Research Opportunities
Conducting your own research can be an incredibly rewarding experience, allowing you to gain deep insight into a topic you are passionate about. Develop valuable skills and discover new insights that contribute to the field of statistics and data science – and help solve real-world problems.
Applications for the research awards below are now closed. Deadlines for 2026 will be updated in early 2026.
Funded Research Opportunities
Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA)
Funded by: Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada (NSERC)
Duration: 16 weeks
Value: $7,500
Deadline: TBD for 2026
Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA) help fund 16 weeks of research under the supervision of a faculty member. USRA are meant to stimulate undergraduate students' interest in natural sciences and engineering research, encourage students to undertake graduate studies and pursue a research career in one of the fields that fall under the natural sciences and engineering umbrella.
The following research projects were available in Summer 2025.
- Prediction-based inference for large-scale scientific inquiry (Supervised by: Jesse Gronsbell)
- Effect of forest management on insurable wildfire risk (Supervised by: Silvana Pesenti)
- Discrimination-free insurance by eliminating sensitivities (Supervised by: Silvana Pesenti)
- Reinforcement Learning and Dynamic Risk for Options Market Making (Supervised by: Sebastian Jaimungal)
- Predicting missing maternal deaths in the United States (Supervised by: Monica Alexander)
- Robust high-dimensional regression with t-errors (Supervised by: Nancy Reid)
- Automated data validation (Supervised by: Rohan Alexander)
- Satellite image downscaling (Supervised by: Meredith Franklin)
- Extreme weather and air pollution in Bangladesh: impacts on children's health (Supervised by: Meredith Franklin)
Student Eligibility:
- Must be an undergraduate student currently enrolled in a Department of Statistical Sciences Specialist or Major program.
- Currently registered full-time or part-time student at the time of application.
- Must have completed STA302 with at least a B+ grade.
How to submit your application:
Please fill out and submit the following application form: TBD for 2026.
If you have any questions regarding these awards, please contact ug.statistics@utoronto.ca
Funded by: Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada (NSERC)
Duration: 16 weeks
Value: $7,500
Deadline: TBD for 2026
The NSERC Black Student & Indigenous Student Undergraduate Student Research Awards program provides research experience that complements the degree program undergraduate students are pursuing. The program is meant stimulate undergraduate students' interest in natural sciences and engineering research and to encourage a research career in one of the fields that fall under the natural sciences and engineering umbrella. Students must self-identify as Black or Indigenous on the online application form.
The following research projects were available in Summer 2025.
- Prediction-based inference for large-scale scientific inquiry (Supervised by: Jesse Gronsbell)
- Effect of forest management on insurable wildfire risk (Supervised by: Silvana Pesenti)
- Discrimination-free insurance by eliminating sensitivities (Supervised by: Silvana Pesenti)
- Reinforcement Learning and Dynamic Risk for Options Market Making (Supervised by: Sebastian Jaimungal)
- Predicting missing maternal deaths in the United States (Supervised by: Monica Alexander)
- Robust high-dimensional regression with t-errors (Supervised by: Nancy Reid)
- Automated data validation (Supervised by: Rohan Alexander)
- Satellite image downscaling (Supervised by: Meredith Franklin)
- Extreme weather and air pollution in Bangladesh: impacts on children's health (Supervised by: Meredith Franklin)
Student Eligibility:
- Must be an undergraduate student currently enrolled in a Department of Statistical Sciences Specialist or Major program.
- Currently registered full-time or part-time student at the time of application.
- Must have completed STA302 with at least a B+ grade.
How to submit your application:
Please fill out and submit the following application form: TBD for 2026.
If you have any questions regarding these awards, please contact ug.statistics@utoronto.ca
Funded by: University of Toronto, Vice-President Research and Innovation
Duration: 14 weeks
Value: $7,500
Deadline: TBD for 2026
The University of Toronto Excellence Award (UTEA) program provides undergraduate students from both the Natural Sciences & Engineering (NSE) and the Social Sciences & Humanities (SSH) with funding to conduct summer research projects under the supervision of U of T faculty members. Research projects are 14 full weeks in the summer term, between May 1 and September 30, 2025.
The following research projects were available ub summer 2025:
- Prediction-based inference for large-scale scientific inquiry (Supervised by: Jesse Gronsbell)
- Effect of forest management on insurable wildfire risk (Supervised by: Silvana Pesenti)
- Discrimination-free insurance by eliminating sensitivities (Supervised by: Silvana Pesenti)
- Reinforcement Learning and Dynamic Risk for Options Market Making (Supervised by: Sebastian Jaimungal)
- Predicting missing maternal deaths in the United States (Supervised by: Monica Alexander)
- Robust high-dimensional regression with t-errors (Supervised by: Nancy Reid)
- Automated data validation (Supervised by: Rohan Alexander)
- Satellite image downscaling (Supervised by: Meredith Franklin)
- Extreme weather and air pollution in Bangladesh: impacts on children's health (Supervised by: Meredith Franklin)
Student Eligibility:
- Must be an undergraduate student currently enrolled in a Department of Statistical Sciences Specialist or Major program.
- Currently registered full-time or part-time student at the time of application.
- Must have completed STA302 with at least a B+ grade.
How to submit your application:
Please fill out and submit the following application form: TBD for 2026.
If you have any questions regarding these awards, please contact ug.statistics@utoronto.ca
Funded by: Department of Statistical Sciences
Value: $2,000
Deadline: TBD for 2026
Summer Undergraduate Research Award (SURA) will take place over the summer months. The award is open to all students who are currently enrolled in a Department of Statistical Sciences (DoSS) Specialist or Major program and who have completed STA302 with at least a B+ by the time of application.
The following research projects were available in Summer 2025:
- Prediction-based inference for large-scale scientific inquiry (Supervised by: Jesse Gronsbell)
- Effect of forest management on insurable wildfire risk (Supervised by: Silvana Pesenti)
- Discrimination-free insurance by eliminating sensitivities (Supervised by: Silvana Pesenti)
- Reinforcement Learning and Dynamic Risk for Options Market Making (Supervised by: Sebastian Jaimungal)
- Predicting missing maternal deaths in the United States (Supervised by: Monica Alexander)
- Robust high-dimensional regression with t-errors (Supervised by: Nancy Reid)
- Automated data validation (Supervised by: Rohan Alexander)
- Satellite image downscaling (Supervised by: Meredith Franklin)
- Extreme weather and air pollution in Bangladesh: impacts on children's health (Supervised by: Meredith Franklin)
Student Eligibility:
- Must be an undergraduate student currently enrolled in a Department of Statistical Sciences Specialist or Major program.
- Currently registered full-time or part-time student at the time of application.
- Must have completed STA302 with at least a B+ grade.
How to submit your application:
Please fill out and submit the following application form: TBD for 2026.
If you have any questions regarding these awards, please contact ug.statistics@utoronto.ca
Non-Funded Research, Seminar or Project Opportunities
If you would like to gain research experience while working one-on-one with our faculty, consider enrolling in one of our independent reading courses: STA496H1/STA497H1. It's a great opportunity to work independently, hone your research skills and benefit from mentorship.
Deadline: Apply here by July 31, 2025.
For information about our independent reading courses, check out the Faculty of Arts & Science Calendar STA courses page.
STA490Y1 – Statistical Consultation, Communication, and Collaboration
If you would like to develop skills in the collaborative practice of Statistics through case studies and collaboration with researchers in other disciplines, consider applying for STA490Y1. The application form will be posted in July 2025.
Deadline: Apply here by July 31, 2025
STA492H1 – Seminar in Statistical Science
Consider applying for STA492H1 if you want to explore novel influential ideas and current research topics in statistics through readings and discussion. The application form will be posted in July 2025.
Deadline: Apply here by July 31, 2025
For information on the courses above, visit the Faculty of Arts & Science Calendar STA courses page.
Scholarships & Awards
There's a wide range of scholarships and awards available to U of T undergrad students. Have a look at the Faculty of Arts & Science scholarship website to learn more. Below, please find a selection of scholarships and awards specifically for statistics and actuarial science undergrad students.
Statistics
Established by: SCiAN Services Inc.
Value: $2,500
This award will automatically be given to the third-year student with the best grade point average in the Applied Statistics Specialist or Statistics Specialist programs.