peer-reviewed research is emerging about the possible effects of British Columbia's safer supply program, with two studies in international medical journals casting the strategy in a different light.

One found the program — which provides prescription alternatives to toxic illicit drugs — was associated with a reduced risk of death from overdose and other causes among opioid-using participants, while the other concluded the strategy was associated with a significant increase in opioid overdose hospitalizations across the community.

The authors of the studies say the two sets of results aren't contradictory; instead, they ask different questions about the policy, which was introduced in 2020.

Safer supply has since become a lightning rod for critics, including federal Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre, who has pledged to shut it down if he becomes prime minister.

• Backlash against drug decriminalization and safe supply 'terrifies' B.C.'s exiting chief coroner

1st study finds 'relative increase' in hospitalizations

Shawn Bugden is an author of one of the studies, which found an almost 63 per cent "relative increase" in the opioid overdose hospitalization rate across B.C. after the introduction of safer supply. The study was published in JAMA Internal Medicine in January.

He said in an interview there could be multiple explanations, including the diversion of safe-supply drugs onto the illicit market, which the study says could occur "for various reasons, including to purchase unregulated fentanyl."

Increased toxicity of illicit drugs during the period of the study could also be to blame, but Bugden said there was no similar increase in Saskatchewan or Manitoba. Those provinces do not have safer supply and were chosen as controls for the study because they had comparable data to B.C.

• INTERACTIVE They lived, they were loved, then suddenly they were gone: Stories of lives lost to toxic drugs

The authors were not trying to imply "causality" between safer supply and the spike in overdose hospitalizations, said Bugden, dean of the school of pharmacy at Memorial University of Newfoundland.

"Is it possible that putting more opioids into the system is not necessarily the solution, even though a common-sense approach to suggest a safer supply of drugs would be helpful? I don't think we really know those answers," he said.

"But they're not inconsistent with the fact that some individual people may benefit. I think we just need more in-depth follow up," he added.

No evidence to show safer supply drugs being diverted into illegal market: police

He said "careful evaluation" was needed to make sure safer supply was working as intended.

"And on the other end of the spectrum, I think it would be absurd to indicate that our paper is definitive evidence that safer drug supply does not work."

The study didn't find a statistically significant change in deaths from apparent opioid poisoning.

2nd study finds reduction in overdose deaths

Dr. Paxton Bach is one of the authors of the other study , published in the British Medical Journal in January. It concluded that one day or more of prescription opioid dispensation was associated with "significantly reduced all-cause mortality" as well as overdose deaths over the next week.

He said mortality reduction within a one-week timeframe may not seem significant, but the benefits add up.

"If somebody stays on this program for six weeks, or 12 weeks or 24 weeks or a year, then that risk [reduction] really starts to accumulate," he said.

"The total reduction really depends on how long you're participating."

Bach said the JAMA study demonstrated the possibility of an increase in opioid-related hospitalizations in B.C. compared with other provinces.

"But I think it's very difficult to convincingly link that to the prescribed safer-supply policy," said Bach, an addiction medicine physician at St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver and co-medical director of the B.C. Centre on Substance Use.

He said the other researchers were clear about their use of an approach that he said assumed everything would have stayed the same in the absence of safer supply.

"I think that is, in these times, a very tenuous assumption," Bach said.

"There are many things changing these days in our health-care system that are not necessarily similar between provinces, and in particular, as far as the toxic drug crisis goes, we are all experiencing rapidly evolving versions of the crisis." 

Bugden said of the BMJ study that it was "puzzling" that the research didn't register benefits for acute care visits, and one week was a "narrow window" to examine.

"We really want to see whether, in the long term, this is resulting in [fewer] deaths at the individual level. And if that works well enough, then we should see it at the population level, eventually, as well," he said.

Bach said it was "unreasonable" to expect the data to register changes at the population level when fewer than five per cent of people at the highest risk of overdose in B.C. were accessing safer supply.

About 70,000 people had signals of opioid use disorder and 5,356 of them received opioid dispensations during the BMJ study's period. Among nearly 42,000 people with stimulant-use disorder, 1,061 received safer-supply stimulants, the study says.

