Summer Student Programs

Earlier deadline for Chair's awards: December 20, 2024

The Chair's summer student research competition is no longer concurrent with the CREMS competition. See the CREMS website for deadlines for that award.

The student stipend has increased to $6,000.

The Summer Student Investigator Program was started in 2015 to empower the research capacity and productivity of faculty members while simultaneously promoting training excellence and research exposure for students across the breadth of the ob-gyn specialty.

Read about some previous projects, the students and their supervisors.

Students who participate in the program are funded in two ways:

CREMS (Comprehensive Research Experience for Medical Students): open to supervisors and students in all departments of Temerty Medicine and administered centrally by the CREMS office
Chair’s Summer Research Student Award: open to supervisors holding a primary clinical appointment in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology

All ob-gyn clinical faculty members seeking summer student funding are encouraged to apply to both CREMS and Chair's awards. There are several reasons:

The opportunity to supervise two summer students on two separate projects
The Chair’s award allows you to select from a larger pool of student candidates since it happens earlier in the academic year (CREMS is one of the last summer research opportunities for students)
Funding for CREMS is split between Temerty Medicine and the ob-gyn department, requiring no match from you, your practice plan or your hospital. With a Chair's award, you or your hospital will have to contribute funds toward the student's bursary. (See chart below for more detail.)
Applications for the Chair's award are reviewed in competition with faculty members from within the ob-gyn department
Applications for CREMS are reviewed in competition with faculty members from across the Temerty Medicine. Ob-gyn has been successful in achieving a number of CREMS awards over recent years, and we would like to continue this trend to grow the department's reputation

The two projects must be unrelated and capable of being conducted remotely (in case of new restrictions) or have an alternative remote option outlined. The decision about where the project occurs (remote or in a lab) will be decided by the supervisor, based on the policies in place at the supervisor’s institution during the time of the placement and the specific circumstances of the lab.

We are also committed to providing opportunities to as many U of T students as possible. You should not approach this process with a student already chosen. See below for instructions on how the student recruitment should run.

See the terms of reference in the New Application Process. If you have any questions, contact obgyn.research@utoronto.ca.

	CREMS	Chair's awards
Which faculty members are eligible to apply for these awards?	Any faculty member appointed in Temerty Medicine may apply for CREMS funding. To receive matching funding, the faculty member must hold a primary appointment in the ob-gyn department.	Any faculty member holding a primary clinical appointment in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology may apply for the Chair’s Award. Per our department policy, we only accept one application per faculty member.
Which students are eligible to receive these award funds?	Any medical student enrolled at the University of Toronto may receive funding from CREMS.	Any medical student enrolled at the University of Toronto may receive funding from a Chair’s award.
How much is the award?	Student researchers receive a total award stipend of $6,000.	Student researchers receive a total award stipend of $6,000.
Where do the award funds come from, and how do the students receive their bursary?	$2,750 of each CREMS award is paid to the student by the CREMS office at Temerty Medicine. The funds are transferred into the student’s ACORN account. For supervisors holding primary faculty appointments in the ob-gyn department, the balance of the award ($3,250) is paid to the student by the ob-gyn department. The funds are transferred into the student’s ACORN account. Ob-gyn faculty members who have also received a Chair’s award must pay the second portion of the award directly to the student or must decline the Chair’s award — the department will support only one award, with the Chair’s award the priority. See CREMS rules as outlined on the CREMS website.	The $6,000 stipend for the Chair’s award is transferred into the student’s ACORN account. Half this award ($3,000) is paid by the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. The outstanding balance of $3,000 must be provided by the supervisor's grant, hospital department, or clinic. An invoice will be sent to the hospital in early June to recover these funds.
How and when do supervisors propose a project for these awards?	Project proposals must be submitted directly to CREMS by early February. See exact date on the CREMS website.	Project proposals for the Chair’s Award must be submitted via our online application form by December 20, 2024.
How are proposals reviewed? When are they approved?	An adjudication committee is struck by the CREMS office, and projects are reviewed and ranked. CREMS notifies successful applicants directly, usually in April.	Members of the Ob-Gyn Research Committee will form an adjudication committee to review and adjudicate the applications. A list of funded projects is announced immediately after adjudication. Letters from the department are sent to each successful supervisor.
How are students recruited to work on research projects?	CREMS projects in ob-gyn follow the procedure outlined at right. In addition, CREMS projects will be posted on the CREMS website.	We are committed to providing opportunities to as many U of T students as possible. You should not approach this process with a student already chosen. We will maintain a list of summaries and contact information for successful Chair's and CREMS projects on an internal website, accessible only by University of Toronto medical students. CREMS projects will also be posted on the CREMS website. Students who are interested in assisting with a project will contact the supervisor directly. We require supervisors to interview a minimum of three students. Once supervisors inform us that they have identified a successful candidate, we will remove the project from the website list.
What other steps are required?	Refer to the CREMS website for specific requirements once a student is chosen and a mentor agreement signed. After the student completes their research work, they are required to submit a photo of themselves with their supervisor and a written description of their summer project to the department. This will potentially be shared on social media channels, newsletters and department website, as well as the annual report.	Once a supervisor chooses a student, they must submit a Mentor Agreement Form to obgyn.research@utoronto.ca by May 1. The student’s research work typically begins in late May and is completed by the end of August. After the student completes their research work, they are required to submit a photo of themselves with their supervisor and a written description of their summer project to the department. This will potentially be shared on social media channels, newsletters and department website, as well as the annual report.