Terms of Use

Last updated: November 06, 2026

These terms apply to your use of phdcareeracademy.com, operated by Winnova Management Inc. as PhD Career Academy (“we”, “us”). By using the site, you agree to them. Our Privacy Policy explains how we handle personal information.

1. Who the site is for

The site is for adults (18 or older). It offers ideas, tools, and programs for PhDs and other highly trained professionals building careers beyond academia, and for the universities that support them.

2. Our content

The articles, Canon Laws, frameworks, guides, assessments, videos, and other material on this site belong to PhD Career Academy or the people who licensed them to us, and are protected by copyright and trademark law. The Career Claimers Index™, the Career Decision Canon, and the names of our frameworks are ours.

3. Using and quoting our content

You are welcome to:

• read, print, or download our content for your own, non-commercial use;
• share links to any page; and
• quote short passages, with credit to PhD Career Academy (or Don Back) and a link to the page you quote.

Please ask us first before you republish whole articles, adapt our frameworks or assessments, use them in paid work or training, or use them to train or build other products. Write to info@phdcareeracademy.com; we are glad to hear how the ideas are being used.

4. Assessments and information are for reflection, not guarantees

The Career Claimers Index™ and our other tools are self-assessments to help you reflect on your situation. They are not psychological tests, diagnoses, or professional advice. Our articles and emails share ideas and experience; they are not legal, financial, tax, immigration, or medical advice. Decide what is right for you, and seek professional advice where you need it.

5. Coaching and programs

Coaching, PhD Career Builder, LaunchPad, and our other programs are designed to help you think clearly and act well in your career search. Results depend on many things outside our control, including your choices and the job market, so we can’t promise any particular outcome, job, or salary.

6. Purchases

When you buy a program, product, or service, the price and the terms shown when you buy (or set out in your agreement with us), including any cancellation or refund terms, apply to that purchase. Prices are in Canadian dollars unless stated otherwise.

7. Member accounts and the community

If you have a member account, keep your password private; you are responsible for what is done under your account. Program materials are for your own use and are not to be shared. In the member community, be respectful: no harassment, spam, or anything unlawful, and respect the privacy of other members. We may remove posts, or suspend or close an account, that breaks these terms.

8. Links to other sites

We link to other websites we think are useful. We don’t control them and aren’t responsible for their content or how they handle your information.

9. The site “as is”

We work to keep the site accurate and available, but we provide it as is, without guarantees that it will always be available, error-free, or suited to your particular purpose.

10. Limits on our liability

To the extent the law allows, we are not liable for indirect or consequential losses arising from your use of the site, and our total liability to you for any claim is limited to the amount you paid us in the 12 months before the claim. Nothing in these terms limits rights you have under consumer protection law that cannot be limited.

11. Your responsibility

You agree to use the site lawfully and not to interfere with it (for example by trying to break its security or overload it), and to cover reasonable costs we face, including legal fees, if you misuse it or break these terms.

12. Changes

We may update these terms. The date at the top shows the latest version; changes apply from that date.

13. Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of Alberta and the federal laws of Canada that apply there. Any dispute will be settled in the courts of Alberta, in Edmonton.

14. Contact

Questions about these terms: info@phdcareeracademy.com.