Current Graduate Students

Named after Canadian Nobel Laureate and former department member Dr Michael Smith, this is a provincially funded agency for the Health Sciences. Only students in BC universities can apply for these awards. Historically our students have been very successful in this competition. It is unique as it can be held (at a reduced level) in conjunction with another scholarship. The agency also provides an additional $5,000 research allowance. Find Out More

Also known as NSERC this is a federally funded award agency and it provides most of the scholarships held by our students. Award levels range from $27,000 per year to $40,000 per year for the top ranked master and doctoral students. Successful applications are adjudicated over three levels: the department, university, and national levels. Open to Canadian citizens and permanent resident of Canada.
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Also known as CIHR this is the second federally funded scholarship. Collectively NSERC, CIHR, and SSHRC (social sciences) are known as the Tri-agencies. Although more NSERC opportunities are available, several of our students hold either an NSERC or CIHR award. CIHR awards start off at $27,000 for masters students and go up to $40,000 for the strongest doctoral recipients. Open to Canadian citizens and permanent resident of Canada.
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Valued at $50,000 per year the Vanier Program aims to attract and retain world-class doctoral students. Awards can be held for two or three years and the competition is open to both domestic and international students. The Vaniers are administered by the three federal funding agencies: the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). Open to Canadian, permanent resident and international students
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This is UBC’s graduate funding. This is an umbrella term for a collection of awards which are supported by government and university funds as well as private donors. Funding values range from $175 per year up to $40,000 per year but most are in the $16,000 range. The Killam Award valued at $40,000 is the most prestigious, which may be held for 2 years. Anyone who applies for a NSERC or CIHR at either the masters or doctoral level are automatically considered for this fellowship. International students, who do not qualify to apply for NSERC and CIHR will apply directly to the Affiliated Fellowship competition. This competition will always run in concert to the NSERC and CIHR deadlines. Open to Canadian, permanent resident and international students.
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The province of British Columbia has funded BC Graduate Scholarships (BCGS) in any field of study, with emphasis on research in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, and support for Indigenous students. We have one scholarships of $17,500/year to be awarded to an incoming graduate student starting September 2025.

BCGS recipients must meet the following eligibility criteria:
• Registered as a full-time student in a UBC graduate program throughout the funding period
• Canadian citizens and Permanent Residents

Graduate students are eligible to receive the Graduate Student Travel and Research Dissemination Fund once per degree program. This is a $500 value per graduate student to attend conferences.

Each year we hire graduate students to help our lecturers teach our undergraduate courses. These posts are open to all admitted students and are advertised via the careers section on the department website and by email. Posts are usually advertised during the spring and summer for the following academic year. We also hire students on an adhoc basis to provide extra help during exam periods.

The Faculty of Medicine has a number of funding opportunities, which are supported by private donors. Awards are generally based around particular research areas and are worth up to $24,000 per year. Find Out More

This is a departmental award which was created in honour of Dr Sidney Zbarsky, one of our founding members. When he retired his friends and colleagues generously donated enough money to create an annual prize. The award value this year is $3,600. The  award  is given to a third year doctoral candidate who gives the best presentation in the BIOC 530 seminar class, as voted on by their fellow students. Open to doctoral students in Biochemistry.

This is another yearly departmental award which was endowed in memory of Marianne Huyer by Dr. Michael Smith. Marianne was a PhD student in his lab who was tragically killed in a traffic accident in 1996. This $1,450 prize is given to the biochemistry student who submits the best PhD thesis. Nominations are made by the thesis supervisors and the graduate committee decides on an overall winner. Open to doctoral students in Biochemistry.

We offer up to 7 awards of $500 each for grads and postdocs to help pay expenses incurred for presenting at conferences. Competition will be announced in October with a November application deadline.

The David Hoar and Noreen Rudd Scholarship is to recognize trainees in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at UBC. Scholarships totalling $2,000 have been made available through an endowment established by David Hoar (BSc 1966, PhD) and Noreen Rudd (MD 1965) for outstanding undergraduate and graduate First Nations, Inuit and Metis students of Canada in the Department of Biochemistry. Preference will be given to students from areas in British Columbia outside of the Lower Mainland and Greater Victoria. David is a geneticist and molecular biologist. He served on the Board of Directors and the Vancouver Aquarium. In 1988, he became the first person to testify in a Canadian court about DNA evidence. Noreen is a pediatrician and medical geneticist. She played a key role in the development of prenatal testing in Canada, and was a founding member of the Canadian College of Medical Geneticists. The scholarships are made on the recommendation of the Department of Biochemistry, and in the case of a graduate student, in consultation with the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

PhD, Masters and undergraduate students in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology are all encouraged to apply for the David Hoar and Noreen Rudd Scholarship. To apply, send your CV, (2 page maximum) and a summary describing your connection to your First Nation, Inuit or Metis community, (250 words maximum) to doris.metcalf@ubc.ca. New extended deadline is November 1, 2024 at 5 pm PST. Please include your student number in your CV.  If a suitable candidate is not identified, no candidate will be nominated for the award.  For more information, please contact Dr. Thibault Mayor, mayor@mail.ubc.ca

A full list of courses and TA responsibilities available through the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology is available here.

