Northrop Frye Summer Research Experience
The 2023 competition is closed.
Scholarship value: $5,700
Duration: Four months (May to August)
First awarded in 2001, the Northrop Frye Summer Research Experience Scholarship in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology enables an outstanding student who has recently completed BIO120H to spend four months (May to August) in the lab of a faculty member, assisting with a project.
Eligibility Requirements
- You must have completed BIO120H (St. George campus).
- Priority will be given to students who completed BIO120 in the previous Fall session.
- You must obtain an average of at least 85% in the university courses you are presently taking or have taken (e.g., if you are taking five courses this year, you estimate that your average among these courses will be at least 85%).
How to Apply
If you have any questions about the Northrop Frye Summer Research Experience Scholarship, please contact Laura Heslin Piper at bio120@utoronto.ca.
2023 Project Description
Supervisor: Jacqueline Sztepanacz
The Sztepanacz Lab researches how genetic variation evolves in populations. We use Drosophila as a model organism, and most of what we do involves whole-organism assays of fitness, morphology, behaviour, and pheromones. The student will get to take part in various projects led by graduate students, which include characterizing local adaptation in invasive species. They will learn fly husbandry skills and management, how to design and execute experiments, and may have the opportunity to learn about geometric morphometric methods. The successful student will be required to take Biosafety training through EHS, to attend Sztepanacz Lab meetings and training sessions, and to contribute to general lab maintenance.
