University of Toronto Excellence Awards (UTEAs)
AWARD OVERVIEW
Application Required: Yes
Value: Varies
Level of Study: Undergraduate
Required Legal Status: Domestic, international
Consult the additional details section for full eligibility requirements and terms and conditions.
Purpose
The Temerty Faculty of Medicine receives an annual allocation of University of Toronto Excellence Awards (UTEAs) funded by the central University. These awards flow from the central research office to the departments via Temerty Medicine's Office of Research & Health Science Education (RHSE). UTEAs are categorized into three subtypes based on the classification of the research project to be conducted by the student (i.e., under which tri-agency mandate it falls).
| University of Toronto Excellence Awards Subtype | Research Project Classification | Tri-Agency Mandate |
|---|---|---|
| HLS | Health and Life Science | CIHR |
| NSE | Natural Science and Engineering | NSERC |
| SSH | Social Science and Humanities | SSHRC |
Allocations of each award subtype to a department will vary from year to year. Because these awards are funded by the central University, there are additional procedures regarding confirmation of eligibility and transfer of funds which are described below.
Additional Details
Award Value & Duration
Each UTEA is valued at $5,250, plus additional compensation from other sources managed by the sponsoring unit (unit herein refers to a department/ centre/institute/program within Temerty Medicine) to meet Temerty Medicine's stipend requirement as indicated in the table below. Typically, this match is provided by the faculty supervisor (PI, principal investigator).
Each UTEA student awardee is expected to engage in full-time research for 14 weeks during the summer. Should a supervisor wish the student to continue research beyond TBA weeks, it is expected that the student be compensated by the supervisor accordingly (as indicated in the table).
| 2025 UTEA Stipend Requirements (weekly rate = $581*) |
14 weeks | 15 weeks | 16 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| UTEA | $5,250 | $5,250 | $5,250 |
| PI/Dept contribution | $2,886 | $3,467 | $4,048 |
| TOTAL STIPEND | $8,136 | $8,717 | $9,298 |
*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 Principal Investigators (PIs) based at hospitals/institutes must abide by the payroll policies of the hospital/institute.
Eligibility, Responsibilities & Requirements
UTEA eligibility criteria can be found in the award guidelines. Note: Eligibility for the specific subtype of UTEA (NSE, HLS or SSH) depends on the nature of the student's proposed project and not on the grant held by the PI (so long as the supervisor is qualified to oversee the work of the student). Please see the UTEA program webpage for more information.
Adjudication & Selection of Recipients
Units must select UTEA recipients within the SumRAMS app no later than Mar. 24, 2025.
The unit then notifies the selected students and directs them to complete the central University’s UTEA application process:
- The student completes Part I of the UTEA application form and sends it to their PI
- The PI completes Part II of the UTEA application form
- The PI then submits a UTEA application via the MRA system (see tip sheet on how to submit an MRA)
The deadline for submission of the application in the MRA system is Mar. 31, 2025.
Confirmation & Transfer of Funds
By April 1, 2025, RHSE will send a list of Temerty Medicine selected recipients to the central research office. The list will be reviewed and PI eligibility confirmed by the central University. Once confirmed, the central University will issue a UTEA award letter to the student and PI and establish a research Fund containing $5,250 under the supervisor’s PI CFC.