Responsibilities for ARIA Award Recipients

1. Submit pre-internship ARIA Documents within one (1) week after receiving the award confirmation email.
   All documents must be submitted via the ARIA document submission webform:
   • Award Certification Form - scroll down to find the form 
     • Award Name: ARIA + as indicated in your award email
     • Award Amount: 2,500$
     • Please leave the "Internship Officer" signature field blank. 
   • Completed Consent Form - scroll down to find the form, for permission to use photographs and reports
   • High resolution professional headshot photo in portrait orientation (vertical), JPG/JPEG format (see examples)
   • 75-word bio in the third person* (see examples), in a Word document. *Feel free to use your preferred pronouns.
   • McGill Travel Registry (for ARIA internship requiring travel outside of Montreal)
     • Please upload a proof (screenshot) that you have registered your travel through the app.
   • Pre-Departure Orientation (for ARIA internship requiring travel outside of Canada)
     • Submit the certificate of completion of the Pre-Departure Orientation
     • Students travelling to their country of citizenship are exempt from completing the Pre-Departure Orientation. 
       • If you qualify for this exemption, please upload a Word document declaring: “I am travelling to my country of citizenship and do not require to complete the Pre-Departure Orientation. My country of citizenship is: ______.”
       • Disclaimer: McGill University is not responsible should an applicant provide inaccurate or misleading information regarding their eligibility for this exemption.
   • If applicable, submit a thank you card to the donor supporting your ARIA project.
     • Refer to the "Thank You Cards" page on the left menu for instructions.
   • RSVP to all events via this webform
      
2. Complete Direct Deposit information on Minerva within one (1) week after receiving the award confirmation email.
   • Refer to the "Award Disbursements" page on the left menu for instructions.
      
3. Attend the Faculty of Arts Internship Awards Reception (mandatory) on April 22, 2026, 5:00 - 6:30 PM at the McGill Faculty Club (3450 McTavish St.) 
   As a recipient of Arts Internship Awards and Arts Undergraduate Research Internship Awards (ARIA), we invite you to join us for a celebration with likeminded McGill awardees and the donors whose generous contributions make your internship experience possible. Come join the event and celebrate together with donors and fellow students! Our annual group picture will be taken during the event – the dress code is business casual. RSVP to all events via this webform
    
4. Attend the mandatory on-campus trainings in May 2026 (RSVP to all events via this webform):
   • ARIA Welcome Lunch on May 6, 2026 from 12:00-1:30PM at Thomson House (3650 McTavish St.). Lunch served.
     Join us to kick off the ARIA program and connect with your cohort. This session will provide an overview of your responsibilities as an ARIA intern and introduce key resources and support available throughout the summer. You will also have the opportunity to meet the workshop facilitators who will guide you and begin building connections with your peers.
      
   • Make the Most of Your Internship Workshop on May 1, 2026 OR May 8, 2026 from 12:00-1:00PM.
   • Equity in Research Workshop on May 11, 2026 (time and location TBD). 
   • ARIA Library Research Workshop on either May 20 (11:00AM-12:30PM) or May 21 (2:00-3:30PM) in the McLennan eLearning Classroom.
   • Weekly research meet-ups & supervisor talks in our lounge in Leacock room 308.
5. Submit a One-Month Internship Reflection Form within 30 days of the start of your internship via this webform (mandatory). 
   The purpose of this one-month check-in form is to provide an opportunity for you to reflect on your research internship, assess your successes, and identify and address any challenges. It is important to be as honest as possible; your report will remain confidential and will not be shared with your supervisor or donors. If you have any major issues with your internship, do not hesitate to schedule a meeting with our office by emailing aio [at] mcgill.ca.
    
6. Attend the optional in-person Pizza Lunch in June 11, 2026 from 12:00-1:00PM in Leacock room 308 (optional). Open to ARIA recipients and the faculty supervisors. Further details will be shared by email. If you cannot attend, you can join the virtual Check-In Zoom call on June 10 from 12-1PM. Further instructions will be sent to presenters by email.
    
7. Submit a Social Media post about their internship by June 14, 2026 via the social media submission webform (optional): Please provide us with a short description of the current highlight of your research internship experience (50 words, written in first-person), with a photo or video. If applicable, please thank the donor who funded your Internship Award. The content will be shared on the official AIO social media channels.
8. Attend the mandatory Part 1: Poster Workshop on July 28, 2026 from 1:00-2:00PM on Zoom. Delivered by Dr. Chris Corkery, this workshop will cover tools to help you create your ARIA research poster in preparation for the annual ARIA poster showcase.  Register on Zoom. 
    