• B.C. sets grim record with 2,511 toxic drug deaths in 2023

Drug diversion

B.C. declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency in April 2016. Since then, more than 14,000 people have died , most of them from highly potent fentanyl.

A statement from the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions said the BMJ study showed safer supply was preventing deaths and helping people stabilize their lives.

Asked about the JAMA study, the ministry said it "overlooks other factors that influence hospitalizations," such as the toxicity of the illicit drug supply, as well as admitting practices and the availability of health-care services.

• CBC Investigates Trade of safe-supply drugs detailed in Prince George RCMP warrant

The issue of potential drug diversion from the safer supply system has been in the national spotlight since police in Prince George, B.C., issued a news release last month saying trafficking investigations were finding increasing amounts of medications used in the program.

The statement triggered criticism of B.C.'s policy from Poilievre and from Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who worried the drugs would end up in her province.

At the time, B.C. Solicitor General Mike Farnworth said Mounties had told him there was no evidence of widespread diversion of safer-supply medications.

On Monday, RCMP in Prince George announced two people had been arrested over allegations they were trafficking in safer-supply drugs. The Mounties said the suspects were allegedly seen "exchanging illicit drugs for safer supply drugs."

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May 23rd, 2024 – Services for Children and Youth with Support Needs: Emergent Themes and Concepts from Ongoing Engagement and Research

We would like to reiterate that everyone is welcome to our UBCLC sessions.

Our events aim to embody a safe space for everyone of all different backgrounds to have their opinions and voices equally heard.

Date: Thursday, May 23rd, 2024 ( PST ) Time:  10 a.m. to 11:30 am Where: Free online via Zoom View system requirements Registration:  required to participate; We would strongly recommend signing up for this event if you are interested even if you can’t make the date and time so we can have your information to send you the video link after the webinar session

About the Presenters:

Danielle Smith

Executive Director Inclusion Policy, Communications, and Engagement Branch

Strategic Integration, Policy and Legislation Division

Ministry of Children and Family Development

Danielle Smith is of Métis Cree ancestry, with her roots extending from Victoria, BC to High Prairie Alberta.  Being a visitor of Coast Salish Territory for much of her life, Danielle began her career working within the early year’s sector over 25 years ago.

Starting as an Early Childhood Educator working in group care, Danielle moved from the childcare sector to a greater focus on children with support needs programing facilitating the development and implementation of the Aboriginal Early Intervention Team in South Vancouver Island. From here, Danielle accepted the role of Provincial Advisor for Aboriginal Supported Child Development programs supporting the variety of ASCD program across BC, to joining the provincial government public service in 2014.

Her experience in the BC Public Service includes leadership roles Director of Early Years Indigenous Engagement, Director of Inclusion Policy and in February 2018 Danielle was appointed Executive Director Inclusion Policy, Communications, and Engagement Branch supporting the transformation of services for children and youth with support needs in the province.

Molly Fredeen

Senior Policy Analyst Early Years and Inclusion Policy, Communications and Engagement

Strategic Integration, Policy and Legislation Division, Ministry of Children and Family Development

I am Ukrainian and mixed-European, grew up in Prince George, British Columbia and my family has roots in many places including Saskatoon and the Carpathian Mountains. I have been a visitor on Lekwungen territory since 2019, which is also when I started my career in government.

I am a queer person who’s spent much of my life learning about the ways in which colonization shows up in research, teaching tools, and institutional systems. Some of this learning comes from my time as Master’s student doing work related to community gardens in the Yukon, while some comes from experiences teaching students with English as a Learned Language. I was also a researcher before I came to the B.C. Public Service studying empathy development in medical students, which taught me much about standardized tools and equipment.

My time in government started with Early Years, working on topics like child care and wrap around services. I moved from there to become an Aboriginal Policy and Program Analyst who worked on debiasing and decolonizing operational policy and practice. I’ve been on this team with Danielle since 2021 supporting engagement, research, and anti-discrimination in policies for CYSN Services.

