About SURE

SURE: Student Undergraduate Research Experience, is a co-curricular credit program supporting students develop the skills they need to conduct research at the University of Saskatchewan. Undergraduate students interested in doing research now or in the future, those participating in course-based or faculty-led research projects, assistantships, co-ops, and internships are welcome sign up below. Students registered in SURE will be eligible to receive co-curricular credit by completing a minimum ten hours of training, online FUSION modules, or events supported or delivered through SURE and have opportunities to connect with other student and faculty researchers through social and special events. SURE also celebrates undergraduate contributions to research, scholarly and artistic works with presentations and awards at an annual capstone event, the SURE Symposium.  

Communication

Literature searches and reviews, information literacy, writing techniques, open publishing, presentations and posters, journal articles and publishing process, abstracts, writing retreats. 

Research Management, Ethics and Technical Skills 

Research data analysis, triangulation, research data management, open science, ethics, citations, lab safety, WHMIS, specialized training (NVIVO, SPSS, survey design, etc.) 

Professional Development and Entrepreneurship 

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), Indigenous and community-engaged research, cover letters and resumes, professional presence, transition to grad school, entrepreneurship, scholarly impact, networking. 

Networking

SURE provides networking opportunities to connect with other undergraduate researchers, faculty researchers and members of the Office of the Vice President Research. 

SURE Symposium 

This annual capstone event is open to all undergraduate students who are involved in a research, scholarly or artistic work project for the summer or students who have research to share from one of their classes.  This event aims to showcase and celebrate undergraduate research from all disciplines with the USask community through presentations and awards! 

Undergraduate Research Storytelling Competition 

Undergraduate student researchers are invited to submit their pitch to the Undergraduate Research Storytelling Competition. In this competition, student researchers have the opportunity to share why and how their summer research project affects the world around us. Through a competitive adjudication process, the best pitch will be selected and transformed into a two-minute video which tells a compelling story about their summer research project. The top pitch will be awarded the incredible opportunity to work with USask's Media Production team to create a two-minute video of their research that will be featured on the Research Profile and Impact website and throughout USask social media channels.  

Runners-up prizes will include professional headshots. 

Registration and FAQs

All undergraduate students conducting course-based or faculty-led research projects at the University of Saskatchewan (or interested in doing research now or in the future) are welcome to take part in SURE: Student Undergraduate Research Experience. Students taking co-op or internship positions are also welcome to join. 

Note: all students at USask conducting research must be supervised, and all research must be pre-approved (if required) by the relevant ethics committee.  Do not start a research project or conduct any research unless you are approved and supported to do so. Scholarly and artistic research projects may be completed independently if they meet ethics standards for that discipline.

Students who register in SURE will be eligible to receive co-curricular credit by completing a minimum ten hours of training, online FUSION modules, and events supported or delivered through SURE. For Summer 2025, students can participate from May through August to earn their CCR.  

Students are expected to keep their own record of which modules, training or events they attend. At the end of the term, a survey is sent for students to submit their hours. If qualified, SURE is added to your co-curricular record.

SURE also hosts an annual Summer Symposium.

Students in SURE must complete 10 hours of training. Each SURE event, module, or workshop will count towards 1 SURE hour of training. 

Remember: all research conducted at USask must be supported via a supervisor or within a course-based research experience. Scholarly and artistic projects may be completed independently if they meet the ethics criteria of that discipline. 

 

SURE uses an ongoing registration format. By signing up, you agree to receive emails from the SURE program. You may unsubscribe from our email list at any time. 

We also recommend following the Undergraduate Research Initiative on Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter), or LinkedIn. Find those links here.

 

SURE Fall Schedule

Explore opportunities to develop skills to support your USRA applications, build your Research Profile and CV, and talk to professors about research positions. This fall, we will host networking events to connect you with faculty seeking undergraduate research assistants and offer application workshops for upcoming Tri-Agency USRAs (Undergraduate Student Research Awards).

Make sure you're subscribed to our mailing list to receive our emails and newsletter, and keep an eye on your USask Inbox and our Social Media channels.

