CITA Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) provides undergraduate students who are interested in working on a research project in theoretical astrophysics an opportunity to work with our faculty, researchers and graduate students over the summer. Research areas may include cosmology, dark matter, galaxy formation, star formation, galactic structure, exoplanets, gravitational dynamics, interstellar medium, scintillometry, black holes, high energy astrophysics, and super computing.

Award recipients must work for 16 consecutive weeks during the summer beginning the first week of May, with a stipend of $9,500 for the 16-week period. For summer 2025, the program will begin on Monday, May 5 and run through Friday, August 22. Students must be available for the entire duration of the program, be eligible to work in Canada and currently enrolled in full-time bachelor’s degree at a Canadian university. This is an in-person program. For out-of-town students, we cover travel costs and on-campus housing is available for a fee.

Application Instructions

All applications must include the following documents:

  • Most recent unofficial transcript (including Fall session grades); students with offers of award will be asked to submit their official paper transcripts
  • A letter of intent, which includes your preferred areas of research (name three research projects you would like to be considered for in order of priority) and relevant technical skills (such as computer programming);
  • A CV listing relevant employment experience;
  • A confidential letter of reference from a faculty member.

List of possible research projects: 2025 SURF Projects

Online application: https://forms.cita.utoronto.ca/surf/application/register/

For further enquiries: office@cita.utoronto.ca

DEADLINE: JANUARY 31, 2025

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NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA)

All applicants will automatically be considered for the NSERC undergraduate student research award. To be eligible to participate, applicants must have completed two or more academic semesters with a cumulative average of at least second class (a grade of “B” or “B-“, if applicable) as defined by the university. The program is open to Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada, registered at the time of application in a full-time bachelor’s degree in natural sciences or engineering at an eligible university.

Candidates selected for the NSERC undergraduate student research award must also complete the online NSERC FORM 202 Part 1.

Diversity Statement

The University of Toronto embraces Diversity and is building a culture of belonging that increases our capacity to effectively address and serve the interests of our global community. We strongly encourage applications from Indigenous Peoples, Black and racialized persons, women, persons with disabilities, and people of diverse sexual and gender identities. We value applicants who have demonstrated a commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion and recognize that diverse perspectives, experiences, and expertise are essential to strengthening our academic mission.

Accessibility Statement

The University strives to be an equitable and inclusive community, and proactively seeks to increase diversity among its community members. Our values regarding equity and diversity are linked with our unwavering commitment to excellence in the pursuit of our academic mission. The University is committed to the principles of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). As such, we strive to make our recruitment, assessment and selection processes as accessible as possible and provide accommodations as required for applicants with disabilities.

To ensure your full inclusion throughout the recruitment/hiring process, please reach out to office@cita.utoronto.ca