SickKids Summer Research (SSuRe) Program
The SickKids Summer Research (SSuRe) Program provides professional and career development opportunities for undergraduate students who are working on a research project with a Research Institute (RI) scientist for the summer.
Program highlights
- All undergraduate and medical students doing research with a RI scientist over the summer months are invited to participate in program activities
- 15-weeks from May to mid-August
- Weekly seminars presented by Hospital and RI scientists
- Career Night where students have a chance to meet research staff from across the RI
- Opportunity to present research projects at annual Summer Student Symposium
- Awards presented to select students for exceptional research projects
Eligibility, How to Apply, and Hiring Information
Expand the sections below to learn more about eligibility and how to apply for a SickKids summer student position, as well as potential hiring opportunities!
Any student who will be enrolled in a university/college undergraduate program in the fall following the Summer Program or enrolled in medical school is eligible to be hired as a Research Summer Student. That includes high school students in their last year. If you are in your final year of undergraduate studies, you are eligible to be hired as a Research Summer Student so long as you will be, or have applied to be, enrolled in a university/college program in the fall.
If you’re a high school student but not in your last year, you may be eligible to participate in the Student Advancement Research (StAR) internship program.
Students interested in applying to posted positions are encouraged to apply as early as possible, as scientists receive a high volume of applications and positions are filled quickly. Positions are posted in late fall/early winter. Please complete the SSuRe application form to apply for a posted position. Make sure you read the instructions in the job posting carefully! Neither the Research Training Centre nor the Human Resources Department will accept or forward Research Summer Student applications.
If you would like to apply to more than one scientist, you must send individual applications to each scientist through the SSuRe application form , as each scientist is responsible for selecting their own student(s). You can view our full list of scientists on our Reseachers page.
To apply for a summer position, students must submit the following directly to the hiring scientist(s) via their preferred application method (as noted in the posting):
1. Complete, and submit the SickKids Summer Research Program application form
2. Cover letter
3. CV/Resume
4. Current university/college transcripts
- Official or unofficial transcripts (copies or online versions) are acceptable. Please submit electronically with the rest of your application.
- No minimum grade point average (GPA) is required to be eligible to apply for a SickKids Research Summer Student position. However, these positions are highly competitive, so it’s to your advantage to have a strong GPA. That said, passion and genuine interest go a long way!
5. Any other documents required by the individual posting.
Due to the large volume of applications received, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. Each scientist will conduct interviews and make final selections independent of the Research Training Centre. All candidates selected for posted positions will have been contacted by early April of each year.
After the deadline, students are advised to contact scientist(s) directly to see if positions are still available as only candidates chosen for interviews will be contacted.
Some scientists choose not to post research summer student positions, but rather hire students by direct application.
To contact a scientist to see if they have any open research student opportunities, please visit our list of SickKids researchers to see who is doing research you’re interested in and submit an application through the SSuRe application form.
The U of T Student Life blog has a handy post with advice on applying for summer research positions.
Students must email the following directly to the scientist(s):
1. Download, complete, and submit the SickKids Summer Research Program application form
2.Cover letter (recommended)
3. CV/Resume
4. Current university/college transcripts
- Official or unofficial transcripts (copies or online versions) are acceptable. Please submit electronically with the rest of your application.
- No minimum grade point average (GPA) is required to be eligible to apply for a SickKids Research Summer Student position. However, these positions are highly competitive, so it’s to your advantage to have a strong GPA. That said, passion and genuine interest go a long way!
Due to the large volume of applications received, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. Each scientist will conduct interviews and make final selections independent of the Research Training Centre.
In the SSuRe Program application, students will be asked to provide the contact information for their referee.
The hiring supervisor will ask students to provide a reference letter during or after the interview stage.
The reference letter should come from an individual who is familiar with your skills, and is best able to describe your past and/or current work/school experience (e.g., a professor, high school teacher, previous employer, volunteer supervisor, etc.).
- In order to ensure that it remains confidential, the letter shouldn’t be sent to you or included in your application package. Your referee should email the reference letter directly to the hiring scientist(s) with the subject line: SickKids Summer Research Reference Letter - <Candidate’s Last Name>, <First Name>.
