• Undergraduate students.
• Fields of study: These scholarships support research in the areas delineated in our Canada First funding proposal: data science in the broad sense, encompassing methodological research in data science (machine learning, operations research, statistics) and its applications in multiple sectors, including our priority sectors (health, transportation and logistics, energy, business, and finance) and any other sector of application (e.g., sociology, physics, linguistics, engineering).

The goals of this program are to:

• Provide an introduction to university research;
• Encourage you to continue on to graduate studies;
• Familiarize you with the methods and fields we promote at IVADO.

• Opening of the competition: January 11, 2022, 9 a.m. ET
• Application deadline: February 23, 2022, 1 p.m. ET
• Expected results notification date: Postponed end of April 2022
• Funding start date: May 1, 2022

Amount and duration

Please take note of the new conditions concerning the duration and the amount of the scholarships.

In order to meet the needs expressed by our academic community, two options are offered:

• a scholarship valued at $6500 for a full-time internship period of 16 weeks. The supervisor is required to supplement the amount of the award by at least $1000 using other sources.
• a scholarship valued at $5000 for a full-time internship period of 12 weeks. The supervisor is required to supplement the amount of the award by at least $750 using other sources.

Terms of payment

The funds will be transferred to the research office of the supervisor’s home university, and the university will pay you according to its specific rules. For projects requiring ethics approval, funds will not be released until approval is granted. Some projects may require specific agreements (e.g., pertaining to intellectual property).

For students

• You are enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program at HEC Montréal, Polytechnique Montréal or Université de Montréal. You may also be enrolled at the University of Alberta or McGill University;
• You have maintained a minimum cumulative average of 3,3/4,3 or 3.0/4.0. The average considered is the cumulative average appearing on the transcript for the semester preceding the competition date;
• By May 1, 2022 you must have completed all requirements for the first year (at least two terms) of your bachelor’s program;
• You are not eligible if you complete your bachelor’s degree program before May 1, 2022.

For the professor filing the application (supervisor)

• You must be a faculty member at HEC Montréal, Polytechnique Montréal,  Université de Montréal, McGill University* or University of Alberta*;
  *If you are a faculty member at the University of Alberta or McGill University, you may be a supervisor provided that you are also a full member of one of our research groups (Mila, CIRRELT, GERAD, CERC in Data Science for Real-Time Decision-making, CRM, Tech3Lab);
• You must have one of the following eligible statuses: assistant professor, associate professor, full professor, research professor, or visiting professor. Adjunct professors are not eligible;
• You may not submit more than three applications for this competition.

For the potential co-supervisor, there are no constraints.

/!\ You may not submit an application to this competition and the Internship Scholarships: Data Storytelling competition at the same time.

Go to our dedicated online platform to apply.

/!\ Applications submitted by e-mail will be automatically rejected.

The application package must include:

• A questionnaire to be completed on the dedicated platform;
• A lay summary of the project (maximum one page);
• Your CV (free format);
• Your official academic transcripts (please explain the grading scale in the case of non-Canadian universities).

Applications will be reviewed to ensure compliance with the program criteria (e.g., applications must be complete, must comply with the page limit, and must list eligible applicants and supervisors only) and obvious alignment of the research project with the field of digital intelligence. Only applications that meet all criteria will be forwarded to the review committee.

The review committee will verify that the proposed internship project aligns with IVADO’s scientific orientations, and then rank the applications based on excellence as well as the projects’ alignment with IVADO’s overarching framework, which aims to promote multidisciplinary collaboration and diversity in digital intelligence.

With regard to excellence, the committee will specifically assess:

1. Your grades, multidisciplinary and professional experience, extra-academic activities, collaborations, contributions to the scientific community and to society as a whole, etc.
2. The quality of the proposed internship: the quality of the research project that the student proposes to conduct, but also opportunities for training and introduction to research, the likelihood that you would be encouraged to continue on to graduate studies, the complexity of the proposed internship and consistency with your profile, etc.
3. In instances of equivalent competency, preference will be given to a competent student from one of the designated groups.

For students

• Contribute to the IVADO community and our activities, including, e.g.:
  – giving presentations on your research;
  – taking part in training and knowledge dissemination activities; and
  – providing support during various activities.
• Acknowledge that you are a member of an academic community to which you will contribute;
• Comply with the Tri-Agency Open Access Policy on Publications. You are encouraged to publish your research findings (e.g., papers, recordings of presentations, source code, databases) in compliance with the intellectual property rules governing your specific situation;
• Acknowledge the support of IVADO and the Canada First Research Excellence Fund / Apogée when disseminating research results and, more broadly, in all activities in which you take part.

For the supervisor

• Povide a work environment conducive to completion of the project;
• Oversee the student’s work.

Our commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

To ensure all members of society draw equal benefit from the advancement of knowledge and opportunities in digital intelligence, we promote principles of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion across all of our programs, and we commit to providing a recruitment process and research setting that are inclusive, non-discriminatory, open, and transparent.

List of laureates

• I want to do an internship of less than 12 or 16 weeks (depending on the option chosen). Am I eligible?

No, this program only funds full-time internships of 12 or 16 weeks.

• I am not registered for the summer term, but I am still a bachelor’s student. Can I benefit from an IVADO scholarship?

Yes, it is not mandatory to be registered in the semester during which the research internship is carried out.

• Can I be enrolled in a course and do an internship with IVADO during the same semester?

Yes, as long as your internship supervisor agrees and a work schedule agreement exists. However, the number of hours per week must be full-time.

• I am a student on a study visa. Can I benefit from an IVADO scholarship?

Yes, as long as your CAQ and study permit remain valid for the full duration of the internship and you are registered in a bachelor’s degree program at one of our eligible universities.

• I will have completed my program before the beginning of the internship, can I benefit from an IVADO scholarship?

You are not eligible if you have graduated and are no longer enrolled in a bachelor’s program at one of our eligible institutions.

• Can this IVADO scholarship be combined with the NSERC Undergraduate Student Award (USRA)?

No.

• I am enrolled in an undergraduate medical program and certain courses of my program have been approved for Pass/Fail (P/S) grading, am I eligible?

Yes, as long as you meet the other eligibility criteria and also submit your transcripts.

• Can this IVADO scholarship be cumulated with a PRogramme d’Excellence en Médecine pour l’Initiation En Recherche (PREMIER) scholarship?

No.

• Does my CV need to be in a specific format?

No, there is no particular CV format to be followed. Note, however, that each element of your application package must help the members of the review committee to form an opinion. A CV that is too long or confusing may make assessment more difficult.

• Can I send my unofficial transcripts?

No. You must scan your official transcripts, including all your current results, and upload them to the dedicated platform.

• Have other questions? Please send them to: : programmes-excellence@ivado.ca