About the internship
This internship, which occurs from May 1 to July 31, 2026, is named in honour of Dr. Valerie Kuehne, previous VP Academic and Provost (2014-2022), to recognize her leadership and commitment to the value of undergraduate research experiences. This award provides an opportunity for first and second year students to gain research-enriched and applied experiences in their discipline or field of study.
Students will gain experience working within a research environment that is collaborative and collegial with direct support from a faculty mentor. These opportunities exemplify UVic’s Strategic Framework where the intent is to ensure there are research-enriched learning opportunities within curriculum and with an emphasis on research-informed teaching. This internship is also closely aligned with Aspiration 2030 UVic Research and Creative Works Strategy.
The awards have been distributed across academic Faculties with a total of 20% of internships reserved for students from under-represented groups.
Are you a current VKURA student or supervisor?
Access the VKURA Brightspace for useful information regarding the internship and symposium.
Timeline
Application
Materials and application form available by January 5, 2025
Deadline
Please email the completed nomination form to your Faculty administrator(s) by their posted deadline (no later than February 20, 2026).
Adjudication
Faculties are responsible for adjudication. Ranked nominations are to be emailed to LTI (ltsioffice@uvic.ca) by 4:30pm, March 6, 2026.
Notification
LTI will verify eligibility & notify successful applicants, supervisors and their Faculties by March 20, 2026.
VKURA internship
The VKURA internship is full-time, taking place from May 1 to July 31, 2026. VKURA scholars & their supervisors determine the exact schedule for the internship work to be carried out.
Internship details
A value of $7,500 is given for 12 weeks of full-time internship (420 hours), which takes place from May 1 to July 31, 2026. A shorter internship, in exceptional circumstances, of 8 weeks may be considered on a prorated basis ($5,000.00). The internship cohort will begin in May and will be paid out in installments from May to August. Final payment is disbursed following the in-person symposium at the end of July.
Students, for the term of the internship, will be registered in VKURA (VKUR 201) [non-credit no-fee course]. This internship cannot be used for course credit.
Eligibility
In order to apply to the internship, the following eligibility is required.
Eligible students & projects
- In first or second year of an undergraduate program at the time of the nomination deadline
- In good standing and enrolled in at least 8 courses (4 per term) in each of the first and second terms of (September – April) at UVic
- Registered at UVic for the term following the internship
- Able to undertake the research internship full-time for 12 weeks (between May 1 and August 31st)
- Have a faculty member willing to supervise
- Remote participation is allowed provided it works for the supervisor
- Field work off-site is allowed* but cannot be used as a field school course credit
- Students registered with the Centre for Accessible Learning (CAL) with an accommodation that includes a reduced load
Not eligible students & projects
- A previous VKURA scholar
- Those who have already completed an undergraduate degree
- Self-directed studies
International students
In order to participate, international students require the proper authorization to work, based on their immigration status. For advice on your eligibility, please contact an International Student Advisor.
Co-ops
Students have the option to use the VKURA internship for Co-op challenge if approved by the Co-op program. Please contact your Faculty Co-op Coordinator for more information.
Supervisor information
Each application will have a designated supervisor with a stated research project, detailing what the student will be doing during the course of the internship, including start and end date for the internship and the learning outcomes for the student.
- Students may have a supervisor from another Faculty than their home Faculty
- Each supervisor can only mentor one VKURA intern at a time
- Supervisors must be regular faculty members at UVic, however a co-supervisor who is a sessional faculty may be appointed
Important note
- Students from under-represented groups will comprise 20% of internships (determined within Faculty). For those Faculties with under 5 total internships per year, distribution to under-represented groups must meet the 20% minimum over two years.
- Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that the appropriate research protocols are in place as needed, including human subjects research ethics approval if required.
Faculty distribution
Each Faculty is assigned a set number of internships. For those Faculties with under 5 total internships per year, distribution to under-represented groups must meet the 20% minimum over two years.
|
Faculty
|
Internships per year |
| Education |
1 |
| Engineering & Computer Science |
5 |
| Fine Arts | 2 |
| Health | 2 |
| Humanities | 2 |
| Science | 4 |
| Social Sciences | 8 |
| Gustavson School of Business | 2 |
Project guidelines
There are typically two main approaches to the project:
Supervisor initiated
In this case, a faculty member may have a research project in mind, or it may be something already underway which seems ideal for the student. In such a case the faculty member might approach the student to see if the student is interested in applying for the award.
Student initiated
In this case, a student may have an idea for a research project and approach a faculty member to see if they would be interested in working with the student should their application be successful.
Other requirements
Using a cohort based model, all interns will commit to participating in the VKURA Internship Network. This will include a series of online and in-person events/seminars over the time of the internship to build a learning community. Supervisors will also be invited to attend. All interns will commit to present their work within an in-person symposium usually held during the term following the internship.