Interested in Working in the Food Systems PRISM Lab? Are you motivated, innately curious, and highly disciplined? Are you keen to hone your research skills and knowledge? Do you have a strong interest in food system sustainability issues? Are you willing and able to critically examine your own assumptions, and to challenge and be challenged in an environment of respect, collaboration, and exploration? Does the prospect of living, working and playing in the beautiful Okanagan Valley in western Canada match your lifestyle aspirations? If so, the Food Systems PRISM Lab at the University of British Columbia might be a good match for you...
The decision to apply for graduate studies opportunities should not be taken lightly. Graduate school is a lot of work. It can also be very rewarding, provided that you are genuinely interested in the research you are undertaking, and committed to success. In my experience, the following attributes are reliable predictors of success as a graduate student.
Cleverness - as evidenced by a strong academic track record
Curiousity - a genuine interest in research and exploration
Creativity - the ability to identify interesting/important research questions, formulate innovative and rigorous research methods, and synthesize and build upon theory, methods, concepts, and information from across relevant disciplinary and interdisciplinary domains
Criticality - the capacity to apply logic and rigour in discriminating among sources of information, arguments, methods, etc.
Communication skills - the ability to communicate clearly and succinctly (in particular, in written form)
Commitment - a combination of personal attributes and soft skills including ambition, self-motivation, discipline, and professionalism
Research Opportunities I'm keen to work with high-caliber undergraduate, Masters, PhD and Post-doctoral researchers who have a strong interest in research and publication in the field of food system sustainability. Students may apply to work in the context of my funded research projects (see below for descriptions of specific funded research projects for which I am currently recruiting students). Students who secure independent funding (for example, through scholarships or awards) may propose research projects that fall within my area of research interest.
Interested students should e-mail me the following documents:
a description of research interests (referring, in particular, to how your interests and experience relate to the specific project you wish to work on, and why the PRISM Lab is a good fit for you)
a CV (including two academic and/or professional references)
copies of unofficial transcripts (please self-assess your transcripts against the published requirements for admission to the UBC College of Graduate Studies - only students achieving first class standing will be considered)
a writing sample
your IELTS or TOEFL test scores (strong English language skills are essential, with a minimum of 8.0 IELTS score in each category)
indication of your interest in a degree program (MSc or PhD) in Biology or through the Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies Program Sustainability theme.
INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
Prospective students satisfying all of the above stated criteria may be contacted to schedule an interview. Only those students who receive an invitation to apply following an interview should consider submitting a formal application (visit the UBC Okanagan College of Graduate Studies website for more information about graduate studies at UBC Okanagan, including information on how to apply).
Application deadline to the UBCO College of Graduate Studies is June 2 for January admission, October 1 for May admission and January 15 for September admission. Prospective students are advised to correspond with Dr. Pelletier well in advance of this date in order to discuss their candidacy.
Current Recruitment Calls
I am currently recruiting MSc and PhD students as well as Post-doctoral Fellows for the following funded projects
*Please note that direct entry into a PhD program without having first completed a Master's degree will not be considered. However, exceptional students may be considered for early transfer into a PhD program after completion of their first year of Master's studies.
MSc POSITIONS :
Regionalized life cycle inventory and assessment of conventional and alternative malting barley production practices in Canada (2 years @ $25,000 annually) There is substantial heterogeneity in the impacts of agricultural production in Canada due to diverse climate, soil, and management conditions. To enable accurate representation of Canadian barley production in the context of life cycle-based sustainability measurement and management activities related to malting, it is hence essential to develop high quality, regionalized data inventories that are representative of Canadian production conditions, and to incorporate these inventories into publicly available life cycle inventory databases for the sake of transparency and reproducibility. Cradle-to-farm gate life cycle inventory (LCI) models encompassing all relevant material/energy inputs and emissions for barley cultivated on the Canadian Prairies will be developed. Specific inventories will be developed at the ecoregion, provincial and (potentially) Canadian scale. These models will be developed based on the ISO 14044 methodological standard for life cycle assessment (ISO, 2006) and in consultation with the ISO/TR 14067 standard for carbon footprint studies.
