Research Excursions Program

Watch REP students on research trips in Puerto Rico, Kenya and Peru.

Travel While Conducting Real-World Research

The Research Excursions Program is a type of third-year course that enables experiential learning outside the classroom — and often outside of Canada. The REP provides off-campus travel opportunities, locally and globally, between May and August, when students join an instructor’s research team while earning 0.5 or 1.0 academic credits.

Benefits of the Research Excursions Program (REP)

By participating in an REP course, you will: 

  • Get a chance to travel, either locally or globally, with your peers and instructor
  • Develop a close working relationship with your faculty supervisor, which could lead to future collaborations or reference letters for graduate school and job applications
  • Learn research methods and further develop your research skills
  • Get a unique perspective into research as you immerse yourself in a different location
  • Have the chance to form lasting friendships with your group members

Who is Eligible to Participate? 

REP courses are competitive and require an application. The course instructors select their REP students. Eligible students:

  • Are full-time undergraduate degree students in the Faculty of Arts & Science — St. George campus
  • Hold between 9.0-16.0 credits by the end of the upcoming April exam period
  • Are new to the world of Faculty-funded international opportunities. Your chances of being accepted into REP courses are lower if you have previously received funds through REP, International Course Modules or Indigenous Course Modules.

Is There an Additional Cost? 

REPs are subject to regular course tuition fees. There are no additional costs for travel and living expenses; these are paid by the Faculty of Arts & Science.

REP Courses

Summer 2025 REP Courses

The REP courses will be posted from February 10 to March 2, 2025, on the CLNx portal for students to consider and apply. You may be unable to view the REP course postings before the student application window opens on February 10, 2025. 

The Summer 2025 REP courses have been posted on the CLNx portal for students to consider and apply until March 2, 2025. Should you encounter difficulties accessing the course postings on the CLNx, please contact us at experiential.artsci@utoronto.ca

Department Professor Research Project Location

ANT

Bence Viola

Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers at Grub Kranawetberg

Viena and Stillfried an der March, Austria

CrimSL

Kamari Clarke

Upending Transitional Justice: Rethinking the International Criminal Law

Cali, Colombia

EEB

Benjamin Gilbert

Fragmentation and fluctuations in plant biodiversity

Koffler Scientific Research Reserve, Ontario, Canada

 

EEB

 

Benjamin Gilbert

Invertebrate diversity and stability in a fragmented landscape

Koffler Scientific Research Reserve, Ontario, Canada

EEB

 

Luke Mahler

The evolution of ecological diversity across neotropical lizard communities

Quito, Ecuador and 4 localities across Ecuador

EEB

 

Megan Bontrager

Impact of canopy cover on reproductive phenology in a plant species

Koffler Scientific Research Reserve, Ontario, Canada

EEB

 

Njal Rollinson

Algonquin Park Reptiles and Amphibians

Algonquin Park, Ontario, Canada (Bat Lake, Wolf How Pond, Wildlife Research Station)

ESS

Daniel Gregory

Geological mapping in western Scotland

Edinburgh, Glencoe, Isle of Mull, and Edinburgh, Scotland

ESS

Carl-Georg Bank & Katherine Patton

Geoarchaeological search for a ferry boat at the Canadian shore of Lake Erie

Rondeau Park, Morpeth, Ontario, Canada

PHY

Ziqing Hong

The Super Cryogenic Dark Matter Search Experiment at SNOLAB

Sudbury, Canada

Department Professor Research Project Location

ANT

Michael Chazan

Archaeological Fieldwork and Community Engagement in the Northern Cape, South Africa

Kathu and Kimberley, South Africa

ANT

Edward Swenson

Archaeology in Peru: A Comparison of Sacred Landscapes and Everyday Taskscapes in an Andean Urban Complex

Lima & Pacasmayo, Peru

ANT

Tamas Bence Viola

Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers at Grub Kranawetberg

Vienna and Stillfried an der March, Austria

ANT

Bence Viola

Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers at Grub-Kranawetberg

Vienna & Stilfried, Austria

ANT

Katherine Patton

Examining archaeological and historical narratives in the Peskotomuhkati homeland 

Fredericton, New Brunswick; Sipayik, Pembroke, Lubek, and August and Calasis, Maine 

CLA

Seth Bernard

Archaeological Excavations at Falerii Novi

Rome and Cività Castellana, Italy

EEB

Njal Rollinson

Algonquin Park Amphibian Monitoring

Algonquin Park, Ontario

EEB

Njal Rollinson

Early spring breeding of amphibians in Algonquin Provincial Park

Wildlife Research Station, Ontario, Canada

EEB

Njal Rollinson

Ecology and evolution of amphibians and reptiles in the Canadian wilderness

Algonquin Park, Ontario

EEB

Arthur Weis

Exploring the genomic basis of natural selection and speciation in insect-plant interactions.