• Children and youth with support needs – website
• May 4th, 2023 – The Past, Present and Co-Developed Future of Services for Children and Youth with Support Needs with Danielle Smith & Molly Fredeen | UBC Learning Circle

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Healthy Living with Diabetes

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How can I plan what to eat or drink when I have diabetes?

How can physical activity help manage my diabetes, what can i do to reach or maintain a healthy weight, should i quit smoking, how can i take care of my mental health, clinical trials for healthy living with diabetes.

Healthy living is a way to manage diabetes . To have a healthy lifestyle, take steps now to plan healthy meals and snacks, do physical activities, get enough sleep, and quit smoking or using tobacco products.

Healthy living may help keep your body’s blood pressure , cholesterol , and blood glucose level, also called blood sugar level, in the range your primary health care professional recommends. Your primary health care professional may be a doctor, a physician assistant, or a nurse practitioner. Healthy living may also help prevent or delay health problems  from diabetes that can affect your heart, kidneys, eyes, brain, and other parts of your body.

Making lifestyle changes can be hard, but starting with small changes and building from there may benefit your health. You may want to get help from family, loved ones, friends, and other trusted people in your community. You can also get information from your health care professionals.

What you choose to eat, how much you eat, and when you eat are parts of a meal plan. Having healthy foods and drinks can help keep your blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels in the ranges your health care professional recommends. If you have overweight or obesity, a healthy meal plan—along with regular physical activity, getting enough sleep, and other healthy behaviors—may help you reach and maintain a healthy weight. In some cases, health care professionals may also recommend diabetes medicines that may help you lose weight, or weight-loss surgery, also called metabolic and bariatric surgery.

Choose healthy foods and drinks

There is no right or wrong way to choose healthy foods and drinks that may help manage your diabetes. Healthy meal plans for people who have diabetes may include

• dairy or plant-based dairy products
• nonstarchy vegetables
• protein foods
• whole grains

Try to choose foods that include nutrients such as vitamins, calcium , fiber , and healthy fats . Also try to choose drinks with little or no added sugar , such as tap or bottled water, low-fat or non-fat milk, and unsweetened tea, coffee, or sparkling water.

Try to plan meals and snacks that have fewer

• foods high in saturated fat
• foods high in sodium, a mineral found in salt
• sugary foods , such as cookies and cakes, and sweet drinks, such as soda, juice, flavored coffee, and sports drinks

Your body turns carbohydrates , or carbs, from food into glucose, which can raise your blood glucose level. Some fruits, beans, and starchy vegetables—such as potatoes and corn—have more carbs than other foods. Keep carbs in mind when planning your meals.

You should also limit how much alcohol you drink. If you take insulin  or certain diabetes medicines , drinking alcohol can make your blood glucose level drop too low, which is called hypoglycemia . If you do drink alcohol, be sure to eat food when you drink and remember to check your blood glucose level after drinking. Talk with your health care team about your alcohol-drinking habits.

Find the best times to eat or drink

Talk with your health care professional or health care team about when you should eat or drink. The best time to have meals and snacks may depend on

• what medicines you take for diabetes
• what your level of physical activity or your work schedule is
• whether you have other health conditions or diseases

Ask your health care team if you should eat before, during, or after physical activity. Some diabetes medicines, such as sulfonylureas  or insulin, may make your blood glucose level drop too low during exercise or if you skip or delay a meal.

Plan how much to eat or drink

You may worry that having diabetes means giving up foods and drinks you enjoy. The good news is you can still have your favorite foods and drinks, but you might need to have them in smaller portions  or enjoy them less often.

For people who have diabetes, carb counting and the plate method are two common ways to plan how much to eat or drink. Talk with your health care professional or health care team to find a method that works for you.

Carb counting

Carbohydrate counting , or carb counting, means planning and keeping track of the amount of carbs you eat and drink in each meal or snack. Not all people with diabetes need to count carbs. However, if you take insulin, counting carbs can help you know how much insulin to take.

Plate method

The plate method helps you control portion sizes  without counting and measuring. This method divides a 9-inch plate into the following three sections to help you choose the types and amounts of foods to eat for each meal.