Opus Con: From Student to Startup Opus - Founders’ Journey 
Join Opus Con to ask entrepreneurship questions and hear from four Opus founders who pursued startups while studying at USask. The event is ideal for all USask students, staff, faculty and alumni who are interested in entrepreneurship, looking for inspiration or eager to learn about the pathways to innovate during this Comic-Con-style chat. 
Date and Time: October 14th, 5:00 PM-7:30 PM
Location: Louis’ Loft – 93 Campus Drive

 

 
Top 5 Research Tips 
Attend this short workshop to learn some quick tips and tools to help you be a more productive researcher. 
Date and Time: October 15th, 1:30-2:00 PM
Location: Room G3, Murray Library

 
Introduction to APA 7th Edition Citation, Style, and Formatting 
Learn the basics for APA Style 7th edition citation, style, and formatting. Learn how to integrate evidence, create in-text citations, and prepare a References list. APA Style is often used in the health, natural, and social sciences, including business, kinesiology, and education. 
Date and Time: October 17th, 12:30-1:20 PM
Location: Online, via Zoom

 
Introduction to Chicago 18th Edition Citation, Style, and Formatting 
Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) formatting and citation are often required for political studies, history, and Indigenous Studies papers. This workshop covers citation and formatting for CMOS, 18th edition. 
Date and Time: October 17th, 1:30-2:20 PM
Location: Online, via Zoom

 
How to Talk to a Professor about a Research Position 
Ever wondered how to approach a professor for a research position? Learn the art of effective communication and discover tips for making a lasting impression. Join us for this session that will equip you with the skills to navigate the exciting world of research opportunities. This is a great workshop to attend if you are considering applying for a Tri-Agency USRA, but it will also be helpful for any student who is interested in research, scholarly, or artistic work. 
Date and Time: October 22nd, 1:30-2:30 PM
Location: Hybrid: Physics, Room 128 (In-person) or Zoom (Virtual)

 
Research Data Management: Why it’s important and what you need to know 
Managing research data is an essential part of conducting research, especially with Tri-Agency funders and scholarly publishers requiring researchers to manage and share their research data. This session introduces research data management (RDM) and its role throughout the research lifecycle as well as some practical tips and strategies. Whether you're starting a new project or preparing to share your findings, understanding how to organize and care for your data can help you meet requirements, support collaboration, and ensure your work is reusable and accessible. By the end of this session, participants will be able to: Describe the concept of research data management and its relevance across the research lifecycle.  Explain the importance of managing research data. Identify steps to begin implementing good data management practices. Locate tools, services, and support for research data management. 
Date and Time: October 28th, 11:00 AM-12:00 PM
Location: Online, via Zoom

 
Advanced Strategies for CVs & Applications 
Participants may choose to attend in person or remotely via Zoom. A link for the Zoom meeting information will be shared closer to the event date.
Date and Time: November 6th, 3:00-4:00 PM
Location: Hybrid: Murray Library, Room 102 (In-person) or Zoom (Virtual)

 
Undergraduate Students’ Introduction to the Tri-Agency USRAs (NSERC, SSHRC, and CIHR) 
Looking for a paid summer research opportunity? The Tri-Agency Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRAs) provide paid, full-time research experiences under the supervision of a USask faculty member. 

Join the uRSAW Initiative on Zoom for an overview of the NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council), SSHRC (Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council), and CIHR (Canadian Institutes of Health Research) awards. Learn how to navigate USask’s application process for summer 2026 and ask your questions.

👉 Register with your USask email address to receive the Zoom link and take the first step toward a summer of research.  

Date and Time: November 12th, 1:30-2:30 PM
Location: Online, via Zoom

 
Faculty Introduction to the Tri-Agency USRAs (students welcome to attend) 
Want to help your student submit a standout USRA application? Join us to learn how to support your USRA applicant and complete the faculty portion of the application.

Join us on Zoom, where we’ll share strategies to strengthen your student’s submission and clarify how your contribution affects their adjudication score. Students are welcome to attend. 

👉 The Zoom link will be provided after you register. For questions or link issues, contact: undergraduate.research@usask.ca 

Date and Time: November 13th, 11:00 AM-12:00 PM
Location: Online, via Zoom

 
Speed Networking Event for Faculty and Undergraduate Researchers 
Faculty! Looking for a research assistant or undergraduate team member? Undergraduates! Hoping to land a research position or build your research experience? uRSAW is hosting a speed networking event to help make the match. Faculty, bring your research pitches and undergraduates bring your CVs and enthusiasm, we’ll bring the snacks. Sign up for a great opportunity to meet your next collaborator. 
Date and Time: November 19th, 4:00-5:30 PM
Location: In person, TBA

 
Tri-Agency USRAs 2026 Application Process: Faculty and Student Roles 
Ready to apply for a Tri-Agency USRA? Join us on Zoom for a step-by-step walkthrough of the full application process for NSERC, SSHRC, and CIHR awards. 

