undergraduate research opportunities toronto

Research Opportunities for Undergraduate Students

Looking for research experience but not sure where to start? You've come to the right place. U of T offers undergraduate students many different ways to gain valuable hands-on research experience. 

Research Opportunity Database

Explore our comprehensive research opportunities database to find your next research experience.

Research Shadowing Program

Shadow a graduate student or postdoctoral fellow to see what the research experience is really like.

Amgen Scholars Program at the University of Toronto

Read more about this fully-funded opportunity for undergraduate students across Canada to participate in innovative biomedical research with world-renowned faculty at U of T. 

Black and Indigenous Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRAs)

Learn more about the awards for Black and/or Indigenous students offered by the Canadian tri-council agencies.

CIHR and SSHRC Undergraduate Student Research Award Program

Successful students will work for 16 weeks over the summer on a research project under the supervision of a faculty member.

NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRAs)

The goal of the USRA programs is to provide research experience that complements the degree program undergraduate students are pursuing, which may lead them to consider graduate studies careers in the field of natural sciences and engineering. 

University of Toronto Excellence Awards

Discover the University of Toronto Excellence Award (UTEA) program, which provides opportunities for research experience at the undergraduate level in the Natural Sciences & Engineering, Social Sciences & Humanities, and Health & Life Sciences.

Research Opportunities Program (ROP)

Learn how to gain research experience while earning course credit.

Related Resources and Links

Tips to secure a research experience at u of t., learn about lab etiquette., epic inspire summer studentships, learn more.

Universal Navigation

Universal navigation2.

• Opportunities Outside the Classroom
• Networking & Careers
• Support Services
• Student Profiles
• International Opportunities
• Course-Based Experiential Learning 
• Indigenous Opportunities

Search form

• Current Students
• Experiential Learning
• Research Opportunities
• Research Opportunities Program

Students from the Research Opportunities Program share their experiences from the field. 

Get Hands-On Research Experience

The Research Opportunities Program is a second- or third-year course in which you can join an instructor’s research project and earn 0.5 or 1.0 course credit. ROPs take place throughout the academic year.

Undergraduate Research Poster Fair

Students who have completed an ROP/REP project over the summer will present their research during the Undergraduate Research Poster Fair. The presenters will share insights with students about their experience and how they secured their research projects.

ROP/REP program staff will also be onsite to answer any questions about how to apply for an ROP/REP course. The Undergraduate Research Poster Fair is open to all U of T students, faculty and staff.

• September 19, 2024
• 10:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.
• Sidney Smith Hall

Morning Session (10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.)

