Academic

Excel within grad school by accessing tools, strategies, and resources, beyond disciplinary knowledge and expertise that can help with timely completion of your program.

 Events

 Services

Title Description Provider
Writing Consultations

The Centre for Writing and Scholarly Communication supports a diverse community of writers at UBC, at various levels of proficiency, across many types of graduate student writing situations: academic, creative, professional, and technical. Consider booking a one-on-one appointment (in-person or written feedback) with a peer writing consultant to support your writing projects.  

Visit their website to learn more about hours, how to prepare for, and to book, a writing consultation.

Centre for Writing and Scholarly Communication
One-to-One Assistance

Consultations are available for Citation Management, NVivo, SPSS, R, Digital Scholarship, and GIS. Appointments are available in 30-minute or 1-hour increments. To request an appointment, please complete form.

Library Research Commons
Subject Librarian Consultation

Subject Librarians serve as the primary liaison between the Library and the academic departments on campus. They provide skilled reference assistance, manage the library's collections and provide instructional support to faculty.

UBC Library
The Monday Motivator

This weekly email provides positive energy and a productivity tip, with concrete and actionable steps to help with your week or semester.  Sign up when registering!

Register through UBC's subscription.

National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity
14-Day Writing Challenge

The 14-Day Challenge is an opportunity for you to experiment with daily writing, online community, and supportive accountability. Register for the site through UBC's subscription.  Upcoming sessions include:

Feb 26 - Mar 10, 2024.  Register by Feb 16.

It's very simple...

National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity
Free Statistics Consulting

The Statistical Opportunity for Students (SOS) program provides one hour of free statistical advice, based on a submitted project description, to any UBC graduate student.  Visit the SOS program page for full details. The SOS program is made possible through funding support from the Office of the Provost and Vice President, Research and Innovation.

Applied Statistics and Data Science Group
Drop-in Advising: Research Ethics

Looking for expert answers to your questions about your research ethics application? Staff from the Office of Research Ethics are available for consultations by phone or Zoom.

Email leah.meanwell@ubc.ca with a brief description of your query topic (and the Ethics ID, if applicable) and she will forward your request to the appropriate person

Office of Research Ethics
Grad Student Support Group

About the group

Are you a graduate student? Feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or challenged in balancing work and life? This in-person support group is for graduate students to connect with each other in a non-judgmental and welcoming space to help navigate the unique challenges of grad school.

Wellness Centre, Counselling Services

 Resources

Title Description Provider
Individual Development Plan, Sciences

My IDP is a unique, web-based career-planning tool tailored to meet the needs of PhD students and postdocs in the sciences.  This website was developed by AAAS/Science, the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), and experts from several universities (see authors on their site). 
Note: This website is not hosted in Canada, and your personal information may be stored or accessed outside of Canada.

UBC Career Centre, Graduate Pathways to Success
Individual Development Plan, Humanities and Social Sciences

ImaginePhD is a free online career exploration and planning tool for PhD students and postdoctoral scholars in the humanities and social sciences. The ImaginePhD project is powered by the Graduate Career Consortium (https://gradcareerconsortium.org/; GCC).
Note: This website is not hosted in Canada, and your personal information may be stored or accessed outside of Canada.

UBC Career Centre, Graduate Pathways to Success
Individual Development Plan, Health

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) has developed an online Individual Development Plan (IDP) and resources.  The IDP is a tool that supports graduate students and PDFs in actively preparing for the career(s) of their choice by exploring career paths, establishing career goals, and identifying skill gaps, culminating in an action plan to achieve their career goal(s).

UBC Career Centre, Graduate Pathways to Success
Statistics Webinar Series

This statistics webinar series is annually presented by the Applied Statistics and Data Science Group. Recordings and descriptions of each session are provided.

Applied Statistics and Data Science Group, Graduate Pathways to Success
Dissertation Success Curriculum

The 12-week Dissertation Success online, on-demand Program is designed for doctoral candidates who are focused on finishing their dissertation. Each module includes a recorded training video and resources.

Register with the University of British Columbia's subscription to the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity.

