research assistant toronto

Research Assistant

Department: Modern Literature and Culture (MLC) Research Centre Position supervisor: MLC Director Contract length: 4 month Hours of work per week: 10 hours per week Position type: Reseach Rate of pay: $19/hr

About Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University)

At the intersection of mind and action, Toronto Metropolitan University is on a transformative path to become Canada’s leading comprehensive innovation university. Integral to this path is the placement of equity, diversity and inclusion as fundamental to our institutional culture. Our current academic plan outlines each as core values and we work to embed them in all that we do.

Toronto Metropolitan University welcomes those who have demonstrated a commitment to upholding the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion and will assist us to expand our capacity for diversity in the broadest sense. In addition, to correct the conditions of disadvantage in employment in Canada, we encourage applications from members of groups that have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples, Indigenous peoples of North America, racialized persons, persons with disabilities, and those who identify as women and/or 2SLGBTQ+. Please note that all qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, applications from Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

As an employer, we are working towards a people first culture and are proud to have been selected as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers and a Greater Toronto’s Top Employer for 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. To learn more about our work environment, colleagues, leaders, students and innovative educational environment, visit www.torontomu.ca , check out @TorontoMet  (external link)  , @TorontoMetHR  (external link)  and @ECItorontomet  (external link)  on Twitter, and visit our LinkedIn company page  (external link)  .

About the program/department/team

The research conducted in the MLC Research Centre focuses on the early twentieth-century modern literature and culture within a broad range of topics such as avant-garde literature and art, salon culture, visual culture, Modernism, including Canadian Modernism, modernist biography and life writing. We also investigate popular literary expressions, in particular the Canadian icon L. M. Montgomery, the role of nostalgic expressions during the modern era, as well as contributing to preservation of Canadian women’s cultural heritage. Our mandate is also to make our research available to both the scholarly and the general public through exhibitions, publications, and outreach events.

Our mandate is to research the literary and cultural production in the modernist era (from 1880 to 1940), to preserve and advance modernist women’s heritage and to promote modern Canadian heritage within an international context, and to advance our studies and outreach through digital culture innovations.

The opportunity

The Modern Literature and Culture (MLC) Research Centre seeks an enthusiastic research assistant to assist with the Centre’s most recent project: Telling COVID-19 Stories, which engages with the artistic and cultural responses that have emerged from the MLC’s Pandemic webinar series ( bit.ly/mlcpandemic  (external link)  ) and the humanities research informed by the pandemic. Focusing on artistic expressions and storytelling practices informed by COVID-19, the project explores the methods through which artists, writers, and community members express, discuss, or engage with the pandemic, and will develop a theoretical framework to interpret COVID-19 narratives and other pandemic media.

Qualifications

The ideal applicant will be pursuing an MA or PhD focused on the humanities, literature, communications, or other arts and culture-related fields. They will have strong research and writing skills. While not required, knowledge of databanks like OMEKA and website editing will be an asset. Working under the guidance of MLC Director Dr. Irene Gammel, the role entails assisting with the researching, annotating, editing, and/or writing tasks associated with the Telling COVID-19 Stories project, as well as assisting with the support of a small team of student research assistants. As a member of the MLC, you will have the opportunity to work with a diverse community of students, professors, and research associates while learning the processes of a large-scale research project. Excellent written and oral communication are essential. Training will be provided. 

How to apply

Please submit cover letter, unofficial transcripts, CV (with names of 3 references), and writing sample to [email protected] and [email protected] . We begin reviewing applications as they come in until the position is filled. Early submissions are encouraged.

Toronto Metropolitan University’s commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion

We encourage all First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples or Indigenous peoples of North America, to self-identify in their applications and also reach out to Tracey King, Indigenous Human Resources Lead for support during the selection process.

Research Assistant

Working as a Research Assistant (RA) provides students with experience in research methodology and expands their knowledge and research skill sets. It also allows for work to be completed with professors and/or graduate students, focusing on one or more existing research projects.  A Research Assistantship is the best way to get to know professors and build networks in your field of study.

