Co-op for good: Systems Design Engineering

Systems Design Engineering undergraduate students (not open to Biomedical Engineering students at this time) completing their first, second or third co-op work term are eligible. Awards are intended primarily for domestic work terms. However, international work terms are allowed.

To qualify for the award, co-op and non-profit positions must be unpaid and explicitly, or through conversations with the hiring manager, incorporate the following elements into their job descriptions:

• Stakeholder-based design: Working with community or organizational stakeholders
• Integrated systems thinking: Considering long-term, interconnected impacts
• Real-world data: Using real data to inform and validate decisions
• Employer investment: Organizations must provide meaningful support (e.g., mentorship, housing help, travel coverage)

Organizations can hire a maximum of two award students per term, a total of six per calendar year. Hybrid or in-person roles are preferred. For hybrid roles, the focus isn’t on having office space (we understand nonprofits often operate lean) but on ensuring you spend 1-2 days per week in person. This allows you to engage directly with stakeholders, the community or the environment you serve, gaining meaningful, hands-on insights to the challenges you’re addressing. 

Note: Positions at higher education institutions (or with strong connections) in Canada are not eligible for the awards.

To ensure eligibility, you’ll need to:

• Connect with an employer directly to arrange your own job (AOJ) and ensure it meets the work term requirements.
• Confirm that the employer is a non-profit or public sector organization (i.e., a registered charity, non-governmental organization (NGO), government agency or similar). Startups, for-profit companies and higher education institutions are not eligible. Not sure if the employer you have in mind is a non-profit? Check out the Government of Canada’s non-profit information.
• Ensure the job description includes the required elements.
• Upload job details or AOJ (Approved Job) number.

If you are unsure if your job meets the requirements, fill out the form on this page and Co-operative and Experiential Education (CEE) and SYDE department representatives will review. We’ll let you know if the organization and job you're pursuing meets the funding criteria.

Awards total $12,000 per student. Funds are distributed into your Quest account across your co-op term:

• $5,000 at the start
• $5,000 at the halfway point
• $2,000 upon completion / submission of story and media

Payments are co-ordinated by CEE in collaboration with SYDE.

As an award recipient, you are expected to:

• Capture media (photos and video) of your full experience (work and lifestyle) throughout the term (where possible and appropriate). You will receive a guide and a checklist to help generate ideas.
• Participate in a post-experience interview and have your story and images shared in CEE articles, alumni communications and social media.
• Attend an annual symposium to present and reflect on your co-op experience.