9. Submit the mandatory Final Report and Research Poster in electronic format by August 16, 2026 via the ARIA post-internship submission form. 
   • Please refer to the "Final Report Guidelines" and "Research Poster Guidelines" sections on the left-hand menu for more details.
     
      
10. Attend the optional Post-Internship Debriefing Event on September 11, 2026 from 12:00 to 1:30PM at Thomson House (3650 McTavish St.). Lunch served. Further instructions will be sent to presenters by email.
    • Register as an AMI Mentor
    • Submit the ARIA Feedback form by September 13, 2026.
       
11. Attend the mandatory Part 2: Poster Workshop in mid-September, in-person (location TBA). Delivered by Dr. Chris Corkery, this workshop will provide an opportunity to refine your poster based on feedback. You will also receive guidance on how to present your work effectively in preparation for the Fall showcase event. This session will focus on communicating your research clearly to diverse audiences and building confidence in your presentation skills. Further instructions will be sent to presenters by email.
     
12. Present your research poster at the annual Faculty of Arts Showcase Event (mandatory) in Fall 2026. Further instructions will be sent to presenters by email.

Award Disbursements

The award will be disbursed in four installments of $1, 250 between May and August, using Banner Student Aid (BSA). The Culver Centre: AIO will be responsible for issuing the first two installments; the supervising professor will be responsible for the third and fourth installments. For questions about disbursement via BSA, supervisors should contact their department’s finance administrator.

For students travelling for their internships: Awards are conditional on submission of Pre-Departure Orientation certificate and completion of the McGill Student Travel Registry (prior to departure).

Direct Deposit Instructions

All awards are issued through direct deposit to your Canadian bank account. All award recipients must have a bank account in Canada. In order for the award to be deposited, you must update your information on Minerva: bank information, your Canadian Social Insurance Number (SIN), and a valid permanent address.

Note: For international students who do not have a Canadian Social Insurance Number (SIN), only complete steps 1 and 2. All Canadian students must have a Social Insurance Number.

Please follow the steps below as soon as possible. Failure to do so will result in your award processing being delayed.

• Step 1 - Access the Banking Information form on Minerva under:
  • Student Menu >> Student Accounts Menu >> Direct Deposit Bank Account and enter the information under Student-related and Payroll-related bank account information.
• Step 2 - Update Contact Information
  • Access the Addresses and Phones form on Minerva: Personal Menu > > Addresses and Phones
• Step 3 – for Canadian students: Access the Social Insurance Number form on Minerva under:
  • Student Menu >> Student Accounts Menu >> Student Tax Menu >> Social Insurance Number (SIN)

Tax Receipts/Slips

The award amount received will be recorded on a T4A/Releve 1 and will be treated as scholarship income by the Federal and Quebec governments. For more information regarding taxes click here.

T4A’s are issued for scholarships and awards and for exemptions from tuition related to staff dependent bursaries. Students are advised to consult this Canada Revenue Agency page for more information, and to find out who is required to report this amount as income.

You are able to view the details of the transactions that are part of your T4A / Releve 1 totals under Student Tax Slip Details menu in Minerva.

Thank You Cards

Many of the awards are provided thanks to gifts made by McGill Alumni. Only certain awards require thank-you card or video to donor - you will be notified by email if required for your award. 

You could either create your own thank you card using an online template (with Canva for example) or record a short video.

Please write a minimum of 60 words – you may wish to include some short biographical information about you (e.g. what you study at McGill), the title of your research and a brief description, examples of tasks you will complete as an intern, and how the internship award funds will help you during your internship experience. 

Equity in Research Workshop: Presented by Equity at McGill

This workshop introduces the main themes and questions related to equity in research. It explores what research equity is, how it can be integrated into different stages of a research project, and its importance in the dissemination of knowledge.

The session offers students an opportunity to deepen their understanding of research equity and to begin reflecting on how these principles apply to their own projects.

The ARIA program also provides an opportunity for supervisors to actively implement equity-informed practices in their mentoring and supervision, and to foster an inclusive and equitable research team environment.

ARIA Library Research Workshops: Preparing for a Research Assistantship

ARIA students typically engage in library research with the literature in their particular field, at a deeper and more rigorous level than they have in the past.