We offer paid RA opportunities. Please check the Work Study job postings on the Career Learning Network (CLNx)    .

Lab Assistant Positions for 2024-2025 Academic Year

Job Type:  Part Time

Position: Lab Assistant

Location of Work:  Rotman School of Management, BMO Financial Group Finance Research and Trading Lab

Description

The BMO Financial Group Finance Research and Trading Lab (FRT-Lab) is a state-of-the-art facility that focuses on the integration of theoretical and practical applications. Research databases and real-time access to global financial resources allow students to link classroom lessons to actual securities and markets. In addition, our custom-designed suite of instructional products uses interactive simulations to develop skills for making good financial decisions when faced with uncertainty about future outcomes.

The FRT-Lab mandate is:

• To enhance the Rotman School’s teaching and training by providing students with access to the global financial community and its resources in a real-time setting.
• To contribute to the integration of theory and practice by delivering hands-on experience to users in order to enhance the global competitiveness of our students and our School.
• To become an innovator in new curriculum development, business initiatives, software development, and other activities of value to the Rotman School and business communities.
• To provide a focal point for research and training in a range of financial disciplines, including investment strategy and portfolio management; financial engineering and risk management; trading; and analysis of the microstructure of markets.

In addition, we organize extra-curricular activities, such as the Rotman International Trading Competition (RITC), Rotman Portfolio Management Competition (RPMC), Commerce Trading Competition (CTC), Rotman Online Trading Competition (ROTC), and many more.

The FRT-Lab employs an enthusiastic team of Lab Assistants to help students and faculty throughout the year. Lab Assistants work on shifts (in-person) either from 9 am to 2 pm or from 2 pm to 6 pm every weekday during the semester (September to April) depending on their schedules.

As a Lab Assistant, you will need to help students with the use of financial software such as Bloomberg, FactSet, Capital IQ, etc. In addition, each Lab Assistant will help with planning, preparation, and running of the extra-curricular events.

We will provide a training to all Lab Assistants before the start of the semester. Training is mandatory for all new Lab Assistants.

This is an excellent opportunity to work in an innovative and unique environment, learn most of the financial software used in the industry and grow professionally and personally by developing additional skills.

Qualifications

Lab Assistants will have specific roles within the FRT-Lab, depending on their skills.

All students who apply for this position should be interested in the field of finance and investments. We are looking for friendly, social, and enthusiastic students who can assist in providing an exciting and enjoyable experience for other Lab Assistants and for users of the FRT-Lab.

Required skills: MS Office (Excel, Outlook, Word, PowerPoint), Python, MS Visual Basic.

Nice to have skills: MS Visio, Matlab.

Your skills may be tested if you are selected for an interview.

Lab Assistant responsibilities

While each Lab Assistant’s responsibilities may differ across different positions, the Lab Assistants are generally responsible for the following duties:

• Covering a pre-assigned lab shift to monitor ongoing activities and answering inquiries,
• Providing administrative, teaching, and/or general support to FRT-Lab userbase,
• Supporting planned or ad-hoc activity or research projects,
• Working on different types of databases to collect and analyze data,
• Assisting execution of FRT-Lab activities such as various competitions and workshops,
• Process and manage service desk support tickets,
• Works with faculty, TAs, and staff to prepare documentation, including lab manuals,
• Ensures users get appropriate training, guidance, and instructional materials,
• Engage with students for a better experience using the lab resources,
• Support the development and testing of simulation cases,
• Develop lab manuals and teaching material aids,
• Coordinates the operations of the FRT-Lab space with the staff (in-person),
• Update training and instructional materials to remain current,
• Demonstrate lab resources as required,
• Maintain the lab physical space,
• Conduct scheduled and non-scheduled IT support and maintenance tasks,
• Acquire Rotman Interactive Trader/Rotman Portfolio Manager knowledge to support users.

Each Lab Assistant will be contracted on casual employment from September 1, 2024, to April 30, 2025. Expected work hours load: 5 hours per week on average.

