Over this 12-week internship, students will undertake a project performing state-of-the-art research with an AC self-driving lab. The AC-SURP provides all participants with:  

• An $8,500 stipend to support their research project   
• A stipend of up to $1,500 to support travel to Toronto, if required  
• Exposure and access to machine learning and robotics, and their application to scientific discovery and/or the development of new materials or products 
• Direct training in AI and automation for accelerated discovery in the AC’s training facility  
• One-on-one mentorship from researchers in the field  
• Bi-monthly professional development seminar series, with topics including CV preparation, research communication, and working in research teams
• The opportunity to present their research projects at a SURP research day at the end of the internship period  

1. Be an undergraduate student currently registered in a full-time course load at a Canadian university or an individual who has recently graduated from a Canadian university in the last 12 months but has not entered into a graduate program (Students enrolled in professional programs or who are currently enrolled in graduate studies are not eligible) 
2. Self-identify in one or more equity deserving group(s) that are underrepresented in the scientific disciplines of computer science, robotics, material science, or other areas relevant to accelerated discovery

• Equity deserving groups include Indigenous Peoples; Black and racialized persons; women; persons with disabilities; and members of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities  

3. Have a strong interest 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  

• Applications open: Feb 9, 2026   ‍
• Application deadline: March 13, 2026, at midnight EST  
• Successful applicants notified:  March 27, 2026  
• Duration: 12 weeks over the period of May 4 – August 28, 2026  

A completed application must include the following items:  

• a personal statement describing the student’s motivation for participating in this program (maximum 600 words) 
• a research statement describing their areas of research interest (maximum 500 words)  
• an unofficial copy of their transcript  
• a recent CV  
• All students are required to answer a self-identification demographic survey if they have not already submitted as part of another AC program. In completing this survey, students may voluntarily self-identify in all applicable groups, or they may select “prefer not to answer” in response to any of the questions. Self-identification data is important to the University’s ability to accurately identify barriers to inclusion and to develop strategies to eliminate these barriers. Any information directly related to the student is confidential and cannot be accessed by the reviewers or the PIs/staff scientists/researchers. Any reporting on the demographic data will be done in aggregate.

Candidates will be evaluated on the following criteria :

• Quality of the personal statement of interest and research statement   
• GPA – candidates with a GPA of 3 or higher may be prioritized, but those with lower GPAs will be considered   

Applicants will be matched with AC faculty and mentors who have extensive research backgrounds for the applicant’s area of interest.