- There are no specific criteria your referee should address, but you can suggest that your referee consider describing your educational background, academic performance, relevant research training or work experience, characteristics, and abilities. Your referee should also highlight your achievements to date. Make sure that you provide your referee with a copy of your application and CV to refer to when writing your letter!
A research summer student placement can be of any duration (with the exception of the Lunenfeld Summer Studentship and the Opportunity Summer Studentship, funded positions which must be 15 weeks) and the start dates and end dates, as well as hours per week, can be negotiated between each student and supervisor. Research Summer Students must be paid the minimum hourly rate of $16.55 + 6% vacation.
Students and their supervisors will negotiate working hours at the time of hire or start.
Project description
Inherited retinal Dystrophies (IRDs) are a diverse group of disorders with an estimated prevalence of 1 in 3000. Hereditary Macular Dystrophies (HMD) /cone-rod dystrophies (CRD) are a subset of IRDs characterized by central visual acuity and field loss. Only 50% of cases of HMD/CRD are genetically characterized. Our lab uses whole genome sequencing and CNV analysis to identify the candidate genetic variants. The student will learn to analyze whole genome data including structural variants, transposons, SNPs and deletions/insertions and select potential disease-causing genetic variants. The student will further analyze these variants by performing segregation by PCR and Sanger sequencing. The student will also learn basic techniques such as RT-PCR, western blotting and immuno-cytochemistry for functional validation of potential variants.
Supervisor
Work arrangement
On-site
How to apply
Complete the SSuRe application form
- Please enter kashif.ahmed@sickkids.ca on the form when you are asked to provide the email of the lab or supervisor you are applying to.
Deadline
Mar. 31, 2024
Project description
To date, the supervisor has created 3D segmentations of the eyeball and orbit of children with intraocular retinoblastoma, with printed models of the orbit and globe that serve as the foundation for an enucleation simulator. However, validation of our simulator is contingent on how well it replicates soft tissues. In enucleations, relevant tissues include conjunctiva, extraocular muscles, and the optic nerve. This research plan will incorporate an iterative design process to determine the materials and manufacturing techniques that best mimic the tactile and tensile properties of soft tissues in vivo. Soft tissues will be manufactured using a combination of 3D printing and polymer casting (i.e., latex dipping, heat-shrink tubing), as flexible thermoplastic elastomers can be blended with firmer polylactic acid filaments to adjust firmness, and latex dipping allows for precise control of component thickness. Manufacturing will take place at the Posluns Centre for Image Guided Innovation and Therapeutic Intervention (PCIGITI).
To assess and validate our simulator, we will employ an adapted version of the Michigan Standard Simulation Experience Scale (MiSSES), a validated simulation-based education (SBE) measure. The MiSSES evaluates several domains of surgical simulators including their accuracy, fidelity, and educational value. Validation will be achieved when a cohort (minimum n = 3) of expert pediatric ophthalmologists (> 50 enucleations performed) unanimously score an iteration above 80%. To minimize the amount of validation sessions and ensure success over the duration of one summer, multiple iterations of our simulator will be presented at each validation, thereby testing a broad gradation of mimicked tissues each time.
The student will be responsible for developing a deep understanding of the enucleation procedure and must attend ophthalmology rounds and observe at least one enucleation, performed by the supervisor. The student will work with two research assistants and support the manufacturing of the conjunctiva, muscles, and optic nerve. The student will also participate in adapting the MiSSES to better suit the particularities of enucleations. Lastly, the student will be responsible for assisting in the drafting and revising of a manuscript, in anticipation of publication.
Supervisor
Work arrangement
On-site
How to apply
Complete the SSuRe application form
- Please enter 3dleuko@gmail.com on the form when you are asked to provide the email of the lab or supervisor you are applying to.
Deadline
Mar. 31, 2024
Project description
Background: Our previous research demonstrated that children who had eye examination within 1 week of spontaneous birth (Cohort 1) had worse vision outcomes and more invasive therapies than children identified by amniocentesis to carry the RB1 pathogenic variant (hereditary retinoblastoma, H1) of a first-degree relative, facilitating scheduled early-term delivery and screening within 48 hrs (Cohort 2) at median follow-up 5.6 years.
