Postdoctoral Fellows​

 

There are a number of funding opportunities for post-doctoral fellows, including the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships,  Healthy Brains for Healthy Lives fellowships, Fonds de recherche Sante, and CIHR. Please contact Dr. Weinberg if you're interested in applying for one of these funding mechanisms!

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Undergraduate Research Students & Volunteers ​

 

 ***Please note: We are no longer recruiting project students or volunteers for the Fall 2024 - Winter 2025 year***

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*** NEW ***

The McGill Psychology department is now offering course credit for lab volunteers. 

PSYC 349: Psychology Research Experience is a 3-credit, 2-semester course intended to give students credit for

volunteer-type lab experiences. Learn more here.

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​Thank you for your interest in joining our lab! Detailed information about our RA and research student positions are noted in here: TRAC Lab 2024-2025 Application Form. Please note that we do not accept students for one semester projects or non-psych research courses and we require a two-term commitment. To apply, please email us your C.V., unofficial transcript, and completed TRAC Lab Application Form to traclabcoordinator@gmail.com with the subject line: “TRAC LAB Application.” If you are a good fit, you will be contacted for an interview.

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​​​Graduate Students

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 ***Dr. Weinberg is likely recruiting at least one graduate student to begin in the Fall of 2025***

Dr. Weinberg is able to mentor both experimental and clinical students. Interested applicants should consult the psychology graduate program at McGill University for further information about admission requirements and deadlines. Please note that, because I cannot equitably accommodate the number of requests for meetings with potential applicants, I do not meet with applicants outside our program’s formal interview process. Students are also encouraged to apply for external funding (e.g., SSHRC, CIHR, NSERC, FQRSC, FRSQ, FRQNT). See below for more information about applying to graduate school with Dr. Weinberg and at McGill: 

 

​FAQs: Applying to join the TRAC Lab as a PhD student in Clinical Psychology (with thanks to Drs. Anna Lau and Jessica Schleider for their FAQs)

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Why did you make this document?

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The clinical psychology PhD application process is an uneven playing field. Applicants without access to strong mentors, or without professional connections, may have less access to the information provided here. By sharing this FAQ document, I hope to help “level the playing field” across applicants to our lab.

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Please note that all responses in this document reflect Dr. Weinberg's views and not those of McGill or other faculty in our clinical psychology program.

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How do I know if I am a “good fit” for the TRAC Lab?

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When reviewing prospective students’ applications, I am most interested in the fit between (1) their interests, experiences, and goals, and (2) our lab’s mission, our research focus, and my own capabilities as a mentor.  Applicants tend to be a good fit when they: 

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• Demonstrate commitment to our lab mission (to use event-related potentials to understand how the brain is involved in the development of psychopathology). 

• ​Have accrued mentored independent research experience (e.g., by conducting a thesis, leading an independent project, working as a research assistant after university, making a first-authored conference presentation). 

• Want to pursue a career in research (more on this below)

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Additionally, most successful applicants have gained full-time research experience after completing a bachelor’s degree in a related field or have completed a research-focused master’s degree. Prior training in EEG methods is not required, but most successful applicants do have some prior experience with psychophysiology and/or neuroscience research (e.g., fMRI, HRV).

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My undergraduate GPA is below 3.5. Will this remove me from consideration?

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No. Many factors can influence one’s GPA, including competing commitments (e.g., working part-time while in school), family obligations, and health challenges. Academic achievement is very important, but context is, too. If you believe your GPA does not reflect your potential as a future scientist, please (1) ask one of your recommenders to share more about your circumstances to help me evaluate your academic record in light of relevant contextual factors, and/or (2) provide this information in your research statement.

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I am an international student. Will this remove me from consideration?

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All applications will be reviewed regardless of residency or citizenship.  However, it is important to be aware that there are some barriers to funding international students in our program. As such, international applicants who are able to receive fellowship funding from their home countries should mention this in their application.  

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Should I email you to express my interest in applying to your lab?

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From my perspective, reaching out personally via email is not necessary. I read all application materials carefully and take a holistic view of each applicant. That said, your decision to email me (or not) will have no impact on your odds of receiving an interview invitation or an offer of admission. Because I cannot equitably accommodate the number of requests for meetings with potential applicants, I do not meet with applicants outside our program’s formal interview process.

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What should I include in my research statement (sometimes also called a "Personal Statement"?