We’ll outline key responsibilities for both students and faculty and leave time for your questions. 

👉 Register with your USask email address to receive the Zoom link and get set for a successful application. 

Date and Time: November 26th, 1:30-2:30 PM
Location: Online, via Zoom

 
Turning Research into Opportunity - Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Graduate Pathways 
Are you curious about how academic research can spark real-world innovation and impact? Join Opus as we bring together Dr. Eskiw, Dr. Acharya, and Ethan Done to help you explore research as a launchpad for not only career growth, but also entrepreneurship.  
  • Hear from Dr. Eskiw and Dr. Acharya as they share their journeys of transforming research into innovation. Learn how their discoveries evolved into business ventures and gain insight into the mindset that drives scientific creativity beyond the lab. 
  • Thinking about grad school? These professors will also offer candid advice on what they look for when selecting graduate students to join their labs. From research skills to curiosity and collaboration, be sure to bring your questions. 
  • Hear a student perspective on building a business while pursuing academic studies with Ethan Done. He’ll share lessons learned, challenges faced, and how he is pursuing his PhD while building his startup, PathoScan. 

Whether you're a budding researcher, aspiring entrepreneur, or simply curious about the intersection of research and business, this session is for you. 

Date and Time: November 27th, 5:00-6:00 PM
Location: Collider Hub at 230 Galleria, 15 Innovation Boulevard 

 
Tri-Agency USRA Application Drop-In Session #1
Need help with your USRA application? Drop in for hands-on support from the uRSAW team at this in-person session. Bring your questions, work on your application, and enjoy some treats while you’re at it. Whether you're just getting started or putting on the final polish, we’re here to help. 
Date and Time: December 3rd, 1:30-3:00 PM
Location: Murray Library, Room G3

 
Tri-Agency USRA Application Drop-In Session #2
Need help with your USRA application? Drop in for hands-on support from the uRSAW team at this hybrid session. Bring your questions, work on your application, and enjoy some treats while you’re at it. Whether you're just getting started or putting on the final polish, we’re here to help. 
Date and Time: December 17th, 2:00-3:30 PM
Location: Murray Library, Room 102 & Online via Zoom

 
Tri-Agency USRA Application Drop-In Session #3
Need help with your USRA application? Drop in for hands-on support from the uRSAW team at this in-person session. Bring your questions, work on your application, and enjoy some treats while you’re at it. Whether you're just getting started or putting on the final polish, we’re here to help. 
Date and Time: January 14th, 1:30-3:00 PM
Location: Murray Library, Room G3

 

 

SURE Symposiums

SURE Symposium 2025 - Award Winners:

The OVPR Promising Future Scholar Award - 1st Place

  • Awarded to an undergraduate student whose project demonstrates excellence in all components of the research, scholarly, or artistic process, from asking original questions to sharing the story of their project in a meaningful way.
  • One award of $500 will be offered. The student will also receive a certificate generated by OVPR and signed and presented by Dr. Baljit Singh, Vice-President Research.

Award Recipient for the 2025 SURE Symposium: Katherine Chang

Poster Title: TRAPing hippocampal-dependent fear memories.

Supervisors and Collaborators: Dr. Justin Botterill, Royce Hermanson, Alina Trofimova, Sarah Shaban, Dara Kwochka

Description of Research: We used a transgenic mouse (TRAP2) which allows for conditional and permanent labeling of recently activated neurons. Mice underwent a hippocampal-dependent fear conditioning followed by genetic labeling. We then used immunofluorescence staining and microscopy to quantify hippocampal cells involved in learning and memory retrieval.

The OVPR Promising Future Scholar Award - 2nd Place

  • Awarded to an undergraduate student whose project demonstrates excellence in all components of the research, scholarly, or artistic process, from asking original questions to sharing the story of their project in a meaningful way.
  • One award of $300 will be offered. The student will also receive a certificate generated by OVPR and signed and presented by Dr. Baljit Singh, Vice-President Research.

Award Recipient for the 2025 SURE Symposium: Kevin Kolibinson

Poster Title: Potent Potential: Using Synchrotron Radiation Micro-Computed Tomography (SRµCT) to analyze trichome diversity in two Cannabis Sativa cultivars.