• Nonstarchy vegetables—such as leafy greens, peppers, carrots, or green beans—should make up half of your plate.
• Carb foods that are high in fiber—such as brown rice, whole grains, beans, or fruits—should make up one-quarter of your plate.
• Protein foods—such as lean meats, fish, dairy, or tofu or other soy products—should make up one quarter of your plate.

If you are not taking insulin, you may not need to count carbs when using the plate method.

Work with your health care team to create a meal plan that works for you. You may want to have a diabetes educator  or a registered dietitian  on your team. A registered dietitian can provide medical nutrition therapy , which includes counseling to help you create and follow a meal plan. Your health care team may be able to recommend other resources, such as a healthy lifestyle coach, to help you with making changes. Ask your health care team or your insurance company if your benefits include medical nutrition therapy or other diabetes care resources.

Talk with your health care professional before taking dietary supplements

There is no clear proof that specific foods, herbs, spices, or dietary supplements —such as vitamins or minerals—can help manage diabetes. Your health care professional may ask you to take vitamins or minerals if you can’t get enough from foods. Talk with your health care professional before you take any supplements, because some may cause side effects or affect how well your diabetes medicines work.

Research shows that regular physical activity helps people manage their diabetes and stay healthy. Benefits of physical activity may include

• lower blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels
• better heart health
• healthier weight
• better mood and sleep
• better balance and memory

Talk with your health care professional before starting a new physical activity or changing how much physical activity you do. They may suggest types of activities based on your ability, schedule, meal plan, interests, and diabetes medicines. Your health care professional may also tell you the best times of day to be active or what to do if your blood glucose level goes out of the range recommended for you.

Do different types of physical activity

People with diabetes can be active, even if they take insulin or use technology such as insulin pumps .

Try to do different kinds of activities . While being more active may have more health benefits, any physical activity is better than none. Start slowly with activities you enjoy. You may be able to change your level of effort and try other activities over time. Having a friend or family member join you may help you stick to your routine.

The physical activities you do may need to be different if you are age 65 or older , are pregnant , or have a disability or health condition . Physical activities may also need to be different for children and teens . Ask your health care professional or health care team about activities that are safe for you.

Aerobic activities

Aerobic activities make you breathe harder and make your heart beat faster. You can try walking, dancing, wheelchair rolling, or swimming. Most adults should try to get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week. Aim to do 30 minutes a day on most days of the week. You don’t have to do all 30 minutes at one time. You can break up physical activity into small amounts during your day and still get the benefit. 1

Strength training or resistance training

Strength training or resistance training may make your muscles and bones stronger. You can try lifting weights or doing other exercises such as wall pushups or arm raises. Try to do this kind of training two times a week. 1

Balance and stretching activities

Balance and stretching activities may help you move better and have stronger muscles and bones. You may want to try standing on one leg or stretching your legs when sitting on the floor. Try to do these kinds of activities two or three times a week. 1

Some activities that need balance may be unsafe for people with nerve damage or vision problems caused by diabetes. Ask your health care professional or health care team about activities that are safe for you.

Stay safe during physical activity

Staying safe during physical activity is important. Here are some tips to keep in mind.

Drink liquids

Drinking liquids helps prevent dehydration , or the loss of too much water in your body. Drinking water is a way to stay hydrated. Sports drinks often have a lot of sugar and calories , and you don’t need them for most moderate physical activities.

Avoid low blood glucose

Check your blood glucose level before, during, and right after physical activity. Physical activity often lowers the level of glucose in your blood. Low blood glucose levels may last for hours or days after physical activity. You are most likely to have low blood glucose if you take insulin or some other diabetes medicines, such as sulfonylureas.

Ask your health care professional if you should take less insulin or eat carbs before, during, or after physical activity. Low blood glucose can be a serious medical emergency that must be treated right away. Take steps to protect yourself. You can learn how to treat low blood glucose , let other people know what to do if you need help, and use a medical alert bracelet.

