Canadian high school students reach research mainly through Youth Science Canada's network of regional STEM fairs and the Canada-Wide Science Fair, the SHAD summer program, hospital and university research placements such as SickKids in Toronto, and online one-on-one mentorship that ends in a published paper. The fair system is open to every student and leads to international competitions including Regeneron ISEF, while lab placements are few and mostly limited to older students.
This guide covers each route with official sources, and explains what each one produces for Canadian and US university applications.
The routes at a glance
| Route | Who it is for | Format | What you leave with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regional STEM fairs, then CWSF | Grades 7 to 12 | Local fair, then national fair | Medals, scholarships, a path to Team Canada |
| SHAD | Students in Grade 10 or 11 | 27 days live-in on a campus, or 20 days virtual | STEAM and entrepreneurship program, alumni network |
| SickKids Summer Research (SSuRe) | Final-year high school students and university students | Up to 15 weeks, paid, in a SickKids lab | A research project, abstract and poster |
| Research with a local professor | Students who find a willing supervisor | Varies | Varies widely |
| Online one-on-one mentorship | Any student, any province | 10 weeks online with a PhD mentor | A first-author paper submitted to a peer-reviewed venue |
Regional fairs and the Canada-Wide Science Fair
Youth Science Canada runs the national STEM fair pathway: 98 regional STEM fairs across every province and territory, the Canada-Wide Science Fair (CWSF), and international competitions. Students qualify for CWSF by winning at their regional fair.
The 2027 Canada-Wide Science Fair runs May 29 to June 5, 2027, at the Hamilton Convention Centre in Hamilton, Ontario. It brings together students in Grades 7 to 12, with about 400 students and 350 projects competing for awards and scholarships.
Outstanding CWSF participants go on to represent Canada at international competitions, including Regeneron ISEF. Youth Science Canada reports that 60 students represented Canada internationally last year. ISEF 2027 is May 8 to 14 in Los Angeles.
What families should know:
- Start at the regional level. Each regional fair sets its own dates and rules, so find yours through Youth Science Canada early in the school year.
- Judges reward original research. A clear question, a sound method, data and honest analysis beat a polished demonstration. Our guide on how to win science fairs covers what judges look for.
- Projects with human participants or biological materials need approval first. Check your fair's ethics rules before you collect any data.
SHAD
SHAD is a pre-university summer program that combines STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) with entrepreneurship, delivered with 28 post-secondary campus partners across Canada. It is open to students currently in Grade 10 or 11 (Secondary IV or V in Quebec).
For 2027, the live-in program is 27 days on campus and the virtual program is 20 days online. The domestic fee is $7,875 for live-in and $3,975 for virtual, with income-based fee assistance: households under $40,000 can have the full fee covered. The early application deadline is November 8, 2026, and the final deadline is January 6, 2027, both at 11:59 p.m. ET.
Best for: Students who want an intense month of problem-solving, design and entrepreneurship with a national peer group.
Keep in mind: SHAD is a broad STEAM and entrepreneurship program, not an individual research project, so it does not usually produce a paper.
SickKids Summer Research Program (SSuRe)
The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto runs the SickKids Summer Research Program for students working on a project with a SickKids Research Institute scientist. High school students are eligible if they are in their final year and starting a university or college program in the fall. High school students who are not in their final year may qualify for SickKids' separate StAR internship program instead.
The program runs up to 15 weeks, from May to mid-August. Students apply to specific scientists through the SSuRe application form, take part in weekly seminars and skills workshops, and present an abstract and poster at Symposium Day. Students are paid at least minimum wage. International students are eligible if they live in Ontario during the placement.
Best for: Graduating seniors in or near Toronto interested in pediatric and biomedical research.
Keep in mind: You need a scientist to agree to supervise you, and positions are limited.
Research with a university professor
Canadian professors at universities across the country sometimes take on motivated high school students, almost always through a direct request. Pick one recent paper of theirs, say exactly what interests you, and ask for a defined project. Our guide on how to email a professor about research has templates.
Outcomes vary. Some students co-author a paper. Others spend the summer on routine tasks. Agree on the project and deliverable in the first meeting.
Online one-on-one mentorship with publication
For students outside Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal, or anyone whose interests do not match a nearby lab, online mentorship is the route that does not depend on geography.
