URI Streamlined Application - Detailed Eligibility

Basic student eligibility for all opportunities within the URI Streamlined Competition

  • Students must have a confirmed supervisor (see supervisor eligibility) prior to applying.

  • Students must be currently enrolled in courses in an eligible undergraduate degree program as of the application deadline. Some opportunities are restricted to current UofA students (see specific opportunity details for more information).

  • Students must have a minimum satisfactory academic standing to be eligible to apply. Some opportunities have higher GPA requirements to be considered competitive (see the specific opportunity details for more information).

Supervisor eligibility

  • The primary supervisor must be a University of Alberta faculty member with an A1.1 or C1.1 faculty appointment (as defined here).

  • Other individuals, including academic staff in temporary or contract positions (e.g. TRAS category), non-academic staff, adjunct faculty, or post-doctoral scholars, may be listed a co-supervisor, and may provide functional day-to-day supervision for the student.

  • Supervisors may apply (as a primary or co-supervisor) with a maximum of FOUR students through the URI streamlined competition each year. Each student must submit their own research proposal. Applications in excess of this limit will not be adjudicated.

Specific award eligibility

Your eligibility for various awards will be assessed based on the information provided in the AwardsHub general application and URI streamlined application. The AwardsHub application will prompt you to enter the relevant details necessary to assess your eligibility.

URI Stipend (general pool)

Value: $7500 for a 4-12 month project term

Funded by: Undergraduate Research Initiative

Eligibility:

  • Open to students in all disciplines and research areas

  • Must be a current UofA undergraduate student in your first degree program

  • Minimum satisfactory standing (normally 2.0 GPA). GPA is NOT considered in the adjudication process.

  • Students must not have held a URI Stipend previously.

Alberta Innovates Summer Research Studentship

Value: $1875 per month for 2-4 months (must be between May-August)

Funded by: Alberta Innovates

Eligibility:

  • Must be a current student in an undergraduate or health professional program at a Canadian post-secondary institution. Canadian citizens or permanent residents currently studying abroad who wish to do research at the U of A during the summer are also welcome to apply.

  • Students must normally have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (or equivalent) at the time of application.

  • 80% of SRS awards will be directed to projects that align with one or more of the following Alberta Innovates Priority Areas:

    • Applied Health Research for Adoption + Scale

    • Sustainable Health Systems

    • Digital Health + Data-Driven Systems

    • One Health

  • Up to 20% of SRS awards will be directed toward other health research and innovation projects that do not align with the priority areas above.

Read full Priority Area definitions

Val & Morley Blanch URI Stipend

Value: $7500 for a 4-12 month project term

Funded by: Val and Morley Blanch

Eligibility:

  • Must meet eligibility requirements for URI Stipend (general pool)

  • Student and/or supervisor must be from the Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences (ALES), and the project must align with ALES research themes.

Mookie URI Stipend

Value: $7500 for a 4-12 month project term

Funded by: the Estate of Professor Emeritus Dr. Brian L. Evans

Eligibility:

  • Must meet eligibility requirements for URI Stipend (general pool)

  • Project must focus on the study of China, including but not limited to its history, language, culture, politics, art, sciences, economy, or Chinese communities abroad - such as those in Canada.

KIAS Ukrainian Studies Stipend

Value: $7500 for a 4-12 month project term

Funded by: Kule Institute for Advanced Study

Eligibility:

  • Must meet eligibility requirements for URI Stipend (general pool)

  • Project must be related to Ukrainian studies or the Ukrainian experience in Canada or internationally.

Campus as a Living Lab Stipend

Value: $7500 for a 4-12 month project term

Funded by: Sustainability Council & Energy Management and Sustainable Operations

Eligibility:

  • Must meet eligibility requirements for URI Stipend (general pool)

  • Project must be related to campus sustainability

Social Sciences & Humanities Stipend

Value: $7500 for a 4-12 month project term

Funded by: Vice President, Research

Eligibility:

  • Must meet eligibility requirements for URI Stipend (general pool)

  • Student must be supervised by a current Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) grant-holder.

Connie Varnhagen URI Stipend

Value: $7500 for a 4-12 month project term

Funded by: Undergraduate Research Initiative

Eligibility:

  • Must meet eligibility requirements for URI Stipend (general pool)

  • Student must be in their first year of study at the time of application

URI Stipend (FNMI students)

Value: $7500 for a 4-12 month project term

Funded by: Undergraduate Research Initiative

Eligibility:

  • Must meet eligibility requirements for URI Stipend (general pool)

  • Student must self-identify as First Nations, Metis or Inuit

Alberta Diabetes Institute Summer Studentship

Value: $1875 per month for 2-4 months (must be between May-August)

Funded by: Alberta Diabetes Institute

Eligibility:

  • Student must meet the general eligibility criteria for the Alberta Innovates Summer Research Studentship

