Summer Student Research Program

Yes, before applying students must establish a research supervisor. It is up to the applicants to contact potential supervisors.

The supervisor needs to be a BCCHR Investigator at BC Children’s Hospital whose area of investigation has direct relevance to improving the health of children and families. Affiliate Investigators are not eligible as per the BCCHR membership guidelines.

It is up to the supervisor and student to determine the details of the research project. Some research teams will have an established project for summer students, while other research teams will provide support for a student-led project.

This will depend on the supervisor and research team. In the past, students have reported the following:

• 58% – Provided some insight when finalizing the project
• 31% – Had no input in designing the project
• 11% – Had primary responsibility for designing the project

Specific work hours vary for every research team and can be discussed with your research supervisor. Funded students typically work full-time hours. 

No. When polled, previous summer students had already completed the following items prior to joining the program: 

• 33% – A previous summer research project (at BCCHR or somewhere else)

• 71% – A statistic course or workshop

• 70% – A research project

• 57% – A written research proposal

• 55% – A research methods course

• 52% – A written article or paper on research

• 35% – A presentation at a professional science conference

Yes. Students who previously participated in the summer program curriculum can apply again, but may find some of the content similar or repetitive.

For the Summer Studentship awards, students are not eligible to apply for this funding again if they have previously received and accepted a BC Children’s Hospital Summer Studentship. Students who declined a previous award may re-apply and be considered for funding, provided they meet all other eligibility requirements. While there is no limit to the number of applications submitted, a student may only receive a BC Children’s Hospital Summer Studentship once (either as an undergraduate student or a medical student).

Registration for the Summer Student Research Program is FREE. The program does not have any application fees or costs associated with participation.

Yes. To be eligible to receive a certificate of program completion and/or present at SSRP Poster Day, registered participants must meet an attendance requirement of at least 5 sessions in June and at least 5 sessions in July.

The majority of the activities will be hosted in-person at BCCHR. While some sessions may be available virtually and/or recorded, this format cannot always be guaranteed.

It’s possible, but it will be the student’s responsibility to ensure their schedule allows them to work on their research project and attend the summer program activities on top of other commitments.

Refer to the application guidelines for more information on the scoring criteria and funding stats.

Applicants are typically notified about funding decisions by spring of next year.

Applicants are NOT able to receive funding from another institution or university for the same type of training during the funding period (i.e., the time period you are receiving funding from BCCHR), with the exception of external awards that require matched funds.

A student who receives external funding that requires matched funds may use the Studentship as the match. These exceptions must be approved by the Research Education team. Applicants may hold a second job as long as it does not occur during the time you are required to work on your research project.

No. Students not returning to undergraduate or medical studies in the following fall/winter semester are not eligible to apply for funding.

Yes! Approximately 80 Summer Studentship applications are received each year and funding is limited to 17 Studentships. Applicants are encouraged to apply for all other relevant summer student awards and discuss alternative funding sources with their supervisor.

Previous applicants have received funding from Allergen, Associated Medical Services/Canadian Society for the History of Medicine, BC Cancer, Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada, Canadian Arthritis Network, Canadian Association of Gastroenterology/Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of Canada, Canadian Blood Services, Canadian Foundation for Infectious Disease, Canadian Hemophilia Society, Canadian Liver Foundation, Canadian Rheumatology Association, Canadian Society for Mucopolysaccharide & Related Diseases, Canadian Stroke Network, Canadian Institute of Health Research, Cystic Fibrosis Association of Canada, Epilepsy Canada, Eye Foundation of Canada, Join Motion Program, endMS Network, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, Radiological Society of North America, SIR Foundation, Society for Vascular Surgery, Stem Cell Network, University of British Columbia, and more.

The student and supervisor should work together to complete the application form. Either/or can submit the final application for review.

Yes, transcripts for all post-secondary courses must be submitted. Copies of an original transcript should be scanned and sent electronically. Screen prints of student online accounts will not be accepted. If marks are not complete, please submit the most up-to-date marks. For foreign transcripts, a certified English translation and a clear explanation of the grading system must be included.

• Medical students: Transcripts for all post-secondary courses (including medical school transcripts)

• 1st Year Undergraduate students: Grade 12 transcript and transcripts for all post-secondary courses.

• 2nd, 3rd & 4th Year Undergraduate students: Transcripts for all post-secondary courses.