Research Assistant - Fort McMurray

University of Regina; Saskatchewan; On-site; CAD 60,000 - 80,000; Part time

Job summary

A Canadian university in Saskatchewan is seeking a Research Assistant to support a research project focused on the impacts of wildfire smoke in Fort McMurray. The successful candidate will analyze datasets, compile wildfire histories, and investigate meteorological conditions. Ideal candidates will have strong data science and communication skills, with experience in Python and a knowledge of climatic conditions. This term position offers approximately 20 hours per week over 15 weeks, providing hands-on research experience.

Qualifications

• Strong knowledge of climatic conditions and ecological aspects of Fort McMurray.
• Experience with projects involving air pollution or environmental data analysis.
• Familiarity with data sources like WSC, WBEA, ERA5, and HMS.

Responsibilities

• Compile lists of wildfires and smoke events.
• Analyze climatic and meteorological factors affecting smoke pollution.
• Extract and analyze climate data for Fort McMurray.
• Train algorithms to identify smoke days.
• Prepare comprehensive reports for stakeholders.

Skills

Data science

Statistics

Data visualization

Machine learning

Python

R

MATLAB

Communication skills

Job description

Research Assistant - Fort McMurray

Below you will find the details for the position including any supplementary documentation and questions you should review before applying for the opening. To apply for the position, please click the Apply for this Job link/button.

Position Details

Posting Summary Competition Number 20250676A/S

Position Title Research Assistant - Fort McMurray

Faculty/Department Faculty of Arts

Unit Arts-Geography and Environmental Studies

Employee Group CUPE 5791 - Research Collective Agreement

Job Family Research Category

Staff Number of Vacancies 1

Position Summary We are seeking a motivated Research Skills Development Trainee (RDST) that will support an ongoing research project focused on improving our understanding of wildfire smoke impacts in Fort McMurray. Trainee will work with datasets from various data authorities to compile wildfire histories, analyze smoke events, and investigate the meteorological conditions that drive smoke pollution in the region. This position provides hands‑on experience in environmental data analysis, wildfire smoke research, and the further development of computational and machine‑learning skills.

Position Requirements

• Compile a list of wildfires in Alberta (past 20 years) and wildfire smoke events in Fort McMurray (past 5 years).
• Identify the environmental and meteorological factors that drive significant smoke pollution in Fort McMurray.
• Extract climate data for Fort McMurray from WSC, WBEA, ERA5, and HMS products. The RDST must be familiar with these data sources.
• Train a pre‑developed algorithm to identify smoke/non‑smoke days using various sequences of data, over the past 5 years, for Fort McMurray.
• Develop basic statistics for smoke and non‑smoke days in Fort McMurray (both grid‑scale and spatially averaged), including mean annual and monthly variabilities.
• Prepare a final report to be submitted to the Office of Research, University of Regina and other stakeholders within the community of Fort McMurray.

Preference

• Strong knowledge about the climatic region of Fort McMurray, including temperature extremes, wildfire risk patterns, boreal ecology, and seasonal variability, and lived in the region.
• Experience with similar projects or a background in air pollution projects.
• Skills in data science, statistics, data visualization, and basic introduction to machine learning with experience in Python (and various libraries), R, and MATLAB.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.

Physical Demands, Pay Grade, Salary Range, Status, Term, Work Hours

Status Term

Work Hours Approximately 20 hours per week, for a maximum of 15 weeks (January 19, 2026 – May 1, 2026).

Pay Grade As Per CUPE 5791

Salary Range As Per CUPE 5791 Research Collective Agreement

Diversity Statement

The University of Regina is committed to an inclusive workplace that reflects the richness of the community that we serve. The University welcomes applications from all qualified individuals, including individuals within the University’s employment equity categories of women, persons with disabilities, members of visible minorities, Indigenous persons, individuals of diverse gender and sexual orientation and all groups protected by the Human Rights Code.

Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

Documents Required

Required Documents

• Resume/Curriculum Vitae
• Cover Letter

Optional Documents