The Graduate Program Coordinator (Doris Metcalf) will notify students of available TA’ships in late March or early April. An email will also be sent to incoming PhD students.

Upon completion of the minimum TA requirement, students can accept additional TA opportunities provided there are agreements from their supervisors.

The performances of TA’s are evaluated by the course coordinator, and the evaluations become a part of the student’s files.  Evaluations are available for viewing through the Graduate Program Coordinator.

As part of the TA responsibilities, all TA’s will be called upon to invigilate at least one final exam during the exam period of a term in which they are performing TA duties. You may invigilate either the course you are currently a TA for or you may ask to TA an alternate course.

We highly encourage students to sign up for available workshops on how to teach. Below are several links to available opportunities:

• Graduate Peer Review of Presentations
• Centre for Teaching, Learning, and Technology
• Instructional Skills Workshop (ISW)
• TA Training Program, CTLT
• Biology Teaching Assistant Program
• Graduate Peer Review of Teaching

Your committee should consist of:

• Usually the supervisor is a BMB professor or an Associate Member at UBC. If your supervisor is not a member of UBC you must seek the permission of the Dean of Graduate and Post Doctoral Studies. If approved the majority of the supervisory committee members must be from UBC
• A minimum of three members: your research supervisor (Chair) and at least two additional faculty members who are familiar with your research topic.
• At least one member of the committee other than the supervisor must be a full member of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
• All members must be at least Assistant Professors and ideally be members of the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

Regular meetings of a student with his/her advisory committee can provide valuable feedback. Moreover, this process can identify and resolve small problems before they become large ones. With this in mind, hold at least one formal committee meeting per calendar year (see Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies regulations). Similarly, the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies will require an Annual Progress Report in order to release the awards of multi-year awards for NSERC, CIHR and 4YF studentships. Students are permitted to have more than one meeting per year if they wish.

Students are responsible for scheduling the meeting with the supervisory committee and, if needed can request the Graduate Program Coordinator to book a LSC room. Provide information regarding the number of people attending, date(s) and time(s). Professors are very busy, students should start meeting plans at least two months ahead, as it may be difficult to find a mutual time.

Present each committee member with an Annual Report that includes a summary of activities and a short (e.g. 3-5 pages) written description of the project and research plan. – Guidelines for preparation of BMB Graduate Student Annual Report.

Prepare a 15-20 minute oral presentation to present background, main project goals, and recent progress. The student is encouraged to include a slide at the beginning to summarize their main activities since the last meeting (similar to the student annual report). To end their presentation, the student should share a proposed timeline for the completion of their degree. The presentation will typically be interrupted by questions or comments and can often take up to 90 minutes (e.g., schedule a two-hour meeting).

The main focus of the presentation is to showcase the recent research work and future directions. The results should be typically presented in a well annotated format (i.e., molecular weight markers, scale bars, p-values should be present). In some cases, the student can present negative results, especially if they want additional feedback or to provide some additional rationale for a new proposed approach. Students can also discuss significant delays or challenges they may have encountered to provide more context to their progress.

During the meeting, the Committee will provide feedback on the presented results and suggestions for future work. In some instances, the Committee will also examine in more detail the presented results to ensure the work is up to the field’s standards. Toward the end of the meeting, the supervisor, also acting as the meeting chair, will provide a summary of the discussion and ensure the student receives feedback on their proposed timeline, their presentation/report, and additional advice/recommendations for further training and literature.

During the first committee meeting, it is recommended to also discuss in more detail undergraduate and/or previous graduate background, course progress, professional objectives, and development opportunities in the context of research objectives and goals. Students in the Master’s program intending to transfer to the PhD stream should provide an overview of their future thesis project (e.g., three main project goals and proposed approaches), which should ideally be presented in their second committee meeting in the Fall. Students requesting authorization to write their thesis should provide a more general overview of all the work done. In this case, students are also encouraged to prepare a tentative table of contents of their thesis in a separate document, which can then be shared with the Committee.

The meeting should preferably be done in person, but in some cases, one of the Committee members may also attend remotely. The student and the supervisor should organize the Zoom meeting.

