Funded Graduate Degree Opportunity at the University of Victoria

Under the co-supervision of Dr. Crystal Tremblay, Dr. Sarah Marie Wiebe, and Dr. Walter Lepore, and in close partnership with the Victoria Native Friendship Centre, we are offering a 2-year funded graduate position to support the Vancouver Foundation project "From Recognition to Action: Co-Creating Municipal Accountability Tools for Indigenous Health and Reconciliation." This opportunity offers funding for 2 years and admission into either the Geography graduate program OR the School of Public Administration programs at the University of Victoria. This position can begin as early as March 2026 as a Research Associate and provides employment income to support tuition and living expenses, as explained below. 

Project Overview

This community-led participatory action research initiative investigates how municipalities and urban Indigenous communities can collaborate to advance reconciliation through meaningful accountability mechanisms. The project is a partnership between the University of Victoria, the Victoria Native Friendship Centre (VNFC) through the Salish Sea Hub, UNITAR-CIFAL Victoria, UVic Libraries and municipal partners (City of Victoria and District of Saanich).

Through Community-Based Participatory Action Research (CBPAR), we are co-creating accountability frameworks and tools that center Indigenous self-determination, use Indigenous-defined indicators of health and wellness, and address systemic barriers urban Indigenous peoples face when accessing municipal services. This work follows the values and protocols for Indigenous-led research developed through the UNESCO Knowledge for Change (K4C) Consortium and the Salish Sea Hub partnership. The research emerged from six years of Victoria Urban Reconciliation Dialogue (VURD) community relationship-building and directly responds to priorities identified by urban Indigenous community members. Further details about VNFC are available at https://vnfc.ca/. 

Job Description

We are recruiting a graduate student to join our research team supporting collaborative efforts to co-create municipal accountability tools with Indigenous communities and municipal partners. As a member of the research team, you will work alongside Indigenous community members, municipal co-researchers, an Indigenous Advisory Committee, and the broader research team through all project phases.

Key responsibilities include:

• Supporting collaborative research using participatory methods, including storytelling, community mapping, and arts-based approaches

• Participating in co-design workshops with Indigenous community members and municipal partners

• Assisting with documentation and analysis of collaborative tool development processes

• Supporting pilot testing and refinement of frameworks with municipal partners

• Contributing to knowledge mobilization, including publications, community reports, presentations, and accessible digital resources

• Participating in community engagement, partnership development, and project communications and meetings

This Graduate position can begin as early as March 2026. This opportunity offers flexibility, and we encourage the student to build on their strengths and expertise to co-design specific research questions and methodologies within the broader project framework. 

Unique Learning Opportunities

• Community Learning Program (CLP) Training: Complete VNFC's cultural safety training alongside Indigenous community members and municipal staff 

• Dual Office Space: Work at both the Victoria Native Friendship Centre and UVic 

• Participatory Research Methods: Hands-on experience with CBPAR, Indigenous research methodologies, arts-based methods, participatory mapping, and collaborative evaluation

• Knowledge Mobilization: Translate research for diverse audiences, including VURD, Friendship Centres, municipal forums, and academic venues

Qualifications

Applicants must have obtained a Bachelor's degree in Geography, Indigenous Studies, Anthropology, Political Science, Sociology, Environmental Studies, Public Administration, or a related field. Strong written and oral communication skills in English are required, along with excellent organizational abilities. High expectations for publishing research results and supporting program publication efforts.

Particularly encouraged to apply:

• Experience working with Indigenous communities and/or understanding of reconciliation and Indigenous rights frameworks

• Experience in community-based or participatory research methodologies

• Demonstrated commitment to community-engaged research and social justice

Assets: Facilitation skills, arts-based or participatory mapping methods, understanding of municipal governance, qualitative research experience, knowledge of Indigenous social determinants of health, familiarity with Indigenous data sovereignty framework. 

Benefits

The UVic Department of Geography and the School of Public Administration are interdisciplinary units with strong community partnerships locally and globally. You will join an exciting graduate program with diverse students in a supportive environment.

This position offers:

• Grant-funded employment of $20,000/year for 2 years 

• The Department of Geography offers all graduate students employment as a Specialist Instructor (or Teaching Assistant) with a guaranteed minimum income of $11,000 for the first academic year. Students are expected to apply for further grant-based funding in the second year. See the Geography funding information page for details

• Dual office space at VNFC and UVic

• Community Leadership Program training

• Conference and gathering presentation opportunities

• Mentorship from Indigenous community leaders, academic researchers, and municipal practitioners

Expected Start Date and Location

As early as March 2026 (flexible based on candidate availability)

The student will be based at the University of Victoria and the Victoria Native Friendship Centre (231 Regina Avenue) in Victoria, BC.

Application

The deadline is February 15th, 2026, but early applications are highly encouraged. The selected candidate will then apply to the UVic Graduate program in Geography or Public Admin.

Please email the application package to Crystal (crystalt@uvic.ca), Sarah (swiebe@uvic.ca) and Walter (walepore@uvic.ca) containing: 

• Statement of interest/cover letter (1-2 pages)

• Recent CV including two references

• Academic writing sample

Please specify how your past experience has prepared you for this position and why you are interested in community-based participatory action research with Indigenous communities.  Indigenous applicants are encouraged to self-identify.  Only complete applications will be considered.

Only short-listed applicants will be contacted. Thank you.