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BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute (BCCHR)TrainingINtegrated Student Program In Research Education (INSPIRE)

INtegrated Student Program In Research Education (INSPIRE)

Providing pediatric research opportunities to undergraduate students.

About INSPIRE

INSPIRE aims to provide students with research training and practical experiences in child health research during the academic year. Students are matched with a mentor and contribute to a research project.

INSPIRE is for undergraduate students who are interested in pediatric research. Students must be available four to six hours a week. Eligible students who have completed at least one year of post-secondary and currently registered in any undergraduate or college training program or those within three years of completion of a post-secondary degree are eligible to apply.

INSPIRE provides a variety of research opportunities to encourage students to develop skills essential to conducting research. Through INSPIRE, students work alongside a research team and gain practical experience in child health research.

Why Participate in INSPIRE?

INSPIRE has a selection of research projects (clinical and basic science) available for students. Whenever possible, assigned projects are aligned with students’ interests.

INSPIRE is designed to support and enhance your learning experience at BCCHR. We provide access to seminars, workshops, and talks covering research methodology, ethics, and professional development.

Previous INSPIRE workshop topics have included statistical terms and concepts, abstract writing, preparing a scientific poster, Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) basics, and literature searching tips and tricks. Other events include networking opportunities and poster sessions.

For questions, reach out to the INSPIRE team.

Possible Research Project Areas
  • Brain, Behaviour & Development
  • Childhood Diseases
  • Evidence to Innovation
  • Healthy Starts
  • Quality Improvement

How to Participate

Step 1

Review the Eligibility Criteria

Are you an undergraduate student or a recent high school graduate interested in pediatric research? Students currently registered in any undergraduate or college training program or those within three years of completion of a high school or post-secondary degree are eligible to apply. Does your course schedule permit program participation? Students must be available for four to six hours every week.

Step 2

Complete the Online Application Form

The 2026/2027 calendar year intake cycle will open starting June 1, 2026 and will be ongoing till September 30, 2026. Your CV or resume, unofficial transcript, availability, and tentative course timetable are required. Upon submitting the online application form, the INSPIRE team will review your application. Once accepted, you can look under “MY PROFILE” in the Interests tab to see what studies are available for possible enrollment. Studies are removed as they are filled, so be sure to log in often to check for new studies.

INSPIRE application form

Step 3

In-Person or Virtual Interview

Interviews will be arranged between the candidates and research teams. Only successful applications will receive an interview invitation.

Step 4

Notification of Decision

The Program Coordinator will send successful applicants the list of online training modules — the first steps of the INSPIRE program. Any questions? Please contact the INSPIRE Coordinator.

email INSPIRE

INSPIRE: Dates and Deadlines

  • Completion of INSPIRE program 2025-2026: April 30th 2026
  • Project intake for investigators for INSPIRE program 2026-2027 Opens: June 1st 2026
  • Student applications opens: June 1st 2026
  • Student applications will be ongoing until: September 30th 2026
  • Student/investigator project matching begins: June 2nd 2026
  • Student interviews: June 2nd – September 30th 2026**
  • Notice of decision closes: October 16th 2026**
  • INSPIRE project intake for investigators closes: October 2nd 2026**
  • INSPIRE onboarding: June 2nd – October 16th 2026**
  • Completion of INSPIRE program: April 30th 2027


** Dependant on number of projects requesting trainees time end dates can vary due to numerous requests.

Apply for INSPIRE

Ready to apply? Complete the online application form. The application portal will open on June 1, 2026.

apply now

Interested in bringing on a student?

Note: some links will take you to our intranet, ResearchHub. A BCCHR/PHSA/UBC login is required to access information on ResearchHub.

To ensure students receive proper support, all study teams must identify a primary mentor for the student. This individual should have at least 1-2 hours per week dedicated to providing mentorship and supporting the student.

Consider the key responsibilities that the student will have in supporting the project. Ensure that the responsibilities are appropriate for someone new to the work. Complete the UBC Volunteer Agreement Form.