Goals and Objectives: We will update follow-up data for the published patients and add subsequent retrospective patients. For all patients we will examine treatment burden using our new SWIMMERrb summary and Consequence Score (quantifying perceived "harms" of standard therapies) and impact on perioperative services.
Objectives: Compare vision, treatment success (defined as avoidance of enucleation, and/or external beam irradiation) and Consequence Scores after birth between Cohorts 1 and 2. Compare disease presentation (timing, location, and cancer stage at first treatment)
between Cohort 1 and 2.
Hypothesis: Pre-natal molecular diagnosis of an RB1 pathogenic variant and subsequent early-term delivery results in improved outcomes and reduced post-natal Consequence Scores.
Research Plan: This is a retrospective, single-institutional observational study of children with familial retinoblastoma treated from June 1, 1996 to May 31, 2023 at SickKids, Toronto, Canada. For all eligible participants, data will be abstracted from the patient's medical record.
Basic descriptive statistics will compare ocular outcomes and perioperative impacts of patients born spontaneous full term who had RB1 post-natal molecular testing (Cohort 1) to patients who underwent prenatal RB1 testing and early delivery (Cohort 2).
Role of Student: The summer student will retrieve previous data from OneDrive, collect the recent eligible patients, enter all new treatment events into SWIMMERrb tables, apply Consequence scores and draft the comparative statistic analyses.
Supervisor
Work arrangement
On-site
How to apply
Complete the SSuRe application form
- Please enter rbsummerstudentapplications@gmail.com on the form when you are asked to provide the email of the lab or supervisor you are applying to.
Deadline
Mar. 31, 2024
Project description
Centre for Safety Research Lab is housed within Center for Child Health Evaluative Sciences at SickKids and is focused on advancing child health through evidence-based medicine. We are currently seeking highly motivated and enthusiastic Summer Research Students to join our dynamic team for Project EXEMPLAR. This project aims to conduct systematic reviews on the safety of prescribed medicines, contributing valuable insights to clinical practice. As a Summer Research Assistant, you will play a crucial role in the systematic screening, assessment, and extraction of information from research articles using the EXEMPLAR framework. Additionally, you will be involved in analyzing the validity of selected studies using risk-of-bias tools and leverage the Covidence platform. This position offers a unique opportunity to contribute to groundbreaking research, enhance your research skills, and work in a collaborative and stimulating environment.
Key Responsibilities:
- Conduct systematic article screening and selection using Covidence.
- Utilize the EXEMPLAR framework to extract explicit medication safety events data from selected articles.
- Analyze the validity of studies through the application of risk-of-bias tools.
- Collaborate with a diverse research team, actively participating in discussions and team meetings.
Qualifications:
- Currently enrolled in a bachelor's program in Life sciences.
- Strong interest in healthcare research, evidence-based medicine, and medication safety.
- Excellent organizational and time-management skills.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a team environment.
- Basic knowledge of systematic review methodologies is a plus.
Benefits:
- Gain hands-on experience in conducting systematic reviews and medication safety research.
- Work closely with experienced researchers and clinicians in a supportive mentorship environment.
- Networking opportunities within the SickKids's research community.
Supervisor
Work arrangement
On-site
How to apply
Complete the SSuRe application form
- Please enter kristen.middaugh@sickkids.ca on the form when you are asked to provide the email of the lab or supervisor you are applying to.
Deadline
Mar. 22, 2024
Project description
Background: We are currently developing and validating a patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) for retinoblastoma (childhood eye cancer) patients, which will facilitate communication on appearance-based and associated psychosocial outcomes. Such a PROM is crucial as previous research identified through input of patients their need to report on these outcomes in a standardized and validated manner. The existence of such a PROM tailored specifically for retinoblastoma patients will allow clinicians to better understand patients' needs and outcomes more holistically, thereby guiding important discussions regarding support and treatment plans.
A pilot version of the PROM has been developed through interviews with patients, and refinement by a study team consisting of patient partners, health professionals, and researchers. The project is currently in the field-testing stage, in which an international sample of 200+ patients will test the pilot version of the PROM online through an electronic survey.