Life cycle assessment of the resource/environmental benefits and impacts of manure pelleting and drying systems (2 years @ $25,000 annually) Manure management and on-farm, non-renewable energy use account for two of the primary sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the Canadian egg industry, including the majority of Scope 1 emissions that are directly under the control of egg farmers. Canadian egg farms currently generate ~ 1.1 tonnes of manure/tonne of eggs produced (Pelletier 2017). The common practice of direct application of manure to agricultural land is an important and reasonably effective means of recycling manure nutrients. However, direct land application of manure fails to maximize nitrogen use efficiency (an important determinant of GHG emissions) (Zargar et al. 2020). It also fails to capitalize on both the significant residual chemical energy contained in manure (Kanani et al. 2020) and the potential to sequester what is typically short-cycling carbon for long-term soil storage (Woolf et al. 2010). With respect to the former, in light of recent Canadian federal government regulations requiring the reduction of nitrous oxide emissions associated with crop fertilization, alternative manure management measures that reduce nitrogenous emissions merit concerted attention. While some research of pelleting of dairy manure has been reported (Alege et al. 2021), environmental assessments of the life cycle impacts of dried/pelleted poultry litter have been limited to composted litter (Kiss et al. 2021), which may have low emissions reduction potential compared to use of non-composted litter. A life cycle assessment study will therefore be undertaken to assess potential nitrogen use efficiency, energy use, and emissions synergies/trade-offs associated with novel manure drying/pelleting systems that are currently being piloted on several Canadian egg farms. This will involve identifying and developing relevant manure drying/pelleting technology descriptions and scenarios and collecting data on materials and energy associated with select pathways through literature reviews and expert consultations. Research outcomes will be reported in an MSc thesis, peer-reviewed literature, and relevant conference venues.
PHD POSITIONS:
Mapping and optimizing utilization of low opportunity cost biomass resources for sustainable livestock feed production (4 years @ $30,000 annually)
Feed input production currently accounts for > 50% of the carbon footprint of Canadian eggs (Turner et al. 2022). PRISM Lab researchers have previously developed a framework for sustainable feed formulation that enables minimizing feed carbon footprints subject to cost and nutritional constraints (Heidari et al. 2021), along with regionalized life cycle inventories for characterizing the GHG emissions of major commodity feed input supply chains such as corn, wheat, soy and canola. However, in addition to reducing GHG emissions, maintaining social license in the livestock sector will likely be increasingly predicated on use of low opportunity cost biomass (LOCB) resources that do not compete directly for agricultural products or agricultural land that could otherwise support food production for direct human consumption (Van Zanten et al. 2019). In light of increasing climate-related risks to feed input supply chains – as evidenced, for example, by the ~35% decrease in field crop yields across the Canadian prairies in 2021 as a result of extreme heat and historical drought (StatsCan 2021) – it is also imperative that the livestock sector diversify feed input sourcing. A variety of LOCB resources may potentially be suitable use in egg production, but their availability for commercial-scale utilization and emissions reduction potential compared to conventional feed resources produced in Canada are not currently known. The proposed PhD project will involve identifying and mapping the availability of potential LOCB feed resources for the egg industry in Canada, including underutilized or emerging crop processing by-products (for example, pea starch from the expanding Canadian fractionation sector), single cell proteins from forest industry residues, insect meals, and food waste-to-feed products. Selecting a subset of LOCB feed resources for detailed analysis based on criteria addressing availability, affordability, nutritional value, and technological maturity, the potential for the LOCB feed resources to contribute to low GHG egg production based on a combination of environmental, economic, and nutritional objectives and constraints will be assessed. The outcomes of this multi-criteria optimization of LOCB feed formulation will be reported in a PhD dissertation, peer-reviewed manuscripts and in relevant academic and industry conferences.
Expansion of the NESTT platform to support net zero decision making – PhD (4 years, $30,000 annually) The National Environmental Sustainability and Technology Tool (NESTT) is an online decision support tool (DST) that has been developed for Canadian egg farmers to support them in farm-level sustainability assessment and management. NESTT was designed using a modular approach, with aspects that are important to environmental sustainability (e.g., feed use, manure management, energy use, etc.) constructed as standalone components. The results of each module are then aggregated to determine the overall environmental impacts of a farm. The modular approach enables improvements to be made to any specific module without the need for major changes or redesign of the entire assessment architecture, as well as development and integration of additional modules as needed. It also enables addition of sustainability criteria (for example, economic indicators) to each module as the necessary methods and data become available. The NESTT platform will need to be expanded to support multi-criteria, GHG emissions reduction management decision making on Canadian egg farms by developing new technology and management modules and incorporating economic indicators that enable farm-specific assessment of emissions mitigation potentials and costs of technology options. The PhD student will develop modules for several low-emissions green technology systems and management strategies for integration into NESTT, including the environmental, techno-economic and predictive analytic aspects. The student will also engage with end users in the module development process to ensure that NESTT continues to meet their requirements with the new additions/improvements. The student will test, validate, and ensure the accuracy of sustainability assessment by ensuring that NESTT produces results consistent with the use of dedicated OpenLCA software. The PhD student will work in collaboration with personnel from Egg Farmers of Canada (EFC) and Mirego (the company hired by EFC to build NESTT) to build new decision support features and transform NESTT into a tool that directly supports the industry’s net-zero emissions objectives. Project outputs will include a PhD dissertation, manuscripts to be published in open-source, peer reviewed journals, presentations at egg industry events, academic conference presentations, and integration of research outcomes into the NESTT platform.
