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The Lassonde School of Engineering offers a paid summer program for undergraduate students to conduct research with a professor. The program is made possible through two awards:

• Lassonde Undergraduate Research Award (LURA)
• Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) USRA programs.

The LURA program is funded by Lassonde + supervisor.
The USRA program is funded by NSERC + Lassonde + supervisor.
VALUE

$10,000

DURATION

16-weeks, full time, between May and August 2021
DEADLINE TO SUBMIT APPLICATION ON FLUID REVIEW
Monday, February 22, 2021
11:59 PM
Apply using FluidReview
hhttps://apply.lassonde.yorku.ca/prog/lura_usra_competition_2021/

DROP-IN SESSION
Friday, February 19, 2021
12:30 PM – 2:30 PM
February 19, 2021 from 12:30 PM – 2:30 PM via Zoom –
https://yorku.zoom.us/j/91210023597

Join us for a drop-in session. We can help you with Fluid Review or parts of the application.

DEADLINE TO SECURE SUPPORT OF A PROFESSOR
Wednesday, February 17, 2021

11:59 PM – 11:59 PM
Students must secure the support of a professor prior to applying. This deadline with help ensure students are able to apply on time.

DROP-IN SESSION
Friday, February 12, 2021

12:30 PM – 2:30 PM
February 12, 2021 from 12:30 PM – 2:30 PM via Zoom –
https://yorku.zoom.us/j/91210023597

Join us for a drop-in session. We can help you with Fluid Review or parts of the application.

INFORMATION SESSION 3

Tuesday, February 9, 2021
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
February 9, 2021 – 9 AM – 10 AM – https://yorku.zoom.us/j/99468832575
Meeting ID
994 6883 2575

INFORMATION SESSION 2

Wednesday, February 3, 2021
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
February 3, 2021 – 6 PM – 7 PM – https://yorku.zoom.us/j/97749439095

INFORMATION SESSION 1

Thursday, January 28, 2021
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
This event will be held via Zoom
January 28, 2021 – 2 PM – 3 PM – https://yorku.zoom.us/j/93547884312
APPLICATION PROCESS

• Students contact the professor of their interest to be matched.
• Once the professor has chosen a student(s) who fit the particular project, a complete application is submitted online via FluidReview (see Application Components below).
Each student can submit only ONE application to the Lassonde School of Engineering

REQUIRED APPLICATION COMPONENTS

• Contact Details
• Resume (2 pg. maximum)

• Research Interest Statement (1 pg.)
Provide examples of both your research interests and any previous experience with research projects either course-based or in a lab. You can include reasons for wanting to participate in a research project, as well as your future aspirations and career plans.

• Supervisor Endorsement Form
Your potential supervisor must provide you the completed and signed Supervisor Endorsement form for you to upload. Access it here

• Transcript
– York University Students – Upload an unofficial transcript (https://registrar.yorku.ca/index.php/transcripts) OR upload a grade report AND course and grade list
– Non-York University Students – Official transcripts are required – consult your registrar office for details on how to obtain.
The award is open to all undergraduate levels and does not depend on the financial needs of the student.

LURA

• LURA is open to ALL full-time undergraduate students who meet the requirements for the project (as determined by the supervisor).
• Students in the Lassonde School of Engineering, other faculties at York University, or other schools across Canada can apply.
• International Students can apply. International students (not enrolled at York) may need to pay registration fees of $600.

USRA

• USRA is open to full-time undergraduate students who meet the requirements for the project, (as determined by the supervisor).
• Applicants must have completed all the course requirements of at least the first year of university study of your degree.
• Applicants must hold status of either Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident of Canada.
• The applicant needs to registered as a full-time student.
• Additional requirements are listed on the NSERC USRA website.
• Aboriginal students are encouraged to apply: NSERC USRAs awarded to Aboriginal students do not count towards the university’s quota.

Lassonde School of Engineering supports an inclusive research environment in support to strengthen the research community through equity, diversity, and inclusion. We encourage and aim to increase the participation of women in the program and strive to reach a balanced representation in the trainees’ population.
Applications will be adjudicated by a selection committee, using the following criteria:

• 60% GPA (cumulative)
• 30% Research Potential (based on statement of research interest and previous research experience)
• 10% Communication (based on clarity and presentation of the complete application)

In addition to the evaluation criteria above, the eligibility of each application will be dependent upon a satisfactory training plan submitted by the professor on the Supervisor Endorsement Form.
Holding the award

• The award will be held for 16 mandatory weeks, from May to August 2021. During this time undergraduate students will work full-time with a Lassonde researcher to complete a pre-defined research project.
• Students may not enroll in more than 3-course credits during the tenure of the award. Applicants are encouraged to discuss this with the potential supervisor.
• Award recipients are required to participate in the Lassonde Undergraduate Student Research Conference. This year it is tentatively scheduled for the week of August 16, 2021 remotely.

Before applying

• Before applying for the awards, the applicant is required to identify a supervisor (Lassonde professor), who is willing to support the applicant.

One combined application

• A combined competition is held for both USRA and LURA; students submit one application and are considered for both awards if they meet the eligibility (see below).
• Top applicants will be awarded USRA, other strong applicants will be awarded LURA.
• This year, there is funding to support over 60 student awards.

Information sessions

Please attend:

• January 28, 2021 – 2 pm – 3 pm – https://yorku.zoom.us/j/93547884312
• February 3, 2021 – 6 pm – 7 pm – https://yorku.zoom.us/j/97749439095
• February 9, 2021 – 9 am – 10 am – https://yorku.zoom.us/j/99468832575

During each session, the program and application process will be presented and students will have opportunities to ask questions. No pre-registration is required.

Co-op

• Both LURA and USRA positions qualify as Co-op positions. Applicants intending to consider the research award a Co-op term, need to contact the Co-op office ASAP for additional details.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at resday@yorku.ca
ARE THERE ANY OTHER RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES?

• York University has a paid options for students, such as the Research at York program, which is expected to open in March with postings (information on how to apply is here –https://sfs.yorku.ca/work-study-programs/how-to-apply-for-ray-positions).
• Students can contact individual professors for any positions within their lab.
• Other potential options may be posted on the Career Education & Development website (https://careers.yorku.ca/online-system) or York U Careers website (https://jobs-ca.technomedia.com/yorkuniversity/),

HOW DOES COVID-19 IMPACT THIS PROGRAM?

In 2021, we are operating within the current restrictions and public health guidelines for COVID-19. York University’s response and updates can be found here.