RISE is a summer student exchange programme for undergraduate students in the chemical sciences, who will have completed the equivalent of two or three full years of study as of the end of the school year in which they apply. Successful applicants will be awarded summer employment in the research group of a RISE group member at one of the participating institutions (not their own), and a small travel allowance. Universities with Coop programmes normally recognise the RISE summer placement as the equivalent of a Coop work term.

The RISE Group is a collection of scientists at nineteen institutions in Canada, whose research emphasizes the study of chemical or biochemical reaction mechanisms. While the research interests of the individuals in the group vary substantially, all group members are committed to providing dedicated undergraduate students with opportunities to carry out original research and gain hands-on experience in the use of modern instrumental and other experimental techniques for the study of reaction mechanisms and reaction intermediates.

	Professor Cornelia Bohne (University of Victoria, Victoria BC): Supramolecular dynamics, kinetics, photophysics, photochemistry, cyclodextrin, bile salt aggregates, DNA, proteins.
	Dr. Michelle Chrétien (Xerox Research Centre of Canada, Mississauga ON): Fundamental and applied research in materials for xerographic and direct marking technologies; research in organic electronic materials for digital document media, displays, and printed organic electronic consumables.
	Professor Gonzalo Cosa (McGill University, Montréal, QC): Novel fluorescence-based imaging strategies: Single Molecule Spectroscopy studies on protein/nucleic acid/lipid membrane interactions, design of fluorescent probes for in vivo imaging of oxidative stress, high throughput biosensors.
	Professor Fran Cozens (Dalhousie University, Halifax NS): Organic photochemistry; free radical chemistry; reactions in zeolites and other organized media.
	Professor David Cramb (University of Calgary, Calgary, AB): Photochemistry, photophysics, photodynamic therapy, nonlinear laser spectroscopies and imaging, excited state dynamics, protein-protein, protein-lipid, lipid-DNA and small molecule - biomolecule interactions.
	Professor Ann English (Concordia University, Montréal, QC): Bioinorganic, biophysical chemistry: structure-function relationships in heme proteins; ligand binding and redox reactivity of heme proteins.
	Professor Bruce Hill (Queen's University, Kingston ON): Ligand binding reactions of cytochrome oxidases; mechanisms of biological electron and proton transfer reactions; protein-protein interactions; structure-function studies of copper binding metallo-chaperones.
	Dr. Linda Johnston (National Research Council, Ottawa, ON): Reactive intermediates in biological systems; photochemistry in organized media; interfacial processes at biomembranes.
	Professor Pierre Kennepohl (University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC): electronic structure and reactivity in catalytic systems, x-ray absorption (XAS) and x-ray emission spectroscopy (XES), epr spectroscopy.
	Professor William Leigh (McMaster University, Hamilton ON): Reactive intermediates in organosilicon, organogermanium, and organotin photochemistry, photochemical pericyclic reactions; far-UV photochemistry.
	Professor Glen Loppnow (University of Alberta, Edmonton AB): Biophysical Chemistry; photochemistry and photophysics of nucleic acids, proteins, and other biomolecules; resonance Raman and optical spectroscopy; DNA and protein microarrays and microfluidics; microspectroscopy.
	Professor Matt Lukeman (Acadia University, Wolfville, NS): organic photochemistry; photocages; carbanion chemistry.
	Professor Dwayne Miller (University of Toronto, Toronto ON): Femtosecond electron diffraction; transition states in biological reactions; biological- and nanotechnology-based materials.
	Professor Scott Murphy (University of Toronto, Toronto ON): Supramolecular oganic photochemistry; photophysics; photochromism; kinetics; photoresponsive liposomes; drug delivery.
	Professor Matthew Paige (University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon SK): Single-molecule and ensemble fluorescence spectroscopy; excited state dynamics; photophysics of fluorescent nanoparticles; spectroscopic properties of aggregated molecules.
	Professor Christian Reber (Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC): Spectroscopy and photochemistry of inorganic and organometallic compounds; luminescence, absorption and Raman spectroscopy at variable temperatures and pressures; modeling of excited-state processes.
	Professor J.C. (Tito) Scaiano (University of Ottawa, Ottawa ON): Kinetic and mechanistic studies of organic reaction intermediates; organic photochemistry; two photon processes; photoreactions in organized media; laser techniques; chiral recognition; magnetic field effects; photoresists.
	Professor Will Skene (Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC): Light shuttling materials; dynamic polymers; snap-on conjugated polymers; luminescent materials.
	Professor Brian Wagner (University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PEI): Fluorescence spectroscopy of supramolecular host-guest systems
	Professor Mark Workentin (University of Western Ontario, London ON): Photo- and electrochemical studies of organic reactions on surfaces and new materials.

The 2007/08 Programme ...

The 2008 RISE Workshop - August 22-23, Acadia University

The 2008 RISE Scholars

The RISE Archives - A record of RISE Programs from previous years.

RISE Publications

A partial list of publications that were made possible by the RISE programme.

Requirements ...

In order to be eligible, students must be enrolled in a full time undergraduate program in the chemical sciences, at one of the eighteen participating universities. They must have completed, or expect to complete by the time employment commences, a minimum of four terms of study and achieved a GPA of at least B+ over their university career to date. An interest in the study of the kinetics and mechanisms of chemical reactions is essential.

Stipends ...

Salary will be provided by the group member at the host institution to which the student is assigned. It is set at competitive rates and is specified in the offer letter. Travel expenses will be awarded (fare only) between the home and host institutions and to the end-of-summer RISE Workshop. These will be negotiated at the time of acceptance of a RISE award.

Field of Research ...

This will be determined by the host group, although all projects will have as a common theme the study of reaction mechanisms in organic, inorganic, or biological chemistry. Information on the individual research interests of the RISE group members is available through their homepages on the Web, or can be obtained in hardcopy form from any of the RISE group members.

Applications ...

Applications are available from the RISE group member at the University where the student is enrolled, or may be downloaded in pdf format.

Willingness to travel to at least four different host locations is essential. Successful applicants will each be assigned a host University, with every attempt made to accommodate the student's preferences. Flexibility in this respect would be an asset. The number of successful applicants each year will depend on the financial resources of the group members, but will generally range from ten to sixteen.

Application Deadlines and other "timely" information ...

For the 2008/09 competition, applications are to be submitted directly to the group member at the student's home institution by October 31, 2008. Decisions will be announced by November 14. Formal acceptance by the successful applicant is required by November 21. Tenure period: at least 16 weeks between May 1st and August 31st, 2009.

Financial Support ...

The 2007/08 RISE Workshop was supported by generous grants from:

NSERC Atlantic
The Council of Canadian University Chemistry Chairs (CCUCC)
The Faculty of Science, Acadia University
The Faculty of Science, University of Prince Edward Island

NSERC Canada (Research Grants Programme)

For further information...