FAQ
General
Yes, but we generally only take grade 11 & grade 12 students from London, ON (or from Olds, AB for the CSSL Field Internship: Hail).
We do accept graduating applicants as long as they are planning to still be enrolled in an academic program in September 2025.
Yes! Please apply to the internship that is your number one choice, and at the end of the form, there will be an option that allows you to indicate if you’d like to be considered for other internships.
No. Due to the nature of the fieldwork and research, there is no option for remote work.
Most likely, yes! We’ve worked with many universities and colleges for co-op and work placement with zero issues. However, please email CSSLInternship@uwo.ca with your specific school to ensure that we meet the requirements for your co-op / work placement. The actual internship is a 16-week internship, with 1 week made available for vacation time. You can choose to take that 1 week of vacation all at once or split it up across the internship. This is so students with existing summer plans have some flexibility.
Yes! We’ve hired students from political science, astrophysics, urban planning, and many other non-meteorology / non-engineering fields.
Approximately 20, the rough breakdown is:
- 5 – 6 students for the CSSL Field Internship – Tornadoes
- 8 students for the CSSL Field Internship – Hail
- 6 – 7 students for the CSSL Research Internship
You can find more information about each internship on their respective webpages, but in general the field internships are 70% in the field, 30% office work, and the research internship has no fieldwork.
If your initial application is successful, we will contact you for a 20-minute virtual interview.
The information sessions are provided so that you can learn more information about the Canadian Severe Storms Laboratory, as well as the internships. The reason that it is mandatory is we want to provide as much information as possible to you about what these internships entail before you apply.
However, if you are unable to attend either session, please email CSSLInternship@uwo.ca to discuss alternative arrangements.
You will be paid the $10,000 CAD in quarterly installments ($2,500 each) on the 2nd last working day of each month.
Our goal is to inform all applicants about their application by March 1st. If that process becomes delayed, we will post an update the main internship page. The CSSL Field Internship – Hail is located in Olds, AB with provided (paid) accommodations. The rest are located at Western University in London, ON.
The actual internship is a 16-week internship, with 1 week made available for vacation time. You can choose to take that 1 week of vacation all at once or split it up across the internship. This is so students with existing summer plans have some flexibility.
Yes! We assume that you know little to nothing coming into the internship, so the first 2 weeks are fully dedicated to training the team.
CSSL Field Internship: Tornadoes
Yes. Anytime we're doing fieldwork, all expenses will be covered. This would include any meals eaten on the road, as well as hotel stays for overnight surveys.
No. You will be put on a rotating schedule that will detail when you need to be available to survey.
No, a drivers license is not required, but it is a major advantage in the application process. If you have one, please include it in your resume.
No, training on how to fly drones (both theoretical and practical), as well as guidance on obtaining a basic drone license is given at the start of the internship.
No. It is helpful, but it is not necessary for this internship. Applicants from any academic discipline will be considered.
Generally we will travel to any tornado in an accessible area of Ontario or Quebec. We are likely to also travel to strong tornadoes anywhere across Canada. When travelling for fieldwork, all airfare, accomodations, and meals would be paid for by CSSL.
It really depends on how many tornadoes occured in the area. Generally, the length of a typical survey is 1 - 3 days. The maximum allowable length of a survey before the team needs to be switched out for safety reasons is 5 days (but we've never hit that maximum before).
Due to the unpredictable nature of tornadoes, there is often little warning before a survey (less than 24 hours). However, the NTP meteorology team will provide daily forecasts that detail the likelihood of tornadoes and therefore surveys 1-2 days in advance. You will also be on a rotating schedule that will dictate when you're "on call" for potential surveys up to a month in advance.
This depends on how active the tornado season is. On average, tornado field interns spend 20 - 30 days in the field over the course of the summer. The rest of the time will be spent in the office, working on various survey-related / research tasks.
When there is no tornado damage to assess, interns are given a small research project to complete, along with other survey-related tasks.
