Summer research can be an important and enjoyable part of an undergraduate experience, and can also be helpful in deciding whether to pursue research as a career. A fund initiated and sustained by an endowment provided by the estate of the late Eva Moody allows the Faculty of Science to provide a number of competitive awards each year to undergraduate students who want to do research in the summer.
The awards are directed at undergraduate students who wish to carry out a research project during the summer under the supervision of a Faculty Member in Science at UVic. The expectation is that the student would work full-time on the project for at least three months over the summer, prior to continuing studies in the subsequent Winter session. The awards are not intended to support a student working part-time, or for research outside the summer term.
To be eligible for a SURA, a student, at the time of application, must:
- be registered as a full-time student for a bachelor's degree in the Faculty of Science at the University of Victoria in the current Winter Session
- have completed at least 30 units of course credits toward the BSc degree by the time the summer research project begins
- intend to continue full-time studies in the following Winter Session
- have a cumulative GPA of 6.0 or higher for all courses completed at the time of application
A student registered in graduate studies or holding a higher degree in the natural sciences is not eligible for a SURA.
A student may not hold both an NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award and a Science Undergraduate Research Award in the same academic year.
Value of awards
The SURA will provide up to $3,000 to the student for the summer research project, and the supervisor of the project must at least match this contribution. The amount of the award will be related to the length of the student’s research project.
Where can the research project be carried out?
The awards are available for projects carried out in any of the six units of the Faculty of Science at the University of Victoria: the Departments of Physics and Astronomy, Chemistry, Biology, Biochemistry and Microbiology, Mathematics and Statistics, or the School of Earth and Ocean Sciences.
The student holding the award must work under the supervision or co-supervision of a regular Faculty Member in the Faculty of Science, who must hold an external (to UVic) research grant. If co-supervised, both supervisors must be specified in the application.
How and when do you apply?
To apply for this award, a student and proposed supervisor must complete the “Science Undergraduate Research Award” (SURA) form. The student applicant should fill in the first part, and the proposed supervisor the second part. The application, along with an unofficial transcript, should be submitted to the office of the Dean of Science by February 15 of the year in which the proposed project is to take place. Students and supervisors will be notified as soon as possible thereafter as to whether their applications have been successful.
How are students selected for the awards?
The Dean of Science will determine the method of adjudication for the awards. The academic record of the student, and the quality and perceived benefit to the student of the proposed research program will be major criteria for making an award.
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