Avoid high blood glucose and ketoacidosis

Taking less insulin before physical activity may help prevent low blood glucose, but it may also make you more likely to have high blood glucose. If your body does not have enough insulin, it can’t use glucose as a source of energy and will use fat instead. When your body uses fat for energy, your body makes chemicals called ketones .

High levels of ketones in your blood can lead to a condition called diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) . DKA is a medical emergency that should be treated right away. DKA is most common in people with type 1 diabetes . Occasionally, DKA may affect people with type 2 diabetes  who have lost their ability to produce insulin. Ask your health care professional how much insulin you should take before physical activity, whether you need to test your urine for ketones, and what level of ketones is dangerous for you.

Take care of your feet

People with diabetes may have problems with their feet because high blood glucose levels can damage blood vessels and nerves. To help prevent foot problems, wear comfortable and supportive shoes and take care of your feet  before, during, and after physical activity.

If you have diabetes, managing your weight  may bring you several health benefits. Ask your health care professional or health care team if you are at a healthy weight  or if you should try to lose weight.

If you are an adult with overweight or obesity, work with your health care team to create a weight-loss plan. Losing 5% to 7% of your current weight may help you prevent or improve some health problems  and manage your blood glucose, cholesterol, and blood pressure levels. 2 If you are worried about your child’s weight  and they have diabetes, talk with their health care professional before your child starts a new weight-loss plan.

You may be able to reach and maintain a healthy weight by

• following a healthy meal plan
• consuming fewer calories
• being physically active
• getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night 3

If you have type 2 diabetes, your health care professional may recommend diabetes medicines that may help you lose weight.

Online tools such as the Body Weight Planner  may help you create eating and physical activity plans. You may want to talk with your health care professional about other options for managing your weight, including joining a weight-loss program  that can provide helpful information, support, and behavioral or lifestyle counseling. These options may have a cost, so make sure to check the details of the programs.

Your health care professional may recommend weight-loss surgery  if you aren’t able to reach a healthy weight with meal planning, physical activity, and taking diabetes medicines that help with weight loss.

If you are pregnant , trying to lose weight may not be healthy. However, you should ask your health care professional whether it makes sense to monitor or limit your weight gain during pregnancy.

Both diabetes and smoking —including using tobacco products and e-cigarettes—cause your blood vessels to narrow. Both diabetes and smoking increase your risk of having a heart attack or stroke , nerve damage , kidney disease , eye disease , or amputation . Secondhand smoke can also affect the health of your family or others who live with you.

If you smoke or use other tobacco products, stop. Ask for help . You don’t have to do it alone.

Feeling stressed, sad, or angry can be common for people with diabetes. Managing diabetes or learning to cope with new information about your health can be hard. People with chronic illnesses such as diabetes may develop anxiety or other mental health conditions .

Learn healthy ways to lower your stress , and ask for help from your health care team or a mental health professional. While it may be uncomfortable to talk about your feelings, finding a health care professional whom you trust and want to talk with may help you

• lower your feelings of stress, depression, or anxiety
• manage problems sleeping or remembering things
• see how diabetes affects your family, school, work, or financial situation

Ask your health care team for mental health resources for people with diabetes.

Sleeping too much or too little may raise your blood glucose levels. Your sleep habits may also affect your mental health and vice versa. People with diabetes and overweight or obesity can also have other health conditions that affect sleep, such as sleep apnea , which can raise your blood pressure and risk of heart disease.

NIDDK conducts and supports clinical trials in many diseases and conditions, including diabetes. The trials look to find new ways to prevent, detect, or treat disease and improve quality of life.

What are clinical trials for healthy living with diabetes?

Clinical trials—and other types of clinical studies —are part of medical research and involve people like you. When you volunteer to take part in a clinical study, you help health care professionals and researchers learn more about disease and improve health care for people in the future.

Researchers are studying many aspects of healthy living for people with diabetes, such as

• how changing when you eat may affect body weight and metabolism
• how less access to healthy foods may affect diabetes management, other health problems, and risk of dying
• whether low-carbohydrate meal plans can help lower blood glucose levels
• which diabetes medicines are more likely to help people lose weight

Find out if clinical trials are right for you .