Summer Student Role: Working under the supervision of a PhD student, the summer student will assist in the recruitment and data-tracking components of the field-testing stage of the project. Recruitment will take place through a combination of social media outreach, direct study invitation letters, and clinic recruitment. Recruitment progress will be tracked, noting the number of online survey responses and level of completion. The student will routinely analyse the survey participant data (e.g. demographics, clinical details) to monitor the diversity of the participant cohort and tailor recruitment approaches to gather missing perspectives.
Learning Outcomes and Skills Developed: The student will gain an knowledge about PROMs, PROM development, retinoblastoma and patient engagement. Skills to be developed include: written and oral communication (e.g. literature review, citing references, oral and poster presentations); critical thinking (e.g. reviewing and interpreting academic papers); study implementation (recruitment, tracking, data coordination); and analysis (e.g basic descriptive statistics, choice of appropriate data visualization methods).
Supervisor
Work arrangement
On-site
How to apply
Complete the SSuRe application form
- Please enter crrab.info@sickkids.ca on the form when you are asked to provide the email of the lab or supervisor you are applying to.
Deadline
Mar. 31, 2024
Project description
The Rubinstein laboratory uses biochemical, biophysical, and structural biology methods to study membrane protein complexes involved mycobacterial biology and neurobiology. Available projects are related to:
- Development of cryoEM methods for high-resolution studies of macromolecular machines
- Understanding the loading and release of neurotransmitters in synaptic vesicles
- Targeting oxidative phosphorylation as a way of treating mycobacterial infections like tuberculosis
Supervisor
Work arrangement
On-site
How to apply
Complete the SSuRe application form
- Please enter jlr@sickkids.ca on the form when you are asked to provide the email of the lab or supervisor you are applying to.
Deadline
Mar. 31, 2024
Project description
The Hamilton lab investigates blood and ECG based biomarkers of inherited, congenital and acquired rhythm disorders including arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, Brugada syndrome, autoimmune congenital heart block, Chagas disease, Lyme disease and other rare or endemic disorders of heart rhythm. The student would take on one portion of one of these projects during their tenure, under supervision, with one goal being a contribution to a publication.
Supervisor
Work arrangement
Hybrid
How to apply
Complete the SSuRe application form
- Please enter jaclyn.durham@sickkids.ca on the form when you are asked to provide the email of the lab or supervisor you are applying to.
- A cover letter customized to the position sought is preferred.
- Transcripts are required but may be unofficial.
Deadline
Apr. 30, 2024
What does the SSuRe Program curriculum include?
The SSuRe Program is here to support you from day one, from orientation and training to creating a poster to present at Symposium Day!
Any high school or undergrad student working on a research project with a SickKids scientist over the summer months is warmly invited to participate in the SSuRe Program activities. It doesn’t matter where you’re from, where at SickKids you’re working, or how you’re getting paid — join us!
The SSuRe Program runs two research summer student-specific orientation sessions in May prior to the commencement of the program’s curricular activities — in the first and last week of May. Orientation includes a welcome address from our SSuRe Program committee chairs, information about clinical research services and research ethics, fire safety training, and occupational health services, including your occupational health appointment. You’ll get auto enrolled into the appropriate session, depending on your start date.
You’ll also get priority access to lab safety training sessions. The first sessions are held over the second week of May and the second sessions are held over the first week of June.
If your start date does not correspond with these orientation and training dates—no problem! You’ll just attend the usual SickKids’ orientation and training, and we’ll post the orientation slides on our internal summer program pages.
Each week, a leading SickKids scientist provides a dynamic, engaging talk intended to teach you something about a different area of research happening in the hospital and research institute. By the end of the summer, you'll have a better understanding and appreciation of the key roles basic and clinical research have in advancing our knowledge of human health and disease.
The program also runs two skills focused seminars: winning posters and effective abstracts and a “how to talk to strangers” networking seminar. These seminars will teach you how to translate your research in a way that’s engaging, easy to understand, and inspiring. You’ll get best practices on writing effective abstracts, and give you the design ideas, tools, and software suggestions you need to create dynamic, eye-catching posters—and hands-on practice and expert knowledge about how to meet and talk to new people about yourself and your research.
Wondering what you might do with your science degree?
