Undergraduate Summer Research Internships (USRI)
Information for Faculty of Health Sciences Faculty Members and Students
Western Undergraduate Summer Research Internships (USRIs) provide undergraduate students with engaged research experiences under the mentorship of a faculty member and are intended to stimulate undergraduate students’ interest in research through direct exposure and hands-on experience conducting research.
USRI students will receive access to a wide range of professional development opportunities to complement their research work, including sessions on scholarly writing, literature searches/reviews, citation management, GIS tools, knowledge exchange, resumes and CVs, research posters, equity, and diversity. At the end of the summer, students have the opportunity to share their research with the broader community during a virtual exhibition event.
Program Objectives and Outcomes
This program seeks to provide undergraduate students with first-hand experience in undertaking an exciting research project under the direction of a qualified faculty mentor/supervisor.
Program Outcomes
- Provide a comprehensive and supported undergraduate student research experience.
- Increase undergraduate student confidence in research fields of interest.
- Pave the way to graduate study and future research careers.
- Provide opportunities for undergraduate students to expand their networks, enhance their student experience, and connect with other student researchers and members of the Western research community.
- Help defray the costs in supporting undergraduate student research work.
- Advance research, scholarship, and creative activity across Western.
Student Objectives
In collaboration with their faculty supervisor, students will:- Co-develop and execute a short-term research project, to be completed in the 16-week program time frame, under the supervision of a faculty member.
- Participate in a minimum of four professional development workshops that will aid in the creation of their research output and support the summer research experience.
- Present their final research output during the end-of summer virtual exhibition event (e.g., poster, blog, video, etc.).
- Participate in student reflection opportunities, and an end-of-program survey (including a program evaluation and a demographic survey); note that this is a condition of funding.
Faculty Supervisor Objectives
- Participate in a summer research program providing mentorship for an undergraduate student.
- Co-develop a learning and development plan geared towards the needs of your research program and your USRI fellow, with clear expectations to ensure an equitable working environment.
- Participate in at least one EDID workshop shared as part of the Professional Development sessions.
- Support the development of the research output (required deliverable of USRI students).
- Participate in end-of-program surveys, including a program evaluation and demographic survey; note that this is a condition of funding.
Value and Duration of Award
- Value: $9,856
- Duration: 16-week period
Western will contribute $6,900 for each student who completes their obligations to the 16-week program. Additionally, USRI supervisors are required to contribute a minimum top-up of $2,956 to the award stipend, resulting in a total award amount of $9,856.
Faculty supervisors are responsible for communicating clear expectations and guidance, including anticipated outcomes and deliverables, and outlining hours per week to be agreed upon in the student's individualized learning plan. Hours should be consistent with the Supervisor's research group members and allow for the successful completion of research objectives.
Faculty Allocation
FHS has been allocated 35 USRIs for 2026. Note that there will not be a separate allocation for cross-faculty application, i.e., undergraduate students from a Faculty outside of FHS count as a part of the FHS USRI allocation.
Supervisor and Student Eligibility
Supervisor
- The lead supervisor must hold a research-eligible appointment at Western and a primary or joint appointment to FHS.
- Faculty members who hold a primary appointment in another Faculty at Western must apply via the USRI program of their home Faculty.
- Co-supervision is acceptable under this program, and co-supervisors do not need to hold a research-eligible appointment in FHS.
- FHS supervisors must have a named student co-applicant on their USRI application.
- Faculties are encouraged to give preference to students completing 3rd year and/or returning students, but final decisions about internships are up to the Faculty.
Student
- Students must have been enrolled at Western in an undergraduate program in Winter 2026 and should be planning to attend Western in Fall 2026 as an undergraduate or graduate student.
- Students must be available to participate full-time in research activity as described in the proposal for 16 weeks between May 4 and August 28, 2026.
- The USRI award should not be held concurrently with another paid student position.
- Students must be selected by a supervisor and be named as student applicants on the supervisor's USRI application.
- Students will work with a faculty supervisor to co-create a research project. The hours per week devoted to this work are based on scholarly outcomes and should enable the achievement of research objectives. Vacation and sick days are not included in the internship and should be discussed with the respective supervisors.
