Opportunities

I am excited to build a collaborative, inclusive, and supportive group focused on advancing equitable and climate-adapted conservation science in forest social-ecological systems.

Prospective graduate students

Graduate students can join the group through the Institute of Forestry and Conservation in the Daniels Faculty (MS in Forestry or PhD in Forestry). I am also excited to work with students in the Masters of Forest Conservation program. More information on the graduate programs in Forestry at U of T and the admissions process can be found here.

If you are interested in working with me, please send me an email at katherine.siegel@daniels.utoronto.ca with the following information:

  • which graduate program you are interested in (MS or PhD)
  • a brief description of your research interests and relevant previous experience
  • details on why you are interested in working in my lab specifically
  • any other information you think is important to share at this point
  • your CV/resume as an attachment

If you don’t hear back from me within two weeks, please reply to your first email to bump it up in my inbox to remind me!

Funding

There are a number of funding opportunities available to grad students in the Forestry program. I also encourage eligible applicants to apply for external funding, such as the NSERC and SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship programs.

Advice for navigating the graduate admissions process

Choosing a graduate program and prospective advisor and then navigating the application and admissions process can be overwhelming, and there is a whole “hidden curriculum” of knowledge that prospective grad students are expected to know. Here are some resources that may help you during this process:

  • Estien et al. 2023 write about the hidden curriculum and provide advice on navigating the graduate school admissions process, with a focus on the US
  • A First-Gen’s Guide to Grad School
  • Dr. Alex Moore’s Moore Inclusive Lab has resources on developing a research project, finding funding, the research and writing process, and diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice.
  • Dr. Jacqueline Gill has a great blog post with advice for contacting potential grad school advisors, including an example of an inquiry email to introduce yourself

Prospective undergraduate students

I am excited to work with motivated and curious undergraduates who are interested in assisting on my ongoing projects or developing independent projects. I will update this section with more information on how to get involved once I arrive at U of T in early 2024. In the meantime, I encourage you to check out the NSERC’s Undergraduate Student Research Awards available through U of T’s Forestry program.

Prospective postdoctoral fellows

Prospective postdocs will need to apply for their own funding, as I do not currently have funding to hire a postdoc. If you are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, you are eligible for the NSERC and SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowship programs. The Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship, Liber Ero Fellowship, and Mitacs Elevate Fellowship are open to candidates regardless of nationality. Indigenous and/or Black prospective postdocs can also apply for the Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellowship at U of T. If working with me seems like a good fit for both of us, I am happy to provide feedback on proposal ideas and application materials.

To start the conversation, please send me an email (katherine.siegel@daniels.utoronto.ca) with a description of your current research, a brief description of your idea for a postdoc project and how it links to the lab’s work, and your CV.