National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity
Understanding Stress

Tips, resources, and in-person support for managing stress

Wellness Centre
Annotated Research Articles

A series of 8 annotated research articles from across the disciplines (listed under "Academic Writing Resources" here) . The annotations point out standard features of research articles, while accounting for disciplinary difference. Technical vocabulary appears in blue italicized text with relevant definitions in floating text.

Centre for Writing and Scholarly Communication
Writing with Integrity

A short video in which Drs Susan Porter and Beth Haverkamp discuss the importance of writing with integrity (the importance of writing and contributing new knowledge and scholarship with integrity; avoiding plagiarism)

Centre for Writing and Scholarly Communication, Graduate Pathways to Success
Video Guides to Writing and Research

A series of videos to introduce students to the fundamentals of academic writing and research: “Writing in Situations”, An interview with Dr. Anthony Paré plus
5 videos (“The Writing Process”, “The Prewriting Stage”, “The Writing Stage”, “The Revision Stage”, and “Managing Time to Write”) featuring conversations with 4 graduate students from Chemistry, Civil Engineering, English Literature, and Linguistics.  (Playlist)

Centre for Writing and Scholarly Communication, Graduate Pathways to Success
Science Writing Resources

Study guides, videos, and quizzes to help with Communicating Science, Finding, Integrating, and Citing Sources, Grammar and Style, Developing an Effective Writing Process, and more.  There are also resources, including podcasts, that provide strategies for teaching writing, grading assignments, using peer review, giving feedback, and more.

Science Writing Resources for Learning (ScWRL)
Scholarships and awards_Presentation materials

Applying for graduate scholarships or awards? Past presentation materials and webinar recordings provide you with guidance.  You may also find the tips and best practices helpful.

Graduate Pathways to Success
Good Clinical Research Practice Courses, Online

Available online, on-demand are courses on Good Clinical Practice, Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR), Biomedical Research Ethics, Social and Behavioral Research, Transportation of Dangerous Goods TDG/IATA, Health Canada Division 5 - Drugs For Clinical Trials Involving Human Subjects, and CITI Canada Privacy.  These are available through a UBC subscription and are free to UBC students, staff, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty.

N2 Network of Networks
Planning for your Doctoral Exam

To help prepare you for a smooth examination process, the doctoral exams team provides tools and resources including a checklist, sample workplan, and past presentation materials and recordings to help you map out a timeline for your final doctoral examination.

Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Graduate Pathways to Success
Thesis Preparation and Submission

Finishing your thesis or dissertation?  G+PS provides sample templates, checklists, past presentation materials and recordings, as well as information on how to submit your thesis for review and final submission.

Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Graduate Pathways to Success
Bookable Project Rooms: Koerner Library Research Commons

The Research Commons’ in Koerner Library (1958 Main Mall) has several project rooms, bookable through the Library Room Booking System.   Groups of two or more UBC graduate students, faculty, or librarians can book these Project Rooms (Rm 454, 456, 496, 499, 553, and 555) in Koerner Library for research-related work.  Each Project Room includes whiteboards, touchscreen control an

Library Research Commons, UBC Library
Pivoting to Online Teaching, Webinar Recording and Resources

In this webinar Sara Schley, PhD, walks you through a practical framework for moving your course online quickly.

National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity
WriteNow, online supportive writing community

This program ($245US), exclusively for graduate students and postdocs, offers 12 weeks (next session, May 15 - Aug 6, 2023) of access to the WriteNow platform and timer for increased writing productivity, goal setting, and community support.

Register through UBC's subscription.  Registration closes Apr 28 (save $50 before Apr 18)

What to expect:

Every Day (Monday - Friday):

National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity
Bookable Study Space_Irving K Barber Learning Centre

The UBC Library is providing bookable study space in the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre Monday through Saturday. This space will include access to desktop computers, printing and scanning and be organized to ensure safe physical distancing at all times.

UBC Library
Responsible Conduct of Research Course

Available online, on-demand the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) course discusses many academic and scholarly integrity topics including:

N2 Network of Networks
Open Education Resources, Workshop Materials

Check out this page for handouts and materials from sessions on citation management, Data Analysis and Management, Literature Reviews, NVivo, R, GitHub, GIS, Dissertation/Thesis Formatting, Copyright, and more.

Library Research Commons

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