The following applies to students interested in participating in the Summer Student Program. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure the application package is complete and received by the competition closing date.

Want to know more? Please contact resinfo@bcchr.ca. 
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Program Questions

Do I need to have a supervisor before I apply?
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.

What is the research project I will be working on?
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.

To what extent will I be involved in the project design? 
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

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

Do supervisors expect students to have previous research experience?
No. When polled, previous summer students had already completed the following items prior to joining the program: 

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

Can I re-apply for the summer program curriculum? 
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).

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

Are there attendance requirements for the summer program? 
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.

Will the summer program activities be hosted in-person or virtually? 
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. 

Can I do a school course and/or work another job while participating in the summer program?
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. 

Funding Questions:

What are my chances of receiving BCCHR funding?
Refer to the application guidelines from your downloaded application package for more information on the scoring criteria and funding stats. 

When will I be notified if I am receiving BCCHR funding? 
Applicants are typically notified about funding decisions by Spring of next year. 

If I accepted a BCCHR Summer Studentship award in a previous year, can I apply for funding again this summer?
No. 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).

Students who previously participated in the summer program curriculum can apply for the program again (given they meet the eligibility criteria), but may find some of the content similar or repetitive. 

Can I hold two Summer Studentship awards?
Applicants are NOT ABLE to receive funding from another institute or university for the same type of training during the funding period (ie. the time period you are receiving funding from BCCHR), with the exception of external awards requiring matched funds. 

A student who receives external funding requiring matched funds may use the studentship as the match. These exceptions must be approved by the Research Education Team (contact resinfo@bcchr.ca for details). Applicants may hold a second job as long as it does not occur during the time you are required to work on your project.

If I’m graduating in May, am I eligible to apply for the Summer Studentship?
No. Students not returning to continue undergraduate or medical studies in the following fall/winter semester are not eligible to apply for funding.

Should I investigate alternative funding sources?
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. Funding for previous applicants includes the following:

  • Associated Medical Services / Canadian Society for the History of Medicine - Hannah Summer Studentship
  • BC Cancer Agency – Summer Studentships
  • Biotalent Canada Award - Student Work Placement Program
  • Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada – Research Studentships
  • Canadian Arthritis Network – Summer Research Program
  • Canadian Association of Gastroenterology/Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of Canada – Summer Studentships
  • Canadian Blood Services – Summer Internship Program
  • Canadian Foundation for Infectious Disease – Undergraduate Summer Research Awards
  • Canadian Hemophilia Society – Summer Studentships
  • Canadian Liver Foundation – Summer Studentships
  • Canadian Rheumatology Association – Summer Studentship Program
  • Canadian Society for Mucopolysaccharide & Related Disease – Summer Studentship 
    Research Grants
  • Canadian Stroke Network – Summer Studentships
  • Canadian Institute of Health Research – Health Professional Student Research Awards
  • Canadian Institute of Health Research – Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis Studentship
  • Cystic Fibrosis Association of Canada – Summer Studentship Award
  • Epilepsy Canada – Summer Studentship
  • Erasmus+ - Summer Studentship
  • Eye Foundation of Canada – Summer Scholarship Program
  • Fullbright Canada Mitacs Globalink Program - Summer Studentship
  • Joint Motion Program – Summer Research Studentship
  • endMS Network – Summer Studentship Award
  • Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada – Undergraduate Student Research Awards
  • Parkinson's Disease Foundation – Summer Student Fellowship
  • Radiological Society of North America – Medical Student Grant
  • SIR Foundation – Student Research Grant
  • Society for Vascular Surgery – Student Research Fellowship
  • Stem Cell Network – Undergraduate Research Training
  • TRaIning A New generation of researchers in Gastroenterology and LivEr (TRIANGLE) program - Summer Studentship
  • University of British Columbia  - Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine 
    Summer Student Fellowship
  • University of British Columbia – Faculty of Medicine Summer Student Research Awards
  • University of British Columbia – Pharmaceutical Sciences Summer Student Research Program

Application Questions

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

To apply for funding, are all transcripts required? 
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.

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