Jamie Cassels Undergraduate Research Awards (JCURA)
The Jamie Cassels Undergraduate Research Awards (JCURA) program encourages third and fourth-year undergraduate students to pursue innovative and original research while providing a valuable preparatory experience towards graduate studies or a research related career, with mentorship from a faculty supervisor. LTI administers the award process on behalf of the Provost’s Office.
Nomination form
Eligibility
- is a full-time 3rd or 4th-year undergraduate student (normally registered in 12 or more units* of study in the winter session)
- has a strong academic standing (normally with a minimum sessional GPA of 6.0, average GPA from Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 terms)
- meets the general regulations of Student Awards and Financial Aid
- be nominated by only one Department/School
- students registered with the Centre for Accessible Learning (CAL) with an accommodation that includes a reduced load are eligible to apply
- a previous JCURA scholar
- a 1st or 2nd-year student
- 3 additional JCURA seats are prioritized for Indigenous students
- students may register for a Directed Study for a JCURA experience
- co-op work terms, while they only have a unit value of two, are the equivalent of a full time study term
- students in their final year of study may also be eligible to participate in this award program if registered in sufficient units to meet their graduation requirements, at the discretion of the adjudication committee and LTI Executive Director
Timeline
Student & supervisor nomination form
Student and supervisor fill out their parts of the form and send it to the supervisor’s home Department or School.
Form submission
Departments and Schools set their own internal deadline to receive completed JCURA forms.
Adjudication process
Chair or Director collects and adjudicates award eligibility for each applicant. The Chair or Director completes their section of the form for all nominees. Email completed form(s), ranked, to learningandteaching@uvic.ca by July 15, 2026.
Recipients notified
LTI will notify successful students, their supervisors and unit representatives by August 3, 2026. Departments and Schools are responsible for notifying students not selected for the JCURA program.
Value of internship
Successful student applicants receive $1,500 credited directly to their UVic student account. The award does not translate into hours of work. It is an award and not a research assistantship. JCURA scholars and their supervisors determine the scope of the research project together, which should take place between September and March.
Information for Departments and Schools
| Department | Number of seats |
|---|---|
| Curriculum & Instruction | 3 |
| Educational Psychology & Leadership Studies | 2 |
| Child & Youth Care | 2 |
| Indigenous Education | 1 |
| Civil Engineering | 2 |
| Computer Science | 3 |
| Electrical & Computer Engineering | 2 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 2 |
| Art History & Visual Studies | 2 |
| Music | 2 |
| Technology & Society | 1 |
| Theatre | 2 |
| Visual Arts | 2 |
| Writing | 2 |
| Gustavson School of Business | 3 |
| Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education | 3 |
| Health Information Science | 2 |
| Medical Science (IMP) | 1 |
| Nursing | 3 |
| Public Health & Social Policy | 1 |
| Social Work | 2 |
| English | 3 |
| European Studies | 1 |
| Gender Studies | 2 |
| Greek & Roman Studies | 2 |
| History | 3 |
| Indigenous Studies | 1 |
| Latin American Studies | 1 |
| Languages, Linguistics & Cultures | 8 |
| Medieval Studies | 1 |
| Pacific & Asian Studies | 2 |
| Philosophy | 3 |
| Religion, Culture & Society | 1 |
| Law | 2 |
| School of Molecular Life Sciences | 2 |
| Biology | 3 |
| Chemistry | 3 |
| Earth & Ocean Sciences | 2 |
| Mathematics & Statistics | 3 |
| Physics & Astronomy | 2 |
| Anthropology | 2 |
| Economics | 3 |
| Environmental Studies | 2 |
| Geography | 3 |
| Political Science | 3 |
| Psychology | 3 |
| Sociology | 3 |
| Public Administration | 1 |
| Undergraduate programs (chosen from among Global Development Studies or Social Justice Studies) | 2 |
Supervisor criteria
Each application will have a designated supervisor with a stated research project, detailing what the student will be doing during the course of the award, including the learning outcomes for the student.
-
- supervisors can mentor more than one JCURA scholar at a time
- students may have a supervisor from another Deparment or School than their home Department or School
- the completed application form must be submitted to the supervisor’s home Department/School
- students will be mentored by the supervisor usually within the context of the supervisor’s or the student’s existing research or creative activity project
- students may continue research they originally pursued during a VKURA award
Project guidelines
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 scholars commit to participating in the JCURA Brightspace. This will include a series of online and in-person events and workshops over the time of the award year. Supervisors will also be invited to attend. All scholars must present their work with a poster and presentation at an in-person Research Fair held on March 24, 2027.