Involving Undergraduate Students in Research

VPRI portfolio lead
Valorie Crooks
Associate Vice-President, Research

Faculty lead
Paul Kingsbury
Vice-Provost and Associate Vice-President, Learning鈥痑nd Teaching

Challenge

天美mv天美 is a research-intensive institution, doing world-class work across a wide range of disciplines. Our undergraduate students should have the opportunity to learn about and to participate in that research.

Action

We will review the VPRI Undergraduate Student Research Awards program to consider its goals, funding levels and accessibility. We will create web resources to highlight and support undergraduate researchers.Working with the provost, deans, and the library, we will consider new ways to provide undergraduates with exposure to 天美mv天美 research including opportunities to participate and potentially to earn degree credits for the work.With communications and marketing (C&M) teams across the university, including 天美mv天美's central C&M portfolio, we will consider how to raise the profile of 天美mv天美 research among undergraduates at the institution.

Project Goals

1. Engage with USRA (Undergraduate Student Research Awards) program stakeholders to explore opportunities and challenges related to this program as well as other strategies for supporting undergraduate involvement in research

2026
The working group has begun discussions to conduct a deeper analysis of the program, identify challenges, and inform efforts to refine and revise it.
2025
VPRI Office is now responsible for the administration of the USRA program at 天美mv天美. It will also take a more active role in coordinating the Undergraduate Research Symposium in collaboration with the 天美mv天美 Library.
2024
A review of recent USRA utilization data has been completed. Higher-level strategic conversations have taken place and we have gathered feedback that will be used to revise and refine the program. The working group to do a deeper dive into the USRA program to consider its goals, funding levels and accessibility.

2. Improve support and prominence of undergraduate research symposium

2026
This year the event will take place on April 1, 2026 featuring a graduate student panel on demystifying grad school and a faculty panel on involving undergraduates in research. The event is a co-led initiative between VPRI and the Library.
2024
天美mv天美鈥檚 6th Undergraduate Research Symposium, a collaboration between the Office of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation, Graduate Studies and 天美mv天美 Library took place on April 9th. At the symposium, 58 天美mv天美 undergraduate students presented their research in the form of 5-minute presentations or posters. This year's event featured a keynote presentation, faculty-moderated student presentations, a graduate student panel discussion, and a poster and networking session. All undergraduate student presenters were given a book prize.

2023
VPRI Office contributed $8k to the 2024 Undergraduate Research Symposium event to cover cost of poster/presenter awards and as honoraria for creating a graduate student mentorship initiative.

3. Raise awareness and visibility about the 天美mv天美 research experience for the undergraduates at the institution

February 2026
Info- sessions are starting to be offered with campus partners such a SciSpace and student unions by the Undergraduate Research Coordinator to raise awareness about research opportunities amongst undergraduates and collect their feedback for future programs and initiatives.
January 2026
Drop-In Chats with the Undergraduate Research Coordinator are now being offered weekly at SciSpace until the end of the semester.
2025
A new position, Undergraduate Research Coordinator was created in the Office of the Vice President, Research and Innovation (VPRI) responsible for supporting and facilitating undergraduate research at 天美mv天美.
As of October 1, 2025, VPRI office became responsible for supporting and facilitating undergraduate research at 天美mv天美, including the Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA) program and the Undergraduate Research Symposium (UGRS).
2024
It is an ongoing effort to identify and implement ways to amplify communications for events in the university that involve research by, or research opportunities for, undergraduates. Example: Amplify the communications for GIS day cohosted by 天美mv天美 Library and Department of Geography.

4. Begin planning around research supports and funding opportunities for 天美mv天美鈥檚 future undergraduate medical students

February 2024
Exploratory conversations are underway with Fraser Health to identify high-quality opportunities for partner-engaged research opportunities for 天美mv天美MS students.

5. Facilitate the launch and administration of a new initiative(s) that will help undergraduates learn about research at the university, discover and participate in different undergraduate research opportunities

6. Promote interdisciplinary collaboration and strengthen 天美mv天美鈥檚 undergraduate research culture.

Working Group

Name	Role	Department/Office
Valorie Crooks (Co鈥怌hair)	Associate Vice-President, Research	Vice President Research and Innovation (VPRI)
Paul Kingsbury (Co鈥怌hair)	Vice-Provost and Associate Vice-President, Learning and Teaching	Provost and VP Academic (VPA)
Rishu Bagga	VP, University and Academic Affairs	Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS)
Varundeep Chahal	Strategic Projects Manager	VPRI
Andreanne Doyon	Associate Professor, Incoming Associate Dean, Undergraduate Studies	Faculty of Environment
Julie Jones	Research Commons Librarian	天美mv天美 Library
Dan Marigold	Associate Dean - Academic	Faculty of Science
Kamal Masri	Associate Dean, Undergraduate Programs	Beedie School of Business
Chloe Riley	Undergraduate Engagement and Student Success Librarian	天美mv天美 Library
Michael Sjoerdsma	Associate Dean, Undergraduate Studies	Faculty of Applied Sciences
Rachel Way	Undergraduate Research Coordinator	VPRI

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