Watch a video of NIDDK Director Dr. Griffin P. Rodgers explaining the importance of participating in clinical trials.

What clinical trials for healthy living with diabetes are looking for participants?

You can view a filtered list of clinical studies on healthy living with diabetes that are federally funded, open, and recruiting at www.ClinicalTrials.gov . You can expand or narrow the list to include clinical studies from industry, universities, and individuals; however, the National Institutes of Health does not review these studies and cannot ensure they are safe for you. Always talk with your primary health care professional before you participate in a clinical study.

This content is provided as a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health. NIDDK translates and disseminates research findings to increase knowledge and understanding about health and disease among patients, health professionals, and the public. Content produced by NIDDK is carefully reviewed by NIDDK scientists and other experts.

NIDDK would like to thank: Elizabeth M. Venditti, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

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Decoding Compensation Models and Implementing the Right Model

April 11, 2024    

T his joint initiative from the ANA and the 4A's, developed by a task force of ANA and 4A's members, is an executive-level guide that details various compensation models that focus on better outcomes for both marketers and their agencies. The primary objective is to establish a robust framework that benefits marketers and agencies, raise awareness about the available choices of compensation methods, and empower stakeholders to make well-informed decisions.

The guide outlines commonly used compensation models, provides foundational knowledge, definitions, best practices, and analysis of the pros and cons for each model. Moreover, it offers a framework enabling both agencies and marketers to determine the right model for their engagement and strategies for successful implementation.

Click the DOWNLOAD NOW button for the full report.

"Decoding Compensation Models and Implementing the Right Model." ANA and 4A's, April 2024.

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The Best Time to Sell in 2024: The Week of April 14-20

Home sellers who are hoping to sell this year and looking for the perfect time to list should start getting ready—because the best time to list a home in 2024 is approaching quickly. 

The week of April 14–20 is expected to have the ideal balance of housing market conditions that favor home sellers, more so than any other w eek in the year. A recent survey from Realtor.com ® found that the majority (53%) of home sellers took one month or less to get their home ready to list, so the time to start prepping is now. 

This selection comes from looking at seasonal trends from 2018–19 and 2021–23 data and calculating a Best Time to List score for each week of the year, based on a combination of housing metrics. Notably, mortgage rates are not included in the score as mortgage rate movement has more to do with the larger economic context, and not seasonal shifts.

The State of the Housing Market

We expect the 2024 housing market to behave according to typical seasonality, but offer slightly better conditions than 2023. Each week was scored based on favorability toward sellers—this included competition from other sellers (active listings and new listings), listing prices, market pace (days on the market), likelihood of price reductions, and homebuyer demand (views per property on Realtor.com). Percentile levels for each week were calculated along each metric and were then averaged together across metrics to determine a Best Time to List score. Rankings for each week were based on these Best Time to List scores.

2023 was a fairly glum year in housing, with prices remaining near record high levels while inventory levels suffered. Mortgage rates started the year in the mid-6% range and climbed to nearly 8% in October , continuing to weigh down the affordability of housing payments despite unremarkable price growth.

Home prices peaked at a median listing price of $445,000 nationally in June 2023 , falling short of the previous year’s all-time high. Though prices did not reach a new peak this year, they remained near year-ago levels, failing to offer much relief to buyers. Buyer demand remained stifled as home shoppers took a step back amid high prices, elevated mortgage rates, and low inventory. 

Though low housing demand set the tone for much of 2023, homes still spent significantly less time on the market than before the COVID-19 pandemic, and inventory remained well below pre-pandemic norms.

Many homeowners felt “locked in” by their current mortgage , hesitant to list their home for sale and trade a sub-4% mortgage for a 7%-plus mortgage, which kept new listing activity low for much of the year.

Builders slowed new construction activity slightly in 2023 amid low buyer demand and economic uncertainty . Both single- and multi-family housing starts fell relative to the previous few years, but both remained above pre-pandemic levels as builders aimed to fill some of the gap left by low existing-home inventory. Though starts waned, new-home completions climbed relative to the previous year, supplying much sought-after inventory for buyers and renters alike.

