Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) and RHSE Undergraduate Summer Research Studentships (USRS)

Each UROP and USRS award is valued at $2,500, plus additional compensation from other sources managed by the sponsoring unit to meet Temerty Medicine's stipend requirement, as indicated in the table below. Typically, this match is provided by the faculty supervisor (principal investigator, PI). 

Each UROP/USRS student awardee is expected to engage in full-time research for 12 weeks during the summer. Should a supervisor wish the student to continue research beyond 12 weeks, it is expected that the student be compensated by the supervisor accordingly (as indicated in the table). 

*Based on 37.5 hours per week, minimum wage of $17.20 per hour plus 6% vacation pay (equivalent to hospital summer student employees) minus 15% income tax (stipends are T4A income which is not taxable). Departments may use the weekly rate should the project duration fall outside of the listed periods. Note that PIs based at hospitals/institutes must abide by the payroll policies of the hospital/institute.

The following eligibility criteria, responsibilities and requirements apply for both UROP and USRS awards. 

Student Eligibility and Restrictions: 

• Applicants must have successfully completed a term in a full-time undergraduate program directly prior to the award period.  

• Applicants should have a minimum B+ average in the two terms of undergraduate studies immediately preceding acceptance of the award.  

• Students who have completed their undergraduate program are not eligible, unless:  
  (1) they have been accepted into or are currently enrolled in an undergraduate professional program (e.g., medical undergraduate degree program), or  
  (2) they have been accepted into a graduate program which they have not yet begun. 

• University of Toronto and non-University of Toronto students may apply. Note that for RHSE USRS awards preference shall be given to University of Toronto students enrolled in a major or specialist program offered by a Temerty Medicine unit. 

• A student may be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident of Canada, or foreign student with valid student visa for the full summer work term. 

• Students cannot hold another summer research award concurrently with a UROP or USRS award.  

Supervisor Eligibility and Responsibilities 

• It is the responsibility of the supervisors and the participating unit to ensure that their students receive the appropriate safety training and are covered by the appropriate protocols as required by regulations and the applicable University of Toronto safety offices and/or those of the hosting site (e.g., hospital or institute).    

• A continuity of supervision for each student for the duration of the summer program is required.   

Program Requirements 

• A designated faculty member must be appointed as coordinator of the summer research program for each unit.  

• An academic structure with clear accountability at the end of the summer research program (e.g., required seminar presentations of students' own work.)  

• A plan for encouraging regular interaction of the students with each other, with graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, research associates and assistants, and other investigators (e.g., at least part of the program should be conducted in a single geographic location to give maximum opportunity for contact between researchers and students).