Please note that the NSERC's CREATE training program in lake and fluvial ecology (ÉcoLac) in its original format closed in 2020. However, many of the program's activities are still offered to eligible students and post-doctoral fellows who are members of GRIL.

We invite you to contact Marie-Andrée Fallu for more details.

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NSERC's CREATE training program in lake and fluvial ecology (ÉcoLac) is dedicated to the training of highly qualified young professionals. Trainees acquire strong skills in the field of aquatic ecology and are offered opportunities to develop a multidisciplinary vision, to enhance leadership and communication skills, and to understand their upcoming role in society. 

This program was created to meet a growing demand for highly qualified personnel in lake and river ecology who will be able to respond to the challenges Canadians will face regarding aquatic environments over the next decades. These professionals must be able to transition rapidly from the role of student or trainee to a productive professional within the Canadian workforce.

The program is built on a solid foundation of scientific education provided by the Group for Interuniversity Research in Limnology and aquatic environment (known by its french acronym "GRIL") and its partners, the Canadian Rivers Institute (CRI; University of New Brunswick) and the Cooperative Freshwater Ecology Unit (CFEU; Laurentian University), all of which have as their mission to promote innovative research as well as integrated and interdisciplinary training in freshwater sciences. The ÉcoLac program enhances the fundamental training already provided by GRIL, CRI, and CFEU by better preparing trainees for their professional careers.

The ÉcoLac program represents a unique opportunity to provide the next generation of scientists with strong interdisciplinary training in aquatic ecology in addition to skills that will allow them to quickly transition to productive employees in companies and organizations looking for such qualifications. Thus, the ÉcoLac program adds an important component to the already excellent scientific training provided to GRIL, CRI, and CFEU students.

Program partners 

Group for Interuniversity Research in Limnology and aquatic environment

Canadian River Institute

Cooperative Freshwater Ecology Unit

Collaborating universities

Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR)

McGill University

Concordia University

Université de Montréal

Université du Québec à Montréal

Université du Québec à Chicoutimi

Laurentian University

University of New-Brunswick

ÉcoLac is funded by the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada:

National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada