Immunology Summer Student Research Program (ISSRP)

2026 Edition

Please note that on January 11, 2026, additional information was added on available awards. See below.

Undergraduate students are responsible for contacting department faculty members, who are not teaching stream or emeritus members, and arranging a placement for the spring/summer. You can contact any of the appropriate faculty members listed, and should not necessarily rely on the tag of whether a particular faculty member is seeking to bring aboard summer students. Those tags might not be the most up-to-date when it comes to an individual faculty member's recruitment status.
After a placement is secured, students are enrolled in the ISSRP, pending eligibility requirements below.
Once you have secured a supervisor, please complete the enrolment form.

Students must have successfully completed the Winter 2026 term in a full-time undergraduate program, at a Canadian University.
Students must be 3rd year undergraduate student or earlier (if you are a 4th year student - you must be attending a professional undergraduate or a graduate program in the fall)
Students enrolled in an MD program are ineligible for the ISSRP. MD students at the University of Toronto are encouraged to look into the The Comprehensive Research Experience for Medical Students (CREMS) Summer Research Program

Yes. You should secure your summer position and submit the enrolment form no later than March 31, 2026. If you cannot secure a position until after the deadline, please email issrp@utoronto.ca

ISSRP participants who have enrolled will receive a communication around early-mid April with additional details.

The summer research program runs from May - July 2026 (12-weeks).
At the end of July, a seminar day will be held where ISSRP participants share their work with their peers and departmental colleagues via poster and oral presentations.

Yes, the stipend for students doing their research in the lab of a faculty member at the Medical Sciences Building (MSB), for the 12-week period is $7,140 and is not taxed.
The stipend for students doing their research in the lab of a faculty member who is based at one of the hospital-based research institutes, will be equivalent to $17.60 per hour. Please consult with your supervisor as to what your exact stipend will be. Also, note that this amount is very likely to be taxable.

Yes, pending confirmation, we expect a limited number of awards to be available this year:
- University of Toronto Undergraduate Research Opportunity (UROP) scholarships
- University of Toronto Excellence Awards (UTEA)
- RHSE Undergraduate Summer Research Studentship (USRS) Award
- NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA)
Please see below about the application process for each

UROP
- details
- $3,000 plus a guaranteed minimum $4,140 top-up from your supervisor
- 12-weeks
USRS
- details
- $2,500 plus a guaranteed minimum $4,640 top-up from your supervisor
- 12-weeks
UTEA and NSERC USRA:
- details
- $6,000, plus a guaranteed minimum $1,500 top-up from your supervisor
- 14 to 16-weeks

Both students and supervisors will use the central Temerty Faculty of Medicine Summer Research Awards Management System (SumRAMS) for the above mentioned awards.
Details on the process can be found here, with the link to the application form found here.
One application will allow you to be considered for all the awards for which you and your supervisor are eligible
NOTE: Please remind your supervisor that they, too, will have to complete the second part of the application form once you've submitted your portion
DEADLINES:
- Students: February 25, 2026 at 5 pm ET
- Supervisors: March 4, 2026 at 5 pm ET

Your award will help contribute towards your base stipend. If your base stipend is less than the award value, then you will retain the full award value. If the base stipend is more than the value of the award, then the award will help contribute towards your stipend with your supervisor covering the difference. In this scenario, you will not receive more money.

Last Updated: January 11, 2026