The City Institute Professional Training Program is intended for graduate and 4000-level undergraduate students whose research is urban-focused. The training program aims to strengthen the writing and knowledge mobilization skills of students that will support their research in acquiring funding and disseminating it effectively, as well as help them navigate career paths within and outside the academia.
The program runs annually with fixed events in the academic calendar that both faculty and students can become familiar with and participate in. It is a three-part program where the first part is dedicated to professional training, the second part is a conference where students can showcase their urban research, and the last part consists of awards for best undergraduate and graduate essays on urban studies. The program is designed to run from September to April.
Graduate Student Conference
As part of the effort to facilitate conversation and knowledge exchange and to showcase the range of current urban research undertaken by York students, CITY is hosting its inaugural City Institute Student Conference (October 25th 2024).
Students are encouraged to present on their work. Participants will gain communication skills through presentation delivery and answering live questions as well as being able to network with other researchers. The conference will also be an opportunity for researchers to learn from one other and engage in knowledge exchange and dissemination, as well as contribute to the academic community at York and beyond.
Click HERE to apply to participate in the conference.
For all inquiries and submissions please contact the City Institute at city@yorku.ca.
The City Institute Fortnight Fridays (CIFF) are part of CITY’s Professional Training Program. CIFF sessions are held once a fortnight (virtually, via Zoom):
- Sit-down and write sessions. These writing sessions are monitored by CITY Faculty affiliates or Postdoctoral researchers, who can provide students with writing tips and feedback. Students can attend one, some or all sessions.
- Professional training talks. CITY Faculty affiliates discuss with students a variety of topics. These talks aim at strengthening students’ writing and knowledge mobilization skills as well as helping them navigate career paths within and outside the academia. Having attended a minimum of 10 out of the 14 talks, the student will have a certificate of completion.
| Area | Professional Training Talk |
| The academic building blocks of a graduate student career | 1. Writing your CV 2. Developing a course proposal 3. Writing research proposals 4. Writing grant applications |
| Research technology | 5. Using urban data bases 6. Devising a research data management plan |
| Research integrity | 7. Intellectual property and copyright 8. Research ethics |
| Research communication | 9. Writing abstracts and papers for publication 10. Publishing in urban journals and open access 11. KMb and social media in research dissemination |
| Professional progression | 12. Job etiquette: writing cover letters and interview skills 13. Applying for academic jobs 14. Work paths outside academia (3 speakers) |
| Date | Session/Talk | Speaker / Host |
|---|---|---|
FALL 2022 | ||
| Sep 9 | 4:00-5:30 pm – Sit down and write! (participants should bring their written work) | Prof. Amanda de Lisio, Health |
| Sep 23 | 4:00-5:00 pm – Writing your CV | Prof. Amanda de Lisio, Health |
| Sep 24 | Social event – Dim sum brunch at Chinatown | All students and faculty participating in CIFF 2022-2023 sessions are invited! |
| Oct 7 | 4:00 pm – Developing a course proposal 5:00 pm – Writing research proposals | Prof. Syed Harris Ali, Sociology LA&PS Prof. Stefan Kipfer, EUC |
| Oct 21 | 4:00-5:30 pm – Sit down and write! | Dr. Araby Smyth, CITY Post-Doctoral Fellow |
| Nov 4 | 4:00 pm – Writing grant applications 5:00 pm – Using urban data bases | Prof. Linda Peake, EUC and Director of the City Institute Dana Craig, Environmental Studies Liaison Librarian and Director of Student Learning and Academic Success at York University Libraries |
| Nov 18 | 4:00-5:30 pm – Sit down and write! | Dr. Araby Smyth, CITY Post-Doctoral Fellow |
| Dec 2 | 5:00 pm – Intellectual property and copyright | Angela Clark, Academic Integrity Officer at the Office of the Vice-Provost Academic, York University |
| Dec 16 | 4:00-5:30 pm – Sit down and write! | Dr. Araby Smyth, CITY Post-Doctoral Fellow |
WINTER 2023 | ||
| Jan 13 | 4:00-5:30 pm – Sit down and write! | Dr. Carmen Ponce, CITY Post-Doctoral Fellow |
| Jan 27 | 4:00 pm – (i) Devising a research data management plan; (ii) Research ethics 5:00 pm – Writing abstracts and papers for publication | Prof. Linda Peake, EUC; CITY Director Prof. Shubhra Gururani, Anthropology |
| Feb 10 | 4:00-5:30 pm – Sit down and write! | Prof. Ann Marie Murnaghan, Humanities |
| Mar 3 | 4:00 pm – Publishing in urban journals and open access 5:00 pm – KMb and social media in research dissemination | Prof. Roger Keil, EUC and Cities, Regions, Planning Coordinator Prof. Ann Marie Murnaghan, Humanities |
| Mar 10 | 4:00-5:30 pm – Sit down and write! | Dr. Carmen Ponce, CITY Post-Doctoral Fellow |
| Mar 24 | 4:00 pm – Job etiquette: cover letters and interview skills 5:00 pm – Applying for academic jobs- Prof. Liette Gilbert | Prof. Liette Gilbert, EUC and Environmental Studies Graduate Program Director |
| Apr 14 | 4:00-6:00 pm – Work paths outside academia | -Dr. Sara Macdonnald, Senior Research and Policy Analyst at the Greenbelt Foundation -Dr. Judith Mintz, Senior Analyst, Quality Assurance and Decolonization Outcome Measurement Chair, Research Subcommittee Native Child and Family Services of Toronto -Prof. Laura Taylor, EUC and Planning Program Coordinator |
Note for students:
- Graduate and 4000-level undergraduate students interested in urban studies are invited to attend CIFF sessions.
- Participants can attend one, some or all ‘Sit-Down and Write!’ session. They are requested to bring their written work.
- Participants can attend one, some or all Professional Training Talks. Having attended a minimum of 12 out of the 15 talks, the student will have a certificate of completion.
- The CIFF sessions can be added to York graduate students’ Individualized Development Plan (IDP). The IDP webpage hosts a short overview of graduate professional skills programming at York: https://www.yorku.ca/gradstudies/idp/. We encourage you to use this guide and to add the CIFF meetings to it. Take the guide to your meetings with your supervisor to get feedback on the role of professional training for graduate students.
- No registration is required for York University students. (Students from other universities require registration, please contact city@yorku.ca.)
For inquiries, please email city@yorku.ca.