The YRI Fellowship is fully online and open to students in 50+ countries. Each student works one-on-one with a PhD mentor for 10 weeks, 5 to 8 hours a week, in any field. Canadian time zones line up easily with mentors across North America, and sessions are scheduled around the school year.
What is included:
- A 1:1 PhD mentor matched to the student's field, from 1,000+ PhD mentors.
- An editing team on every draft and a publishing team that takes the paper to IEEE, Springer or Elsevier journals and conferences.
- Free help until the paper is published.
- Science fair preparation, including ISEF and JSHS, which also strengthens a regional fair or CWSF project, and a mentor letter of recommendation.
87% of Fellows publish and 73% place at science competitions. No research experience is needed.
Canada also hosts major conferences where YRI Fellows have presented. Suriya Dev, a 9th grader from Qatar, was accepted at IEEE EMBC 2026 in Toronto, and Ashwajit Warwatkar had a second paper accepted for a poster at SPIE Medical Imaging 2027 in Vancouver.
How to choose between the routes
Most strong Canadian students combine routes rather than picking one.
If you want competition results, the regional fair and CWSF pathway is open to everyone and rewards a well-run original project. Start with your regional fair and build from there.
If you want a paper, you need a mentor and a defined question. A lab placement can lead to one, but placements are few and mostly for final-year students. Online mentorship is the route designed around that outcome, and the same project can then be entered at your regional fair.
If you want a summer experience with peers, SHAD gives you a month on a campus with students from across the country.
The best plan for many families is a mentored project in Grade 9 or 10, entered at the regional fair and written up as a paper, followed by SHAD or a lab placement later.
What Canadian and US universities look for
For Canadian universities, research experience, science fair results and especially a publication help where applications ask for more than grades: supplementary applications, scholarship applications and research-focused programs. A paper or a CWSF medal stands out there.
For US universities, research carries more weight because admissions are holistic. A published paper is verifiable evidence of ability that reads the same from any province. Fellows have been admitted to Brown, Johns Hopkins, Stanford, Caltech and Harvard. Research for college applications explains how readers use it.
A timeline for Canadian students
- Grade 9 and 10: Enter your regional fair. Start a mentored project and aim to finish a first paper. Apply to SHAD in Grade 10.
- Grade 11: Take a stronger project to regionals and aim for CWSF. Submit a paper.
- Grade 12: Apply to SSuRe if you are near Toronto. Present, publish and list every result on applications.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do Canadian students qualify for the Canada-Wide Science Fair? By winning at one of Youth Science Canada's 98 regional STEM fairs. The 2027 CWSF is May 29 to June 5 in Hamilton, Ontario.
How do Canadian students get to ISEF? Outstanding CWSF participants are selected for Team Canada at international competitions, including Regeneron ISEF.
Can high school students do research at SickKids? Yes, if they are in their final year of high school and starting a university or college program in the fall. Younger students can look at SickKids' StAR internship program.
How much does SHAD cost? For 2027, $7,875 for the live-in program and $3,975 for virtual, with fee assistance based on household income. Households under $40,000 can have the full fee covered.
Can a Canadian high school student publish a research paper? Yes, with a mentor and a focused question. See published work for examples.
How the YRI Fellowship helps Canadian students
If the goal is a first-author paper, a stronger fair project and a standout application in Canada or the US, the YRI Fellowship is built for that. One-on-one PhD mentorship for 10 weeks, an editing team on every draft, a publishing team for IEEE, Springer and Elsevier venues, science fair preparation and free help until the paper is published.
Tuition is $2,997 USD, or 3 payments of $999, with scholarships considered case by case. See pricing and apply to the YRI Fellowship. Decisions come within 48 hours.
Sources
- Youth Science Canada: regional fairs, CWSF and international competitions
- Canada-Wide Science Fair: 2027 dates and location, Grades 7 to 12
- SHAD: program overview and campus partners
- SHAD: 2027 eligibility, formats, fees, fee assistance and deadlines
- SickKids: Summer Research Program (SSuRe)
- YRI case study: Suriya Dev, IEEE EMBC 2026 in Toronto
- YRI case study: Ashwajit Warwatkar, SPIE Medical Imaging 2027 in Vancouver
- YRI Fellowship: program details
- YRI Fellowship: pricing
