Research at Dalhousie Medical School

Faculty of Medicine

Undergraduate Summer Research Awards and Summer Student Research Program for Non‑Medical Students

aerial shot of Henry Hicks building
MRDO Studentships and Awards
SharePoint (login Required)

Applications Open: October 25, 2025
Application Deadline: January 15, 2026 (5:00pm AST)

Undergraduate students working with faculty members with a primary appointment in the Faculty of Medicine are eligible to apply for the Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA) program administered by the Tri-council granting agencies and for the Faculty of Medicine Summer Student Research Program. These programs support undergraduate students conducting research in university laboratories throughout the summer (May 1st, 2026 - August 31st, 2026).

This competition will distribute:

Students must identify a member of the Faculty of Medicine to support their application and summer research to be eligible for these awards.

Be sure to enter the supervisor email correctly as they will receive a notice to complete the supervisor portion of the application.

Current Dalhousie Student Application (SharePoint - Active NetID is required)

Application guide for Dalhousie students  (Login Required)
Student Application - Students from other Institutions

Application guide for students from other Universities

Prepare your documents for upload before you begin your application!
Students - electronic copy of your academic transcripts
Supervisors - Tri-Agency CCV Biosketch

Students Applications:

  • Current Dalhousie students can apply in SharePoint (NetID login required)
  • Students applying from other Universities:
        Use the application above (on the right hand side of the page)
        Ensure your supervisor has the link to the supervisor application.

Supervisor Applications:
When a student names you as a supervisor, you will receive an email with a link to complete your portion of the application.  The email will be from mrdo@dal.ca.  The application guidelines can be found here: Supervisor Application Guide

About these programs

Undergraduate Summer Research Award (USRA) 

The USRA program at the Faculty of Medicine is designed to immerse students in research activities, fostering interest in graduate programs and research-centered career paths. Through this full-time summer program, students have the opportunity to work alongside leading faculty and researchers, gaining valuable hands-on experience in the field of medicine.

Summer Student Research Scholarship for Non-Medical Students (SSRS)

The Faculty of Medicine partners with Imhotep’s Legacy Academy (ILA) to offer summer student research scholarships (SSRS) for applicants identifying as Black/of African descent, and who have an interest in acquiring medical-related  research experience over the summer months.

Faculty of Medicine Summer Student Research Program (SSRP)
Dalhousie Faculty of Medicine’s Summer Research Program for Non-Medical Students aims to open new doors of opportunity to African Nova Scotians, Black, and Indigenous students interested in medicine and/or health research. The program is open to undergraduate students from these communities who are confident that health research will be part of their professional careers.

Eligibility

To be eligible for a summer research award, you must:

  • Be a currently enrolled undergraduate student in at least the second year of your program
  • Be available to work full-time for at least 16 weeks from May through August
  • Have a grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0

  • You must have identified a faculty member whose primary appointment is in the Faculty of Medicine and who is willing to act as a research supervisor and who will provide additional funds

Selection Process

All applications will be reviewed and ranked by the Scholarship Committee following the selection criteria provided by NSERC - https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/students-etudiants/ug-pc/usra-brpc_eng.asp

Following the review, each department will be informed about the number of applications received for their department, applicant information, and their rankings. Successful applicants and their supervisors will be notified via email.

Please direct any questions regarding the USRAs to MRDO@dal.ca.