Call for Student Researchers

2024 T-CAIREM AI in Medicine Summer Student Research Program

Program Description

T-CAIREM is committed to funding the next generation of researchers in Artificial Intelligence (AI) in medicine. This program introduces students in undergraduate and professional programs such as medicine to AI research in health. We hope it encourages students from universities across Canada to pursue careers that use AI to make biomedical discoveries, improve clinical care, and create better health outcomes.

30 summer studentships are available in 2024. Students who are accepted into the program will carry out summer AI research projects under the supervision of a T-CAIREM member.

The application deadline is December 15, 2023 (Friday).

Students will be required to work full-time for a minimum of 10 weeks between May 1, 2024 and August 31, 2024.

New for 2024: We're accepting applications from faculty supervisors affiliated with any T-CAIREM Network partner to supervise UofT students. Non-UofT students will be supervised by a UofT faculty member.

Specific start and end dates can be arranged directly with the hiring supervisor. This program does not cover part-time projects or projects less than 10 weeks long.

Faculty supervisors must ensure the students they're working with submit a one-page abstract of their research findings to the T-CAIREM Centre Administrator before the year-end mini-conference. The supervisor should also guide students on how to write a complete scientific abstract.

Relevance of studentship to AI in Health

This funding program supports original research on the application of AI to biomedicine that could be published in biomedical journals and conference proceedings.

Research proposals can include any aspect of basic science, clinical, or population research. Areas of research considered relevant to AI and health include the development of new algorithms, applying existing algorithms to new health problems, as well as work in AI ethics, governance, policy, patient engagement, and implementation science, among others.

Supervisor Eligibility

Potential supervisors must be conducting AI research at the time of the application submission.
Potential supervisors affiliated with the University of Toronto must hold a faculty appointment at the level of assistant, associate or full professor. If potential supervisors don't have a U of T appointment, they must be either scientists or clinician-scientists with a TAHSN-affiliated institution.
Potential supervisors must be registered T-CAIREM members at the time of application submission. Faculty who are new to AI in health research and aren't yet T-CAIREM members can join here. (Membership is free.)
Potential supervisors may submit a maximum of two (2) applications. However, under normal circumstances, only one studentship will be awarded per supervisor.
Students may not submit more than one application.
Co-supervision is allowed, but for funding purposes, one supervisor must be designated as the primary supervisor who holds the funds.

Student Eligibility

This competition is not restricted to UofT students.
Students from any Canadian university who are currently enrolled in any undergraduate or professional degree (e.g. medicine) program may apply. (We encourage applications from students in any discipline.)
Students from a Canadian university who will complete an undergraduate or medical degree program in May 2024 (but not earlier) or will be enrolled in a graduate degree program commencing September 2024 (but not earlier) may also apply.
International students currently enrolled in an undergraduate or medical degree program at any Canadian university are eligible for this program if they are legally allowed to work in Canada.
Students in course-based Master's degrees are eligible to apply. (If your course load is more than 60% of your degree, we'll consider that to be a course-based program and you are eligible.)

Students Not Eligible to Apply

High school students.
Students who will complete an undergraduate or medical degree program by January 2024.
Students who are currently enrolled or will be enrolled in a graduate degree program by May 2024.
Students in research-based Master's degrees are not eligible to apply.

💰 Student Stipends

Student stipends will be at least $7,200 for the 10-week program. T-CAIREM will provide the supervisor’s institution with $3,600. A minimum of $3,600 must be provided by the supervisor.

Evaluation Criteria

Applications will be evaluated by the T-CAIREM Trainee Advancement and Development Committee according to the following criteria:

the research project, including relevance to AI in health
the training environment in which the student will carry out their research project
the student’s academic record
special accomplishments or attributes relevant to the Summer Studentship application
equity, diversity, and inclusion considerations.

The Application Process

Step 1 - Find a Potential Supervisor

Students must contact potential supervisors directly to discuss the possibility of a summer research position. To help students find potential supervisors, we have compiled a PDF of researchers who plan on hiring summer students in 2023, as well as their research projects.

Step 2 - Submit an Application

After the student has found a potential supervisor, the supervisor and student must jointly submit a completed application to T-CAIREM by the deadline. Students may not submit more than one application.

Step 3 - Notification

T-CAIREM will notify students and their supervisors in April 2023. Funding decisions will also be posted on this website.

Application Form

Please submit a completed application form by the deadline using the link below. A maximum of two (2) applications may be submitted by each potential supervisor. However, only one studentship will be awarded per supervisor under normal circumstances.

The application deadline is December 15, 2023. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

Other Terms

Successful students cannot accept more than one summer studentship regardless of the funding source.
All selected summer students must attend a minimum of 75% of the seminars and are required to give a presentation of their work at the mini-conference. U of T medical students are also strongly encouraged to submit their work to MSRD. Failure to comply with the program’s requirements will result in future ineligibility of both the student and supervisor for T-CAIREM's funding programs.
Successful applicants must acknowledge support from the “Temerty Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research and Education in Medicine, University of Toronto” in relevant presentations and publications arising from the supported research. Failure to acknowledge this support will result in future ineligibility of both the student and supervisor for T-CAIREM funding programs.

Resources for More Information

• Presentation slides: 2023 Information session

• Video recording: 2022 information session to answer questions from potential applicants.

Previous Summer Research Studentships

Here are links to previous students who've participated in this program, along with their supervisors and summer research projects:
• 2023 Summer research studentships
• 2022 Summer research studentships
• 2021 Summer research studentships

Contacts

Dr. Laura Rosella
T-CAIREM Education Lead

Zoryana Salo
T-CAIREM Administrator

Important COVID Advisory

Please note:

We are accepting applications for AI research projects that can be carried out either in-lab, remotely, or a combination of both.
Although we plan on holding our seminar series and mini-conference online, these events may be held in person depending on future public health directives.

In the event of shutdowns due to COVID, the studentship will be withdrawn unless the supervisor confirms that the student’s research project can be carried out remotely. Supervisors will be required to return partial or full funding for projects that can't commence or continue remotely.