Research Excellence

HYRS Mentors

Support a HYRS Student

Mentor information and application form
Mentor Application Form
Important Dates
  • May 1 - Mentor applications due
  • Mid June - Mentor Info sessions
  • July 3 - Student's first day in labs
  • Aug 13 - Summer Research Showcase
  • Aug 14 - Last day of HYRS program 
Time Commitments
  • Meet with your mentee at the beginning of the program to discuss goals and achievements for the summer
  • Check-in throughout the summer & a final meeting to discuss their experience
  • Mentors are required to complete a short survey at the end of the summer
  • Students spend 20-25 hours a week in their lab
  • Remaining 10-15 hours spent together as a HYRS cohort for additional programming
  • Participate in the end of Summer Research Showcase (the last Thursday of the program) 

 

Alberta Innovates supports HYRS students assisting with projects that fall within their priority areas. Those projects out of scope will not be accepted for the 2026 year. Please refer to the priority areas below. 

Priority Areas

  1. Applied Health Research for Adoption & Scale: Projects that accelerate the development, validation, and deployment of health technologies and therapeutics with commercial or clinical potential. This includes prototype testing, regulatory planning, biomanufacturing, clinical trials, and usability studies. Students could contribute to real-world innovation pathways by working alongside academic, industry, community, or health system partners to bring solutions closer to market or care settings.
    Examples:

    • Market assessment and commercialization planning

    • Engagement in clinical research activities, including study design, participant recruitment, data collection and analysis, or integrating research directly into care

    • Prototype validation and performance testing

    • Biofabrication or bioprocess development for health-related materials
       

  2. Sustainable Health Systems
    Projects that design, implement, or evaluate innovative care models, service approaches, or policies that improve performance and sustainability in Alberta. This includes projects that are in collaboration with health service delivery partners, technology solution providers, or other health system entities.
    Examples:

    • Evaluating team-based or virtual care models for access and outcomes

    • Studying policy or workflow changes that improve integration across settings

    • Piloting new tools, training models, or technologies that support Alberta’s health workforce

    • Testing digital tools that enhance coordination, efficiency, or equity
       

  3. Digital Health & Data-Driven Systems
    Projects that advance the secure, ethical, and effective use of digital tools and health data to support care delivery, decision-making, and system coordination. Students could participate in applied research on digital platforms, AI/ML model evaluation, data interoperability, and virtual care integration, helping to shape the future of technology-enabled health services.
    Examples:

    • Privacy-preserving data linkage and interoperability across care, community, and research settings

    • Bias, robustness, and safety evaluation/monitoring of clinical AI/ML models

    • Workflow integration of virtual care, remote monitoring, and decision-support tools
       

  4. One Health
    Projects that address the interconnection of human, animal, and environmental health to prevent, detect, and respond to shared threats through cross-disciplinary, collaborative, applied activities.
    Examples:

    • Antimicrobial resistance surveillance across clinical, agricultural, and wastewater settings

    • Zoonotic disease risk modeling using climate and land-use data

    • Environmental exposure assessment linked to community health outcomes