The supervisor, in consultation with the student and committee will complete a committee meeting report (MSc or PhD) to record your progress and make recommendations as appropriate. Provide a copy of this report to the Graduate Program Coordinator in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

PhD students are granted a maximum of 6 years and MSc’s are given 5 years of eligibility.  Beyond these limits, students will require an extension to continue. To support an extension request, we will require students to have submitted a formal committee meeting within the last 3 months. This is to ensure that students are receiving appropriate guidance from their committee and that a completion plan is in place. If a student requires additional extension(s), a committee meeting will need to be organized every 6 months (prior to each extension request). Students must be registered and be paying tuition to graduate.

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• Register for your thesis course (BIOC 549, section 001). In the Summer Session register in BIOC 549, section 941.
• The total credits for completion is 30 credits and BIOC 549 counts for 18 credits.
• The Graduate Coordinator will register you in 2 mandatory Biochemistry courses: BIOC 530 (3 credits) and BIOC 551 (3 credits)
• As part of the BIOC 530 course requirements you attend the BMB seminars and write a brief description of each presentation. To be submitted to Grad Program Coordinator at the end of each term.
• Your first research presentation for BIOC 530 will be schedule in Term 2.
• Take the appropriate lab safety courses. You will obtain room and building access only after safety courses are completed.
• Take Responsible Conduct of Research Course, RCR offered by Faculty of Medicine, usually offered 3 times per academic year.
• Students who wish to complete a masters degree must complete 12 credits of courses in their first two years.
• Discuss course selection with your thesis supervisor. You may take non-Biochemistry courses, if the course complements your research.
• A maximum of 6 credits of senior undergraduate courses, numbering from 300 to 499, may be counted toward the 12 credits requirement for a master’s degree.
• By mid December your should have chosen your supervisory committee and have scheduled your first meeting.

• Register for your thesis course (BIOC 549, section 001). In the Summer Session register in BIOC 549, section 941.
• Register for any additional required courses.
• The Graduate Coordinator will register you in the 2nd year of BIOC 530. You are registered in 3 terms and you attend classes for 4 terms.
• During the first term you will present a second seminar in the 530 class.
• At the end of the term 2, by May, you will be given a mark for completing BIOC 530
• Meet with your supervisory committee by December 1st to receive their approval to continue with your research

• Register for your thesis course every year, twice per year – Winter Session: September to April (BIOC 549, section 001) and Summer Session: May to August (BIOC 549, section 941).
• If you are in your last term, check with the Graduate Coordinator for registration in the appropriate thesis section.
• You must maintain continuous registration and pay fees for each year or term, as required to maintain full-time graduate student status.
• Gaps in your registration and payment records may be interpreted by the Faculty of Graduate Studies as interruptions in your program and they may alter your award payments accordingly.
• Continue to attend all BIOC 530 seminars and BMBDG Seminars
• Meet with your supervisory committee at least once a year and submit an annual progress report.
• Write up and defend your thesis

• Register for your thesis course twice per year – Winter Session: September to April (BIOC 649, section 001) and Summer Session May to August (BIOC 649, section 941).
• You do not need to register for the BIOC 530 seminar but you should attend each class and make a presentation in year 1 and year 2.
• You will be eligible to compete for the Zbarsky Prize which is awarded to a doctoral student in their third year of graduate studies who gives the best 530 presentation.
• You are not required to take any additional courses.
• However you can take classes in consultation with your supervisor, committee and Graduate Advisor to fill in any deficiencies in your background, to enhance your knowledge base in selected areas of specialization, and in preparation for the comprehensive exam.
• Take the appropriate lab safety courses and the FOM Responsible Conduct of Research Course, RCR, if you have not taken the course during your MSc, note offered 3 times per academic year.
• By mid December of your first year you should have chosen your supervisory committee and scheduled your first meeting
• Sit the Comprehensive Exam by the end of your second year.  These exams are usually scheduled in March and April.

• Again register for your thesis course twice per year – Winter Session: September to April (BIOC 649, section 001) and Summer Session: May to August (BIOC 649, section 941). If you are in your final or graduating year, check with the Graduate Coordinator on registration in the appropriate section number.
• You must maintain continuous registration and pay fees for each year as a graduate student.
• Gaps in your registration and payment records may be interpreted by G+PS as interruptions in your program and they may alter your award payments accordingly.
• Attend all BIOC 530 seminars and present one seminar as a PhD Exit Seminar, when you have your PhD doctoral exam scheduled.
• Meet with your supervisory committee formally at least once a year and submit an annual progress report.

