Senior Research Assistants are normally graduate students, or University of Winnipeg undergraduate students, employed to assist in the execution and evaluation of research projects in their area of study. The positions may oversee Research Assistants in areas such as the use of proper techniques, analysis, and documentation.

Senior Research Assistants work under the general supervision or direction of more senior researchers or faculty members, and are expected to exercise judgment in prioritizing, planning and organizing their own work within defined parameters.

Position Overview:

“Climate Uncertainty in Twenty-First Century Literature in Canada, Quebec and Brazil” is a multi-year Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)-funded project that explores the narratives of climate change and uncertainty about the present and the future in twenty-first century literature in Canada, Quebec and Brazil as regions in North and South America experiencing the local impacts of global climate change. We ask: how do contemporary Anglo-Canadian, Quebecois and Brazilian writers represent climate change and the uncertainty stemming from it? We seek to answer this question by selecting, analyzing and interpreting fictional and nonfictional narratives in prose (novels, autobiographies, autofictions, memoirs) in English, French and Brazilian Portuguese since 2000. We will show that writers tackle climate uncertainty in ways that can move dialogue in the literary realm as well as policy debates and everyday life.

The candidate will work with the project’s investigator and focus on supporting research.

The candidate will employ methods of literary analysis to read through texts and criticism in order to identify specific attributes of the material related to the research topic.

Duties:

• Read books in English (and in French, if necessary).
• Prepare literature reviews and book/article summaries.
• Prepare annotated bibliography.
• Assist with duties related to the production of articles and conference presentations.
• Maintain regular communication with the project’s principal investigator and co-investigator.
• Perform other duties as required or assigned.
• Candidates with courses completed in the Humanities are encouraged to apply.

Qualifications:

• Must be fluent in English; being bilingual English-French will be considered an asset; linguistic skills in Portuguese are considered an asset.
• Excellent reader and note-taker; excellent writing skills in English.
• Ability to work with minimal supervision.
• Must be efficient in Microsoft office suite to include word, excel, power point, and adobe acrobat.
• Ability to use databases accessible through university libraries and on the web.
• Skills in methods of literary analysis will be considered an asset.

Condition(s) of Employment:

• Must be legally entitled to work in Canada.

The period of work will be from September 25, 2025 - May 1, 2026, and the estimated total hours of work will be 0-300 hours.

Note*: This position is represented by the Public Service Alliance of Canada - Research Capacity Unit.*

Note: The work described in this posting will be conducted remotely.

The University of Winnipeg is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion and recognizes that a diverse staff and faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research environments, and is essential to academic and institutional excellence. We welcome applications from all qualified individuals and encourage women, racialized persons, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, and 2SLGBTQ+ persons to confidentially self-identify at time of application.

The University of Winnipeg is committed to ensuring employment opportunities are accessible for all applicants. If you require accommodation supports during the recruitment process, please contact human_resources@uwinnipeg.ca.

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