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I find it helpful when applicants include the following in their Research Statement:

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• A clear statement of your research interests and career goals (even though we all realize this may change over time) and how they relate to the work of the TRAC lab.

• Discussion of your research experience(s) and what you learned from them. This should not just be a chronological accounting of your research experiences and responsibilities (this I can get from your CV). This should be a synthesis of the skills you developed from working on projects and the key insights you have taken away (e.g., interpretations of your findings and how this informed new research ideas or questions, how your accumulated skills prepare you for specific research you wish to undertake in graduate school)

• You may include thoughts on the specific projects and research questions you would like to pursue in our lab.

• Definitely describe if you have genuine interest in more than one lab and advisor in our program. That said, applications that list every faculty member as a potential supervisor tend to be taken less seriously, so be specific!

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I am interested in becoming a therapist and/or incorporating clinical practice into my future career. I’ve heard that mentioning this in my application will hurt my admissions chances. Is this true?

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    I aim to recruit students seeking rigorous training in both clinical science and clinical practice. Both skillsets inform each other. I strongly value the provision of high-quality, evidence-based clinical training, as does the McGill clinical science program. 

   Yet it is important to understand the mission of the McGill clinical psychology program, which has a strong clinical science orientation.  Our program is designed to train clinical scientists, and thus students who are happiest in our program tend to want careers that incorporate research. Students interested only in careers in clinical practice are not best served by our program or work in my lab.

   As a mentor, I am best prepared to support students who are interested in careers that involve research. This includes a wide variety of career paths, including academic faculty positions (e.g. tenure-track positions in departments of Psychology, Education, Social work, or Public Health);  clinical-research careers (e.g. in academic medical centers); clinical-teaching careers (e.g., evidence-based practice, supervision, and teaching in public health settings) and non-academic careers in applied research, health services administration or policy. Several graduates of my lab have gone on to clinical-teaching careers in which they provide therapy and also supervise and teach in public health settings-- from my perspective this is a fantastic outcome for our program. 

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My own experiences with mental health problems (e.g., my own, a friend’s, or a relative’s) have shaped my interest in joining your lab. I’ve been told not to mention this in my research statement. Is this true?

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No. Everyone's goals and interests are shaped by our lived experiences. There is nothing wrong with sharing how your personal experiences have informed or inspired your scientific interests and career ambitions.  However, personal/lived experiences should not be the primary focus of your research statement. Your research interests, experiences, goals, and ‘fit’ with the research goals of our lab are much more helpful to me when reviewing your application.

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Is it advantageous to list multiple mentors of interest (or just one) on my application?

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There is no inherent advantage to naming multiple mentors of interest on your application. I review all applications on which I am listed as a top-choice mentor. Listing two potential mentors may be appropriate if your interests and goals clearly fit with two faculty members’ research programs (as described in your personal statement).  That said, you may actually be at a disadvantage if you list too many mentors of interest-- because our mentorship model prioritizes research interest fit, listing many faculty members with very diverse research programs may actually hurt your chances, as it can convey the message that you don't have specific research interests. 

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I have never had to write a CV—just a regular resume. How should I organize this document?

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For guidance please see these resources:

• “How to Write a Strong CV,” Association of Psychological Science 

• Example CV for clinical psychology applicants, University of Nebraska—Lincoln

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I want to apply, but traveling to Montreal for an on-campus interview would be burdensome and/or difficult for me. What should I do?

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For now, our interview days are still being conducted via zoom-- in-person visits are limited to those who have an offer. These zoom interviews consist of almost a full day of brief individual and group meetings with faculty and students in our program. 

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Where else can I find information and guidance for applying to Clinical Psychology Ph.D. programs?

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I recommend the following resources:

• • Mitch’s Uncensored Advice for Applying to Graduate School in Clinical Psychology, provided by Dr. Mitch Prinstein, UNC Chapel Hill. A staple for those considering applying to graduate school in clinical psychology, from determining your best-fit career path to deciding between offers from Clinical PhD programs!

• • A Guide for Underrepresented Students Applying to Graduate Programs in Clinical Psychology, written by graduate students and early career professionals. 

• • Getting Into Psych Grad School, provided by the Council of University Directors in Clinical Psychology. Fantastic guide from Directors of Clinical Training at Clinical Psychology PhD programs. ​

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