Come to Career Night to meet and network with current and SickKids Research Institute individuals who work in a variety of science careers. Learn about what they do, how they got there, and how they balance their work and home lives.
Symposium Day gives you the full conference experience! You’ll submit an abstract, create a poster, present your work, and network with colleagues and scientists.
All non-graduate summer students doing research at SickKids are invited to participate. We’ll also choose the student with the best abstract from each of the seven Research Institute programs and invite you to give an oral presentation and a chance to win a prize! We’ll also give out prizes to the student with the best poster from each of the seven Research Institute programs.
Summer Research Funding Opportunities
The SickKids First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Summer Studentship provides a full 15-week full-time summer student stipend (approximately $9,000) to three incoming SickKids summer students who are First Nations, Métis or Inuit.
The SSuRe Program provides $2,000 for up to 35 SickKids Research Institute scientists to support Research Summer Student salaries. The funding is generously provided from the Lunenfeld Summer Studentship.
Lunenfeld Studentships are awarded directly to the scientist and Research Summer Students supported by this funding will be required to participate in Symposium Day by submitting and abstract and presenting a poster/oral presentation.
Your hiring scientist will let you know if you are a Lunenfeld Studentship funded student.
The SSuRe Program began a partnership with the Community of Support Research Application Support Initiative (COS-RASI) at the University of Toronto to help support students who are Indigenous, Black, Filipino, economically disadvantaged, or who self-identify as disabled. This program targets students who are interested in finding summer positions in health science research to help support their career development in the field of medicine.
The partnership includes support in applying to centralized positions, mentorship opportunities and access to all SSuRe Program initiatives.
The Opportunity Summer Studentship is valued at $3,000 each and will be awarded to the top ten ranked applicants to the COS-RASI program.
For more information on how to apply to the RASI stream, visit the COS page on the University of Toronto website through the link below.
For external funding information, please visit the What's New in Research page on the University of Toronto's website through the link below.
Summer Research Funding Results
Community of Support Summer Studentship 2023
- Amir Mohamed
- Ella Nugent
- Michaela Riley
- Voke Ewhrudjakpor
First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Summer Studentship 2023
- Cameo Perrin
- Emma Henderson
Lunenfeld Summer Studentship 2023
- Ahmed Mohamed
- Aizah Ijaz
- Aleena Rakkar
- Alexandra D'Souza
- Alyssa Wang
- Amy Li
- Aryan Regmi
- Charlotte Polo
- Chen Feng Wu
- Chiara D'Addario
- Elise Donszelmann-Lund
- Ella Oppitz
- Iris Li
- Jayden Negin Schecter
- Kofi Brako
- Kosaran Gumarathas
- Leticia Scalize de Oliveira
- Lucas Wyss
- Maia Goldberg
- Manav Jain
- Marissa Marton
- Matthew Huang