Mandatory training:

Software/data resources training provided by the lab staff that includes:

• Rotman Interactive Trader
• Rotman Portfolio Manager
• S&P Capital IQ
• ServiceNow – ESC service desk

Targeted Years: All years

Application Requirement: Resume

Number of positions : 7

Application Instructions: Please use this link to upload the resume in PDF format

Application Deadline: 11:59 PM on May 15, 2024

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Faculty and staff honored for excellence with 2024 U of T Engineering awards

The University of Toronto’s Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering recently honored 25 faculty and staff members for their outstanding contributions with teaching, research, and administrative staff awards. These awards recognize exceptional faculty and staff for their leadership, citizenship, innovation, and contributions to U of T Engineering’s teaching, service, and research missions.

“I’m grateful for this opportunity to acknowledge our professors and staff who contribute to making U of T Engineering Canada’s top-ranked school for engineering education and research,” says  Christopher Yip , Dean of U of T Engineering.

“My congratulations to all the awardees, and my heartfelt thanks to all our faculty and staff members for their continued excellence.”

Among the recipients, Professor Chi-Guhn Lee and Katie Allison (MASc student) from MIE are awarded the Safwat Zaky Research Leader Award  and the Teaching Assistant Award.

Chi-Guhn Lee (MIE) 

Safwat Zaky Research Leader Award  

Recognizing leadership in innovative interdisciplinary and multiple-investigator initiatives that have enhanced the faculty’s research profile. 

Over the past decade, Chi-Guhn Lee has led large-scale research initiatives that have benefited many students and faculty members and significantly raised the profile of U of T Engineering.

He has taken over the leadership of the  Centre for Maintenance Optimization and Reliability Engineering  (C-MORE), which was founded 30 years ago by Professor Emeritus Andrew Jardine (MIE) but began to stagnate when he retired. Under Lee’s leadership, C-MORE has steadily grown, supporting more diverse research activities and educational opportunities.

Lee was also instrumental in developing U of T’s research partnership with LG, beginning in 2018 when he invited the President of LG CNS to visit the faculty. An official agreement between LG and U of T was signed in 2019, bringing in $3 million. Lee then worked closely with LG CNS to initiate a second funding program, effectively doubling LG’s investment.

In 2023, LG Electronics announced the  renewal of their partnership with U of T for another five years .

Lee played an important role in creating an International Doctoral Cluster for the exchange of graduate students with the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). Under his guidance, the program has facilitated substantial research collaborations and cultivated a vibrant academic community.

Katie Allison (MIE MASc student)

Teaching Assistant Award  

Recognizing a TA who demonstrates excellence in classroom teaching, working with students, and the development of course materials. 

Katie Allison, a mechanical engineering MASc student, has served as a teaching assistant in two foundation year courses in the Division of Engineering Science, ESC101: Praxis I and ESC103: Engineering Mathematics and Computation. This means that students encounter her during their often challenging transition to university.

Allison’s style of teaching and her approach to engaging with students helps them to build confidence in their skills and knowledge as they progress through their first term. Her commitment to students does not end when the course does; she continues to mentor and advise many students in her classes throughout their time at U of T.

Allison also played a key role in the development of ESC204: Praxis III, starting with her involvement on the course development team as a fourth-year EngSci student. Since then, she has taken on various roles in the course, including TA, senior TA, and course instructor. Allison developed a more than 200-page prototyping handbook that serves as a reference for students to extend their learning, as well as hands-on Prototyping Bootcamp materials that she has created and refined through several iterations of the course. As ESC204 has developed, she has been instrumental in collecting feedback and responding to student concerns to improve their experience.

Congratulations to Professor Lee and Allison for their achievements and contributions to the research and teaching of the U of T Engineering!

– This story was a part of the article originally published on the University of Toronto’s  Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering News Site  on April 16, 2024, by  Carolyn Farrell .

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We wish to acknowledge this land on which the University of Toronto operates. For thousands of years it has been the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, and the Mississaugas of the Credit. Today, this meeting place is still the home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work on this land.

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