Summer 2025 Science Undergraduate Research Experience Awards
January 17, 2025
The Science Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) Awards program is funded by the Faculty of Science and subsidizes faculty supervisors to hire Science students to work on full-time research projects during the Summer Session. It is a great opportunity to gain research experience through a project of 8 consecutive weeks or longer.
The SURE Awards are available to domestic and international BSc or BCS students on the Vancouver Campus. Graduating students may be eligible as well. Research work may take place on campus or remotely, but you must reside within BC during the tenure of the award. For international students, it is your responsibility to ensure that you have the proper immigration documentation to be eligible to work in Canada.
These awards have a value of up to $3,500. The minimum pay for your project must meet or exceed the BC minimum wage standards ($17.40/hour as of June 1, 2024). Your supervisor will receive the funds after the end of your appointment usually in October/November.
How to Apply
Apply through one of the Science Departments or BSc programs listed below. Please note that in most Departments or programs, there is no formal application form for the SURE Awards. Make sure to thoroughly read any additional requirements from the relevant Department or program.
If you have applied for the NSERC USRA or Work Learn International Undergraduate Research Awards (WLIURA) through one of the Science Departments, but were not internally recommended for an award, the Department may automatically consider you for a SURE Award, provided you have met the SURE eligibility requirements. Please note that you may hold only one award from NSERC USRA, WLIURA or SURE Awards per cycle, if you receive multiple offers.
For Department-specific questions, please refer to the information online if available, or contact the relevant USRA coordinator below. For general or other Faculty-level inquiries, contact the Dean’s Office via email.
| Science Department | USRA Coordinator | Application Deadline | Application Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Botany | Alice Liou | Feb 14, 2025 (same as NSERC USRA application deadline) |
Note: If you have applied for an NSERC USRA or WLIURA through Botany, you do not need to submit a separate application for the SURE Award. Please let the USRA Coordinator know via email that you would like to be considered for the SURE Award as well. |
| Chemistry | Molly Wang | Jan 31, 2025 (same as NSERC USRA application deadline) | There is no formal application for the SURE Awards in the Department of Chemistry. Applicants to the NSERC USRA or WLIURA who are not offered a position may be considered for the SURE Awards, provided that they have also satisfied the SURE eligibility requirements. Find more information on the Chemistry Summer Research Awards page. |
| Computer Science | Josh Bruan | Feb 12, 2025 at 4 PM (same as NSERC USRA application deadline) | Find more information on the Computer Science Research Award Opportunities page, including existing research project proposals. |
| Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences | Emma Liu | Mar 10, 2025 (same as NSERC USRA application deadline) |
Note: If you have applied for an NSERC USRA or WLIURA through EOAS, you do not need to submit a separate application for the SURE Award. Please let the USRA Coordinator know via email that you would like to be considered for the SURE Award as well. |
| Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability (IRES) | Kristen Eredics | Feb 28, 2025 (same as NSERC USRA application deadline) | There is no formal application for the SURE Awards in the IRES. Applicants to the NSERC USRA or WLIURA who are not offered a position may be considered for the SURE Awards, provided that they have also satisfied the SURE eligibility requirements. |
| Institute for the Ocean and Fisheries (IOF) | Madeline Doig Neil Maclean | Feb 28, 2025 (same as NSERC USRA application deadline) | There is no formal application for the SURE Awards in the IOF. Applicants to the NSERC USRA or WLIURA who are not offered a position may be considered for the SURE Awards, provided that they have also satisfied the SURE eligibility requirements. |
| Mathematics | Katie Wong | Jan 20, 2025 (same as NSERC USRA application deadline) | There is no formal application for the SURE Awards in the Department of Mathematics. Applicants to the NSERC USRA or WLIURA who are not offered a position may be considered for the SURE Awards, provided that they have also satisfied the SURE eligibility requirements. Find more information on the Mathematics Undergraduate Research Positions page. |
| Microbiology and Immunology | Feb 21, 2025 (same as NSERC USRA application deadline) | Find more information on the Microbiology and Immunology Financial Support page. | |
| Physics and Astronomy | Shawn Salgadoe | Jan 15, 2025 (same as NSERC USRA application deadline) | Find more information on the Physics & Astronomy Undergraduate Summer Research Awards page. Note: If you have applied for an NSERC USRA or WLIURA through Physics & Astronomy, you do not need to submit a separate application for the SURE Award. |
| Statistics | Mairéad Roche | Feb 27, 2025 (same as NSERC USRA application deadline) | Find more information on the Statistics Summer Undergraduate Research Assistants page. |
| Zoology | Mimi Yu | Feb 20, 2025 (same as NSERC USRA application deadline) | Find more information on the Zoology Undergraduate Research Opportunities page. |
| Program | USRA Coordinator | Application Deadline | Application Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biochemistry; Cellular, Anatomical and Physiological Sciences | Cyndi Liu | Feb 24, 2025 | You need to contact professors directly, and your professor may submit an application to Cyndi Liu with a brief summary of your research project. Make sure that you meet the SURE eligibility requirements. |
| Neuroscience | Ryan Bouma | Mar 5, 2025 | Submit your application via the online nomination form. You are responsible for seeking a faculty supervisor. Make sure that you meet the SURE eligibility requirements. |
| Pharmacology | Allison Rintoul | Mar 7, 2025 | There is no formal application for the SURE Awards in the Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics. You need to contact professors directly with an updated resume and an updated transcript. Your professor will submit an application to PCTH BSc Program Director, Dr. C.C.Y. Pang. Make sure that you meet the SURE eligibility requirements. |
Other Funding Programs and Research Resources:
- NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Awards – full-time research experience in the Summer Session, or either Term of the Winter Session for domestic students.
- Work Learn International Undergraduate Research Awards – summer research experience for international students.
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) USRA – research awards currently exclusively for Canadian Black student researchers.
- BRC Undergraduate Diversity Research Grants Program– mentorship and research opportunities for undergrads who self-identify as IBPOC and a wide variety of undergrad researchers.
- Data Science for Social Good (DSSG) Program – interdisciplinary summer research program focusing on data-intensive projects.
- Faculty of Medicine Summer Student Research Program (FoM SSRP) – undertaking a summer project focusing on health research, supervised by a Faculty of Medicine researcher.
- Work Learn Program– gaining part-time research or non-research work experience.
- Multidisciplinary Undergraduate Research Conference (MURC) – presenting your research at the annual conference along with your peers, or volunteering to help make the conference a success.
- Undergraduate Research Opportunities (URO) student club – accessing mentorship programs, attending networking events and getting connected to different research-related services during your degree.
