The Undergraduate Student Summer Research Fellowship (USSRF) provides an experiential learning opportunity for undergraduate students enrolled in a Bachelor’s degree program at Queen’s. The program is intended to provide students with meaningful opportunities to engage in discovery-based learning and to develop research and presentation skills.
The School of Environmental Studies has one (1) USSRF available this summer to allow an undergraduate student to work on a supervised research project.
Students must apply with an eligible School of Environmental Studies core faculty member who has agreed to supervise their research work during the summer. Information on the research activities of core faculty members in the School of Environmental Studies is available at: https://www.queensu.ca/ensc/people/faculty-and-staff
Eligibility:
To be eligible to apply for an fellowship, a student must:
- be eligible to work in Canada
- be registered, at the time of application in a bachelor’s degree program at Queen's University. Preference will be given to students who have not previously held a USSRF and have completed at least one year of study.
- identify a faculty researcher in the School of Environmental Studies (a faculty member who is a Member of QUFA) willing to be their supervisor, provide training and the necessary resources to conduct the research (e.g., supplies, field travel costs, and equipment), and provide their financial contribution to the fellowship and research project.
Funding Details:
The USSRF is supported by the Vice-Principal Research (VPR) and supervisor contributions. The VPR will contribute $8,332.80 per award and the supervisor will contribute approximately $3,695.20.
Fellowships are valued at $10,832.64 (plus mandatory employer payroll deductions) and will be distributed by Queen’s payroll in four equal installments on the last day of May, June, July and August.
Duration:
The successful applicant will be hired as a full-time (35 hours/week) research assistant working full-time for 16 consecutive weeks from May 1 to August 31.
Students are expected to submit an abstract of their summer research to the Student Inquiry at Queen’s Journal at the completion of their work. This can be done in collaboration with their supervisor.
How to Apply and Deadline:
A complete application includes two forms; form 1. is completed by the student and form 2. is completed by the supervisor:
1. Application documents (Student)
a. A completed, signed application form (click to download)
b. 1 page fully addressing questions 1-3
(Submit both sections a. and b. as one pdf)
2. Application documents (Supervisor)
a. A completed, signed application form (click to download)
b. 1 page fully addressing questions 1-5
(Submit both sections a. and b. as one pdf)
Applications (parts 1. and 2.) must be submitted to envst@queensu.ca by end of day Friday, February 13, 2026.
Applications will be assessed by the School of Environmental Studies Awards Committee using the following criteria:
1. All eligibility criteria are met and the application is complete.
2. Answers to questions are complete, clear, grammatically correct and concise.
3. The project will provide the student with a meaningful opportunity to engage in experiential learning as evidenced by a well thought out and clear training plan.
4. Supervisor engagement throughout the research term is clear, meaningful and feasible.
5. Learning outcomes are clearly defined, tied to the research proposal with high potential to have a significant impact on student learning and development.
6. The potential for research impact at a broader level has been considered, is clearly articulated and is feasible.
7. The student has a genuine interest in research and has demonstrated the potential to succeed in the proposed project.
8. In the event that two or more applications are considered equal, preference may be given to: increasing diversity of the awardee pool, first time applicants (student or supervisor), student record of academic achievement, early career researchers (supervisors only), and/or research that supports strategic research initiatives at Queen’s.