The OVPR Promising Future Scholar Award - 3rd Place

  • Awarded to an undergraduate student whose project demonstrates excellence in all components of the research, scholarly, or artistic process, from asking original questions to sharing the story of their project in a meaningful way.
  • One award of $200 will be offered. The student will also receive a certificate generated by OVPR and signed and presented by Dr. Baljit Singh, Vice-President Research.

Award Recipient for the 2025 SURE Symposium: Graeme Hopkins

Poster Title: Taenidium barretti from Quaternary Proglacial Varved Silts in Saskatchewan.

The 2025 uRSAW Storytelling Competition Award: sponsored by CGPS

  • Awarded to the student who demonstrates excellence in communicating their research, scholarly, or artistic work through the Storytelling Pitch Submission.
  • One award of $500 will be offered. The student will also receive a Certificate generated by uRSAW and signed by Dr. Burshtyn, Dean of the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies and presented by Lori Lisitza, Executive Officer, CGPS.

Award Recipient for the 2025 SURE Symposium: Natalie Vanidour

Poster Title: Pedalling forward: Development of an inter-provincial functional electrical stimulation cycling community of practice.

Career Services and the FUSION Future Skills Innovation Network: Skills Articulation Award

  • Awarded to the student who is best able to articulate how their research experiences have supported their development of the USask Student Competencies.
  • One award of $500 will be offered. The student will also receive a certificate generated by uRSAW and signed by Kimberly Matheson, Director of Career Services and presented by Brette Kristoff, FUSION Skills Innovation Lead.

Award Recipient for the 2025 SURE Symposium: Stefanie Kiriazopoulos

Poster Title: Comparing Emergency Department Pain Management Practices for Pediatric Musculoskeletal Injuries.

Career Services and the FUSION Future Skills Innovation Network: Peoples’ Choice Award

  • Awarded to the student whose work is voted as the people’s choice by the attendees of the symposium.
  • One award of $500 will be offered. The student will also receive a certificate generated by uRSAW and signed by Kim Matheson, Director of Career Services and presented by Brette Kristoff, FUSION Skills Innovation Lead.

Award Recipient for the 2025 SURE Symposium: Angi Patel

Poster Title: Lived experiences of Métis cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers in Saskatchewan.

The OVPR Community Engagement Award

  • Awarded to an undergraduate student whose project work has strong potential for community benefit, with a preference given to projects that have engaged with appropriate community members.
  • One award of $500 will be offered. The student will also receive a certificate generated by OVPR and signed and presented by Dr. Baljit Singh, Vice-President Research.

Award Recipient for the 2025 SURE Symposium: Enoch Yang

Poster Title: Design, Construction, and Testing of a Lower Body Negative Pressure (LBNP) System for Assessing Vascular Function in Humans.

This annual event is open to all undergraduate students who are involved in a research, scholarly, artistic, or applied project for the summer or students who have research to share from one of their classes.  Showcase and celebrate your work with the USask community!

This event aims to welcome undergraduate students from all disciplines to showcase their summer research. It is led by the Office of the Vice President Research with sponsorship from USask Career Services and RBC Future Launch and support from the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

The SURE Summer Symposium 2023 takes place in-person at Convocation Hall on Thursday, August 31st from 8:30 am to 5 pm. Awards Ceremony begins at 3:00 pm.

Link to 2023 SURE Summer Symposium Program 

 

 

 

 

 

SURE Symposium 2023

 

Fall 2023 SURE Symposium online (USask NSID required to view)

Winners: 

Honourable Mentions:  Jacob Pilon and Morgan Lehmann

Second Place (Tie): Hya El-Baroudy and Huzaifa Saeed

First Place: Ryan Chan

SURE Symposium 2022

 

Summer 2022 SURE Symposium online (USask NSID required to view)

Winners: 

Honourable Mentions:  Jesse Adrian Amanda Ewen Morgan Lehmann Tessa Lester Vanessa Brown

Third Place: Mykyta Shvets

Second Place: Leah MacFarlane

First Place: Chi Vu

img_2277.jpg
L to R: Dr. Baljit Singh, Mykyta Shvets, Leah Macfarlane, Chi Vu, Dr. Debby Burshtyn

 

 

SURE Research, Scholarly and Artistic Works Fall 2021 Symposium

Research Acceleration and Strategic Initiatives is pleased to announce our new SURE (Student Undergraduate Research Experience) RSAW (Research Scholarly and Artistic Works) Fall 2021 Symposium. This fall Symposium complements the SURE summer Symposium and the USSU Spring Symposium as an additional campus-wide symposium open to all undergraduate students in all disciplines.

