Posted March 18, 2021
MSc Position Available: Environmental Contamination from the Use of Lead Ammunition
An MSc student opportunity is available to join a collaborative research project involving researchers at the National Wildlife Research Centre (a government facility of Environment and Climate Change Canada) and Carleton University.
The MSc student position is available starting in September 2021 to investigate contamination of harvested wildlife from the use of lead ammunition. While it is well-known lead shot contaminates harvested waterfowl, more recent studies indicate lead rifle bullets can also contaminate the meat of large game. Lead ammunition is a potential source of lead that contaminates country food because it breaks into small pieces on impact in harvested animals. This interdisciplinary MSc project will encompass both environmental and social science components and will be co-supervised by Dr. Vivian Nguyen (Social-Ecological Research and Applications Lab, Carleton University) and Dr. John Chételat (Environment and Climate Change Canada). Using an existing dataset, the student will characterize levels and sources of lead in tissues of monitored wildlife species that are important country foods. The student will also collect social science data on the use of lead ammunition to inform science to policy initiatives.
To apply, please email Dr. John Chételat (john.chetelat@canada.ca) with the following: 1) a cover letter briefly describing your career goals and how they align with the MSc opportunity, 2) a CV, 3) unofficial transcripts, and 4) names and contact information for two references. Review of applications will begin on April 1, 2021 and will continue until the position is filled.