• PhD students are granted a maximum of 6 years of eligibility.  Beyond these limits, students will require an extension to continue. To support an extension request, we will require students to have submitted a formal committee meeting within the last 3 months. This is to ensure that students are receiving appropriate guidance from their committee and that a completion plan is in place. If a student requires additional extension(s), a committee meeting will need to be organized every 6 months (prior to each extension request). Students must be registered and be paying tuition to graduate.

• Register for your thesis course (BIOC 549 for MSc).
• After consulting with your supervisor decide on which courses to take.
• Appropriate courses should be taken to fill in any deficiencies in the your background, to enhance your knowledge base in selected areas of specialization, and in preparation for the Comprehensive Exam.
• Register for your courses.
• Students planning to transfer to PhD should complete 12 credits by April of the 2nd year. This is around the same time as the Comprehensive Exam.
• The Graduate Coordinator will register you in the BIOC 530 seminar course (3 credits).
• Take the appropriate lab safety courses.
• By mid December your should have chosen your supervisory committee and scheduled your first meeting

• Register for your thesis course
• Students attend 4 terms of BIOC 530 and are registered for 3 terms. After the 2nd presentation, you will receive a grade
• The Graduate Coordinator will register you in the BIOC 530
• Formally meet with your supervisory committee at least once a year
• Complete your 12 credits with at least a 80% average and with at least nine credits at the 500 level
• Sit the Comprehensive Exam before the end of your second year (usually in March and April)
• if you pass the comprehensive exam you will be transferred into the PhD program
• If you do not pass the comprehensive exam you will be given the opportunity to complete the MSc degree.

• Register for your thesis course twice per year both Winter Session: September to April (BIOC 649 section 001) and Summer Session: May to August (BIOC 649 section: 941).  Note: if you are in your graduating year, check with the Graduate Coordinator for registration in the appropriate section, as you may require a different section number.
• You must maintain continuous registration and pay fees for each year as a graduate student. Gaps in your registration and payment records may be interpreted by the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies as interruptions in your program and they will alter your award payments accordingly.
• Attend all BIOC 530 seminars even after you received a grade.

Under UBC’s rules and regulations all PhD students must advance to candidacy within 36 months of starting the doctoral program. Advancing to candidacy simply means you have been judged to be making satisfactory progress in the doctoral program. It will also mean your research proposal has been approved by your supervisory committee. In order to be admitted to candidacy students with a previous masters degree must:

• Sit and pass the comprehensive examination within 24 months of starting the PhD program
• Gain their supervisory committee’s approval for their thesis proposal.

If you are a masters student with only an undergraduate degree you must:

• Complete 12 credit courses with an overall first class average
• A minimum of nine credits must be at the 500 level or above and at least nine credits must be at 80% or above
• Sit and pass the comprehensive examination within 24 months of starting the MSc program
• Gain your supervisory committee’s approval for your thesis proposal.

In the Biochemistry department advancing to candidacy and passing the comprehensive exam occurs at the same time. So students are normally advanced to candidacy in May of their second year, after they have passed the comprehensive exam and their grades are entered.

Comprehensive Exam Guidelines 2024-2025

Comprehensive Exam Forms 2024W

Comprehensive Exam Checklist for Students 2024W

The comprehensive exam is designed to test your knowledge and understanding of standard concepts in Biochemistry. You also need to demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of your chosen research topic. All doctoral students and MSc students who want to transfer to the PhD program must sit the exam. In both cases exams are normally held in March and April during your second year. The basic process is as follows:

• To initiate the exam process, before Dec 15 obtain your Supervisory Committee’s approval to sit the exam
• Obtain your exam topics from committee
• Potential external examiners will be recommended by your supervisory committee
• Submit your research proposal to committee members
• Obtain approval for your research proposal
• Obtain topics from your external examiner
• Sit the exam
• If you pass, Advancement to Candidacy will be noted on official transcripts
• MSc grads will transferred to the PhD, effective May 1

Unlike the doctoral final oral exams, a master’s defence is conducted according to departmental guidelines. However you must follow UBC’s standard layout and advice when writing your thesis.

Checklist and Guidelines

The Faculty of Graduate Studies oversees Doctoral Oral Exams and sets the rules for thesis preparation and submission. However there are a few departmental rules and resources you should bear in mind:

• Provide your supervisor and supervisory committee with a draft of your thesis for approval and make any recommended corrections before submitting it to your external examiner
• Have a PhD Exit Seminar, which is part of the BMBDG Seminar series. You present your research to the Department as part of the BIOC_V 530. This is scheduled either before or after your Doctoral exam.
• The Graduate Secretary can help you obtain the Graduate Advisor’s signature for the necessary forms