- Megan Liang
- Naomi Kwan
- Nikhita Austin
- PengPeng(Selina) Tang
- Quynh Nhi Phi
- Rachael Peng
- Rahma Osman
- Serena Harden
- Somin Mindy Lee
- Vaishnavi Bhamidi
Community of Support Summer Studentship 2022
- Asiya Ali
- Idil Abdi
- Juliane Feliciano
- Marie Jo Abdul-Hay
- Nana Kwesi Amartei Brocke
- Sahba Eskandari
- Samantha Tse
- Sara Ali
- Sinéad Osivwemu
First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Summer Studentship 2022
- Kristine Keon
- Natalie Robitaille
Lunenfeld Summer Studentship 2022
- Amanda Headrick
- Amber Lee
- Ana Janic
- Anisa Khalfan
- Ariane Isaac-bertrand
- Avneet Ghotra
- Daniel D'Souza
- Deja Allison
- Edward Chen
- Fiorelle Aguilar
- Grace Parish
- Heili Poolsaar
- Huilin Niu
- Jessica Guo
- Joelle Peresin
- Joy Khalil
- Junlin Ren
- Justin Xu
- Kate Tsiandoulas
- Matthew Tang
- Melanie Posiewko
- Natasha Trehan
- Nathaniel Vo
- Nevatha Kingsley
- Nora Hodgson
- Pegi Kaimi
- Priscilla Fung
- Sabrina Yang
- Shurabi Anphalagan
- Sofia Olaizola
- Stefan Vislavski
- Subin Park
- Taylor Harris
- Zhixin Zhang
Community of Support Summer Studentship 2021
- Daniel Gaim
- Deena Hassan
- Hanifa Hasan
- Isaiah Abrahams
- Layla Ahmed
- Lujayn Mahmoud
- Maanasa Koripalli
- Megan Clarke
- Noyangbe Yesufu
- Sonika Kumari
-
Tumi Olaoye
Lunenfeld Summer Studentship 2021
- Abby Tafler
- Addison Weatherhead
- Adrian Sammy
- Adrian Tanjala
- Akash Kothari
- Alisia Pan
- Amanda Fregonas
- Andrew Dissanayake
- Anshika Jain
- Arteen Torabi-Marashi
- Benjamin Zhang
- Bhagyashree Sharma
- Brian Tsang
- Bushra Haque
- Cale Kooyman
- Cathy Zhang
- Charul Narain
- Christina Papaioannou
- Christopher Chu
- Claire Howard
- David Chen
- David Friedland
- Edgar Martinez Chavez
- Ekambir Saran
- Elena Huang
- Elizabeth Wei
- Emma Huang
- Eric Godden
- Fatima Ahmad
- Felicia Balsamo
- Gal Armon
- Gee Hung Leo Cheong
- Giselle Menezes
- Helena Teng
- Jaime Turk
- Jasmine Dhaliwal
- Jason Chung
- Jiang (Barry) Nan
- Jiayin (Emma) Xie
- Jonathan Chung
- Jordyn Burnett
- Josh Gopaul
- Joshua Neposlan
- Joshua Dworsky-Fried
- Joyce Ang
- Kaitlin Lees
- Karen Li
- Katherine Bailey
- Keiran Pace
- Kevin Auw-Yang
- Kha Nguyen
- Kristen Schulz
- Kyobin Hwang
- Lauren Sano
- Lloyd Fan
- Lu Yi (Lina) Li
- Lucas Aragao
- Lydia Leung
- Madeleine Harris
- Marium Kiwan
- Masum Patel
- Matthew Mueller
- Max Somer
- Mayura Panjalingam
- Melissa Misztal
- Michelle Prunier
- Nykan Mirchi
- Olivia Moir
- Parneon Zakikhan
- Patrick Grzela
- Penelope McCreath
- Priya Patel
- Rob Taylor
- Sahar Hoveyda
- Sarah Yang
- Sarah Yang
- Sean Borkhoff
- Shayna Tierney
- Shirley Yu
- Shiv Kandappah
- Sonja Sulstarova
- Sophia Farcas
- Sriprada Thallapalli
- Sufyan Rather
- Sydney Steiman
- Thalia Pandolfi
- Thrmiga Sathiyamoorthy
- Tiffany Ayoub
- Travis Wang
- Vanessa Chen
- Veronica Grad
- Walter Byrne
- Wanyao (Yoyo) Chen
- Wendy Wu
- Wendy Zhai
- Yifan Duan
- Yuman (Wendy) Zhai
- Zhenyu Li
Underrepresented Minority Summer Studentship 2019
Kristine Keon
Lunenfeld Summer Studentship 2019
- Abby Krupski
- Adrian Che
- Allen Bao
- Avery Bailey
- Benjamin Liu
- Catherine Campbell
- Deanna Kim
- Hyunjin Kim
- Isabel Zhang
- Jee Woo Park
- Justine Ziolkowski
- Karen Li
- Kimberly Gayle
- Kugarja Sivanesan
- Lauren Pickel