Development and implementation of stakeholder weighting schemes in NESTT – PhD (4 years, $30,000 annually) Decision support tools (DSTs) such as the National Environmental Sustainability and Technology Tool (NESTT) typically utilize quantitative indicators. However, interpretation of multi-criteria results for decision-making can be challenging in light of cultural, epistemological, economic, and technical considerations (Stenfors et al., 2007), and stakeholder perspectives on sustainability often differ. The proposed PhD project will focus on integrating different stakeholder perspectives in NESTT (NESTT is an online decision support tool (DST) that has been developed for Canadian egg farmers to support them in farm-level sustainability assessment and management). To achieve this, the student will undertake a review of stakeholder preference identification techniques that can best serve the proposed project as the effectiveness of stakeholderpreference identification techniques depends on the decision scenario (Bryson, 2007) and how one views stakeholder management broadly (i.e., stakeholder management based on descriptive accuracy, instrumental power, or normative validity) (Crane and Ruebottom, 2011). The student will then identify, define, and map the relevant stakeholders with respect to sustainability improvements of Canadian egg production. The student will work with personnel from Egg Farmers of Canada (EFC) to plan and complete appropriate engagement events with different stakeholder groups, which can range from simple online surveys to complex deliberative democratic processes depending on the intended purposes of mapping multi-stakeholder perspectives and the interrelationships and power dynamics among stakeholder groups. Then student will transform the results of stakeholder engagement into weighting schemes that appropriately reflect stakeholder perceptions on sustainability and indicators for sustainability assessment. Finally, the student will implement the stakeholder weighting schemes in NESTT to support contextual sustainability assessment using the capacities of multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) methods such as Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Project outputs will include a PhD dissertation, manuscripts to be published in open-source, peer reviewed journals, presentations at egg industry events, academic conference presentations, and integration of research outcomes into the NESTT platform.
Life cycle assessment, technoeconomic assessment and optimization of barley malting in Canada (4 years @ $30,000 annually) Working with malting industry partners (Boortmalt, MakersMalt), the study will assess baseline GHG emissions associated with malt production in Canada, as well as the mitigation potential of efficiency measures and alternative malting strategies. Specifically, the work will benchmark energy and water use, as well as all other relevant inputs/outputs, at each step of the malting process based on current production practices, and evaluate the efficiency of different malt processing systems currently employed or available for commercial malt production. Data will be collected directly from participating facilities at the process level, as well as based on total annual throughput. Where direct data collection is not feasible, process simulation modelling will be used based on equipment/process technical specification data. The models will subsequently be integrated with baseline barley production life cycle inventory models to assess the extent to which adopting modified malt processing protocols could reduce water and energy use as well as life cycle greenhouse gas emissions and other impacts. Technoeconomic assessments will be undertaken, along with optimization modelling to support multi-criteria sustainability decision making in the malting industry. POST-DOCTORAL POSITIONS:
LCA of Sustainable Agri-food Technology and Management Alternatives (Funding: $70,000 annually, renewable for a second year)
The Food Systems PRISM Lab is seeking a highly qualified and highly motivated post-doctoral fellow to contribute to research and research management in the field of agri-food life cycle assessment. In light of the current COVID situation, a remote appointment may be considered.
The successful candidate for this position MUST possess one more of the following:
a mature foundation in life cycle assessment theory and practice, including data quality and uncertainty assessment
a strong publication record and interest in further research in the field of agri-food life cycle sustainability modelling, in particular with respect to the current PRISM Lab areas of research
a strong publication record and interest in further research in the fields of predictive analytics and optimization research, with demonstrable transferability to agri-food sustainability modelling contexts
The candidate must also have:
a keen interest in contributing to mentoring and co-publishing with a large cohort of research assistants and graduate students (MSc and PhD) while developing extensive lab management, research supervision, grant writing, and industry engagement credentials
Interested candidates should send ALL of the following materials to Dr. Nathan Pelletier ([email protected]). Incomplete applications will not be considered.
a cover letter summarizing the applicants qualifications with respect to the above specified requirements
a complete scholarly curriculum vitae, including contact information for at least two references
up to three relevant peer-reviewed publications
Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for an interview and letters of reference. The position is available immediately until filled.
External Funding Regardless of availability of dedicated project funding in the Food Systems PRISM Lab, all prospective students are strongly encouraged to explore and apply for relevant external funding as well as teaching assistantships. Students who are awarded a funded project position in the Food Systems PRISM Lab and who also successfully procure additional funding for the project through scholarships, teaching assistantships, and other awards will be "topped up" (i.e. external + project funding) to a maximum of $30,000 annually (over two years) for MSc projects, $35,000 annually (over four years) for PhD projects, and $60,000 annually (over two years) for post-doctoral projects.