How to Apply

Please review the Important Dates section of our website for the current year application dates and deadlines.

Check Eligibility & Deadlines > Find Projects > Gather Application Materials > Apply to Projects > Await Results

Follow these steps carefully to apply:

  1. Please review the eligibility criteria and important dates before starting an application. While we appreciate your interest, only students enrolled at UARE designated institutions are eligible to apply and we are not currently adding more UARE partners at this time. Sorry, no exceptions.
  2. Review the research projects available to apply to. You will later select 1-3 of them to be considered for.
    • To find the research projects, on the Horizons website main page, click on the Research Internships in Alberta button in the top right of the page, then a pop-up will appear.
    • You must click the Research Internships in Alberta button again. 
    • Then click on Search Programs (near top left of the webpage), and a listing of research projects should appear in the Results section.
    • Check that the research project title [program] starts with (UARE Winter 2026) and that the project provider is UAI Research Internships, then click on the hyperlinked research project title (under Program Info) to view project details.
    • Please note that UARE eligible applicants are ineligible to apply for CSC 2026 research projects, as that is a separate program that may have similar research projects and/or host professors.
  3. Register in Horizons to apply for UARE by clicking on the "Incoming Student Registration" button at the bottom of the description page of the project you are interested in applying to.
    • Do not click on the "I want to study abroad" link located in the top-right of the page.
    • Use your home university-provided email address for your account. Ensure it is spelled correctly and you check the account frequently.
  4. After your account is created, you will log into the Horizons system using your new account information and complete the research internship application form.
    • There are required application documents that you will need to attach. 
    • Documents issued in a language other than English or French must be accompanied by an English translation.
      • Please note, the translation does NOT need to be performed by a notary or paid service, but it does need to be translated and signed off on by someone other than yourself who is fluent in both languages.
      • Please save both the original document and the translation together, so that it is one document attachment.
      • We are not picky about whether the original or translation comes first in the document, but since some folks have reached out looking for guidance, please feel free to order the original document first, followed by the translation, saved within the same document attachment.
  5. In the application, you must provide the following materials: 
    • Cover Letter/Statement of Intent (maximum one page)
    • Resumé/CV (maximum two pages)
    • Academic Transcripts (which prove your current university registration to show you are working towards earning a degree, course work or classes taken, and ALL grades or marks in these courses) 
      • If these are issued in a language other than English or French, they must be accompanied by a translation. See above guidance for translation instructions.
    • TWO (2) Academic and/or Professional References
      • Your TWO references (one or more academic and/or up to one professional) will be sent an email from the Horizons system with details of the information requested and how to submit it.
      • You are allowed and encouraged to send reference requests to more than two people well ahead of the deadline, in case you are unsure if someone is available to recommend your application.
      • Please instruct your references to check their junk/spam email folder in case the email sent from Horizons Symplicity, on behalf of intern[at]ualberta.ca, is misdirected there instead of their email inbox.
    • All of these items must be complete and included with your application by the deadline in order to be considered.
  6.  You can apply for one (1), two (2), or three (3) research projects.
    • Be sure to review the Academic Backgrounds section of the project listing carefully for the qualifications.
    • You are welcome and encouraged to apply for different projects with different host professors.
    • You will need to indicate your research project placement preference/ranking in the Horizons application system (1 being your top preference, 2 being your second preference, etc.).
  7. Only once all references are received and you are sure you do not wish to make any further edits to your application should you click on the "Submit Your Application" button. Please submit at or before the application deadline. Horizons will then confirm that your application has been submitted. 
    • Please ensure that your references are aware of the deadline, and have enough time to electronically complete their recommendations.
    • After your application has been submitted, you will be able to log in to Horizons review your application, but you will not be able to make any edits. You will need to contact our office to reopen your application if you submit it and then wish to make edits. 
    • Only COMPLETE applications with TWO (2) references submitted by the published application deadline will be considered.
    • Please contact us BEFORE the application deadline if there is an issue with one of your references completing their recommendation for you in time, and we will work towards a resolution.
  8. After submitting your application, during the application evaluation and selection period, please refrain from sending emails inquiring about results of the program placements before the timelines indicated in the important dates section. Applications are processed as quickly and consistently as possible, but there may be case-by-case delays. As such, comparing your application result(s) to your friend(s) or peer(s) will likely result in disappointment, as they may have results communicated to them before or after you, due to factors out of your control. We thank you in advance for your patience and understanding.
  9. After submission, if applicants do not have a current and valid passport that they could travel with as of the program's start date, they are strongly encouraged to apply for a passport (if possible) while awaiting results so that if they are selected for a research internship, they can proceed with next steps as soon as possible.

If you have any questions or concerns that are not answered in our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), please email intern@ualberta.ca. It may take 2-3 business days to reply to your inquiry, especially near application deadlines. 

Please review the Important Dates for a timeline of when results will be released.