On this page, you will find information about PREP for students on this page, including what to expect, key dates, and lots of advice on preparing your application.
Eligibility
- Identify as Indigenous, Black, or racialized
- Currently enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program at an undergraduate university and will have completed 16 semester-long classes in a relevant field by the first day of the SROP. In short, we are targeting undergraduates who are at least halfway finished with their university degree programs.
- Interested in applying to PhD/doctoral programs in Psychology, Management, or Neuroscience in Fall 2025 or Fall 2026.
- Full Program (in-person research experience): Must be a Permanent Resident or Citizen of Canada.
- International students are still eligible for the Application Building Program and the application is much shorter (e.g., no essays or letter of rec needed)!
What to Expect
The biggest part of PREP is a small research project that PREP Students conduct in collaboration with a faculty mentor over the course of 8 weeks, from June 8 to July 31, 2026. Check out the Faculty Research Projects for Summer 2026! You will be asked to rank your top three to five projects when you apply.
The remainder of PREP is spent on professional development and preparing for graduate admissions. You will be expected to attend a Professional Development Speaker Series once a week, most likely held on Tuesdays from 11 AM – 1:30 PM EDT. This session will be hybrid, but there will be a common space for people to gather (with lunch!) while engaging in the session.
We also begin with a Welcome Session on the first day of the program and close with a final PREP Research Symposium on the last day of the program.
PREP Students are also given an “On Demand” account for one year for Kaplan GRE Test Preparation company. This includes physical books that will be sent to you by Kaplan. For more information on the Kaplan On Demand course: https://www.kaptest.com/gre/courses/gre-prep-self-guided
Full Program Benefits and Responsibilities
Student Benefits
- Independent research experience and mentorship, which will help prepare you for graduate school applications and beyond
- Stipend of $7280 CAD OR a Stipend of $4780 plus 8 weeks housing in Summer Housing at UofT
- Kaplan GRE Preparation course and materials at no cost to student
- Weekly professional development sessions, the Professional Development Speaker Series developed by Dr. Sonia Kang, where you will meet inspiring researchers
- A weekly “Application Building Activity” that will help you prepare your graduate school applications
- Network building with other students who are seeking a research career as a PhD in Psychology or Management, as well as the speakers whom you meet through the amazing Professional Development Speakers
Student Expectations
- Work on a research project for 17-18 hours/week during the weeks of June 8 – July 31, 2026
- Attend Professional Development Sessions for 2-3 hours a week, most likely held on Tuesdays from 11 AM – 1:30 PM for every week of the program.
- Spend ~2 hours/week independently completing an “Application Building Activity“
- Spend ~3 hours/week studying for the Graduate Record Exam through a Kaplan account you receive from PREP
- Respond to program communications, particularly from Graduate Student Coordinators, who act as peer mentors
- Attend an initial Welcome Session and a final PREP Research Symposium on the first (June 8) and last (July 31) days of the program
Asynchronous “Application Scaffolding Activities”
Everyone who applies to PREP will receive access to an 8-week asynchronous professional development activity called the “Application Scaffolding Activities.” The Application Scaffolding Activities are like an online course that scaffolds an application to a PhD program in psychology over 8 weeks.
Every week of PREP, an exercise is released as the Application Scaffolding Activity. Altogether, they should help you build a graduate application for doctoral programs in Experimental Psychology, Management, or Neuroscience. Everyone who applies to the Canada SROP and is eligible for the SROP will gain access to the Application Scaffolding Activities.
The goal is to help you prepare a strong graduate school application. Even if we cannot fund you for the full program of PREP, we want to see you succeed!
Application Information
Applications for PREP 2026 will open on January 21, 2026 and will be due on February 27, 2026.
In general, an application to PREP involves the following components:
- You need to identify 3 to 5 research projects that particularly interest you. Click here to explore the 2026 Faculty Research Projects!
- Compose a 250-word Research Statement
- Compose a 250-word Personal Statement
- Obtain an unofficial copy of your undergraduate transcript, showing that you have or will have completed at least 16 semester-long courses (e.g., going into your third or fourth year of undergraduate education, or you are about to graduate) by the first day of PREP
- Ask 1 person to write you letters of reference that speak to your skills, character, aptitude for research career, or general aspirations. Click here for advice on who to ask and click here for templates and advice on how to ask them.
Once you have gathered these things, you are ready to submit your application here: Student Application