• Archaeological Fieldwork at Grub-Kranawetberg Dr. Bence Viola Ella Barrett, Madeline Pare, Kailey Marandola, Claire Ferreira Anthropology
• The Cave of Miracles Archaeological Fieldwork in Wonderwerk Cave, South Africa Dr. Michael Chazan Estelle Tang, Curtis Kizik Anthropology
• Continuity and Change: Comparative Analysis of Rituals, Architecture, and Social Practices at Huaca Colorada and Huaca Dos Cruces in the Jequetepeque Valley Dr. Edward Swenson Cecilia Crasto Anthropology
• Understanding Galaxy Assembly using Cosmological Simulations and Machine Learning Dr. Josh Speagle, Alicia Savelli Zehao Peng Astronomy and Astrophysics
• Utilizing Gaussian Mixture Model and MCMC Sampling to Search for Ursa Minor Members at Ourskirt Dr. Nathan Ross Sandford Henry Wei Astronomy and Astrophysics
• Validating Measurements of Stellar Chemistry From the DESI Survey Dr. Nathan Ross Sandford Rosayla Coulthard Astronomy and Astrophysics
• Generation of Transgenic Zebrafish Lines Using Targeted Gene Editing Dr. Ashley Bruce Fiona Yi Yang Xu Cell and Systems Biology
• Toward Overcoming the Blood-brain Barrier with an Optical Fiber Dr. R. J. Dwayne Miller Roy, Christina Xie, Angeline Jing, Arune Sarma, Sam Yaminifard Chemistry
• Retro-Miner: An Open-source Platform for Automated Optical Reaction Retrosynthesis from Literature Figures Dr. Alán Aspuru-Guzik  Brandon Wong Chemistry
• Multimodal PDF Parser for Scientific Literature Mining Dr. Alán Aspuru-Guzik  Calvin Ji Chemistry
• Investigating Critical Metal Deposits of the Mackenzie Mountains, Northwest Territories Dr. Daniel Gregory Matteo Clement Earth Sciences
• Nickel Oxide Superconductors Dr. John Wei Seena Taslim Physics
• The Pursuit of Happyness: Understanding Motivation Through Neural Firing Patterns Dr. Derek van der Kooy Charlotte Selda Molecular Genetics
• Investigating the Evolution of Postzygotic Reproductive Barriers of Caenorhabditis Nematodes Dr. Asher Cutter Sung Park, Makenna Brissette Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
• Patch Size Mediates Stability of Fragmented Plant Populations Dr. Benjamin Gilbert Lorien Simoes de Paiva, Ana Damiao de Medeiros, Alexia Kalles Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
• Exploring the Molecular Pathway behind Oocyte Communication with Cell Neighbours Dr. Andrea Jurisicova  Anya Liu Physiology
• Differences in miRNA Expression in Hypothalamic Kisspeptin ARC and AVPV Neurons Dr. Denise Belsham Olivia Ruffolo Physiology
• Eye Tracking Gaze Fixation Data and Clinical Correlates for Body Dysmorphic Disorder Attention Modulation Paradigm Dr. Jamie Feusner Camila Luiz Psychiatry
• Cognitive Changes and Inflammation Following BSO Dr. Gillian Einstein Cheryl Cheng Psychology
• The Effects of Repetition on Memory in Children and Adults Dr. Amy Finn Vincent Cheng, Isha Sarfraz Psychology
• Stress and Cortisol Levels in BRCA Mutation Carriers Surrounding the Administration of Prophylactic Care Dr. Gillian Einstein Shay Meyer Psychology
• Forensic Pursuit Dr. Steve Engels, Dr. Vivienne Luk Janna Alyssa Lim, Janet Fu, Sarah Lloyd-Smith, Vivian Song, Luke Zhang, Vivian Feng Computer Science; Forensic Science
• Does Adversarial Perturbations Affect Performance and Decision Making of the Binary Classifier for Chest X rays Differently Compare to Random Noise and Loss of Resolution? Dr. Pascal Tyrrell Yuxi Zhu Statistical Sciences

Afternoon Session (12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.)

• Academic Perception of the English Language in Bungoma County, Kenya: A Case Study Dr. Aggrey Wasike Alexandre Delafosse, Jesse Pehlivan African Studies
• Archaeology in Peru: A Comparison of Sacred Landscapes and Everyday Taskscapes in an Andean Urban Complex Dr. Edward R. Swenson Jialuo Luo, Samantha Breau Anthropology
• Investigating the Present-Day Properties of Milky Way Analogues in Cosmological Simulations Dr. Josh Speagle, Alicia Savelli Cissy Kuang Astronomy and Astrophysics
• Searching for Stellar Streams in the Milky Way Halo Dr. Gustavo E. Medina, Dr. Ting S. Li Maia Wertheim Astronomy and Astrophysics
• Quantum Algorithms for Scientific Computing Dr. Alán Aspuru-Guzik Shizhao Zheng Computer Science
• Developing an in Vivo Model for RARS1 Related Hypomyelinating Leukodystrophies Dr. Haissi Cui Eaarad Aftab Chemistry
• Towards Improved Photoelectrocatalysts for Hydrogen Evolution Using Molecule-Linked Gold Nanoparticle Films Dr. Al-Amin Dhirani Vincent Xia, Yaolin Wang, Kiran Ratzel Chemistry
• The Effect of Fragmentation on the Diversity, Abundance and Specialization of Coleoptera and Hemiptera Dr. Benjamin Gilbert Hiroki Gutierrez, Aatabi Shankar, Eula Bui Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
• Does Habitat Complexity Affect the Diversity of Anolis Lizard Communities in Jamaica?  Dr. Luke Mahler Emma Zongaro Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
• How Climate Affects Body Condition in a Jamaican Lizard Species Dr. Luke Mahler Chris Bogle Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
• Coevolution of Sex Chromosomes and Transposable Elements: Impact on Sex-Specific Aging Dr. Stephen Wright Mikaeel Abbas Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
• Investigating Critical Minerals in the Mackenzie Mountains Dr. Daniel Gregory Eva Yu Earth Sciences
• Retinal Stem Cell Quiescence Regulation via Dual Specificity Phosphatase 2 Dr. Derek van der Kooy Fateen Kabir Molecular Genetics
• Investigating the Effects of Hypothermia on the Early Development of Mammals Dr. Miguel Ramalho-Santos  Xingyu Yin Molecular Genetics
• Exploring the Role of Histone Variants in the Regulation of Hypertranscription in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells Dr. Miguel Ramalho-Santos Khushpreet Toor Molecular Genetics
• What False Positives by an AI Breast Cancer Detection Model Might Tell Us Dr. Pascal Tyrrell Yan Qing Lee Medical Imaging
• Is LPIPS a Better Metric for Assessing Similarities between Original Images and Generated Images Compared to SSIM and PSNR under Various Degradation Conditions?  Dr. Pascall Tyrrell Jingwen (Lisa) Zhong Statistics
• Making Precise Wavelength Measurements using Disorder Dr. Boris Braverman Kunaal Chandrashekar Physics
• Examing The Effects of Progestogens on Cognition Following Bilateral Salpingo-Oophorectomy Dr. Reubs Walsh Madison Gibbs Psychology
• Gender Differences in Responses to Ineffective Teaching Dr. Jessica A. Sommerville Sophia Joulaei Psychology
• Is Harm Perception the Basis of Morality in Children? Dr. Jessica A. Sommerville Aaron Wang Psychology
• Behavioural and Neural Patterns in Transitive Inference Dr. Kaori Takehara Alina He, Tiffany Kim Psychology
• iPlay: Exploring Children’s Perceptions and Evaluations of Fairness Dr. Jessica A. Sommerville Zeynep Sila Kurtoglu Psychology
• Moral Judgments of Aggregated Harms Dr. Paul Bloom Andrew Scutt Psychology
• “Will I Always Be The Same?” Exploring Our Perceptions on Trait Stability Dr. Christina Starmans Elissa Chee Psychology
• Resting State Connectivity of Hippocampal-Cortical Regions in Category Learning Dr. Michael Mack Michelle Zhao Psychology
• Unblocking Learning in Rats Dr. Laura Corbit Jeya Scott Psychology

Register here

Benefits of the Research Opportunities Program (ROP)

In an ROP course, you will: 

• Learn research methods and further develop your research skills
• Strengthen your graduate school applications by developing a close working relationship with a faculty member
• Build peer connections with fellow ROP students as you acquire new knowledge together
• Have the opportunity to share your work at the bi-annual Research Fair — an exciting highlight of the program 

Who is Eligible to Participate? 

Students are eligible to apply for an ROP if they meet the following criteria:

• Are registered as a full- or part-time student entering their second or third year of an  undergraduate degree program within the Faculty of Arts & Science at the St. George campus
• Have accumulated between 4.0-13.5 credits (including transfer credits) by the end of the April exam period

Requirements

• ROP courses are posted on CLNx in February when the applications start. You must apply on CLNx within the program application timeframe, which is from mid-February to mid-March every year, in order to be considered. 
• The ROP program has only one application cycle each year. The 2024-25 ROP application cycle includes Summer 2024, Fall 2024, Fall/Winter 2024-25 and Winter 2025 ROP courses.
• If selected for a ROP course, you will be required to sign an agreement (ROP course contract) with your supervising instructor, which will serve as your course syllabus for your 299 course (if this is your first ROP) or 399 course (if this is your second ROP).
• You may enrol in a maximum of two ROP courses (with different supervisors) during your undergraduate studies.

Is there an Additional Cost?

No, there are no additional fees for ROP courses. ROPs are covered through your regular tuition fees. 

ROP Courses

2024-25 rop courses.

The ROP courses are now available on CLNx for student applications. To help you navigate the ROP course application process on the CLNx portal , we encourage you to watch the CLNx application process video . This year, an additional questionnaire step has been added on CLNx thus students are no longer required to provide an Applicant Profile Summary in the application. If you have any questions or experience challenges locating the ROP courses on CLNx, please contact [email protected] for assistance. 

Past ROP Courses

Dates and application process, 2024–25 dates, to do in the fall term:.

• September: Attend bi-annual Research Fair to familiarize yourself with the type of research projects your peers have worked on throughout the Summer term
• If you are interested in doing an ROP for a particular course, encourage your faculty member to submit an ROP proposal
• Sharpen your interview skills: Review these tips from Student Life  and  Interview Ready modules from UTSC

To do in the Winter term:

• February:  Review list of ROP proposals posted on the CLNx portal  and attend the ROP Information and Application Tips sessions .
• Apply for ROP by the deadline listed in CLNx
• Prepare for a possible interview
• Round 1 interviews
• Round 2 interviews
• May: Deadline to accept or decline a Round 2 offer

Application Process

For the 2024-25 application period, students can apply for up to 5 ROPs on the CLNx platform , between February 20 to March 17, 2024. If students submit more than 5 applications, only the first 5 applications submitted will be considered. Applications included three documents: resume/CV, a letter of intent and an unofficial transcript. For those interested to learn about the 2024-25 application process, please view the CLNx application process video . All applications will be sent to faculty supervisors on March 18, 2024. 

After student applications are sent to the faculty supervisor, they then make their selections in accordance with the relevant deadlines. Some faculty supervisors will have interviews, phone calls or email questions to students they are considering. Each faculty supervisor has their own method. Only students who are being considered or are selected for an ROP course will be contacted by the relevant faculty supervisor. Selected students are required to sign an agreement (ROP contract) with their supervising professor to participate in an ROP course, and will be enrolled into the course by the Office of the Dean prior to the start of the relevant term.  

Interested students can attend the  ROP Application Tips Session  in February and March, and gain tips on how to prepare their application(s). If you have any questions while preparing your application, please do not hesitate to write to us  [email protected] .

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the course requirements of ROPs?

• ROP projects in Fall (H), Fall/Winter (Y) and Winter (H) typically require 8-10 hours of work per week on the research project. ROP projects in Summer (Y) typically require 18-20 hours of work per week on the research project
• Students are expected to keep a journal documenting their research progress, and what they have learned about the project and about the process of research more broadly
• Students should meet at least every other week with their faculty supervisor and record the dates and times of those meetings in their journal
• Students will attend any training or orientations that the supervisor may require
• Written assignments must constitute at least 50% of the final grade in an ROP course  
• Final exams are not allowed as part of the grading scheme for an ROP
• Supervisors must return assignments worth at least 20% of the course mark before the relevant course drop date in a given term

Do ROP courses (299H/Y and 399H/Y) count towards my degree?  Yes. You will receive 0.5 or 1.0 course credit (depending on whether your ROP is an H or Y course) towards the 20.0 credits required for an Honours Bachelor of Arts (HBA), Honours Bachelor of Science (HBSc), or Bachelor of Commerce (BCom). 

Do ROP courses count towards my program requirements? 

It may, depending on the nature of the ROP project and your Program of Study. You will have to discuss this with the faculty supervisor who oversees your ROP to see how it fits into an academic program and then discuss this with your program coordinator.  

Are ROP courses in-person or online? 

ROP courses can be in-person, online or hybrid — this will vary based on the research project and is at the discretion of the faculty supervisor.

I am an A&S degree student, but I am over the credit limit for ROP – am I eligible for ROP?  

A&S degree students with 14.0 or more credits are not eligible to participate. Please note that transfer credits count towards your overall credit count. If you are above the credit limit for ROP and are keen to build research experience, you can also consider taking Independent Study or other research-based courses  or connect with professors directly for additional opportunities to volunteer or work with them. Individual departments or programs may also have information on potential ways you can engage in research — please contact your department or program directly. You can also consider funded avenues to conduct research; to get started, review the funding opportunities listed on the Sidney Smith Commons website, under the Grants section . Finally, there are also Lab/Research Assistant Work-Study positions that you can apply for; Work-Study program eligibility details and dates can be found on the CLNx website .  

I am a visiting or exchange student / a student from another Faculty / a student from another U of T campus — am I eligible for ROP? 

Students who are not Arts & Science (St. George) degree undergraduate students  are not eligible to participate in ROP. Please connect with your department or program to find out about other avenues to build your research experience. 

How many ROPs can I apply for? 

Students are allowed to apply for a maximum of five ROPs per application cycle (the 2024-25 application cycle includes Summer 2024, Fall 2024, Fall/Winter 2024-25 and Winter 2025 ROP courses). If a student attempts to submit additional applications (above the five ROP limit), only their first five applications will be considered valid; they will automatically be ineligible to participate in ROPs related to those additional applications. 

Does it help to get my application in right away, well in advance of the deadline? 

No. Applications will only be shared with professors after the application period is complete. We encourage you to take your time to read over and refine your application(s). However, students submitting their application documents close to the end of the application period should be mindful to leave enough time before the final deadline to mitigate the impact of any technical issues that may interfere with your ability to submit your documents. 

Should I contact the faculty supervisor of the ROP project I am interested in? 