Koffler Scientific Reserve, Ontario

EEB

Benjamin Gilbert

Impacts of fragmentation and climate fluctuations on plant diversity

Koffler Scientific Reserve, Ontario, Canada

EEB

Benjamin Gilbert

The direct and indirect effects of global changes on species diversity

Koffler Scientific Reserve, Ontario

EEB

Benjamin Gilbert

Invertebrate food web dynamics in a fragmented landscape

Koffler Scientific Reserve, Canada 

EEB

Benjamin Gilbert

Plant diversity and restoration

Koffler Scientific Reserve, Canada

EEB

D. Luke Mahler

The evolution of ecological diversity across neotropical lizard communities

Santo Domingo and 6 field locations,  Dominican Republic

EEB

Luke Mahler

The evolution of ecological diversity across neotropical lizard communities

San Juan, Puerto Rico

EEB

Luke Mahler

The evolution of ecological diversity across neotropical lizard communities

Kingston and field locations across Jamaica 

ESS

Carl-George Bank, Katherine Patton

Environmental, archaeological, and forensic geophysics at field sites in Ontario and Quebec

Becancour, Quebec & Deep River, Ontario

ESS

Daniel Gregory

Investigating critical metal deposits of northern Quebec and Ontario

Cobalt Ontario, Val d'Or Quebec, Chibougamau Quebec, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

ESS

Daniel Gregory

Investigating critical metal deposits of the Mackenzie Mountains

Yellowknife, Van Property, Howard Pass, Canada

FAH

Carl Knappet

Archaeological Excavation in Palaikastro, Crete

Crete, Greece

NEW

Aggrey Wasike

Language, Education and Youth in Bungoma County

Nairobi, Kenya

NEW

Aggrey Wasike

Language, Gender, and Economic Factors in Education in Bungoma County, Kenya

Nairobi, Misikhu and Siuna, Kenya

Dates and Application Process

Date Activity

February 10, 2025 

Summer 2025 REP courses are posted on this webpage and CLNx. Applications open on CLNx. 

February 14, 2025, 11 am – 12 pm 

February 18, 2025, 2 pm – 3 pm

REP Information Sessions & Application Preparation. Registration required.

March 2, 2025 

Summer 2025 REP course applications close on CLNx.

March 3 – 21, 2025 

Instructors review applications and select students. Eligible students will need to submit the REP contract to be enrolled in the course. 

March 24, 2025 

Deadline for REP contracts to be submitted. Students prepare travel documents and immunizations as required, well in advance. 

Mid-April 2025

Students enrolled in REP course. 

Early May 2025  

All enrolled Summer 2025 REP students are placed on CLNx.

May – August 2025

Students complete REP course (exact travel dates and relevant Safety Abroad requirement deadlines may vary depending on REP project).

September 2025

REP students participate in Fall Research Fair.

To do in the Fall term:
  • September – December: Gather information as you review REP deadlines, talk with professors, classmates and REP alumni
To do in the Winter term:
  • February: Review list of REP proposals posted on the CLNx portal
    • Apply by deadline
    • Investigate immunizations and travel document requirements for destination country
  • March: Attend bi-annual Research Fair
    • Attend interviews and/or respond to faculty member’s emailed questions
    • If you secure an offer, accept/decline by deadline
    • Sign REP contract by deadline
  • April: If the REP involves international travel, complete Safety Abroad pre-departure training module and paperwork, as required by the University
  • September: Participate in bi-annual Research Fair

You will need to do the following before your REP: 

  • Submit an application package (resume/CV, letter of intent, unofficial transcript) by the deadline. 
  • Follow the faculty supervisor’s selection process (online/in-person/telephone interviews, respond to questions over email, etc.)
  • Sign an REP contract. Before signing an REP contract, carefully consider the offer and do some research about the travel destination. If you have any questions or concerns, please address them to the instructor and the ELOS office.
  • Attend orientation sessions with your professor and U of T staff.
  • Complete Safety Abroad requirements for international destinations
  • Prepare travel documents as required, well in advance. You are responsible to ensure you have valid travel documents, such as a passport and visa, to enter and exit the destination. The costs associated with travel document applications are not funded by the University. Contact the PIP office if you need a supporting document for your travel document application.  
  • Complete immunizations as required. Complete immunizations and travel documents as required. Check whether there are required and recommended vaccinations on the Government of Canada Travel Vaccinations page. You should also check with a health care provider as soon as possible regarding vaccinations or other health concerns. Vaccinations are not funded by the University.
  • If you have an accessibility-related, health-related, or any other specific need requiring accommodations in order for you to participate in your REP course, please contact your Accessibility Advisor to arrange for a letter of accommodation for the Experiential Learning component of the course (Accessibility Services: 416- 978-8060 or accessibility.services@utoronto.ca). Please note that accommodations for a REP might look different than accommodations from another course. Learn how to register with Accessibility Services. You may choose to disclose the information by sharing the letter with your REP instructor and the REP coordinator for assistance and accommodations. 

For Summer 2025 REPs, students can apply from February 10 to March 2, 2025. Applications include three documents: a resume/CV, a letter of intent and an unofficial transcript. On March 3, 2025, all applications will be sent to the faculty supervisor. 

After student applications are sent to the faculty supervisors, they make their selections in accordance with the relevant deadlines (see the Dates section above for details). Some faculty supervisors will conduct interviews, while others may reach out to candidates by phone or email. Only students who are being considered or are selected for a REP course will be contacted by the relevant faculty supervisor. Selected students are required to sign an agreement (REP contract) with their supervising professor to participate in an REP course and will be enrolled in the course by the Office of the Dean prior to tintart of the relevant term. All internationally bound students must complete Safety Abroad requirements to participate in the REP course. 

For more information about the Research Excursions Program, please email experiential.artsci@utoronto.ca.

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