Workshops
Our one-week, intensive workshops are the cornerstone of the SING program. The annual SING summer program is all-expenses-paid, including lab/equipment fees, travel, lodging, and meals/per diem. During the entire week, which includes a Sunday evening welcome feast, participants are provided with hands-on experience in bioinformatics, genomics, and Indigenous and decolonial bioethics. All participants are Indigenous and come from various educational backgrounds; some are in graduate programs, some are first or second-year students, and occasionally we accept a postdoctoral fellow. We also occasionally accept non-academic Indigenous community members working in Indigenous communities or organizations whose capacities will be enhanced by additional mentoring in genome research methods and governance. All participants partner in the lab and work under the guidance of SING faculty with graduate student teaching assistants. Participants also attend classroom lectures, eat all meals together, and attend in larger and smaller groups evening talking circles and other networking gatherings to help establish this emerging professional network.
SING Global 2024 – The Global Indigenous Leadership in Genomics Symposium
SING Canada will forgo hosting a summer workshop in 2024 and instead will focus on hosting the Global Indigenous Leadership in Genomics Symposium.
From May 6th to 10th, 100+ young Indigenous scientists and researchers will join community and academic leaders from across Canada, the US, Australia, Aotearoa, Mexico, and Sweden on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm Musqueam Nation at the University of British Columbia (Vancouver, BC, Canada). The main symposium will be held on May 8th and 9th, with a special pre-workshop for SING Alumni and post-workshops/meetings for researchers interested in joining the SING Consortium.
The symposium’s focus on Indigenous leadership crucially reframes Indigenous peoples as having the knowledge and expertise to govern the genome sciences and technologies affecting them. We go well beyond an inclusionary model toward a decolonial model of genomics. The event will include a feast at the UBC Longhouse, SING alumni activities, a public plenary session, professional development, and networking opportunities. It will culminate in a Sexy Science Tipi Confessions Production, a cabaret show that humorously treats scientific politics and life in the lab. The SING Consortium is the collective leading voice in Indigenous-led genomics, bioinformatics, data sovereignty, and decolonial/Indigenous ethics globally.
More details to come.
Registration will open in early 2024.
Past Events
2023 Workshop
2023 Workshop #LandBack: Indigenous Peoples, Soil Science, and Disruptive
2022 Workshop
2022 Workshop #LandBack: Indigenous Peoples, Soil Science, and Disruptive
2021 Workshop
2021 Workshop Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the program
2019 Workshop
2019 Workshop Theme: Interdependence of human and non-human animal health
2018 Workshop
2018 Workshop Theme: Interdependence of human and environmental health SING
Application Information
Application Process
The SING Canada Workshop is open to tribal and community college students, undergraduate and graduate students, and postdocs. This includes Indigenous individuals who would like to learn about our research topics. We strongly welcome Indigenous community members, elders, and leaders to attend.
The workshop application portal will open in February of each year that a workshop will be hosted. In most cases, applications will be due by April 1st of that same year. We encourage you to start preparing your application as early as possible. You can edit your application in the portal as many times as you like before the application deadline. All applications will be reviewed after the application is closed.
Eligibility and Criteria
- This workshop is open to Indigenous peoples. This includes First Nation, Métis, and Inuit people, and also tribal citizens from the US, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians. Please note that funding and space limitations allow for participants mainly from Canada, but we will consider applications from North America more broadly. Documentation should be provided by either: evidence of First Nation membership such as status card, tribal enrolment or other Indigenous membership recognized by a legitimate Indigenous governmental entity, or statement outlining the applicant’s Indigenous affiliation.
- To apply for the program, you will need:
- 200 word summary of Applicant’s Background. This should include education or experiences that relate to the SING workshop
- 500 word essay on Applicant’s Purpose for attending the workshop
- Curriculum vitae (CV)/Resumé
For other SING workshop sites outside of the Canada, please see SING USA, SING Aotearoa, and SING Australia sites and adhere to their workshop dates and criteria.
Evaluation
After completion of the workshop, participants are requested to submit a 2-page evaluation of the SING workshop program. These evaluations provide organizers valuable feedback to modify and improve future workshops
Workshop FAQ
We get a lot of questions about the SING program. Here we have compiled a few of the most common ones. If you have any other questions about the program or the application process, please reach out to us at info@sing-canada.ca
When and where does the SING Canada workshop take place?
The SING Canada workshop is usually scheduled every year in mid-July for 4-6 days (plus travel). The location varies depending on the theme and our faculty. In 2024, SING Canada will be hosting the Global Indigenous Leadership in Genomics Symposium at UBC, therefore, we will not hold the summer workshop.
Who can participate?
This workshop is open to Indigenous peoples. This includes First Nation, Métis, and Inuit people, and also tribal citizens from the US, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians. Please note that funding and space limitations allow for participants mainly from Canada, but we will consider applications from North America more broadly. Applicants will benefit from a background in science, particularly genomics, but the program is designed for any interested Indigenous student with an interest in the topic.
How much does it cost to participate?
For accepted applicants, costs for the program (including meals, travel and accommodation) are fully funded by SING Canada.
