Funding Opportunities

Social Sciences Summer Studentship

 

Click here to download the Application Form

 

Summary

Each fiscal year the SCN allocates two Social Sciences Summer Studentships made available through one funding competition in March of each calendar year.  The SCN is currently accepting applications for this fall competition up until the application deadline on March 4th, 2013 (at midnight sender’s time).

The SCN Social Sciences Summer Studentship provides $5,000 in salary support for one four-month work-term for a summer student to work on a research project with clear relevance to stem cells.  In addition, the award also covers the travel and accommodation costs for the student to present their research at a subsequent Till & McCulloch Meeting (TMM) that overlaps or immediately follows the term of this award. The TMM travel award is contingent on the undergraduate/co-op student submitting an abstract for presentation (oral or poster) at the AGM.  Note that the next Till & McCulloch Meeting is scheduled for October 23-25, 2013 in Banff.

 

Eligibility

  • Applicants must be working towards their undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in social sciences (or related fields; i.e.; ethics, law) at a Canadian University.

  • Candidates' proposed supervisors for the work term placement must be SCN Principal Investigators (PIs) who are working on Ethical, Legal or Societal Issues.  Click here for a list of all current SCN PIs. Note: A SCN PI can host a summer student from a different institution other than his/her own.

  • SCN PIs may only propose one summer student in any competition, and funding will be limited to one student per SCN PI per calendar year.

 

Specific Terms of the Award

The intent of this award is to enable undergraduate students to obtain significant experience in stem cell research through summer term placement under the supervision of a Stem Cell Network Principal Investigator (PI) associated with (Ethical, Legal and Social Issues). Furthermore, attendance at the Till & McCulloch Meeting will provide the undergraduate student with the unique opportunity to have attended and presented at a national scientific meeting and to network with the Canadian stem cell research community.  Ultimately, this program should increase the number of highly qualified graduate school applicants and provide opportunities for the recruitment of these students into stem cell research programs.

The value of the SCN Social Sciences Summer Studentship is $5,000 paid out to the Supervisor’s institution in one installment at the beginning of the work term.

At the conclusion of the placement, the student will be expected to submit a short description of the experience and its impact on his/her career choice by completing the End of Award Form. In the event that the award has to be terminated in advance of the award end date, the student will be expected to complete the Termination of Award Form and any remaining SCN funds will have to be returned. Supervisors will be eligible for future awards only after the Network has approved the trainee’s final report.

 

Application Procedure

  • Complete the Application Form.

  • Provide a support letter from your proposed supervisor. Note: this letter should be confidential and sent directly by your supervisor to SCN by post or email.

Include complete contact address, phone number and email address. This letter should provide an evaluation of the applicant's capacity to perform in the research group and his/her career potential. The letter should include an explanation for anything unusual in the application (low grades, year off, etc.).

  • Provide a second support letter from either your previous/present supervisor (if applicable) or a University official (e.g., lecturer). Note: this letter should be confidential and sent directly by your supervisor/official to SCN by post or email.
    Include complete contact address, phone number and email address. This letter should provide an evaluation of the applicant's capacity to perform in a research environment and/or information regarding the applicant's ability to undertake a research project, and his/her career potential.

  • Provide your undergraduate transcript.
    Original transcripts are not required - a legible copy or e-mail print-out is acceptable, so long as it shows every grade received from all undergraduate courses taken.

All letters should be signed either electronically or by hand. All documents should be converted to .pdf files.

All correspondence, including application submission, should be addressed to info@stemcellnetwork.ca .

If you are not able to submit your application by email, please courier to:

Paul Cassar
Stem Cell Network
501 Smyth Road, Room CCW-6189
Ottawa K1H 8L6
Tel: 613-739-6672

 

Last updated: January 2013