We are recruiting a Postdoctoral Fellow 

A postdoctoral position is available to study the molecular mechanisms underlying plant immune responses to microbial pathogens in the Monaghan Lab at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. We are looking for a talented postdoc with a solid background in molecular biology, biochemistry, plant biology, and genetics to join our growing team. Research goals are flexible but most projects currently focus on understanding the biochemical and genetic interactions governing immunity and immune homeostasis in the model plant Arabidopsis. Queen’s is a full-spectrum, research-intensive university that conducts leading-edge research in a variety of areas including molecular biology. The collegial environment, state-of-the-art facilities, and accomplished faculty make the Biology Department a great place to conduct postdoctoral research. Kingston is located in a beautiful part of Ontario and is driving distance to Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal. Start date is negotiable but is expected to be on or before September 1, 2019. We have funding for 1 year with the expectation that additional years would be funded through an external fellowship.
 
Essential qualifications:
  • PhD in molecular biology, genetics, cell biology, microbiology, or plant biology
  • Independent and critical thinker
  • Excellent technical skills in molecular biology, biochemistry, and genetics
  • Experience working with plants and/or microbes
  • Excellent writing and communication skills
  • Track record of high-quality peer-reviewed publications
  • Highly motivated and will contribute to an enthusiastic and collegial work environment
  • Strong interest in, and experience with, training junior students
  • Competitive for external fellowships, such as:
    • Banting postdoctoral fellowship applications – due internally on June 20, 2019, selected to be endorsed by Queen’s by July 12, 2019, and announced in winter, 2020.
    • NSERC postdoctoral fellowship applications – due on October 15, 2019 and announced in March, 2020.
    • Queen’s postdoctoral fund applications – due in January 2020 for spring 2020 decisions.
    • EMBO long-term fellowships – due in August, 2019 for fall interviews and winter 2020 decisions.
    • MSCA global fellowships – due in September, 2019 for winter 2020 decisions.
    • +several others from the CSC, NSF, Mitacs, etc
 
Interested candidates are welcome to apply by submitting a single PDF containing:
  • statement of interest
  • a list of external fellowships for which you are eligible to apply
  • curriculum vitae
  • copy of most important publication and a short paragraph explaining why
  • contact details of two references
 
Email your application to jacqueline.monaghan@queensu.ca with the subject heading ‘POSTDOC APPLICATION: LAST NAME, FIRST NAME’.
 
Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Undergraduate research 

  • Volunteering - We welcome inquiries from students interested in volunteering up to 2h/week as an introduction to bench science. 
  • Co-op placements - We welcome inquires from students requiring work placement experience for their degree programs at other institutions.
  • BIOL537/541 Honours Thesis - Earn 12 credits towards your BIOL major while you conduct a hypothesis-driven project over the fall and winter terms. 
  • BIOL538/539/540 Research Mentorship - Earn credits towards your BIOL/BCHM/LSCI major while you conduct research over the fall (539; 3 credits), winter (538; 3 credits), or both semesters (540; 6 credits).  
  • SWEP - Paid full-time summer work. Applications are typically due in February each year. 
  • NSERC USRA - Highly competitive national scholarships enabling full-time summer work. Applications are due to the Dept of Biology in the winter semester each year. 
  • ​ASPB SURF - Highly competitive society scholarship enabling full-time summer work. Applications are due to ASPB in March of each year. 

Graduate research

  • Inquires from potential MSc and PhD students are always welcome. Please look here for more information about our program. Students typically start in Sept or Jan, but other start times are possible. Be sure to include a motivation statement and CV in your email.
  • Scholarship opportunities - There are several scholarship options allowing students to focus on research with a reduction in TAships. Application deadlines vary throughout the year.  Incoming students who are awarded an NSERC CGS receive a $5K top-up.
  • NSERC Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement - Supplemental funding available to allow international collaborations for students holding NSERC-CGS. Applications are due to Queen's University in September of each year. So far, students from our lab have been successful with this program enabling 3 month-long stays at the Sainsbury Laboratory UK in 2017 and the University of Freiburg Germany in 2019. 
  • Scholarship opportunities for non-Canadian nationals/residents may be available from other sources.

Postdoctoral research

  • Inquiries from potential postdoctoral fellows are always welcome, however internal funding is not guaranteed.  Be sure to include a motivation statement and CV in your email.
  • Although competitive, applying for external fellowships is encouraged (be sure to confirm eligibility):
    • Banting postdoctoral fellowship applications – due internally in June, selected to be endorsed by Queen’s by July, and announced in winter.
    • NSERC postdoctoral fellowship applications – due on October and announced in March.
    • Queen’s postdoctoral fund applications – due in January for spring decisions.
    • EMBO long-term fellowships – due in August for fall interviews and winter decisions.
    • MSCA global fellowships – due in September for winter decisions.
    • +several others from the CSC, NSF, Mitacs, etc