I-STEAM Pathways: Environmental Education Program for Indigenous Students

Enabling First Nations, Métis or Inuit undergraduate students to gain research experience in environmental fields including science, environmental engineering, environmental law and policy.

Internship Applications

Applications for the 2023 program are now closed. Applications for the 2024 program will open in November 2023.

To apply, you will need to:

  1. Check your eligibility below,
  2. Review the available 2024 Research Projects and select your preferred three (Note: you may not be allocated any of your preferred choices),
  3. Complete and submit the application form HERE.

Applicant Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for the I-STEAM Pathways program, you must:

  1. Be a self-identified First Nations, Métis or Inuit undergraduate student attending a post-secondary institution in Canada. (Preference will be given to First Nations, Métis or Inuit resident in Alberta).
  2. Be enrolled in an undergraduate program or pre-undergraduate program (e.g. post-secondary transfer program in an accredited College). Preference will be given to those who have completed at least 1st year of post-secondary in Alberta.
  3. Be willing and available to work as Summer Environmental Research Intern between May and August 2023 (shorter work periods may be possible upon negotiation with specific projects).
  4. Provide proof of enrolment in an undergraduate program at a Canadian post-secondary institution – only applicable to those who are shortlisted for an interview.
  5. Complete the application form through the link above.

Note: As part of our two-stage selection process, only applicants who are successful in the first stage will be contacted to participate in an interview before the final selection is made.

The research projects below were offered in 2023.  2024 projects will be posted in November.

  1. Herbivores, harvest, and humans in Alberta’s foothills: Consequences for birds?
  2. Role of fungal volatiles in plant-insect interactions
  3. Do defoliation intensity and time since defoliation affect plant carbon transfer and soil carbon accumulation?
  4. Carbon storage in grasslands and pastures
  5. Behavioural evaluation of sublethal miticide effects to help improve honey bee health
  6. Energy use and body condition of mountain pine beetles after flight in the field
  7. Oribatid mite diversity in Alberta’s Grassland Natural Region
  8. Examining compost blends for regenerative Agriculture
  9. Biopolymers as adsorbents for water treatment
  10. Probing Water Security in Underserved Communities
  11. Promoting fish health through dynamic animal-environment interactions
  12. Quantifying tire-wear compounds in precipitation across Canada to understand atmospheric sources and transport
  13. Characterization of permafrost and water samples
  14. How well are microplastics removed during drinking water treatment?
  15. Hay River Ice Jam Flood Forecasting Tools
  16. Monitoring of water chemistry in the Hay River watershed; impacts of climate change and land use
  17. Assistant to the delivery of the Arctic and Northern Challenge Program
  18. Development of IoT Sensor Platforms for Remote Environmental Monitoring
  19. Policy Assistant Advisor to the National Research Council’s Climate ACTION Strategy
  20. Technology for Community Monitoring of Winter Trails
  21. Corrosion effect of conventional versus environmental friendly solvents used in CO2 capture systems
  22. Renewable Energy System Demonstration at the Canadian High Arctic Research Station
  23. Climate Change and National Codes

Program Structure

  1. A paid, full-time summer research internship (12-16 weeks in duration), supervised by a University of Alberta faculty member who is an experienced researcher. Full funding for intern salaries (~$3000/month gross) is provided. 
  2. A series of one-day seminars on environmental-related topics.
  3. An end-of-summer celebration of achievements in which students will present the research they engaged in during their internship and receive certificates. 

Key Dates and Timelines 

  • December 2023 : Student applications open.
  • January 2024: Student applications portal will close.
  • January-February – Interviews: Applicants who advance from initial screening to the interview stage will be contacted for an interview. 
  • February 2024: Interns’ recruitment will be completed, including initial screening, interviews, selection and matching of final student internship candidates to supervisors/projects. Supervisors will be invited to participate in the interview and process of matching students to projects.
  • February 2024 – Final Selection: Applicants who are successfully interviewed and matched to a project and supervisor will be informed from this date. 
  • May-August, 2024 – Internship Placements: Project placements will vary in length from 8-16 weeks. All projects will take place within this timeframe.

If you have any questions regarding the application and selection process, please contact us at isteam@ualberta.ca