Undergraduate student research opportunities

Co-operative education

University of Waterloo co-op students may be eligible to work under the supervision of one of our faculty researchers; interested students should refer to the co-operative education website or contact their co-op advisor for information and assistance. 

Honours thesis research project

Undergraduate students in an honours stream may be eligible to work under the supervision of one of our faculty research supervisors on an honours research project (e.g. BIOL 499, CHEM 494). Interested students should consult with the course coordinator in their home department for more information, and connect with a Pharmacy research supervisor who has a cross-appointment in the student’s home department.

PHARM 401 - Independent study

PharmD students who are interested in research can take PHARM 401 - Independent Study, an elective course designed to permit students to pursue areas of personal interest and/or to gain experience in scientific research. PHARM 401 requires students to complete a research-based project, which typically includes conducting a review of pertinent scientific literature and the generation and analysis of new data. Research may be conducted in the School of Pharmacy, in a hospital, community pharmacy, or pharmaceutical company, etc.

Volunteer

Undergraduate students who are interested in research in Pharmacy may consider volunteering in one of the research groups of our faculty supervisors.  Interested students should reach out to potential research supervisors directly.

AFPC and CSPS student research poster awards

Each year, students who conduct research in the School of Pharmacy are encouraged to enter the School of Pharmacy poster competition. The purpose of this internal competition is to select the School’s nominees for the AFPC/CPPE Student Research Poster Award and awardee of the CSPS Undergraduate Student Poster Award.  These awards are subject to the eligibility criteria for each of these competitions.

Details are normally sent at the beginning of the winter term.  

Students who wish to learn more about these awards should refer to the agency websites: 

NSERC USRA

Undergraduate students (2B and beyond) in non-professional degree programs can participate in research at the School of Pharmacy by applying for an Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA) through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC). These awards enable students to gain research experience by working full time on a research project, under the supervision of an eligible faculty supervisor.  Interested candidates should reach out to research supervisors, directly, to discuss the potential for supervision.

Awards can be held in the Spring, Fall or Winter term of the award period. The deadline to apply is February 28* for all terms.  

Priority is given to students who are interested in pursuing a career in research, who have an average of 80% or higher, and those in the co-operative education program at the University of Waterloo.

Additional information about this award, including eligibility criteria and a link to the NSERC website is found on the Office of Research's NSERC USRA information page.

*If any awards remain, we will accept applications until July 31, to be considered for Fall or Winter term of the award period, and October 31 for the Winter term.

President's Research Award

Undergraduate students in term 2A and beyond who engage in research experience under the supervision of a UW researcher are eligible for this award. For more information including eligibility criteria and application instructions visit the President's upper year awards website