  • Supervisor must be a member of the Alberta Diabetes Institute

  • Project must be related to diabetes

Alberta Respiratory Centre Studentship

Value: $1875 per month for 2-4 months (must be between May-August)

Funded by: Alberta Respiratory Centre

Eligibility:

  • Student must meet the general eligibility criteria for the Alberta Innovates Summer Research Studentship

  • Supervisor must be a junior member of the Alberta Respiratory Centre

Cancer Research Institute of Northern Alberta (CRINA) Summer Studentship

Value: $1875 per month for 2-4 months (must be between May-August)

Funded by: Cancer Research Institute of Northern Alberta

Eligibility:

  • Student must meet the general eligibility criteria for the Alberta Innovates Summer Research Studentship

  • Supervisor must be a CRINA member

  • Project must be related to cancer

Alberta Transplant Institute Summer Studentship

Value: $1875 per month for 2-4 months (must be between May-August)

Funded by: Alberta Transplant Institute

Eligibility:

  • Student must meet the general eligibility criteria for the Alberta Innovates Summer Research Studentship

  • Supervisor must be an ATI member from the University of Alberta OR the University of Calgary

  • Project must be related to transplantation

Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology Summer Studentship

Value: $1875 per month for 2-4 months (must be between May-August)

Funded by: Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology (LKSIoV)

Eligibility:

  • Student must meet the general eligibility criteria for the Alberta Innovates Summer Research Studentship

  • Supervisor must be an LKSIoV member

Department of Surgery Summer Studentships

Value: $1875 per month for 2-4 months (must be between May-August)

Funded by: Department of Surgery

Eligibility:

  • Student must meet the general eligibility criteria for the Alberta Innovates Summer Research Studentship

  • Supervisor must be a faculty member in the Department of Surgery

  • Project must be related to surgery or surgical education

Striving for Pandemic Preparedness - Alberta Research Consortium (SPP-ARC) Summer Studentships

Value: $1875 per month for 2-4 months (must be between May-August)

Funded by: SPP-ARC

Eligibility:

  • Student must meet the general eligibility criteria for the Alberta Innovates Summer Research Studentship

  • Supervisor must be a SPP-ARC member

  • Project must be related to pandemic preparedness

Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry Internal Awards

Value: Varies (multiple awards)

Funded by: Varies (multiple awards)

Eligibility:

  • Student must meet the general eligibility criteria for the Alberta Innovates Summer Research Studentship

  • Supervisor must be from the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry OR the student must be in the MD program at the University of Alberta.

Alberta Innovates Priority Area Definitions

Priority Areas have been revised for the 2026 application cycle. As a condition of our funding from Alberta Innovates, 80% of awards are to be directed to projects that align with one or more of the following priority areas:

Applied Health Research for Adoption + Scale

Projects that accelerate the development, validation, and deployment of health technologies and therapeutics with commercial or clinical potential. This includes prototype testing, regulatory planning, biomanufacturing, clinical trials, and usability studies. Students could contribute to real-world innovation pathways by working alongside academic, industry, community, or health system partners to bring solutions closer to market or care settings.

Examples:

  • Market assessment and commercialization planning

  • Engagement in clinical research activities, including study design, participant recruitment, data collection and analysis, or integrating research directly into care

  • Prototype validation and performance testing

  • Biofabrication or bioprocess development for health-related materials

Sustainable Health Systems

Projects that design, implement, or evaluate innovative care models, service approaches, or policies that improve performance and sustainability in Alberta. This includes projects that are in collaboration with health service delivery partners, technology solution providers, or other health system entities.

Examples:

  • Evaluating team-based or virtual care models for access and outcomes

  • Studying policy or workflow changes that improve integration across settings

  • Piloting new tools, training models, or technologies that support Alberta’s health workforce

  • Testing digital tools that enhance coordination, efficiency, or equity

Digital Health + Data-Driven Systems

Projects that advance the secure, ethical, and effective use of digital tools and health data to support care delivery, decision-making, and system coordination. Students could participate in applied research on digital platforms, AI/ML model evaluation, data interoperability, and virtual care integration, helping to shape the future of technology-enabled health services.

Examples:

  • Privacy-preserving data linkage and interoperability across care, community, and research settings

  • Bias, robustness, and safety evaluation/monitoring of clinical AI/ML models

  • Workflow integration of virtual care, remote monitoring, and decision-support tools

One Health

Projects that address the interconnection of human, animal, and environmental health to prevent, detect, and respond to shared threats through cross-disciplinary, collaborative, applied activities.

Examples:

  • Antimicrobial resistance surveillance across clinical, agricultural, and wastewater settings

  • Zoonotic disease risk modeling using climate and land-use data

  • Environmental exposure assessment linked to community health outcomes

Other Health Research + Innovation Projects

Up to 20% of awards may be allocated toward other health research and innovation projects that do not align with the priority areas listed above.