Science Horizons Youth Internship Program

Thank you for your interest in the Science Horizons program. The application period for 2013 – 2014 closed at midnight on January 31, 2013. Organizations will be notified of funding decisions once these have been made by Environment Canada officials. Science Horizons cannot reimburse any expenditures incurred before formal funding notifications are issued. If an organization chooses to begin a proposed project before receiving funding notification, the organization will assume full responsibility for all expenditures related to that project.

Science Horizons Overview

Environment Canada’s Science Horizons Youth Internship Program responds to the Youth Employment Strategy (YES) which the Government of Canada has been operating since 1997. The program aims to give recent graduates opportunities to develop knowledge, skills and experience in the field of environmental science that will prepare them for sustainable employment in environment based careers. Through these opportunities, Environment Canada is also supporting organizations across Canada who advance environmental science.

Through collaborative partnerships with organizations which have been awarded Science Horizons funding, young, post-secondary graduates receive hands-on experience working full-time on environmental projects in internships lasting a minimum of six months. These internships must be completed by March 31, 2014. Up to a maximum of $12,000 in Science Horizons funding is available to organizations for each approved project.

In the past sixteen years, Environment Canada's Science Horizons Program has helped over 1400 young men and women across Canada obtain practical work experience in environmental projects in areas of importance to Environment Canada.

Eligible Organizations

Environment Canada invites the following organizations to apply to the Science Horizons program by submitting project proposals. Organizations are to submit one application per project; however, they can submit more than one project for funding consideration.

  1. Post-secondary educational institutions;
  2. Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) including not-for-profit organizations such as charitable and volunteer organizations or professional associations;
  3. Aboriginal organizations or associations;
  4. Municipal/local governments;
  5. Provincial/territorial governments;
  6. For-profit organizations such as small businesses, corporations, and industry associations; and
  7. Local organizations such as community associations and groups, seniors’ and youth groups, and service clubs.

Potential Interns

Science Horizons is not a program to which individuals apply for internships. Interns are hired directly by organizations which have received Science Horizons funding. Graduates who are interested in an internship should contact organizations in their area or else where which may be engaged in environmental research and might choose to apply for project funding assistance through the Science Horizons program.

Between December and March, potential interns can submit an electronic resume to Science Horizons. An email address will be provided at that time. These resumes can be shared with organizations at their request if they are unable to find a suitable intern from their own sources.

Potential interns must meet the following eligibility criteria in order to participate in a project which has been granted Science Horizons funding:

  • Are aged 30 years or under at the commencement of the internship;
  • Have graduated from a university, college, post-secondary school of technology, post-secondary institution or CEGEP (collège d’enseignement général et professionnel, Québec);
  • Are legally entitled to work in Canada (includes individuals who are Canadian citizens, those with permanent Canadian residency status, those with a valid Canadian work permit to work on a full time basis, or persons who have been granted refugee status in Canada);
  • Will not be in receipt of Employment Insurance during their internship; and
  • Will not be in school during their internship.

Interns will be required to:

  • Complete and submit the Personal Identification Form and Employer/Intern Letter of Understanding;
  • Make available to Environment Canada any models developed and data gathered while undertaking the project;
  • Consent to participate in the assessment of the project; and
  • Submit a final Participant Project Report by the completion of the internship.

Assessment of Proposed Projects

The same evaluation approach is applied to all proposed projects. Each is first evaluated administratively to ensure the application is completed fully and that the project meets the basic requirements for consideration. During the project scientific evaulation, a departmental scientist applies a standard scoring methodology which measures how closely the project aligns with the scientific priorities and/or mandate of Environment Canada and the benefit the project will provide to the intern.

At a minimum, all proposed projects must be aligned with Environment Canada’s mandate (please consult Environment Canada’s mandate and Report on Plans and Priorities). In addition, assessment will be made of the relevance that proposed projects have to the Science Horizons key science priorities and for their compliance with the program’s administrative requirements.

Key Environmental Science Priorities

Following are the key science priorities that will be given priority consideration in the assessment of proposed projects for 2013-2014.

