Summer Studentship Award Program

Spend your summer engaged in women and/or children’s health research

Summer Studentship Award Program information

This program aims to encourage a new generation of talented, engaged young researchers to pursue careers in women’s and/or children’s health. Students receive direct experience working on specific research projects under the guidance of WCHRI academic members for three or four months between May and August.  WCHRI members (in training and supervisors) from all departments and disciplines whose research is relevant to women’s and/or children’s health are encouraged to apply.  Funding of up to $1,300 per month is offered.

Eligibility

All applications to WCHRI must align with our relevance criteria in order to be eligible for funding. 

Eligibility criteria is as follows:

  • Undergraduate students (including medical education students) registered in a recognized full-time degree program at the time of application from any Canadian university may apply.
  • Students must commit to the proposed research for either three or four months between May and August.
  • Students must be willing and able to participate in the proposed research activities as per University of Alberta guidelines and policies, including information detailed in the University of Alberta’s response to COVID-19. 
  • Projects must be supervised by a WCHRI academic member.
  • Supervisors must be WCHRI academic members for not less than one year prior to application, except new recruits with an academic appointment of less than one year at the time of application deadline.
  • Co-supervision is permitted where the co-supervisor is a currently funded WCHRI Postdoctoral Fellow and the work proposed in the summer studentship application directly supports the research project supported through the WCHRI Postdoctoral Fellowship Award Program.
  • Applicants and/or supervisors, including co-supervisors, may have access to and submit a single application only.

Program eligibility is established upon submission of the completed application access request and application forms.

Summer Studentship Award Program call for applications

In order to access the application form and support program requirements, the following applies:

  • The applicant must submit the WCHRI Summer Studentship application access request form.
    • Applicants must provide a current transcript in the application access form. The transcript must be in English. University of Alberta applicants may provide a transcript generated from Beartracks.
  • An application form link will be sent to the applicant (in one business day) when all application access requirements have been met.
  • Application form links are unique and specific to each applicant.
  • Undergraduate students under the primary supervision of a WCHRI academic member are automatically WCHRI in-training members. 
  • Letters of reference are confidential and will be solicited directly by WCHRI from the referee.
  • Institutional sponsorship will be solicited directly by WCHRI.

Submitted information is final and not subject to amendment.
Late submission and/or supplemental information is not accepted.

Summary of program changes

Changes to this competitive program include:

  • WCHRI no longer requires/ allocates points based on Grade Point Average (GPA).
  • Amendment of the WCHRI 2022 Summer studentship grading grid includes:  
    • Introduction of grading criteria for the Quality of the lay summary. 
    • Amendment of the grading criteria for the Personal statement.

Application and deadlines

The application is a two-step process that includes:

1. An application access request form.

  • The deadline for submission was January 6, 2023, at 4 p.m.

2. An application form.

  • Access will be provided based on the submission of the application access request form.
  • Letters of reference are required, solicited directly by WCHRI.
  • The deadline for submission was January 27, 2023, at 4 p.m.

Program reference material

Competition results

The WCHRI 2023 Summer Studentship competition results are now available.

Applicants and their supervisors will be contacted by the week ending April 7, 2023. Feedback for this program is not offered.

View past results on our competition results page.

For further information

All applicants are to refer to the program information (including guidelines) and then refer questions to their supervisor(s).

Supervisors that require program clarification are invited to contact WCHRI grants.