Undergraduate Research Appointments

*This page is for research supervisors*

Thank you for your interest in appointing an undergraduate student in your lab. 

The chart and form provided are intended to help you determine the appropriate appointment mechanism and is specific to undergraduate students who have completed a full academic year at Western and who are returning to Western as a full-time student in the Fall. 

Please read the Fellowship versus Employment chart below. Once you have read the chart, please complete the form for the appropriate student appointment type. If you have questions, or are unsure on how to proceed, please contact your departmental administrator

Fellowship 

Employment 
  • Undergraduate Research Fellowships (URF) provide students with engaged research experiences where they will learn new research methods and techniques alongside faculty mentors 
  • Students will gain much-needed skills that will help prepare them for future careers 
  • Fellows have the opportunity to work on meaningful projects in a structured and supervised learning program 
  • Principal Investigators provide an atmosphere that allows "supervised learning", whereby the student can progress as quickly as possible with someone available to answer questions and provide general guidance 
  • Student may need to participate in minimum training or professional development workshops that will aid in the creation of their research output and will support the summer research experience. This will be based on individual learning plans co-created with their supervisor 
  • The fellowship experience is open to undergraduate students  
  • Students receive a minimum stipend of $9268.00 CAD from the supervisor, which will help cover the costs associated with participating in the 16-week program 
  • Funds are offered as awards, not employment income. There will be no deductions (CPP, EI) taken from the award 
  • As it is not an employer-employee relationship, there is no vacation pay or vacation allocation. Time away from the project should be discussed with the supervisor in advance 
  • Award is still taxable income and will be reported on a T4A tax slip 
  • Student fellows will receive four equal payments monthly (May, June, July, August) on the second last business day of the month, unless they do not complete the agreed upon research activities 
  • Undergraduate Research Assistants may assist the Principal Investigator by carrying out research related duties or deliverables associated with an existing research project 
  • The Principal Investigator provides direction on duties to be completed, hours to be worked, and timelines to be met; the relationship is that of employer – employee 
  • Students carry out a variety of tasks in accordance with policies, procedures, and instructions received from their supervisor in the areas of administrative services, research services, infrastructure services, or student services and will have responsibility for carrying out activities which require a higher level specialization of skills 
  • Duties and/or deliverables are articulated in an employment contract and are not directly related to "supervised learning"; duties and/or deliverables may vary and often include research-related, clerical, or administrative activities 
  • Appointed undergraduate students can be compensated between $16.55 to $18.43 per hour, plus 4% vacation pay and 14% statutory benefits 
  • Hours of works cannot exceed 40 hours per week during the summer term, and up to 24 hours during the academic year (Sept - Apr).
  • Because these funds are employment earnings, a T4 slip is issued and statutory deductions are required