Hiring and onboarding should be the final step before launching a research project. All other operational processes should be completed, including obtaining funding and having a cost centre opened.
At WCH, there are two groups of research personnel:
Individuals not receiving any form of academic or scholarly credit should be formally hired as Research Employees via Human Resources open recruitment process. All employee hiring is subject to WCH HR policies and procedures. Examples of Research Employees include Research Assistants and Research Coordinators. The process for hiring is detailed below.
* Onboarding a research employee should be the final step before launching a research project. All other operational processes should be completed, including obtaining funding and having a cost centre opened. The Academics team, consisting of Research Operations and Education, work with scientists and researchers to facilitate the trainee experience and process.
Research Trainees are not WCH employees and are not volunteers. When compared with typical research employees, research trainees focus on engaging with WCH for training purposes. In addition to the requirement of academic credit, there are some instances where these individuals may be paid via a stipend. Examples of Research Trainees are:
- A student enrolled in an academic program or course which requires them to participate in a practicum/co-op/placement, and who is being supervised by WCH Clinician/Scientist.
- A current graduate student (Masters/PhD) being supervised by WCH Clinician/Scientist.
- A Post-Doctoral Fellow (who has concluded their PhD) working under a WCH Clinician/Scientist.
- A medical student participating in a research block, or conducting research work as part of their training.*
*Medical students who are doing research work as part of their training, but are not required to do so expressly by their program MAY be eligible for onboarding as a trainee.
For information on how to engage a Research Trainee, please visit the Learning Institute webpage.
Hiring a Research Employee:
All hiring is subject to WCH HR policies and procedures. The Research Operations Team assists in facilitating hiring, and ensuring that hiring researchers have the information and documentation needed to proceed smoothly through the hiring process.
To start the new hire process in Research, please complete the Research Job Posting Request Form (updated June 2025) to Daniel.Jin@wchospital.ca, together with the Job Posting Description. If you do not have the Posting Description, please reach out to Daniel Jin, Manager, Academic Operations and Solutions.
Once the above information has been submitted, the Staff Requisition will be submitted for signatures and the job will be posted to the WCH Careers website. Only applications received through the website will be considered.
As the first day of a new employee approaches, Research Operations will manage the request for a new user name/IMIT access, and security ID badge form if required. They can also provide guidance on space, or computer access if needed.
FAQs
Contact Daniel.Jin@wchospital.ca for templated job descriptions for roles in research. The descriptions can be edited to fit the research program, however there should not be many edits made to the qualifications part of the description.
Contact Daniel.Jin@wchospital.ca to access the templated job descriptions for the different roles within research. You’ll be able to determine the level of experience and responsibility you need for your hire by reviewing the different levels.
You may send them the job number, or direct them to the WCH Careers page to apply. Only applications received through the website will be considered.
This would be a considered a Trainee, and their onboarding will follow the process outlined in the Trainee section.
Contact
For further information please contact:
- For Employee Hiring: Daniel Jin, Manager, Academic Operations and Solutions Daniel.Jin@wchospital.ca
For information on Research Volunteers, please visit the Volunteer Services webpage.
For more information on cost centres please visit our Research Finance page.