FishPeoplePlace Lab is recruiting a fully funded interdisciplinary PhD student to study barriers to new/young entrants to Great Lakes commercial fisheries.

Need | The FishPeoplePlace lab is seeking to recruit a highly qualified and collegial PhD student interested in working on a multi and transdisciplinary project that will investigate barriers to entry for new/young entrants to Great Lakes commercial fisheries. The successful applicant will join the Marine Affairs Program community in the Faculty of Science at Dalhousie University via its Interdisciplinary PhD (IDPhD) program, and work in partnership with commercial fishery stakeholders in the Great Lakes region. This position is being hired by Dr. Hannah Harrison and Dr. Wilf Swartz.

Rationale | In 2021, the Ontario Commercial Fisheries’ Association conducted a survey of their membership that identified a lack of new/young entrants into Great Lake commercial fisheries (GLCF). Similar concerns have been identified on the prohibitive cost of GLCF quota and aging of current harvester demographics. These findings reflect similar trends in commercial fisheries elsewhere in North America, where barriers to entry are contributing to lack of generational succession. These barriers include costs, as well as lack of training, licensure opportunities, etc. In response, some fleets are experimenting with innovative initiatives to assist new/young entrants, such as captain training programs or young fisherman’s initiatives. These lessons of barriers and pathways to entry are yet unexplored in the Canadian Great Lakes context, leaving GLCF vulnerable to their impacts. This is problematic to the future of these fisheries, which require the maintenance of current participation to sustain regional fisheries food systems, economic efficiency, resilience to shocks through maintaining fleet size, diversity, and geography, and fishing community benefit through participation. This fully funded project will evaluate barriers to entry for new/young entrants, determine the nature and extent of Great Lakes quota consolidation, and identify potential innovative pathways that fit existing fisheries policy for Canadian Great Lakes fisheries.

Qualifications | The ideal PhD candidate will have a master’s degree and professional experience in biology, ecology, fisheries management, fisheries science, environmental science, or related disciplines. Interdisciplinary and non-traditional backgrounds are welcome and will be evaluated for their fit to this position on a case-by-case basis. Candidates should have:
(i) the ability to work in a multidisciplinary environment that values multiple ways of knowing;
(ii) strong written and oral communication skills;
(iii) experience in natural resource management, fisheries or labour economics, human geography or ecology, or related disciplines, and;
(iv) an attitude of respect and collegiality toward fellow lab members and community partners. 

Desired skills include experience conducting applied econometrics or similar statistical methods, qualitative research skills, and respectful community engagement experience. Portuguese language skills are considered an asset. A strong candidate will also have a demonstrated ability to work as a constructive and positive member of a team and independently. We are particularly interested in the recruitment of underrepresented groups and will work with candidates to ensure their program of study and supervisory committee is supportive of their personal and professional backgrounds and current needs. We encourage you to apply even if you do not meet 100% of the requirements listed here, especially if your experience is similar or related to these qualities.

Compensation | This project is fully funded by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. A PhD stipend of $40k per annum, with a 4% raise per year, will be guaranteed for four years. All costs associated with fieldwork, working materials (i.e., laptop, etc.), and funding to present research at one conference is provided.

Working environment | The successful candidate will sit within the Marine Affairs Program (MAP) at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia and be part of the FishPeoplePlace (FPP) lab working with Dr. Hannah Harrison, Dr. Wilf Swartz, and partners. The FPP lab and MAP value collegiality, respect, and contributing to a supportive community of scholarly practice. Marine Affairs has strengths in social science, economics, community-engaged research, and qualitative methods, and supports student’s professional development through training, community-based learning, teaching, and peer-to-peer support. Students with non-traditional backgrounds to academia (e.g., first generational scholars, Indigenous and People of Color, queer scholars, etc.) are especially welcomed.

To apply | Interested applicants should send a CV, unofficial transcripts, and cover letter (2 page max) that describes your qualifications and relevant experience to Hannah Harrison (Hannah.harrison@dal.ca). Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, starting immediately, until the appropriate applicant is found. Deadline for applications is March 31st, 2025.  Short listed candidates should expect to conduct an approximately 1-hour virtual interview with the hiring team sometime in April. To accept this position, the selected candidate will commit to apply to Dalhousie University’s IDPhD program in time for a January 2026 start. Interested candidates are strongly encouraged to review the IDPhD program admission requirements when applying to this position.  Read more about the FishPeoplePlace Lab and supervisor’s approach to working with students at www.hannahharrison.ca .

If you are a prospective student who would like to work with the FishPeoplePlace Lab and your research interests align either in topic, field, or methodology with work we are currently doing, we welcome you to reach out. Before you do, though, please read the following Student FAQs and the Lab FAQs!

Student FAQs

  1. I want to work with the FPP lab as a student. What should I do to prepare?

    A good first step is to read through this website thoroughly. Ask yourself: would this lab and supervisor be a good fit to me and my learning interests? Am I interested in working with coastal communities? Do I know what degree program would be a good fit for me? What is my desired timeline for applying and starting my program?

    It’s also a good idea to read through a few of a potential supervisor’s publications. You can find Dr. Harrison’s publications on Google Scholar. Ask yourself: are these topics, methods, or ways of working interesting to me?

  2. What should I say in my initial email?

    The best way to write a first email to a potential supervisor is to be concise, clear, and personalize your email to the recipient. Make sure to familiarize yourself with the program a supervisor actually works and teaches in. Importantly, AVOID using ChatGPT or other generative AI to write your email for you. AI tools are great for polishing your writing, but should not be used to generate the text itself.

    In your initial email to Dr. Harrison, please include a brief description of your research interests and proposed project. Make sure to include the research questions you are interested in asking, and how they relate to existing work, methods, or values in the lab. You should also include a brief plan detailing how you will pursue funding to support your studies, or how your interests match with current funding opportunities. Finally, make sure to include details about what program of study you are interested in (PhD, MMM, etc.).

  3. What else should I include?

    Your CV (as a PDF)

    Your unofficial transcripts from your most recent degree (as a PDF)

    Please note that in North American CVs or Resumes, photos of the applicant are normally not included.

  4. Where is the lab/Dr. Harrison located?

    The FishPeoplePlace Lab is located at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is a good idea to do some research into the costs, climate, and culture of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Canada more broadly if you are moving here from somewhere else. The Maritime winter is not everyone’s cup of tea! It is also a good idea to read about Dalhousie University and the programs you wish to apply to.