- Participation in program evaluation and demographic survey, as well as full participation in program requirements (including attending four Professional Development sessions, completing a research output, and attending the end-of-summer research showcase), are a condition of the funding and are required to receive Co-curricular credit on the transcript.
Key Dates
March 2, 2026: Deadline for FHS supervisors to apply to the 2026 USRI award with their selected student.
March 16, 2026: Notifications of FHS USRI awards are released.
March 20, 2026: Deadline to accept FHS USRI offers.
May 4, 2026: Earliest start date of the USRI program.
August: Virtual Summer Exhibition, deadline for Professional Development session credits, deadline for the student and supervisor program evaluation and demographic survey submission.
August 28, 2026: Latest possible end date of the 16-week internship.
Professional Development for Students and Supervisors
A template for a learning and development plan will be provided by Western Research & Student Experience to be distributed to successful USRI fellows and their supervisors. Students will be expected to attend/view a minimum of four Professional Development sessions and/or workshops throughout the summer from the suite of offerings to be posted on the USRI 2026 OWL course.
A workshop focused on EDID will be available for supervisors to share experiences and develop strategies on how to implement the principles of EDID into their supervision practices with diverse students.
Applying for a USRI
Prospective supervisors are required to apply with an undergraduate student.
FHS supervisors who have not yet identified a student co-applicant have the option to submit a short description of their summer research opportunity to fhsresearch@uwo.ca. We will facilitate student-supervisor matching before the USRI deadline.
All Student-Supervisor teams will prepare the application together through the following form, which includes a 250-word research activity plan with a timeline.
Applications must be submitted by the supervisor by Monday, March 2, 2026.
Application Form
- To be submitted by the Supervisor.
- The application must include a research activity plan with a timeline (250 words).
- Deadline to apply: Monday, March 2, 2026
- Please complete the FHS USRI Application Form 2026 (uwo credentials required): USRI FORM
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a student submit a USRI application?
No. Only supervisors are allowed to submit a USRI application.
Can a student who is not currently enrolled in a FHS program apply for a FHS USRI?
Students are not allowed to submit a USRI application. However, FHS supervisors can submit a USRI application for a student not enrolled at FHS.
I have a student at another institution who would like to work with me this summer. Is this student eligible to apply?
USRIs are reserved for students registered in an undergraduate program at Western in 2026. Preference will be given to students who are planning to return to Western in the subsequent Fall semester, whether as an undergraduate student or graduate student.
I have a 4th-year student who would like to apply for this opportunity. Would they be eligible?
Yes, although preference will be given to students who expect to enroll in the subsequent Fall semester (as an undergraduate or graduate student).
My USRI application was not successful. Can I fund my student to participate in the USRI program?
Yes. In order to enroll your student in the program, you will need to provide the full amount of the award ($9,856) or more. Email fhsresearch@uwo.ca with your request to start the process.
Will students be taxed on this funding?
The award is categorized as a fellowship and will be reported to the student on a T4A tax slip (non- employment income) at the end of 2026. There are no statutory deductions required to be withheld from the payments.
What is an individual learning and development plan?
A template will be provided, which outlines the program requirements. The learning and development plan will help guide the goals for the summer and will encourage students to think about how to integrate what they learn in the workshops into their research output. The learning plan will establish an agreement between the student and faculty supervisor concerning expectations of research activity, attendance, communication, and the final research output.
Can a faculty mentor oversee more than one USRI award?
Yes, a supervisor can oversee more than one student or USRI project during the summer program.
Can a student hold more than one USRI award?
An undergraduate student can only hold one USRI award during the summer. However, the program welcomes returning students who participated in previous summers.
As a supervisor, do I have to attend the EDID workshop?
The EDID workshops are not mandatory but given the importance of EDID among research funders and the critical contribution to research creativity and excellence, participation is strongly encouraged.
I supervise other undergraduate students who are not USRI students. Are they allowed to participate in the professional development workshops?
Undergraduate students working through other summer research opportunities offered at Western are welcome to register for any USRI workshops being offered.