Fun fact: The last two violent tornadoes in Canada both occured on a holiday weekend (Alonsa, MB - 2018 Civic Holiday; Didsbury, AB - 2023 Canada Day).
Because of the nature of chasing storms, the field team should be ready to deploy whenever necessary. Therefore, the schedule is quite dynamic.
However, if a survey is necessary on a weekend, surveyors will be given lieu time in order to make up for the lost time off. Additionally, if you have commitments on a specific weekend, you will be able to book that weekend off from surveying.
CSSL Field Internship: Hail
Yes. Anytime we're doing fieldwork, all expenses will be covered. This would include any meals eaten on the road, as well as hotel stays for overnight missions/surveys. However, this is only for fieldwork days when you're away from your provided accomodations.
In most cases, you will be placed on your desired team. However, due to logistics, this is not a guarantee.
No, while a background in storm chasing is considered an asset, it is not necessary for this internship. Applicants from any academic discipline will be considered.
No, a drivers license is not required, but it is a major advantage in the application process. If you have one, please include it in your resume.
No, training on how to fly drones (both theoretical and practical), as well as guidance on obtaining a basic drone license is given at the start of the internship.
Rooms are assigned ahead of time, and communicated to the team before the start of the season. You will be sharing a townhouse with three other CSSL Hail Field interns.
All team members are provided accomodations (paid for by CSSL) in Olds, AB that includes a private bedroom, with a shared bathroom, kitchen, and living area. You will be sharing a townhouse with three other CSSL Hail Field interns.
Because of the nature of chasing storms, the field team should be ready to deploy whenever necessary. There may be weeks where the team is chasing for many days in a row, with other weeks that have no deployments at all. Therefore, the schedule is quite dynamic. However, regardless of how busy the team is, all team members will always receive adequate time off from fieldwork activities.
The length of the field placement is 12 weeks. One week of hybrid training will take place at the start of the internship, and remote work will be assigned for the final weeks of the internship.
All team members are given two days off per week. However, because the field team operates 7 days per week, having Saturday / Sunday off is not guaranteed, and each person's day off may change month-to-month.
Round-trip airfare to Olds, AB as well as accomodations in Olds, AB are covered (paid for) by the CSSL.
Each morning, the team meets to discuss the weather. If storms are likely that day, the team prepares to depart to the initial target area, which is usually within a 3-hour drive. During the chase, driving and collecting data during inclement weather conditions is to be expected. The team usually returns to base before midnight, but 10–12-hour chase days with 300km+ of driving can be expected. Roughly 15-20 chases happen each year.
When there are no storms to chase, interns are given a research project to complete, along with other fieldwork tasks (such as maintaining our hailpad and disdrometer networks).
The CSSL Field Internship: Hail is based in Olds, AB with accomodations and travel covered by the CSSL.
Yes, training is given at the start of the field season that covers operations and safety.
If you have a valid drivers license, NHP vehicles will be available to use on days without a mission. If you don't have a valid drivers license, an electric bike will be available.
CSSL Research Internship
While we generally suggest a Monday – Friday, 9AM – 5PM schedule, as long as you’re meeting your tasks / objectives, there is some flexibility around that.
Yes!
Yes, to an extent. Generally, we will suggest a few projects that fit the skills we noted during your application and interview, but you will be able to pick from that list or suggest a project of your own.
The internship is considered a full-time position (40 hours / week). While we generally suggest a Monday – Friday, 9AM – 5PM schedule, as long as you’re meeting your tasks / objectives, there is some flexibility around that.
Yes! There will be limited opportunities to join the CSSL Field Internship: Tornadoes on some fieldwork if that interests you.
Yes, all the research interns will have a shared office space at Western University. It is generally expected that you work there instead of working at home on most days.
The CSSL Research Internship is based in London, ON at Western University.
This will generally be discussed during the interview process, and finalized in April.
Yes! You’ll be working directly with senior researchers at CSSL, who will guide and supervise you in your research.
You will be required to have your own laptop. All other necessary equipment will be provided for you.
