Trainees: Undergraduate Summer Student Awards

Transdisciplinary Inter-Institute Training Program in

Autism Spectrum Disorders (CIHR-STIHR):

The purpose of these awards is to encourage undergraduates to engage in research on autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), and to promote interdisciplinary learning experiences in the field of ASDs.
Undergraduate students, who are carrying out research full-time at least 12 weeks during the summer with a mentor in the program (PI JJA Holden), and who are carrying out research with ASDs as a primary focus, are eligible for this award, which acknowledges their participation as a trainee in this CIHR-STIHR Program.

Requirements: To be eligible, undergraduate students must:

• Complete at least 12 weeks of research, with ASDs as a primary focus, with a mentor with the Program
• Be returning to university in the following September as an undergraduate student
• Write a short article (about 1000 words) about their summer experience for a Newsletter that will be posted at the AutismConnects/AutismResearch/AutismTraining websites.
  

The article must be written in language suitable for parents of children or adults with an ASD, and individuals not familiar with your specific research area. The purpose of this exercise is to share with families the experiences of undergraduate students working in a research environment focused on ASDs, and will demonstrate to families how working in this environment will form the next generation of researchers, teachers, physicians, psychologists, and other community members who will have a better knowledge of ASDs because of their summer experience. Some ideas for content of the articles are presented here, but the student should feel free to write about any other topic related to the summer experience working in the research environment.

• A description of the research project and why it is important
• How your knowledge of autism has changed through the summer experience
• Impressions about families or individuals with autism who you have met (no names or identifying information can be provided)
  

All students whose applications are considered by a committee to meet the requirements and whose articles are published for a Newsletter that will be posted at the AutismConnects/AutismResearch/AutismTraining websites will receive CDN $500 and a certificate acknowledging their training as part of this STIHR program.

The Newsletter Item should then be emailed to (asd.training@queensu.ca) as soon as the application form is completed.