Atmosphere

  • Climate Change, Air Quality & Meteorological Research
  • Climate Change Impacts & Adaptation

Chemicals

  • Assessment of Risks and Management of Risks posed by High Priority Substances under the Chemicals Management Plan
  • Research (Hazard or Exposure) or Monitoring to Address Chemicals or Substances of Emerging Concern

Science Strategies

  • Delivering on Environment Canada’s Science Plan and Technology Role
  • Optimizing Science Policy Making and Integration 

Water

  • Water Quality: Monitoring (detection of contaminants, impact on aquatic life, impact on aquatic communities)
  • Aquatic Ecosystems: Health, Vulnerability, and Impacts of Climate Change
  • Water Science: Clean Water Action Plan, Laboratory Network, Science for Enforcement

Wildlife & Landscape

  • Wildlife Research and Landscape Modeling
  • Pollutants on Wildlife Species and Ecology

Administrative Requirements for Proposed Projects

Proposed projects must meet the following administrative requirements:

  • The organization is eligible to be considered for Science Horizons funding;
  • Proposed project information, including financial detail, is fully explained;
  • The internship is a minimum of 6 months and will end by March 31, 2014;
  • A mentor for the intern is identified; and
  • The organization is providing a minimum 30% of the total project costs.

Note: This 30% includes cash and in-kind contributions from the organization making the application as well as that from any funding partners it may have for the proposed project. This could include funding from sources such as private or public sector organizations and other Government of Canada funding programs including those with Environment Canada. A proposed project will not be considered if the project is receiving funding from any other Government of Canada funding program connected to the Youth Employment Strategy. This 30% excludes funding the organization may receive from the Science Horizons program.

As Science Horizons is a wage subsidy program, organizations are required to use the majority of Science Horizons funding toward the salary or wages paid to the intern as well as for expenditures directly related to the cost of the intern’s involvement in the project. Eligible project costs include:

  • Intern salaries, wages and related expenses such as statutory employee benefits (Emplyment Insurance, Canada Pension Plan, Quebec Pension Plan); and
  • Operating expenses for the intern such as travel, training, materials and supplies, utilities, rental of premises, disbursement for research and technical studies.

Note: Central administrative or overhead costs for organizational staff are not eligible expenditures and are not to be included in the breakdown of project costs.

Obligations of Organizations Receiving Science Horizons Funding

  • Recruit and hire interns who can meet both the project requirements and the intern obligations shown in the Potential Interns section of this website. Recruitment can be either from the organization’s own sources or from résumés submitted to the Science Horizons National Coordination Office. These can be provided at the request of the organization.
  • Be responsible for hiring the intern, negotiating the salary, paying the wages and any other approved costs subject to the contribution agreement with Environment Canada.
  • Match the intern with a mentor (experienced scientist or program manager in either the private or public sectors).
  • Obtain a signed Letter of Understanding between the organization and the intern (template provided by Environment Canada).
  • Obtain the consent of the intern to participate in the project’s evaluation and assessment.
  • Achieve project objectives identified in the contribution agreement between Environment Canada and the organization and comply with the financial and other non-financial requirements of the project as outlined in the contribution agreement.
  • Submit both an employer and intern final project report to Environment Canada (templates provided by Environment Canada).
  • Make available to Environment Canada all technical information, inventions, designs, methods and processes and other intellectual property rights related to the project that are conceived, developed or first reduced to practice in the carrying out of the project (collectively, the "Intellectual Property"). All Intellectual Property shall be the property of the employer or the intern as appropriate. Environment Canada shall have a non-exclusive, unconditional, irrevocable, perpetual, royalty-free right to use the Intellectual Property.

Organizations receiving Science Horizons funding may be visited by an Environment Canada Science Horizons representative. The purpose of such visits is to ensure that Environment Canada, the organization, and the intern are achieving valuable results and that the funding provided through Science Horizons is being used appropriately in accordance with the Treasury Board of Canada Policy on Transfer Payments (Directive on Transfer Payments).

Key Considerations for Hiring Interns

Organizations will carry out their own selection process to hire an intern who both meets the project requirements and who will receive real value from their involvement that will move the intern forward in obtaining experience and employment in their field of study. Organizations are encouraged to offer a full time position to the intern upon completion of the project if the organization finds the intern a suitable candidate for employment.

In the interest of making opportunities which are supported through Science Horizons available to as many young graduates as possible, those hired by organizations should not have previously participated in Science Horizons or any other federal YES program unless:

  • the work experience was terminated early due to employer business failure;
  • the intern became ill and was unable to complete the internship;
  • there was incompatibility between the employer and intern; or
  • the intern’s involvement in a YES program was through the summer employment component of the YES program. 

Application for Science Horizons Funding

During the application period, a link to the Employer Application will be provided below. All applications to Science Horizons funding are submitted electronically. Employers are encouraged to watch this website for an announcement of application dates.

Application Guide

This guide is a tool to help familiarize applicants with the requirements of the program.

Additional Information

Requests for additional information about the Science Horizons program can be submitted to science.horiz@ec.gc.ca.