Current opportunities

MASc Position: DC Fast Charging (DCFC) Infrastructure

The City of Victoria continues to advance and plan for the adoptions of plug-in electric vehicles, as part of the broader Capital Regional District’s EV Roadmap which has identified a pressing need for charging stations to 2030. Charging infrastructure includes both Level 2 and Level 3 (DCFC) infrastructure. The latter high-powered chargers entail significant investment, and hence require careful planning for deployment.

1 MASc position is available in a research project led by Dr. Crawford at UVic/IESVic together with Dr. Runa Das at Royal Roads University, partnering with the City of Victoria, funded by MITACS, and part of the Accelerating Community Energy Transformation Initiative (ACET). BC Hydro is also a key stakeholder being engaged on the project, including translation of lessons learned to other communities in BC. The student will be co-supervised by Drs. Crawford and Das, and registered as a graduate student in UVic Departments of Mechanical. The project will focus on assisting the City to plan for DCFC deployment to 2030, specifically determining optimal DCFC incremental deployments and assessing post-deployment efficacy of charger placements.

Previous graduate students have completed a baseline GIS DCFC placement tool, analyzed preliminary charging data, and carried out a pre-deployment resident survey in collaboration with the City. The new student’s research will include utilizing and updating a GIS model to build off City-compiled metrics for DCFC placement. The student will continue to develop the planning analysis for future years, utilizing charging datasets as they become available as well as administering a follow-up resident survey, to analyze charge usage to improve deployment. The work will include both technical (e.g. electrical infrastructure location proximity and limits, charge structure, etc.) alongside social aspects (e.g. neighborhood characteristics, surveys of users, etc.). The project therefore requires a highly-motivated student capable of integrating a diverse skillset including modeling as well as partner and community engagement.

Requirements

• BEng or related BSc in engineering suitable for MASc graduate student registration and coursework
• Knowledge with GIS analysis, plug-in vehicles and/or qualitative/quantitative consumer surveys is an asset
• Familiarity with and enthusiasm for electrified transportation and municipal climate action
• Strong writing, conversational and presentation abilities in English
• Ability to work effectively in a diverse team and with project partners

How to apply
Interested candidates should email Dr. Crawford at curranc@uvic.ca with subject DCFC Position; attach:

1. A detailed curriculum vitae
2. A one-page cover letter describing your relevant (research) experience and motivation for the position
3. Names and contact details for two references

UVic is committed to upholding the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion in our living, learning and work environments. In pursuit of our values, we seek members who will work respectfully and constructively with differences and across levels of power. We actively encourage applications from members of groups experiencing barriers to equity. Read our full equity statement here.

Job Title: Research Scientist – Field Work Coordinator

Job Location: University of Victoria Marine Technology Centre, Victoria, BC

Salary/Wage:  Negotiable dependent on qualifications and experience

Hours of work per week: Full-time (37.5 hrs.)

Start Date: June/July 2024

Number of Positions: 1

Job Description

The Pacific Regional Institute for Marine Energy Discovery (PRIMED), is a marine energy research and development hub hosted by the Institute for Integrated Energy Systems  at the University of Victoria (UVic).  PRIMED’s resources (staff, software and facilities) were created between October 2017- March 2020 through a $1.45M grant from the former Western Economic Diversification Canada, now Pacific Economic Development Canada. PRIMED’s mandate is to accelerate the development and adoption of Marine Renewable Energy (MRE) on the BC coast.

To achieve this the group works to fill gaps in the knowledge base that supports private sector innovation, and by providing a technology-neutral perspective on the strategic and economic values of MRE to communities in British Columbia.  To accomplish this, PRIMED staff use computational models and field measurements to define the energy characteristics in BC’s marine winds, waves and tides and apply numerical simulation tools to assess how well technologies convert these resources into usable forms of energy. PRIMED is also directly involved in the development of a community led wave energy project and is leading the creation of a tidal energy demonstration centre.