- Madeline Elder
- Mansuba Rana
- Michael Groff
- Mikaela Palandra
- Nilasha Thayalan
- Pranipa Ernest
- Seyed Amir Ali Adel
- Stella Schneckenburger
- Susanna Lee
- Tamara Dubljevic
- Tarnem Afify
- Victoria Wicks
- Vincent So
- Yiyao Yu
- Yuen Tung Natalie Au
- Zetao Liu
- Zi Ling Yang
- Zoe Friedman
Underrepresented Minority Summer Studentship 2018
Timothy Seto
Lunenfeld Summer Studentship 2018
- Adam Minich
- Alexandr Sacha Magder
- Alexis Karsli
- Angelo Ricci
- Anson Hui
- Biren Dave
- Brooke Green
- Caberry (Wei Yang Yu)
- Darren Chai
- David Yanofsky
- Elaine Thai
- Emma Swaffield
- Ergi Duli
- Farhan Mahmood
- Grace Regent
- Ido Nofech Mozes
- Isabel de Verteuil
- Janice Pang
- Jeremy Wu
- Joshua Charkow
- Kate Bottomley
- Lucia Santos
- Nadine Tan
- Pranjan Gandhi
- Sara Rizakos
- Sarah Moldaver
- Shikha Patel
- Shuzin (Cindy) Lin
- Suvarna Moharir
- Talia Wolfe
- Tasneem Islam
- Timothy Seto
- Tse (Ben) Chen
- Victor Adarquah
- Yifang (Octavia) Weng
- Zaynah Khan
Underrepresented Minority Summer Studentship 2017
Yitong Yang
Lunenfeld Summer Studentship 2017
- Ahmad Shakeri
- Alexa Desimone
- Alexander Friesen
- Amna Zulfiqar
- Cadia Chan
- Christian F Delayun
- D'Arcy Prendergast
- Dhia Azzouz
- Do Young Kim
- Emma Sypes
- Erin Jacobs
- Henry Yuheng Liu
- James An
- Katina Zheng
- Kyra Moura
- Lamia Hossain
- Liel Cohn
- Maxwell Gelkopf
- Phyllis Yiu
- Randolph Kissoon
- Rhea Jangra
- Ronwell Joshua Pusong
- Salar Sadri
- Sarah Pol
- Tasneem Islam
- Thenuka Thanabalasingam
- Victoria O'Driscoll
- Xiahuizi Li
- Yun-Kyo Kim
Symposium Awardees
Oral Presentations
Josh Gopaul, Villemain lab, 1st place
Katie Pirie, Malkin lab, 2nd place
Ana Spasojevic, McCrindle lab, 3rd place
Poster Presentations
Florence Chu, Brill lab, Cell Biology Program
Isabella Zaffino, Jibb lab, Child Health Evaluative Sciences
Victoria Tran, Mallipatna lab, Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences
Jasmine Zhang, Wall lab, Developmental & Stem Cell Biology
Kunal Kolhatkar, Dirks Lab, Developmental & Stem Cell Biology
Tiffany Yu, Dirks lab, Developmental & Stem Cell Biology
Maia List, Dowling lab, Genetics & Genome Biology
Nicholas Chan, Hiraki lab, Genetics & Genome Biology
Andrew Dayton, Julien lab, Molecular Medicine
Ahmed Mohamed, Dlamini lab, Neurosciences & Mental Health
Quynh Phi, Coles Lab, Translational Medicine
Cell Biology
- Ekam Saran
- Carina Lyons
- Tima Al Shammaa
Child Health Evaluative Sciences
- Estreya Cohen
- Leighton Schreyer
- Nicholas Chan
Developmental & Stem Cell Biology
- Rachel Morley
- Luiza Lopes Pontual
- Taylor Harris
Genetics & Genome Biology
- Nikola Reko
- Jordan Lindzon
Molecular Medicine
- Kana Ogawa
Neurosciences & Mental Health
- Olivia Hendrikx
- Natalie Robitaille
Translational Medicine
- Jonathan Chung
- Subin Park
- Juliane Feliciano
Other
- Rebecka Quinn
Cell Biology
- Joyce Ang
- Kaitlin Lees
Child Health Evaluative Sciences
- Emma Huang
Developmental & Stem Cell Biology
- Lucas Aragao
- Mohammed Said
Genetics & Genome Biology
- Amy Pan
Molecular Medicine
- Karen Li
Neurosciences & Mental Health
- Ke Xin (Kristina) Zhang
Translational Medicine
- Akash Kothari
- Jonathan Chung
Frequently asked questions
Eligibility
Yes, the 2024 SSuRe program is running this year!
