Apply for a Faculty of Science Summer Research Award

 

!!*The deadline for 2023 applications has passed*!!

 

Undergraduate Summer Research in Physics and Atmospheric Science

Several types of awards are available for undergraduate research in the Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science. Only one application is necessary to apply for all of them. A monthly stipend is provided to award holders for a period of 16 weeks between May 1, 2023 and September 1, 2023. The total award stipend is $9,000 for the summer.

Please see the 2023 Summer Research Award Guidelines

Student eligibility summary

  • Registered (at the time you apply) as a full-time student in a BSc program (or equivalent) in natural sciences
  • Cumulative grade of B or better over the previous years of study
  • Completed the course requirements (by the end of May 2023) of at least 1 full year of university study toward a BSc
  • During tenure of the award, the student will be employed full-time in research activities in the natural sciences

How to apply

Download and complete then Dalhousie application form, and e-mail to the Undergraduate Advisor, Dr. Philip Bennett at Philip.Bennett@dal.ca. Your application package must be received by the deadline date of January 27, 2023.

A recent copy of your academic transcript is required for (only) non-Dalhousie students. Please attach this to your application e-mail.

For more on rules and eligibility see: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Students-Etudiants/UG-PC/USRA-BRPC_eng.asp. Do not fill out the NSERC forms at this time – this is done at a later date if you are selected to receive an award. For now, only the Dalhousie application form is required.

What happens after you apply?

Your application will be considered for a variety of awards at the Departmental, Faculty, and National level (e.g., Federal NSERC USRA awards). In some instances, further information will be requested from you. We will attempt to place you in one of the research groups you have indicated on your application form. We regret that we cannot always match you with your first choice. We will notify you of the competition results by the end of March.

Tips on choosing a research group in Physics and Atmospheric Science

These awards are highly competitive. An offer will only be made if a successful match is made between the undergraduate award candidate and the head of the research group. Your chances of success are greatly increased if you identify and contact a potential supervisor in the Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science.

Current Faculty members seeking students, with synopsis of research projects

Faculty members: https://www.dal.ca/faculty/science/physics/faculty-staff.html

Research areas:  https://www.dal.ca/faculty/science/physics/research/centres-and-labs.html

Please spend some time browsing these sites to learn about research groups with whom you may be interested in working.

Personal contact is crucial

  • Email or phone a supervisor you might like to work with. Mention that you are interested in a summer research position and that you wish to learn more about the group’s research.
  • When meeting (or writing, speaking, etc.) with potential supervisors, mention why you are interested in pursuing a summer research project and what you wish to learn.
  • As a general rule, scientists love to talk about their research. Ask them about it. Ask what projects are available. Ask what other undergrads have done in the past. Ask about the current make-up of their group.
  • Start now. There is always a last-minute rush close to the deadline date.
  • Emailing or meeting with a faculty member does not commit you to work with that faculty member. Nor does it commit the faculty member to accept you. But it does dramatically increase the chances that a match is made.