Due to the high volume of applicants, and out of respect for your professor’s time, please review the ROP posting carefully as your first step. If, after reviewing the posting, you have outstanding questions concerning deadlines, eligibility or requirements, please feel free to contact the Experiential Learning & Outreach Support office . Should you have additional, outstanding questions concerning the nature of the research project itself, or the faculty member’s research needs, then please feel free to contact the supervisor directly for an appointment to discuss the project further. Please note that supervisors may receive numerous applications. As a result, they typically only contact those students whom they wish to interview. Unless you have specific, unanswered questions concerning the nature of the research involved, then we do not recommend reaching out to supervisors.

Will my marks or GPA play a role? How can I increase my chances of getting one of the positions? 

The importance of your GPA will vary, based on the requirements of the ROP course that you have applied to, and the selection criteria noted by the supervising professor. Most faculty supervisors would prefer to see enthusiasm for the research and a positive attitude over the highest grades. In general, highlight your skills and relevant experience and tailor your documents to the position.

How can I increase my chances of obtaining an ROP position?

ROP Application Tips  and the  Resume and Cover Letter Toolkit  may be useful resources to support you in crafting your application documents. Finally, you may find it helpful to attend the Research Opportunities Program Poster Fair to speak with ROP students about their projects and the application process.

What does the acceptance process look like? How will I know that I am officially accepted? 

Faculty supervisors will schedule interviews or phone calls, or email questions to students they are considering. Each faculty supervisor has their own process. If a professor is interested in moving forward with your application, your eligibility will be verified. If you are eligible to participate in an ROP course, you will sign a contract with your supervising professor. Students will be enrolled directly into the course by the office of Experiential Learning & Outreach Support. 

I have not been contacted in regards to my ROP application(s). Is there still a chance that I might get selected for an ROP course? 

Only students who are being considered or are selected for an ROP course will be contacted by the relevant faculty supervisor. Unfortunately, if you do not receive and sign an offer by either April 19, 2024 (for Summer 2024 ROP courses) or May 19, 2024 (for Fall 2024, Fall/Winter 2024-25 and Winter 2025 ROP courses), you have not been selected for a 2024-25 ROP course. 

I have already signed an ROP contract with a professor but have received an offer from another professor. Can I withdraw from the first contract and sign another contract?  

No. Students are not allowed to sign more than one contract per application cycle. If a student signs more than one ROP contract, only the first signed contract will be honoured and the other contract(s) will be considered void.  

I am enrolled in an ROP course, and the term is about to begin next week. I last spoke with my faculty supervisor when I signed the contract. Am I supposed to reach out, or should I wait to hear from them? 

The start of term is a busy time for many people, including professors. If you have not yet heard from your faculty supervisor, we encourage you to send them an email. If you face any challenges connecting with your professor, please email [email protected] .  

I am enrolled in an ROP course and need to withdraw. However, I cannot drop the course via ACORN. What steps should I take? 

If you have not yet started the course, but need to withdraw: 

• Inform your faculty supervisor about your decision to drop the course.
• Email [email protected] , copying your faculty supervisor, to let us know that you need to be unenrolled from the course.

If you have already started the course, and need to withdraw: 

• Email [email protected] , copying your college registrar, to request to withdraw from the course.

I am interested in or already working on a professor’s research project. Can my work on their research count as an ROP course?

ROP proposals by faculty members must be submitted for adjudication before they are approved as a course, to ensure that the research project aligns with ROP course policies and requirements. The deadline for faculty members to submit ROP proposals for 2024-25 is January 15, 2024. Special approval may, however, be granted in exceptional circumstances for late submissions; please reach out to [email protected] .  

Alternative ways for your work to be counted towards course credit is to investigate whether your participation in this research project may be eligible for Independent Study or other research-based courses . 

Is ROP eligible for Credit/No Credit?

Courses where an individual student works on independent study or individual research supervised by a professor are not eligible for Credit/No Credit ; this includes ROP courses.

ROP in the News

From the impact of sleep on memory to how gamification can help quash math anxiety: Undergraduate research prowess on display  

Bees, microplastics and duckweed: A behind-the-scenes look at three Research Opportunities Program projects  

Research Opportunities Program opens many doors for students  

Undergraduate projects showcased at ROP poster fair

• Academic Advising and Support
• Internship Opportunities
• Research Excursions Program
• Faculty Registrar Services and Support
• Dates & Deadlines
• Request new password