Graduate Student Program

Program Overview

The ImmunoE NSERC CREATE training program is designed for incoming graduate (MSc / PhD) students. Students and their supervisor make a minimum 2-year commitment to the program and are encouraged to remain part of our community until graduation. 

• Core program components include immunoengineering-related knowledge and technical courses, professional development workshops, career mentoring, an ImmunoHackathon and networking events with our industry partners. 
• Beyond the two years, students may transition into the Leadership Program which offers more flexibility with student-directed learning and leadership opportunities. 
• Trainees are eligible for an optional transitional industry internship (at the end of their graduate program). 
• Supervisors are expected to contribute to the program.
• The intent is for the student (and supervisor) to remain associated with the program for mutual benefit until the student graduates. 

For detailed program components, please refer to the 2026/27 program flyer. 

Program Eligibility

1. The student must be enrolled in a UBC graduate program that includes a significant research component.
2. The student must have a graduate research supervisor/PI at the time of the application. 
3. The student’s graduate research project must be relevant to immunoengineering. 

Scholarship Eligibility

ImmunoE students are eligible to receive up to two years of funding while participating in the program. Each year in the two-year program, students are considered for an ImmunoE scholarship of $10,000. Scholarships are awarded one year at a time for the period of September through August of the following year. 

How this scholarship is integrated into the student’s total stipend should be discussed with their supervisor, as different departments and supervisors have different rules. 

In addition to the program eligibility criteria above, the student 

1. Must NOT hold a Mitacs Elevate Fellowship.
2. Must NOT hold scholarship funds totaling $30,000 or more in that given year. 

Application Process

Incoming graduate students apply here for the 2026/27 academic year. The deadline for submitting applications is July 15, 2026 at 11:59 pm PT. 

For the application, be prepared to provide: 

• Graduate research project title and summary 
• Statement of purpose for why you want to join the program (max 1500 characters) 
• How you plan to contribute to the ImmunoE community (max 1500 characters) 
• CV 

Students whose supervisors are active members of the ImmunoE NSERC CREATE are prioritized for scholarships. If your supervisor is not currently an ImmunoE member, please have them fill in this survey by July 15, 2026 to indicate their interest and willingness to be involved. Please contact us at immunoengineering.create@ubc.ca with any questions about becoming an ImmunoE member. 

Application Evaluation Criteria

1. Graduate research project relevance to immunoengineering 
2. Interest in and suitability for the program, including: 
3. Likelihood of successfully completing and actively engaging in the program 
4. Potential to benefit from program in advancing their career development 
5. Potential to contribute to the program and the value the applicant would bring to the trainee and research community 
6. Preference may be given to applicants who 
7. are working on a Natural Sciences and Engineering (NSE) project 
8. have a supervisor that is an active ImmunoE member. If the supervisor is not currently a member, the supervisor’s willingness to contribute to the program and value they would bring will be considered. 
9. Have a supervisor and a co-supervisor from different disciplines