Alberta Innovates — Summer Research Studentship (SRS)

 

Previous Projects and Awardees

 

Alberta Innovates priority areas for 2026

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 these priority areas Digital or Data Driven Health Research, Commercialization, and Health System Transformation. Please see the definitions below. The remaining 20% of awards may be used towards any other health or clinical research and innovation project. 

 

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.

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.

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.

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.

 

Application process

1. Supervisors will submit an Expression of Interest outlining a summer student project by 11:59 p.m. MST, Feb. 24th, 2026. Supervisors are to use this google form.

   Each supervisor may receive a maximum of 16 total funded student weeks per application cycle. These 16 weeks can be allocated in the following ways: Two students for 8 weeks each (total = 16 weeks), or One student for 8 weeks, or One student for 12 weeks, or One student for 16 weeks

   Supervisors may structure their applications in either of these ways:

   • Request up to two students on a single project, or
   • Submit two separate projects, each requesting one student
   • However, the combined total across all projects must not exceed 16 funded weeks per supervisor per cycle.
2. Accepted supervisor student projects will be posted on the website for students to apply to by Mar. 17th, 2026.
3. Students may apply for UP TO TWO summer student projects using this google form (Available Mar 17th, 2026). Student Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. MST, Mar. 31st, 2026.

 

 

 

Value and term

Studentships will be available for periods of 16 weeks, 12 weeks, or 8 weeks between May and August.

16-week awards are in the amount of $7,500;

12-week awards in the amount of $5,625; and

8-week awards in the amount of $3,750.

Payment will occur on a bi-weekly basis. Alberta Innovates does not provide additional funds for health-care benefits. The payment of such benefits is the responsibility of the awardee.

 

Student eligibility

To be eligible to hold a SRS Studentship, studentship applicants must:

• Be registered in an undergraduate degree program at Mount Royal University
• Students in their last semester may apply, as long as they are enrolled as an undergraduate at the time of application, and are not entering a graduate program during the term of the award.
• Students must be in good academic standing prior to the start of the project (see Calendar — Academic Standing). Students will be asked to submit their transcripts along with their application.
• Students may not hold another stipend-type award concurrently (i.e. NSERC USRA and similar awards). Supervisors may choose to supplement (“top-up”) the Alberta Innovates Summer Research Studentship, provided this does not conflict with the policies of the secondary granting agency, and that the student does not receive the full value of the second award.
• Students must be available to work a minimum of 8 consecutive weeks (2 months) between May and August. Given the diversity of Summer Studentship projects and project timelines, the Centre does not prescribe specific hours of work for students. Students are expected to commit a minimum of 25 hours a week to the research project during the award period. In no case should Alberta Innovates SRS students commit more than an average of 35 hours per week.
• Considering the limited duration of Summer Studentship projects (2-4 months), it is generally expected that students will not have other conflicting commitments (i.e. summer courses, exams, volunteer, work). Therefore, in advance of undertaking a project, students are encouraged to discuss with their supervisors any commitments that may influence their availability, and come to a mutual agreement with their supervisors about hours of work during the project.

 

Review process

Each faculty application will be reviewed by the administration committee, consisting of MRU faculty and the project coordinator, for relevancy and criteria outlined within the Supervisor Expression of Interest Application form. Each application will be scored based on this rubric. 

Student applications will be reviewed by each project's supervisor. Each application will be scored based on this rubric (Available at a later time). Supervisors may optionally conduct interviews. Based on these reviews, all of the Alberta Innovates Summer Research Studentship proposals are ranked and assessed to determine the award recipients. Decisions are final and cannot be appealed. 

Adjudication decisions are not appealable. Applicants who are unsuccessful are welcome to reapply in a future application cycle, and are encouraged to contact the Centre for Health and Innovation for feedback regarding their application.

Competition results are normally available in April. All applicants will be notified (via email) of their status by mid April. If you have not been notified of your application outcome by April 17th, 2026, please contact our office.

 

Conditions of award offers

Award recipients are expected to follow the procedures and rules of the research environment in which they conduct their research and interact regularly with their supervisor.

Award recipients are to provide a report at the end of their award period, and ensure it meets the expectations of the Alberta Innovates Summer Research Studentship program.

Award recipients are strongly encouraged to complete post-studentship surveys from Alberta Innovates. Alberta Innovates may survey award recipients for up to five years following the studentship completion to measure the impact and benefits of the studentships. 

To make the most out of the AI SRS experience, it is strongly recommended that award recipients do not take more than one course during the Spring/Summer terms. Students wishing to take more than one course must first discuss the matter with their supervisor and obtain approval.

If the award recipient is not meeting the conditions of the award as outlined in this form and the supervisor's expectations, the administration committee will conduct a review to determine continued student eligibility. Payment may be withheld for the remainder of the term if the student is not meeting outlined expectations from the supervisor or found to no longer be eligible for the award.

If for any reason the project is discontinued, the student will receive partial funds prorated to the date of discontinuation.

Award recipients offered an Alberta Innovates Summer Research Studentship will be required to accept or decline the offer by a date specified in the notification of the offer.

Award recipients who decline the award may claim credit for the award on their curriculum vitae, noting that the award was declined. In the event successful students decline the initial offer of award, no further offers will be made for this competition.

Alberta Innovates Summer Research Studentship recipients may not simultaneously hold any similar award, including but not limited to the NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Awards or other similar awards.

 

Conduct of research

Research funded by an Alberta Innovates Summer Research Studentship must comply with all Mount Royal University guidelines concerning the conduct of research.

Alberta Innovates Summer Research recipients are to conduct their research in a safe and ethical manner under the guidance and mentorship of their supervisors. They are expected to follow the procedures and rules of the research environment in which they conduct their research and interact regularly with their supervisor.

All research that involves the use of human subjects must be reviewed and certified as acceptable by the Human Research Ethics Board (HREB), any research involving animals must be certified by the appropriate Animal Care Committee (ACC), and any biomedical studies must be certified by the University of Calgary’s health board (CHREB). The responsibility for adherence to these guidelines is jointly shared by the supervisor and award recipient.

The research project should not be substantially altered from that proposed in the original application. If significant changes should become necessary, the trainee must obtain prior written approval from the Centre of Health and Innovation in Aging to continue with the award. The supervisor must agree with the proposed changes and the original aims and conditions of the award must be satisfied. The Centre may request written confirmation from the supervisor to confirm his or her agreement with the proposed changes.

 

Communications

All publications, including public messages, arising from research supported by Alberta Innovates grants or awards must acknowledge the support. Visit the Alberta Innovates Visual Identity Guide for more information.

Award recipients are asked to inform the Centre for Health and Innovation in Aging in advance if their research will be published in a major journal such that it might result in a press release from the university and/or the journal. This information will be provided to Alberta Innovates communications staff.

Alberta Innovates reserves the right to publish and/or disseminate information regarding its grants and awards.

 

Final Report and Presentation

Students and supervisors are required to submit a final report to the Centre for Health and Innovation in Aging upon completion of the award. Students will also be asked to present their work at the closing event in August/September 2026. Failure to provide the final report by the posted deadline may result in disqualification from future Alberta Innovates Summer Research Studentship competitions. Additional information will be provided to successful applicants.

_{*adapted from Alberta Innovates, University of Alberta, University of Calgary, and AI-SRS Program Information}

 

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