2024 Summer Undergraduate Research Program in Accelerated Discovery
The Acceleration Consortium (AC) Summer Undergraduate Research Program in Accelerated Discovery (AC-SURP) provides funding for undergraduates who self-identify as members of equity-deserving groups to gain experiential training in topics related to accelerated materials and molecules discovery. Over this 12-week fellowship, students will undertake a project performing state-of-the-art research with an AC self-driving lab. In addition, AC-SURP participants will receive:
- a $7,500 stipend to support their research project
- up to $1,500 travel stipend to Toronto, if required
- exposure to machine learning, robotics, and its application to scientific discovery
- hands-on training in AI and automation for accelerated discovery in the AC’s training facility
- One-on-one mentorship from researchers in the field
- Participation in a seminar series and in a research day where students have the opportunity to present their research projects
- training in professional development such as CV development and how to work with researchers
- funding to travel to the Accelerate 24 conference at UBC to present a poster of their research project
Eligibility Requirements
- An undergraduate student registered in a full-time course load at a Canadian university or an individual who has recently graduated from a Canadian university but has not entered into a graduate program
- Self-identifies in an equity-deserving group that is typically underrepresented in the scientific disciplines of computer science, robotics, material science, or other areas relevant to accelerated discovery
- Equity deserving groups are defined as: Black and racialized persons; women; persons with disabilities; Indigenous Peoples; and members of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities
- Student is interested in conducting scientific research aligned with the topics addressed by the Acceleration Consortium such as:
- AI for scientific discovery
- Automation/robotics
- Materials discovery
- Drug discovery
- Formulations
- Organoids/organon-on-a-chip
- Economics and innovation management
- Sustainability
- Indigenous science and technology studies
- Ethics
- Students enrolled in professional programs or who are currently enrolled in graduate studies are not eligible
Important Dates
- Applications open: Feb 15, 2024
- Application deadline: March 15, 2024, at midnight
- Successful applicants notified: April 5, 2024
- Duration: 14 weeks over the May 4th – August 28th, 2024 period
Application Requirements
- a personal statement describing the student’s motivation for participating in this program
- a research statement describing their areas of research interest
- a copy of their transcript
- a recent CV
- a letter of reference from a previous supervisor or instructor
Application form
Evaluation Criteria
Candidates will be evaluated on the following criteria
- Strength of letter of reference
- GPA – candidates with a GPA of 3 or higher preferred, but those with lower GPAs will be considered
- Quality of their personal statement of interest and research statement
Participating AC PIs
Applicants will be matched with AC faculty and mentors who have extensive research backgrounds for the applicant’s area of interest.
Apply now
