Faculty-led labs and research projects

Usually, these labs and project will have research assistant positions open to undergraduate students as a part of the Work Study program. The fall-winter work study program requires you to be a registered full-time student at U of T and the application usually opens in August. The summer work study requires you to take at least half (0.5) FCE of summer course during the whole summer period, and the application usually opens in April.

If you missed the work study application period, send an email to the prof and ask them if they have any other opportunities (e.g., volunteering) available.

• The Heritage Language Variation and Change Project (HLVC), Principle Investigator: Prof. Naomi Nagy
• The Sociolinguistics/ Language Variation and Change Lab (VSLX), Principle Investigator: Prof. Sali Tagliamonte
• Toronto Language Processing Lab, Principle Investigator: Prof. Daphna Heller
• Jackman Humanities Institute’s Scholar in Residence Program offers opportunities in different faculty-led projects every summer
• Or go to each faculty member’s website to see what they are doing, and if you are interested in a professor’s research, send them an email to ask if you can work for them!

Research Opportunity Program (LIN299 & 399) and Research Excursions Program (LIN398)

Research Opportunity Programs (ROPs) provide second- and third- year students the opportunity of participating a faculty-led research project and earn credit from their participation. The information for the summer and fall-winter ROPs are usually available in later February and Mid-March. REPs are of a similar concept but the projects are off-campus, with some conducted at international locations.

• See the Faculty of Arts and Science Page for ROPs and REPs for more information and the available projects
• Go to the U of T Career and co-curricular learning network (CLNX) to apply for these opportunities!

Independent Studies

If you have an idea for a research project, the best way to start is to email faculty members who work in the relevant area(s). From there you could carry out your project either through an individual project course or applying a research fund for it.

Individual Project Courses (LIN49X)

If you can secure a faculty to supervise your project, you could enrol in an Individual Project course at the Department of Linguistics. To do so you must finish 10.0 FCE of courses and 3.0 of them have to be for your linguistics program. The course can take place in regular Fall-Winter term or Summer and can be over a semester or the whole year. See the department website for more information. Faculty supervisor’s undergraduate appointment has to be at St George campus for the Individual Project at the Department of Linguistics.

Independent Study/Individual Project courses are also offered by colleges and some other academic units in the Faculty of Arts and Science.

Fellowship/Fund/Research Award

Besides the course-based opportunity, you could also apply to an undergrad research fellowship/fund/award with your project proposal. Here are some opportunities for U of T linguistics students on and off campus:

• Faculty of Arts & Science Undergraduate Research Fund
• University of Toronto Excellence Awards-Social Sciences and Humanities (UTEA-SSH)
• Northrop Frye Centre Undergraduate Research Award (Opens to Victoria College students only)
• The Laidlaw Foundation Undergraduate Scholars
• For other research awards or funding opportunities, use the U of T Award Explorer or U of T Research Funding Opportunities Database.