Understanding Life in Academia: A Guide for Inspired Undergraduates

So you just got involved in a research lab and are start- ing to hear a lot of new vocabulary like “tenure,” “postdoc,” and “NSERC”. You may ask your new colleagues what some of these terms mean, but you might also feel embarrassed having no idea about so many of these new terms. Instead of nodding along in bewilderment, let’s go through a quick primer on life in academia and the major Canadian funding agencies. If you haven’t become involved in a research, please see our earlier guide to get you started! (Madan & Chen, 2012, Eureka , “Getting involved in research: A guide for inspired under- graduates”)