PRIMED is a multidisciplinary research group involving UVic faculty, postdoctoral researchers, graduate students and industry partners.  A significant part of the group’s work involves fieldwork activities aimed at characterising MRE resources. We are looking to recruit an individual to manage PRIMED’s fieldwork activity. The role will involve maintaining, mobilising and deploying scientific instruments at sea as well as coordinating the logistic activities needed to deliver our fieldwork programs.

The role is also expected to involve working closely with PRIMED staff to plan and deliver field campaigns that support the teams work.

Responsibilities

The applicant will:

• Lead PRIMED fieldwork activities including single and multi-day trips on seagoing vessels to deploy and recover scientific instruments.
• Coordinate the logistics and planning needed to deliver PRIMED fieldwork programs. This would include planning multiday trips, booking travel and accommodations, liaising with vessel operators, dive teams and other service providers as needed.
• Engage with the Canadian Coast Guard, Transport Canada and other regulatory bodies to obtain permits and ensure field activities comply with relevant regulatory requirements.
• Maintain PRIMED’s field instruments and liaising with instrument manufacturers to coordinate repairs, calibration and maintence work.
• Maintain equipment inventories, documentation and permits.
• Be the primary contact person for fieldwork enquiries.
• Collaborate with other members of the PRIMED team to ensure that field data is retrieved, processed and stored appropriately. Organize and participate in various engagement activities including attending conferences, open houses, and presenting PRIMED’s research to communities.

Required Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in relevant engineering/science discipline (mechanical, civil, ocean science, geography etc). Applicants without a Bachelor’s degree will be considered if they can prove relevant experience.
• Valid driver’s license
• Able to work at sea and perform necessary physical activities (ability to lift 50 lbs).

Other Skills (not required but considered desirable)

• Experience deploying and recovering instrumentation at sea.
• Familiarity with wave measurement buoys (AXYS Buoys) and Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers
• Forklift certification
• Small Vessel Operator Proficiency
• SDV-BS - Small Domestic Vessel Basic Safety Certificate (formerly MED A3)
• Able to drive and maneuver a trailer
• Drone Pilot Certificate

Personal Skills

Able to work independently in a non-structured environment. The candidate must be comfortable communicating with the rest of the PRIMED team both in person and virtually.

Able to effectively engage with remotely located external stakeholders through email, conference calls and face-to-face meetings.

Excellent planning and organization skills.

Contact and Application

Interested candidates should email primed@uvic.ca with the subject PRIMED Field Work Coordinator, and attach:

• A detailed curriculum vitae.
• A one-page cover letter describing your relevant experience and motivation for applying for the position.
• Names and contact details for two references

Postdoctoral and PhD Positions: Underwater Radiated Noise from Marine Vessels

Environmental impact is emerging as an issue of primary importance in the marine transportation industry. Underwater radiated noise (URN) in particular has been identified as a risk factor for the southern resident killer whales that populate the Salish Sea, which is an area of intense marine traffic. Propeller-induced cavitation is the dominant source of URN from marine vessels.

Post-doctoral and PhD positions are available in a research project led by Dr. Peter Oshkai, who directs the Fluids Research Laboratory in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Institute for Integrated Energy Systems (IESVic) at the University of Victoria. The Post-doc and PhD researchers will pursue the following objectives:

(a) Development of a high-fidelity numerical solver package for the open-source computational fluid dynamics (CFD) platform OpenFOAM that would capture the key physical features of the flows around marine propellers and interactions between turbulence, cavitation and URN.

(b) Development of a low-order numerical solver for prediction of the acoustic performance of propellers over a broad range of operating conditions.

(c) Experimental investigation of flow-acoustic interactions between a single cavitation bubble and an unsteady flow under repeatable laboratory conditions.

(d) Simulation of the flow-acoustic interactions due to cavitating marine propellers using the commercial CFD software StarCCM+ and validation of the CFD solvers against existing laboratory and field acoustic data.

Requirements

• MASc/MSc (for PhD) or PhD (for Post-doc) degree in a relevant area of engineering.
• Strong background in fluid mechanics and CFD.
• Ideally, knowledge of OpenFOAM, StarCCM+ and experience with experimental techniques (quantitative flow visualization, acoustic measurements and signal processing).
• Strong communication abilities in English (writing, conversational, presentation).
• Ability to work effectively in a diverse team.

The Fluids Research Laboratory, IESVic and the larger UVic communities are diverse and committed to upholding the values of equity, diversity and inclusion in our living, learning and work environments. Dr. Oshkai strongly encourages applications from underrepresented groups, including women, indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible minorities, persons of any sexual orientation or gender identity, and those persons experiencing barriers to equity.

Timeline

Positions are starting ASAP; applications accepted on a rolling basis.

How to apply

Interested candidates are invited to send an email to Dr. Oshkai at poshkai@uvic.ca with the subject

“URN position”. Please attach:

• A detailed CV.
• A one-page letter describing your relevant research experience and motivation.
• Names and contact details of two references.

Junior Research Engineer: Hydrodynamic Modelling and Wave Energy Technology R&D

Position details

Job Title: Junior Research Engineer - Hydrodynamic Modelling and Wave Energy Technology R&D
Job Location: University of Victoria, Victoria, BC
Salary/Wage: Negotiable dependent on qualifications and experience
Hours of work per week: Full-time (37.5 hrs./wk.)
Start Date: August/September 2022
Number of Positions: 1

Job description

The Pacific Regional Institute for Marine Energy Discovery (PRIMED), is a marine energy R&D hub hosted by the Institute for Integrated Energy Systems (IESVic) at the University of Victoria (UVic). PRIMED’s resources (staff, software, and facilities) were created between October 2017- March 2020 through a $1.45M grant from the former Western Economic Diversification (WED), now Pacific Economic Development Canada (PacifiCan). PRIMED’s mandate is to accelerate the development of the marine energy sector in Canada by filling in gaps in the knowledge base that supports private sector innovation, and by providing a technology-neutral perspective on the strategic and economic values of marine energy to communities in British Columbia. To fill these roles, PRIMED staff precisely define the energy characteristics in BC’s ocean winds, waves and tides using computational models and field measurements, and apply numerical simulation tools to assess how well technologies convert these resources into usable forms of energy.

PRIMED is a multidisciplinary research group involving UVIC faculty, postdoctoral researchers, graduate students and industry partners. A significant part of the group’s work involves engaging with early-stage Wave Energy Converter (WEC) developers and developing numerical models of WEC concepts. We are looking to recruit an individual who will work in this area. The role will involve providing engineering advisory services and modelling resources to clients in order to deliver support that will accelerate the development of their technologies.

The role is also expected to involve working closely with PRIMED’s wave energy resource assessment team. The individual may be asked to assist with fieldwork activities aimed at characterizing the wave energy resource.

Responsibilities

The applicant will:

• Play a leadership role in the numerical modelling of scaled WECs.
• Develop methodologies to characterise the performance of WEC devices and the associated mooring systems.
• Be responsible for maintenance of PRIMEDs existing WEC models, develop, and adapt these models to meet different project requirements.
• Collaborate across different engineering and science disciplines and work with other
  members of the PRIMED team to deliver project goals.
• Support fieldwork activities aimed at characterising the wave energy resource.

Required minimum qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in relevant engineering discipline (mechanical, civil, ocean, etc).
• Numerical modelling/simulation experience.
• Knowledge of hydrodynamic modelling of floating bodies.
• Familiar with the MATLAB environment. Competent reading and generating program scripts

Technical skills (not required but considered desirable)

• Proven knowledge of ocean waves and marine energy resource characteristics.
• Experience in wave structure interaction modelling. Example numerical codes include ProteusDS, WAMIT, NEMOH and OrcaFlex.
• Experience using MATLAB Simulink for modelling and simulation of electro-mechanical systems.
• Mechanical design experience utilizing Solidworks (or similar CAD package)

Personal skills

• Able to work independently in a non-structured environment. The candidate must be comfortable communicating with the rest of the WCWI team.
• Able to effectively engage with remotely locate

Contact and application

Interested candidates should email primed@uvic.ca with the subject PRIMED Research Positions, and attach:

• A detailed curriculum vitae
• A one-page cover letter describing your relevant (research) experience and motivation for the position
• Names and contact details for two references

Research Positions: The ReBuild Initiative

We are looking for applicants for Masters, PhD, post-doctoral and senior researcher positions who are a good fit for the ReBuild Initiative. We will match applicants to specific projects during the recruitment process - please list any specific interests when you apply.