This workshop is designed to equip students with practical skills they can apply immediately and continue to use throughout their academic and professional careers. By the end of the workshop, ARIA students will:

• Develop advanced library research skills, including advanced search skills and citation management
• Learn about library resources they may not have been aware of
• Have the opportunity to connect and collaborate with other ARIA recipients
• Understand the scholarly publication process & environment
• Learn about open access and research impact metrics
• Learn how to disseminate their research
• Learn the value and the basic principles of research data management

Resources:

• 2025 PowerPoint slides:   ARIA_2025_presentation
• Virtual Tip Sheet

Final Report Guidelines

ARIA recipients submit a final report at the end of the ARIA internship via this web form:

 (ARIA) Post-internship Documents Submission Form

Report Outline (750 words)

Format Instructions: 

• Length: 500-750 words max.
• Document: Word file (no PDF), formatted as follows:
  • Font: Times New Roman, size 12
  • Line spacing: Single-spaced
  • Margins: 1” on all sides
  • File name: FirstName.LastName_FinalReport.doc

Structure:

• Start with your full name (bolded) and your department and major in the top left corner (e.g., John Doe, International Development & Political Science).
• Do not indent paragraphs; use line breaks between them.
• Submit the report in essay format, without subheadings.
• Include photographs and captions at the end (details below).
• Important: Proofread your report for formatting, spelling, and grammar errors.

Report Guidelines:

• A short outline of your ARIA research project, mention your project title and name of academic supervisor.
• Tell the reader why you were interested in an ARIA project.
• What were your learning objectives?
• What were some of the highlights? Give some examples.
• What were some of the challenges that you encountered? How did you overcome them?
• How do you think ARIA has or will shape your future career and education path?
• Financial Support: Explain how the funds you received supported your internship. Discuss the impact of the award on your experience.
• If applicable, please thank the donor who funded your Award by name. Your report will be sent to your donor in appreciation of their contribution.
• Include the captions of your pictures at the end of the Word document.

Confidential Information: If you have any information you wish to keep confidential from the donor, please add it in a separate section at the end of your report. The AIO will review this information without sharing it publicly.

Digital photo

Please include up to 3 photos that represents your research experience and corresponding captions at the end of your final report in Word document. Photo should be in JPG/JPEG format. 

Captions are necessary to provide context and name people in the photos. Captions should be no more than 75 characters long and in the following format:

E.g. “Jane Smith during her internship at the UN World Food Programme office in Panama City.”

The photos are meant to represent your internship experience and work-place (Photos should be of you working during your internship and should not include any children or groups).

The photos are used in AIO publications (including online) to help inform McGill students, professors and award donors about the valuable work that students do during their internships.

Poster Workshops & Guidelines

ARIA Poster Workshop Series (Mandatory)

ARIA recipients must participate in the ARIA Poster Workshop Series, designed to support you at different stages of developing and presenting your research poster.

The series will be led by Dr. Chris Corkery, Technology Transfer Manager at McGill University, who brings over fifteen years of experience in research communication. Through the McGill Writing Centre’s graduate program, Graphos, Dr. Corkery has facilitated numerous poster workshops, with participants going on to successfully present at conferences and receive awards for their work.

Part 1: Poster Development (End of July, on Zoom)
This online workshop, offered by the McGill Writing Centre, will help you prepare your research poster in advance of the August submission deadline. You will learn practical strategies for designing a clear and engaging poster that effectively integrates the written and visual components of your ARIA project.

To make the most of this session, you are encouraged to come prepared with initial ideas on how you might present your project and its findings, as well as any potential images, tables, or figures you may wish to include.

Part 2: Poster Refinement & Presentation (Mid-September, in-person)
A follow-up session in September will provide an opportunity to refine your poster based on feedback. You will also receive guidance on how to present your work effectively in preparation for the Fall ARIA event. This session will focus on communicating your research clearly to diverse audiences and building confidence in your presentation skills.

Basic Requirements

• The top of the poster should indicate the title, first and last name of author(s), and your program (e.g. BA English). You should acknowledge your supervisor and anyone else who contributed to the research.
• Both PDF and JPEG format are required. The Arts Internship Office will take care of printing the posters for the showcase event.

Technical Recommendations

• The easiest way to create posters is by using a single MS Power Point slide set at the size to which the poster will be printed (use Page Setup to set the size).
• Use solid colour backgrounds, no gradients.

Formatting Recommendations

• Use a large, legible font.
• Consider using graphs rather than tables.
• Present small bites of information rather than lengthy narratives.
• Numbered or bulleted lists can be a concise and effective way to convey a series of points.
• Dimensions: 48 inches wide and 36 inches tall (maximum) with a 3/8” margin inside the ground. Orientation: horizontal.
• Please submit a PDF and a JPEG version.

Please see examples of 2025 posters. 

Annual Faculty of Arts Undergraduate Research Event

The annual Faculty of Arts Undergraduate Research Showcase celebrates the contributions of undergraduate students to research within the Faculty of Arts. ARIA students will present their posters and research with McGill community.