 Mortgage rates fell quickly toward the end of the year as the Fed signaled that rate cuts were likely for 2024 , and as a result, both buyer and seller activity ticked up slightly heading into the new year.

In February, new listing activity climbed 11.3% , resulting in 14.8% more for-sale inventory in the month than one year prior. Though selling activity has picked up, inventory remains nearly 40% below pre-pandemic levels, making it a good time to be a seller today . While some homebuyers are waiting for mortgage rates to fall further before entering the housing market, it’s still a good time for homeowners to sell as buyers continue to need more for-sale options.

Benefits of listing a home the week of April 14–20, 2024

At a national level, this week represents a balanced selection of market conditions that favor sellers. While it does not have the highest price or the lowest time on the market of the year, this week offers higher-than-average prices and lower-than-average time on the market while also offering a higher-than-average number of buyers—measured as viewers per listing.

While affordability will continue to be a challenge for buyers and sellers who are looking to buy, we expect lower mortgage rates and more new-construction inventory to offer some relief and inject some life back into the market. In more balanced housing market conditions, we expect the benefits of strategically listing during the most seasonally advantageous week to be greater.

Above-average prices:  Homes during this week have historically reached prices 1.1% higher than the average week throughout the year, and are typically 10.4% higher than the start of the year. This year is likely to look a lot like 2023 due to still-high housing costs. If 2024 follows the 2023 seasonal trend, the national median listing price could reach $7,400 above the average week, and $34,000 more than the start of the year. 

Above-average buyer demand: The number of buyers looking at a listing can determine how many offers a home gets and how quickly it sells. The more buyers looking at a home, the better for the seller, and in most years, buyers start earlier than sellers.

Historically, this week garnered 18.4% more views per listing than the typical week. However, in 2023, this week got 22.8% more views per listing than the average week throughout the year. If mortgage rates fall more significantly this spring, it is possible that demand will surge sooner. However, if mortgage rates don’t soften until later in the year, then buyers may hold off in hopes of lower rates.

According to the February Fannie Mae housing survey , a near-all-time survey-high 35% of respondents indicated that they expect mortgage rates to go down in the next 12 months. After climbing through February, mortgage rates eased in the latest data. Mortgage rate expectations could lead more buyers to hold off until mortgage rates fall further, which may mean a slower ramp-up in demand this spring.

Fast market pace: Thanks to above-average demand, homes sell more quickly during this week.

Historically, homes actively for sale during this week sold 17%, or roughly 9 days, faster than the average week. In the 2023 market, this week saw homes typically on the market for 46 days, 6 days faster than the year’s average and 7 days faster than was typical in 2019. The 2023 market moved more slowly than the previous few years due to affordability challenges, but the market pace picked up toward the end of the year and into 2024 as easing mortgage rates stoked buyer demand. If inventory levels remain relatively low, time on the market may pick up faster as buyers vie for fewer homes.

Lower competition from other sellers: A typical inventory trend would mean 13.7% fewer sellers on the market during this week compared with the average week throughout the year. With few exceptions, the number of sellers tends to increase from the beginning of the year until roughly November. Last year saw more significant inventory gains after the first four months as buyer demand cooled, but sellers responded by pulling back on listings once again by the end of the year. Active inventory was 7.9% higher at the start of 2024 versus 2023 with the highest beginning-of-year inventory since 2020 . However, inventory was still 39.7% lower than pre-pandemic levels. This gap means there continue to be opportunities for sellers who enter the market this spring.

Below-average price reductions: Price reductions tend to peak in the fall as sellers left on the market after the summer rush try to attract attention. Price reductions tend to be the lowest from late winter into spring as buyer activity ramps up.

During the Best Week, roughly 24.6% fewer homes have had a price reduction than the average week of the year, which translates to a 0.9 percentage point lower price-reduced share compared with the average week of the year. In 2023, this week saw roughly 8,000 fewer listings with price reductions than the average week of the year.