Thinking about how best to engage a student in your research program? Check out how others have done it in this past video presentation. Or contact inspire@bcchr.ca for advice.

Complete the online Project Intake Form. The INSPIRE Program Coordinator will review your request and identify students interested in your project.

As Co-op and WorkLearn students are independently hired through the Co-op and Work Learn offices, the INSPIRE program does not facilitate project matching for Co-op and WorkLearn students. If you are looking to hire a Co-op and/or WorkLearn student for a larger time commitment, please visit SFU Co-op, UBC Co-op office and/or UBC Work Learn Program for more information. 

If you have identified your own student, via Co-op or other avenues, you can still enroll your student in INSPIRE so that they can take advantage of all the programming and resources we offer. Email inspire@bcchr.ca to request your student be added to the INSPIRE mailing list.

Student selection and matching typically occurs in August or September annually in line with the start of the academic year. However students can join the program throughout the year. If you have identied your own student, email inspire@bcchr.ca to request they be added to the INSPIRE mailing list.

After identifying interested students, the INSPIRE team will initiate a meeting with the student(s) and the primary mentor to confirm assignment. As an outcome of these initial meetings, the mentor will confirm the student selected to support the project.

Furthermore, the choosen student should have a clear understanding of: the expectations of their role and responsibilities, time commitment they are expected to contribute, and the next steps to complete required onboarding and training.

See BCCHR’s Onboarding Checklist (for Supervisors) to clarify the steps required to onboard your student. The INSPIRE Program Coordinator is also available to answer any questions teams may have, email inspire@bcchr.ca.

All students should also complete project specific training relevant to the tasks they will be assigned. See Training for Students & New Clinical Research Staff for our recommendations on suggested training.

Please note that the program coordinator will be in contact with the primary mentors for a brief check-in 2 months after student assignment.

Mentors play an important role in students’ success. Making time for regular check-ins with your student will ensure they can contribute meaningfully to your project. Check out below out tips to being an outstanding mentor!

Contact the INSPIRE Program Coordinator at any time should you have any performance concerns or issues with your student, we are here to help navigate these concerns, email inspire@bcchr.ca.

As part of ongoing program evaluation and quality improvement activities we will also conduct a mid-year and end-of-year check-in with all students and mentors.

INSPIRE FAQs

If you don’t see your question answered here, please email the INSPIRE Coordinator.

You will need to complete: Privacy and Security 101, Provincial Code Red, Respectful Workplace: Fostering a Culture of Respect, Infection Prevention and Control Basics for Non-direct Care Health Care Workers, and TCPS-2.

  • Completion of INSPIRE program 2025-2026: April 30, 2026
  • Project intake for investigators for INSPIRE Program 2026-2027 opens: June 1, 2026
  • Student applications open: June 1, 2026
  • Student applications will be ongoing until: September 30, 2026
  • Student/investigator project matching begins: June 2, 2026
  • Student interviews: June 2 – Sept. 30, 2026**
  • Notice of decision closes: October 16, 2026**
  • INSPIRE project intake for investigators closes: October 2, 2026**
  • INSPIRE onboarding: June 2 – Oct. 16, 2026**
  • Completion of INSPIRE Program: April 30, 2027


** Dependant on number of projects requesting trainees time end dates can vary due to numerous requests.

INSPIRE Application Instructions

Please attach: 1. Cover Letter 2. Resume 3. Class Schedule 4. Marks

Please submit in the order mentioned above.

If they are not attached in the correct order or are illegible, your application will be rejected. Due to numerous requests, we will not send an email regarding the rejection.

Please make sure that your class schedule is in a daily schedule format (UBC class schedule format), as this is the easiest to read.

After attaching the required information and answering the questions, please click on Submit Application Form. (The application portal will open June 1, 2026).

Applying for an INSPIRE Project

1. Log in to your INSPIRE account

2. Click on Additonal Info

3. Scroll down until you reach the project listings *they change daily

4. Click on the project “i” for details

Research News

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