Frugal Biomedical Innovations Summer Research Internships

Ready to join a community of people tackling real-world global health problems? Applications for the 2026 Frugal Biomedical Summer Research Internships are now open! 

CLICK HERE TO APPLY! 

Summer Research Project Descriptions are availalable. As faculty submit new projects, new descriptions will be updated. Check back regularly for updates. You may apply to multiple projects with a single application submission.

Application Deadline:  January 26th, 2026 (11:59pm). Recipients of these awards are expected to be selected and notified by early March, 2026.

Award Duration: Full-time (35 hours/week) from May-August. Approximately 16 weeks. 

Award Value: $9,856 (same value as NSERC-USRA).

Students will apply the principles of frugal innovation to design, prototype, and test biomedical technologies intended for use in low-resource settings in Northern Canadian communities and/or sub-Saharan Africa. Frugal does not mean cheap. It means designing and implementing technology based on what works for the people on the ground. 

Frugal innovation is an emerging paradigm in engineering that emphasizes equity and sustainability in technology development. For biomedical applications, frugal innovation leads to devices that can be used effectively in regions with shortages of specialist personnel, maintained with limited access to replacement components, and function reliably in the absence of reliable power or other infrastructure. 

Western and the Faculty of Engineering are committed to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenization. As part of this commitment, we will consider diversity of the awardees to provide opportunities for Black, Indigenous, students of colour, students that identify as LGTBQ2S+, women, visible minorities, and students with disabilities. 

Questions? Email Kathryn - kwhitin5@uwo.ca  

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