Market dynamics shift—baby steps toward affordability

The 2023 housing market continued the slowdown seen in the second half of 2022. Home sales fell to the lowest level in over a decade as buyers struggled with still-high home prices and elevated mortgage rates. Sellers largely kept to the sidelines, hesitant to trade their existing mortgage for one with a much higher interest rate.

Though buyer demand waned, low for-sale inventory meant that buyers had fewer choices and faced competition in many markets, especially more affordable locales . As mortgage rates improved at the very end of the year, buyer demand picked up, indicating that home shoppers are eagerly awaiting a more affordable housing market.

Based on a recent survey , 40% of prospective buyers would find a home purchase feasible if rates were below 6%, and 32% would feel the same if rates fell below 5%.

• Mortgage rates are expected to ease into the mid-6% range. Mortgage rates reached as high as 7.79% in 2023 before falling into the mid-to-high 6% range by the end of the year. We expect mortgage rates to remain in this range until incoming economic data suggests that inflation is slowing toward the 2% target level. To date, both employment and inflation have remained strong, which means that the Federal Open Market Committee is likely to hold off on any cuts to the federal funds rate until later in the year. Once rate cuts seem probable, mortgage rates are likely to ease.
• Prices tend to peak later, as does competition. Sellers should consider that peak prices later in the season also come with greater competition from other sellers for a similar-sized pool of buyers. Historically, by the end of June, while prices reached near-peak levels (+13.8%) compared with the start of the year, new sellers also surged, increasing to nearly 1.5 times higher than at the start of the year (+49.3%). More sellers mean more options for buyers and therefore more competition among sellers . Sellers can mitigate that risk by being an early entrant into the market, raising their already high odds of a successful close and likely negotiating favorable terms.
• Level of buyer and seller activity will be fairly dependent on mortgage rates. Many homeowners are hesitant to enter today’s housing market since their current mortgage rate is much lower than today’s prevailing rate. However, buyers are likely to return to the housing market eagerly upon mortgage rate improvements, which means sellers still stand to see favorable buyer attention on their home listing due to low inventory. While overall buyer demand may not be what it was in the past couple of years, many areas are still seeing competition for homes due to low inventory levels. 

What does this mean for sellers?

While we’ve identified april 14–20 as the best week to list for sellers, the housing market remains undersupplied, so a seller listing a well-priced, move-in ready home is likely to find success., because spring is generally the high season for real estate activity and buyers are more plentiful earlier rather than later in the year, listing earlier in the spring raises a seller’s odds of a successful sale. sellers will want to remember that it’s a process and get started well before their intended listing date. recent realtor.com survey data shows that sellers typically took between a couple of weeks to a couple of months to prepare and list their home for sale., what does this mean for homebuyers.

For buyers who have been facing still-high home prices and elevated mortgage rates, there is a key takeaway: The usual seasonal dynamics of the housing market, builder sentiment, and general economic shifts suggest that it’s going to get better.

Inventory improved in late 2023, though levels remain below pre-pandemic levels. So far in 2024, new single-family construction activity and homebuilder sentiment have remained steady, and home completions have remained strong, suggesting that new inventory is likely to provide buyers more options into the spring.

Historically, the number of views per listing has cooled in the late summer/early fall and tends to improve for buyers from that point forward. Additionally, by mid-August, the number of sellers with actively listed homes increased 29% over the beginning of the year, which means more options for buyers . Thus, buyers who can persist in their home searches are likely to catch a bit of a break in the sense that they can expect some more options to choose from in the weeks ahead. 

Best Time to List—50 Largest Metro Areas

Methodology.

Listing metrics (e.g., list prices) from 2018–19 and 2021–23 were measured on a weekly basis, with each week compared against a benchmark from the first full week of the year. Due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 was an uncharacteristic year and has therefore been excluded from the analysis. Averaging across the years yielded the “typical” seasonal trend for each metric. Percentile levels for each week were calculated along each metric (prices, listings, days on the market, etc.) and then averaged together across metrics to determine a Best Time to List score for each week. Rankings for each week were based on these Best Time to List scores.

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