HYRS Mentor Guide
The High School Youth Research Summer (HYRS) Program is seeking mentors for summer 2027.
HYRS offers motivated Grade 11 students from Alberta high schools the opportunity to gain firsthand research experience and introduce them to career opportunities in research. The program is looking for interested labs, research groups, and supervisors to mentor a student over a 6-week period, concluding in a showcase highlighting the work they have done.
Program Information
The HYRS program at the University of Lethbridge will run in-person from Friday, July 2 to Friday, August 13, 2027. Awarded students will receive a stipend; the Research Services Office will set up and manage all stipend payments. Students will participate in orientation activities on July 2 and will be available to begin work on their projects on Monday, July 5. Students will work on their research in their respective labs; all other program components will also be held in person. In no case should these students work more than an average of 35 hours per week, including the time spent as part of the HYRS cohort as identified below.
HYRS Cohort: Students will meet 2-3 times per week as a cohort to participate in a variety of programming that enhances their research experience. Additional programming includes lunch seminars focused on careers in health research, tours, and social activities. Our team books these weekly events on Mondays and Wednesdays during the lunch hour and Friday mornings (9-11:30 a.m.). These sessions are mandatory, and students are expected to attend. Please plan for your student to be away from their project during these times.
Our administration team will provide all mentors and daily supervisors with a copy of the HYRS program schedule at the start of the summer so you know which events your student(s) will attend.
Projects should fall within one of the Alberta Innovates Priority Areas for 2027 as listed below. Please note that 20% of projects can be outside these areas, so if you have a project you think a high school student would enjoy, please still apply!
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Mentor Requirements
There are 4 core requirements of a mentor:
- Project description and poster
Each student must be assigned a clearly defined project, as they are required to create a scientific/informative presentation based on their work this summer. This can be a stand-alone project or part of a bigger project currently underway in your lab. It is important that your HYRS student(s) is/are aware of the relevance of their work, understand(s) their role in the project, and know(s) how it fits with the other research in your lab.
As the culminating event for the HYRS program, students will participate in a project poster showcase alongside other summer research programs to highlight their research contributions and experience in their role. Students will receive a workshop on creating scientific/informative presentations, but they may need your team’s help assembling the final product.
As many students will not have ‘results’ after 6 weeks, the presentation should be a graphic representation of what they have done this summer. The final showcase will be held Thursday, August 12 from 6:30-9 p.m.
- Mentorship and goal setting
We encourage all mentors to meet with their mentee(s) at the start of the program on Monday, July 5, to get to know the HYRS student(s) and discuss goals for the student(s) to achieve this summer. Check-ins throughout the summer and a final meeting with your student(s) to discuss their experience can be valuable for both you and the student(s), help them see their overall progress, and ensure they are meeting your expectations. Some of the overarching goals of the program include:- Increased awareness of ongoing research activities happening at the University of Lethbridge
- Increased confidence engaging with the public
- Developing a real-world perspective on research including its challenges, obstacles, opportunities, and imperfections
- Improved understanding of the process of research and how methods affect the results
- Ability to ask appropriate questions in an academic and/or research environment
- Increased confidence in verbally presenting difficult scientific concepts in an accessible fashion
- Increased confidence approaching other Principal Investigators and university professors in the future
- Networking and establishing contacts and relationships
- Orientation and Training
Students will complete their WHMIS training. Students who require animal training to work in labs will receive training before the start of the program. Please let us know in your application if student(s) will require any specialized training before beginning work in your lab.
- Final Survey
Each Mentor is required to complete a short final survey about their experience with their student and the program at the end of August.
What are the requirements of a HYRS Daily Supervisor?
Most mentors are not able to provide daily supervision of the student and will assign a member of their team as the student’s daily supervisor. Daily Supervisors are asked to guide the student throughout the summer and teach them the project's expectations.
Daily Supervisors can be graduate students, research associates, postdoctoral fellows, or other lab team members who can lead the student through daily project tasks and answer any questions they may have.
Treat HYRS students as lab team members and encourage them to attend lab meetings and seminars.
What are the students' requirements?
HYRS students act as ambassadors of the program and the University. Students will receive a workshop on workplace and email etiquette, and a session on research ethics. Please ensure that your student is aware of any particular intellectual property confidentiality issues and make this distinction explicit (i.e., what they can/cannot talk about outside lab/in public places).
Students are expected to follow the procedures and rules of the research environment in which they conduct their research, under the guidance of their mentors, including all policies governing research at the University of Lethbridge.
Students are to maintain regular working hours. Students must not work more than an average of 35 hours per week. Students are not required to track their hours through the HR payroll system.
Students must attend all HYRS-related events, such as guest lectures, tours, and the culminating showcase. Students are expected to keep their mentors and daily supervisors informed of any changes to the initial schedule of events and remind their supervisors of their weekly session activities.
We encourage all students to talk to their mentor or supervisor if they have issues with their project. Our team is also available to assist with any issues that arise and require resolution. If you are having difficulties, please let us know as soon as possible, as six weeks is a very short time!
HYRS Team Contacts
Catharine Reader
Director, Youth Outreach
catharine.reader@uleth.ca
Please note that we will hire a HYRS Coordinator in 2027 who will run HYRS.