STAGE British Columbia

Work alongside leading researchers, gain hands-on experience, and build the skills to tackle big questions in genetics and health. You’ll focus your training one or more of the following exciting areas:

• Bioinformatics and Computational Biology – Build tools and methods to explore massive biological datasets.
• Biostatistics – Turn complex biological data into clear, reliable insights on health and disease.
• Biomedical Genetics – Explore how genetic variation influences health and disease,
• Ecological and Population Genomics – Study genetic diversity across populations, environments, and species.
• Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology – Learn how genes and environment work together to shape disease risk.
• Genomics in Underserved Populations – Promote equity by studying genetic diversity in underrepresented groups.
• Integrative Functional Genomics – Combine multiple “omics” datasets to reveal how genes work together.
• Machine Learning – Use powerful algorithms to find patterns in genetic and health data.
• Statistical Genetics – Uncover meaning in genomic data from families and populations.
• Translational ‘Omics - Use molecular tools to uncover factors shaping health and guide new disease treatments.

• Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology
• Epigenetics, Functional Genomics, and Multi-omic Integration
• Biostatistics and Analysis of High-dimensional Omic Data
• Population, Evolutionary, and Ecological Genomics
• Statistical and Machine Learning Methods in Genomics
• Genomics in Underserved Populations

Successful applicants will receive an enriched training experience, including the following opportunities:

• A research allowance of up to $5,000.
• Mentoring by an internationally renowned expert.
• Networking at the local, national and international levels.
• An enhanced curriculum including a monthly BC Node Journal Club and International Speaker Seminar Series integrated with the National network.

The STAGE Research Themes are available here.

Candidates are responsible for selecting, contacting, and securing the commitment of at least two STAGE mentors to jointly supervise them in their project, one of whom will be referred to as their “Primary STAGE mentor” and will communicate with STAGE BC.

The Primary STAGE mentor must confirm in writing their commitment to supervise the candidate’s STAGE-related research and to meet with the candidate and co-mentor(s) at least four times per year. Although candidates must secure these commitments at the application stage, obtaining them does not guarantee admission to STAGE BC.

STAGE BC emphasizes interdisciplinary representation among the mentors, so please ensure that your mentors have complementary research interests and expertise, and justify your choices in your one-page document on the inter- and cross-disciplinary aspects of your proposal.

• PhD Students: Two-years or until the completion of their PhD program, whichever comes first.

STAGE BC will offer admission to successful applicants at the following stage of their training and education:

• Full-time Ph.D. students enrolled in a doctoral program with demonstrated statistical and computational training.

Candidates must demonstrate exceptional academic performance and fulfill all requirements, as indicated in the table below.

^1. Accepted Ph.D. students must meet the academic requirements of their doctoral program and STAGE, and must remain full-time students throughout their participation in the program.

Candidates must assemble all of the following documents and upload* them to the application form.

Only the primary mentor’s letter is to be completed and submitted online by the mentor. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure that their application is complete and submitted online by the competition deadline.

*Candidates do not need to send in hard copies of their supporting documents.

1. Summary of Proposed Research Project

• Length. Two letter-size pages. 2.54 cm (1 inch) margin around the page. 12-point Times New Roman, black font. Single-spaced. No condensed type or spacing. Single PDF file.
• Content. Using the following headings, describe the proposed research in enough detail to allow informed assessment by the admissions committee members. This summary should be written in general scientific language.
• Proposed research background. Present, concisely, your project’s general objective and its specific aims. Include the scientific background, significance, originality, and anticipated contribution to the knowledge of the project; in other words, state what is the research problem, why this is an important research question, and why you are undertaking this project to address it.
• Methodology. Describe and justify, for each of your project’s specific aims, your choice of specific instruments, strategies, key activities, expected outcomes, and timelines, including, for example, methodological approaches and procedures for data collection. For a statistical research project, for example, provide an outline of the proposed theoretical and computational approaches and any specific techniques required to develop and evaluate proposed new analytic methods, including critical features in the design of simulation studies and in the application of the methods to available or anticipated study data. In other words, state why your proposed methodology is ideal to achieve each of your project’s specific aims.
• Candidate. Describe your role in the project and how it will prepare you for career goals in the fields of genetic epidemiology or statistical genetics. Explain the relationship and relevance of the proposed research to your long-term research goals. Describe how the proposed project relates to experiences and insights gained from earlier research experience.
• References. If you'd like to include references with your application, please add them as separate pages to the Proposed Research Project section. This won't count toward the one-page limit for that section.

2. Inter- and cross-disciplinary nature of proposed research project

• Length: Half letter-size page. 2.54 cm (1 inch) margin around the page. 12-point Times New Roman, black font. Single-spaced. No condensed type or spacing. Single PDF file.
• Please tell us how your proposed research and STAGE training will draw upon multiple disciplines. Specifically, describe how you will bring together approaches, insights, or techniques from your mentors or from key fields that feed into molecular epidemiology and statistical -omics. We encourage you to be as specific as possible—for example, will you be combining methods from public health, genetics, biostatistics, computational biology, or other areas?
• Highlight how this interdisciplinary approach will enrich your research and contribute to your professional growth. If possible, share how collaborating across disciplines has influenced your perspective so far, and explain how these experiences will benefit your future career in science and research.
• If there are unique opportunities, resources, or mentor expertise at STAGE that make your project particularly cross-disciplinary, please mention these as well.

3. PDF of up-to-date Canadian Common CV (CIHR Biosketch CV) or the newest Tri-agency CV.

• Single PDF file.
• To generate the required Biosketch CV you will need to register with the Common CV Network and request a CIHR PIN. PIN requests are processed during regular business hours (7:00 am to 5:00 pm) Monday to Friday. One working day is typically required to process PIN requests. However, longer processing times may be required during peak periods of operation. We strongly recommend if you are unfamiliar with the Canadian Common CV that you read the instructions posted here.

4. Letter from the Primary STAGE Mentor

• A brief letter from the candidate’s Primary STAGE Mentor confirming their support for the application. The letter should state the mentor’s agreement to supervise and collaborate with the candidate on the proposed research project, describe their planned approach to mentorship, and outline how this experience will contribute to the candidate’s professional growth and future career success. A link will be emailed to the Primary Mentor from the online application portal.

5. Graduate and undergraduate transcripts.

Electronic copies for all transcripts are acceptable. Single PDF file.

Upon receipt of the application, an acknowledgment of receipt will be emailed to the applicant.

Esther Berzunza, Program Manager, CANSSI Ontario
Email: esther.berzunza@utoronto.ca