SUPRE Research Awards

Summer Undergraduate Physics Research Experience (SUPRE) Awards allow undergraduate students to spend the summer working on a project with one of our research groups. These awards are given for 16 consecutive weeks (4 months), and students usually start work at the beginning of May. Students gain valuable experience in a research setting, and interact with professors, postdoctoral fellows, graduate and other undergraduate students in the department.

 Note: Students eligible for NSERC USRA awards (Canadian citizens and permanent residents) must apply to URI office here.  Internal NSERC USRA eligible students will automatically be considered for SUPRE awards after their complete applications are forwarded to the physics department by the URI office.

 

Eligibility

 To be eligible for the SUPRE, a student must:

  • be registered, as of the deadline date for applications in the Department, at the University of Alberta in a degree program administered by the Department of Physics (Astrophysics, Geophysics, Physics, Mathematical Physics).
  • have obtained, over the previous years of study, a cumulative B- (GPA ≥ 2.7) average.
  • propose to work with a member of the Department of Physics with an active research program.
  • Be already legally able to work in Canada during the period of the award.

Please note: SUPRE Awards are contingent upon department funding.

To be eligible to supervise a student in a Department of Physics research award, a researcher must be appointed in the University of Alberta Department of Physics and have at least one active sponsored research grant administered by the Department.  

 

Research Projects

 Before submitting your formal application (see below), we ask that you arrange for a project by either (1) checking out the list of possible SUPRE summer projects (updated for Summer 2026) contacting the faculty member(s) with whom you might like to work and asking if they would be willing to have you as a summer student, or (2) checking out the research in the department and who is working in those areas. If people with whom you are especially interested in working do not have any projects posted, please contact them directly (email is usually best) to find out if they do have possible summer research projects.

 

How to Apply

 Applications are made via this Google form by 11:59 PM MST on Monday, February 2, 2026.   University of Alberta students need to be logged into their ualberta accounts to use this form,

Completion of this form requires the same materials as for the NSERC USRA and involves the upload of the following four PDFs:

 

Early applications are encouraged.  SUPRE nominations are typically made by the beginning of March.