Who we are

The ReBuild Initiative is an ecosystem of partner-driven research projects that focus on the decarbonization of Canada’s built environment. ReBuild aims to be a catalyst in the emerging retrofit economy by linking together commercial and community partners with passionate researchers.

ReBuild is run by the Energy in Cities research group at the University of Victoria. We works to cultivate passionate individuals who will become experts in the fields of building performance analysis and machine learning. Our goal is to develop the next generation of highly qualified professionals at the intersection of building performance and cutting-edge analytics.

Who you are

You are an individual who can work independently, while also working in a larger group towards our community partnership goals. You have the ability to adapt and overcome the hurdles and uncertainties that comes along with pursuing novel research. You see the potential, or would like to become a subject matter expert, of machine learning and AI to support the efforts in sustainability.

You are passionate about sustainability, building performance or machine learning and want to help Canada meet its climate goals.

Technical skills

• Relevant undergraduate or master’s degree (required). Examples include engineering, computer science, physics and technical aspects of architecture. If you believe you have a relevant background, you are encouraged to apply.
• Software development experience, with a strong preference for Python.
• Building energy modeling, with preference for EnergyPlus experience.
• Machine learning or statistical model development.
• Hands-on experience with building design, analysis or construction.

Non-technical skills

• Fluent in English (required)
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Publish research papers or authored technical reports

What we will provide you with

You will further your academic experience and qualifications, and position yourself at the forefront of changes within the Canadian retrofit economy. Positions are funded at a level comparable with NSERC scholarships, and top-up funding is available to those with scholarships. You will have exciting opportunities to apply your research to real-world problems in collaboration with industry and governmental partners.

The Energy in Cities group is located at the University of Victoria on the traditional territory of the lək̓ ʷəŋən peoples. Victoria is a hub for sustainability, high-tech industry and government, and is located among the beautiful landscapes of British Columbia.

Apply here.

Post Doctoral and Graduate Student Positions: Sustainable Energy Systems Integration and Transitions Group

Multi-scaled, multi-sector, and multi-vector energy systems modelling

The ongoing energy system transition, empowered by technology developments, fueled by shifting
investments, and motivated by decarbonization, is one of the 21st century’s most urgent tasks. However, current energy system models fail to deliver the holistic perspective required by decision-makers to navigate complex policy choices. Instead, energy system analyses are plagued by rigid model platforms and discretized researchers who focus on specific sectors, spatial-temporal scales, or energy vectors. This research project will pursue the development of an extensible and adaptable multi-scale, multisector, and multi-vector M3 Modelling Platform that links distinct but integrated modules to span spatial-temporal scales, the breadth of energy system services, and each energy carrier. To do so, we will employ novel computer science techniques, including multi-objective active learning, advanced visualizations, and parallelized computing. By applying machine learning and applied statistics, this research will transform our approach to energy systems modelling and accelerate decarbonization efforts.

The positions will be supervised by Dr. Madeleine McPherson, who leads the Sustainable Energy Systems Integration & Transitions Group. The successful applicant will also be affiliated with the multi-disciplinary Institute for Integrated Energy Systems (IESVic) at the University of Victoria.

Please click here for more details regarding the graduate student position.

Please click here for more details regarding the post-doctoral research position.

Research Opportunities

Highly qualified students are always encouraged to apply for graduate positions. Browse our site for faculty members and research projects that reflect your interests and background.

Contact an IESVic faculty member

Contact relevant faculty members. Attach your curriculum vitae (resume) and a list of undergraduate and, if applicable, graduate grades. This can be an unofficial listing compiled by you. Official transcripts will be required later.

Prepare a UVic graduate studies application

IESVic is a research institute and not an academic department or school – membership is voluntary and reflects the participation of individual faculty members.  This means that students interested in joining the institute must apply for admission to a program in one of UVic's Departments. For more information, see the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Departmental web pages.