Course Based Research Opportunities
Chemistry supports the University's mandate in enhancing the student experience by actively providing undergraduates the chance to experience the joy of discovery through research. Given the opportunity to become involved in chemistry research, students develop personal interest and capacity to become creative and innovative in their search for new learning.
CHM 295H represents a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) that introduces students to experimental research in chemistry from a physical science perspective. Students collaborate in teams to acquire research skills by carrying out laboratory work on a specific project that is defined by various chemistry departmental research groups. The topics cover a range of research areas; however, the approach includes aspects of physical chemistry such as spectroscopy, thermodynamics, nanotechnology, properties of materials, and reaction kinetics. Training in the use of instruments and data acquisition and analysis is provided: students give a poster presentation of their findings and write reports that document their progress.
The faculty-wide ROP 299H/Y (Research Opportunity Program) is heartily embraced by the Chemistry Department with multiple projects offered each summer and fall/winter (as courses CHM 299H & CHM 299Y). Students are eligible to apply if they are registered as a full- or part-time student entering their second or third year of an undergraduate degree program within the Faculty of Arts & Science at the St. George campus, and have accumulated between 4.0-13.5 credits (including transfer credits) by the end of the April examination period. For an ROP 299Y course, participating students work in the laboratory of a faculty member for approximately 24 weeks during the fall and winter semesters (7-8 hours per week) or 12 weeks during the summer (14-16 hours per week). The program represents a fabulous way to gain invaluable research experience and a full or half-course credit simultaneously.
In addition to CHM 299H & CHM 299Y projects, the Department regularly offers CHM 399H and CHM 399Y Research Opportunity Program projects. Students are eligible to apply if they meet the same criteria as for ROP 299H/Y. CHM 399H & CHM 399Y projects are typically structured similarly to the corresponding CHM 299H & CHM 299Y ones.
A new and exciting opportunity initiated in 2019, CHM 395Y represents an independent research project conducted under the direction of a departmental teaching-stream or tenure-stream faculty member. Students are expected to spend approximately 180 hours on their research problem either during the summer (May – August) or during the fall/winter semesters.
Research progress is assessed partway through the project via a mid-course review conducted between the student and the supervisor in June (summer projects) or December (fall/winter projects). Students are required to submit a thesis during August (summer projects) or April (fall/winter projects) that reports the findings of their research project. The thesis is evaluated by their research supervisor and an additional faculty member. Students also present their work through either an oral or poster presentation, depending on when they are enrolled in the course. Students are highly encouraged to additionally attend and present their research at the annual Southern Ontario Undergraduate Student Chemistry Conference (SOUSCC) held in late March.
When taken during the summer, CHM 395Y represents an excellent opportunity for international students who are ineligible to apply for funded scholarships.
Application Process
Eligible students are required to have completed at least 2.0 FCEs of CHM courses with a minimum CGPA of 3.0 in all CHM courses. Projects in the areas of environmental, computational, analytical, physical, inorganic, materials, organic and biological chemistry are typically offered. Students are first encouraged to visit the websites of faculty members before submission of their application to get some ideas of available research opportunities. After this, they need to personally identify and speak to a potential faculty supervisor before completing the application form (PDF) and contacting the Associate Chair, Undergraduate Studies, for enrolment permission. Applications for summer projects are due March 31 of each year. Applications for Fall/Winter projects are due by May 31 of each year. Any questions about the course or the application process should be directed to Professor Barb Morra (barb.morra@utoronto.ca).
CHM 499Y is an upper-level course that presents students with an experimental or theoretical research problem under the supervision of a departmental teaching-stream or tenure-stream faculty member. The course is a required component of several specialist programs and is strongly recommended in the specialist programs for which it is not required. Students are expected to spend approximately 240 hours in total during the Fall and Winter semesters on their problem (the course is not offered during the summer). Research progress is assessed partway through the project via a mid-year review conducted between the student and the supervisor in December. Students are required to submit a thesis at the end of the Winter semester reporting the findings of their research project that is evaluated by their research supervisor and an additional faculty member. They also present their work in the form of a research poster that is showcased and evaluated by two judges at the CHM 499Y undergraduate poster session held in March each year.
A distinguishing feature of the 200- and 300-level chemistry research courses is a series of professional development workshops in CHM 499Y focusing on literature searching, preparation of graduate school/job applications, and oral/written communication skills (the latter workshops are designed with a view to preparing students to write their thesis and present their poster). Attendance at departmental colloquia, particularly in the sub-discipline of the student’s chosen research field, is highly encouraged. Students are also strongly encouraged to attend and present their research at the annual Southern Ontario Undergraduate Student Chemistry Conference (SOUSCC) held in late March. Enrolment in this course is limited, and application for admission should be made to the Department in the preceding Winter semester (see below).
Application Process
The application form is to be filled out electronically through the application form, where it when then be submitted to the Undergraduate Office. Applications open on March 1, and the submission deadline is the final day of classes in the Winter semester each year. Projects in the areas of environmental, computational, analytical, physical, inorganic, materials, organic and biological chemistry are typically offered. Students are encouraged to visit the websites of faculty members before submission of their applications to get some ideas of research opportunities and to indicate their choice of areas of interest on the application form.
Once all applications have been submitted to the Undergraduate Office, they are reviewed by the departmental Undergraduate Studies Committee (USC) during late April. Although an applicant’s cGPA (and specifically grades in chemistry courses) are important selection criteria, so is personal input from the USC members (note that a minimum cGPA of 3.0 is an admission requirement). Students are then informed whether they have been admitted to CHM 499Y during the summer, and if successful, they are required to speak with potential faculty members about supervision possibilities. When this information has been collected by the Undergraduate Office for each student, supervisor-student assignments are made during July, and research activities begin during September after a mandatory safety training session has taken place. Any questions about the course or the application process should be directed to the Undergraduate Office (chem.undergrad@utoronto.ca).