Yes, non-degree students are eligible to apply to Research Summer Student positions, as long as you will be going back to school in the fall. See eligibility criteria above.
If you are in your last year of high-school and entering into a college or university program in the fall, following the SSuRe Program, you are eligible to Research Summer Student positions.
Yes, as long as you have applied to, or have been accepted into, a research degree program in the fall following the SSuRe Program, you are eligible to Research Summer Student positions.
No, you are not eligible to be hired as a Research Summer Student. However, you may be eligible to be hired into a different research student or research staff position. Please contact the scientist(s) you are interested in working with to see if they have any open research student opportunities available.
Yes, international students are eligible to apply to the program. However, international students will need to comply with all quarantine protocols in place at the time the program starts. Students must be located within Ontario during their summer placement.
The SSuRe Program activities officially start at the beginning of May and run for 15 weeks until Symposium Day, which is held in mid-August. Depending on how much later you are able to begin work, this may not be enough time for you to conduct sufficient research for your abstract presentation on Symposium Day.
Most students will begin on the first day of the SSuRe Program and will have ample time to work on their projects, which may put you at a disadvantage when submitting your abstract for Symposium Day. Please consider this before applying to the program. Please contact the scientist(s) you are interested in working with to ask if they would be willing to accept your application under these circumstances.
If you are a medical student, your Research Summer Student position will begin June 1, or the first business day after June 1.
We suggest that you limit your applications to five scientists. Send your applications to those you are most interested in and best suit your interests.
If a scientist’s name is no longer on the SSuRe Program website, they are no longer accepting applications for a Research Summer Student. They are either conducting interviews or have already selected a student.
The SickKids Research Volunteer Program is entirely separate from the SickKids Summer Research Program (SSuRe). All SSuRe students must be paid at least minimum wage plus vacation.
Of course! Please see applying to posted and unposted positions above.
All SSuRe program activities (orientation, seminars, career day, and symposium) are expected to take place in-person. A hybrid format may be used for some seminars and workshops. Please keep an eye on this page for any updates.
Depending on your summer project, you may be working onsite or remotely to conduct your research. Please connect with your supervisor for more information.
All summer students, including students working remotely, are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19: received two doses of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine series or a single dose of a one dose COVID-19 vaccine series that is listed for emergency use by the World Health Organization or approved by Health Canada.
During your onboarding, you may also be asked to provide proof of immunization for the following: Tuberculosis (TB) status, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Varicella, Hepatitis B and Tetanus/Diphtheria/Pertussis.
Yes! We suggest that you limit your applications to five scientists.
You'll need to discuss remote work arrangements with your supervisor(s). Please note, summer students working remotely must be located within Ontario to connect to the SickKids network.
Transcripts
If you do not have university transcripts available, one from high school would be acceptable. First semester marks or mid-term marks are also acceptable, if available from your institution.
If you do not have a transcript from your current year, one from your previous year would be acceptable (i.e. you are in third year but send second year marks).
Reference Letter(s)
Yes. A reference should be from someone you feel would be best able to describe your past or current work/school experience. If you are not sure if a reference letter from a particular individual would be acceptable, please contact the scientist(s) to whom you wish to apply to ask.
This is at the discretion of each scientist. Please contact the scientist(s) in advance of submitting a full application to ask.
You may address your reference letter to: SickKids Hiring Manager.
Hiring
Due to the number of applications scientists receive each year, only those applicants who are selected for an interview will be contacted by the scientist. If you have not heard about your application by the end of April, you likely have not been selected.
No enrollment necessary! Once you’ve been offered a Research Summer Student position, you’ll complete the onboarding package sent to you by the scientist (or their delegate). From there, we’ll auto-enroll you onto our SSuRe Program newsletter mailing list—so make sure you check the email you provide in the RTC Registry!
Due to the volume of applications received by each scientist, only applicants chosen for an interview will be contacted. We suggest you wait until after the application deadline to inquire with the scientist. If you haven't heard back by early April, it is likely that the scientist has filled the position.
Please include the SSuRe program application form, cover letter, CV/resume, transcript(s), and your referee's contact information when applying to SSuRe program positions.
Contact the RTC
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Researchers
Meet the scientists, clinicians, and researchers working at SickKids Research Institute.