Details: The Symposium was held online via Canvas between November 30th and December 7th. 

Symposium Winners: 

Honourable Mentions:

Katie Sofko: Changes in Tibial Articular Cartilage T2 Relaxation Time with Load – An in vivo Repeatability Study (authors Sofko KG, Elebute I, Cui L, Bzowey N, McWalter EJ) Engineering

Kayley Lawrenz: The Experience of COVID-19 in Rural Saskatchewan Long-term Care Homes (with Ivy Myge, B.A., Rebeca S. Pereira, BA., & Paulette V. Hunter, Ph.D.) Health Sciences

Yash Tendulkar: Experiences Supporting Videoconference Visits During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Rural Saskatchewan Long-term Care Homes (Supervisor Dr. Paulette Hunter) Health Sciences

 

Award winners: Second Place (three way tie)

Alina Sami: The Role of APOBEC3C Deoxycytidine Deaminases in Somatic Mutagenesis (supervisor Dr. Linda Chelico) Health Sciences

Cindy Li: Design and synthesis of inhibitors for Glucocerebrosidase, a top biomarker and therapeutic target for Parkinson’s Disease (with Dr. Chris Phenix  Morshed Chowdhury) Physical and Life Sciences

Norah Ridley: An exploration of documents' privacy leaks (with Enrico Branca and Natalia Stakhanova) Computer Science and Math

 

Top Award: First Place

Leah Houseman: "It’s a Violation of My Freedom”: Getting Informed, Social Media, and Face Mask Use in Canada (Supervisor Dr. Scott Thompson) Social Sciences and Business

Additional Training Resources

Communication is central to research skills. Please view Upcoming Events for communications sessions or go to our YouTube channel for past webinars on communications. 

USask Library: The University of Saskatchewan Library Student Learning Services has a large number of upcoming and past/recorded webinars on research, communication and citations which are all eligible to go towards your SURE credit. 

Research Excellence and Innovation offered series of six online webinars and four live in-person Lunch and Learn events around Entrepreneurship in summer 2022. Recordings can be found on our YouTube site. 

USask Safety Services training is eligible for SURE credit. The most common safety training for students includes: Covid-19 training, Biosafety training, Laboratory Safety, WHMIS 2015, and Safety Orientiation for Employees.

All Safety courses qualify for SURE credit under Research Management.

Both human and animal research ethics training is eligible for SURE credit. Students actively working in human or animal research must take training. 

All ethics training goes under Research Management.

Training

 Category

Link

Tri-Agency TCPSCore2 course on research ethics. 

 Research management

Link to Tri-Agency TCPS Core2 Ethics

USask Animal Care and Research Support: Animal User Training

 Research management

Link to Animal Care and Research Support - includes links to ethics training
USask library course on academic integrity Research management

Link to Library course on academic integrity

USask Behavioural Research Ethics webinar

 Research management

Link to USask Behavioural Research Ethics webinar

USask Career Services offers many student-focused services, from career assessment (knowing your strengths/personality type to career readiness competencies) to one-on-one career planning (resumes, cover letters, practice interviews), through to professionalism in your online persona (LinkedIn and more) and career fairs, to connect you with potential employers.

All USask Career Services events and activities qualify toward your SURE co-curricular credit under Professional Development. 

Canadian Hub for Applied and Social Research - CHASR

If you're conducting social science research, past webinars offered by CHASR may help! Training in mixed methods design, survey design, NVIVO, triangulation, program evaluation, GIS, social network analysis, SPSS, and more. Any of these past recorded webinars can count towards your SURE credit, under Research Management.

CHASR YouTube Site

Note: if you are taking training in Python, Matlab, or any kind of coding or analytical program used in your discipline, those training hours can count towards Research Management in the SURE program. 

Mitacs training

Mitacs is a Canadian federal program to support students for industry and employment. Their extensive training curriculum combines in-person and online events. All Canadian postsecondary students may access this training for free. 

Mitacs courses surround eight unique course bundles, each consisting of an online, self-paced course and its corresponding instructor led sessions. The course bundle themes include: 

To register for a specific course, visit their EDGE portal.

Student Stories

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