Industry Experience
The major advantage of RNA Innovation will be access to industry collaborations. Each trainee cohort will work together with an industry partner to solve an R & D problem as part of the deepYellow Challenge. Together the trainees will learn to apply their research training, work as a team, and develop a final product.
Trainees will also receive funding for on-site industry training and project development through the Twinning Program. All participants will be matched with a specific internship, receive mentorship and a personalized networking experience.
Professional Skills
In addition to academic and research skills, trainees will develop skills in management, leadership, communication, teaching, integrity and ethics through complementary workshops and courses.
Participation in the deepYellow challenge will encourage development of project management and entrepreneurial skills. Additional workshops providing some theoretical foundation in management will supplement the trainee’s learning experience.
All trainees will be required to participate in a new graduate level Scientific Leadership course. Modules will include professional communication, integrity & ethics, and leadership with respect to gender and minority representation.
Highly Qualified Personnel
Graduates of the RNA Innovation program will be uniquely trained, “job-ready” with knowledge of applied and basic research, and possess a diverse set of leadership skills. This multidisciplinary background will make them ideally suited to careers in a multitude of biotechnology fields.
RNA Innovation is the ideal program for students that desire real-world, hands-on experience during their research program. Funding is available for graduate students (MSc and PhD), as well as undergraduate students and post-doctoral fellows. Details on the application process can be found below.
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Time line
RNA Innovation is an intensive program and requires commitment from the trainee and support from their supervisor. All RNA Innovation commitments are in addition to any graduate program thesis requirements. A typical 20% of the graduation timeline is meant for internship, however, some students may deviate depending on internship placements and research requirements.
Funding Opportunities
Funding provided by
RNA Innovation offers very competitive funding for trainees.
Undergraduate students receive up to $4,000* for summer placements
MSc students receive up to $10,000/year* for two years
PhD students receive up to $10,000/year* for three years
Postdoctoral fellows receive $30,000/year* for two years
*RNA Innovation funding can be combined with other funding resources. See Trainee Program Guidelines for institution specific funding information.
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Add value to your graduate degree
RNA Innovation is an intensive program allows you to work with industry, while you are pursuing your graduation. Which enables the industry experience, further open doors to industry jobs.
We acknowledge the support of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).
Industry partners wil engage with the deepYellow team through different phases of the challenge to provide a collaborative R&D environment and participate on the Program Committee to ensure alignment of the program. Financial support (cash or in-kind) for the operation and administration of the deepYellow challenge will be provided by the industry partner, while trainees will be funded through the RNA Innovation program. This structure will allow for savings of approximately $150,000/year in staff funding for the industry partner, while also achieving their R&D goals.
Clubroot in Canola
We are proud to introduce our RNA innovation, Cohort1, which is a combination of graduate students with talented postdoctoral fellows. Our team collaborated with the Corteva Agriscience company for our first Industrial collaboration and decided to work on Clubroot pathogen, which is causing significant damage in Canola fields. Our team using RNAi based approach to eradicate Clubroot pathogen in a non-GMO manner.
Industry expertise
RNA innovation is an great program designed to have industry experience at your door steps during your graduation. All graduate students are encouraged to work 120 hours per semester in industry project for one year as part of the program.
University of Lethbridge Faculty
Université de Sherbrooke Faculty
The next revolution in biotechnology will be rationally designed
ribonucleic acid (RNA)-based systems, molecular machines and
devices. To prepare the next generation of RNA researchers, the University of Lethbridge, Université de Sherbrooke, and industry collaborators have come together to offer the RNA Innovation program. This unique partnership will produce highly qualified personnel with skills in advanced RNA research, scientific leadership, and industry experience.
The RNA Innovation program is comprised of two key components: an entrepreneurial research and development challenge (deepYellow Challenge) and an extensive internship program (the Twinning Program). In the deepYellow Challenge trainees will collaborate as a team to solve a complex scientific problem proposed by the program’s industry partners. Through the Twinning Program, all trainees will be matched with a specific industry internship, providing students with mentorship and a personalized networking experience.
We encourage companies interested in biotechnology, biofuel production, agriculture, forestry, bioremediation, resource extraction, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and life sciences to contact the RNA Innovation Program Coordinator to discuss potential partnerships and support opportunities.
We acknowledge the support of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).
Dr. Laura Keffer WilkesCo-Ordinator 1
Justin Vigar M.scCo-ordinator 2
RNA Innovation will facilitate industry access to trainees through the deepYellow Challenge and Twinning Program internships.
Industry partners will engage with the deepYellow team through different phases of the challenge to provide a collaborative R&D environment and participate on the Program Committee to ensure alignment of the program. Financial support (cash or in-kind) for the operation and administration of the deepYellow challenge will be provided by the industry partner, while trainees will be funded through the RNA Innovation program. This structure will allow for savings of approximately $150,000/year in staff funding for the industry partner, while also achieving their R&D goals.
The semi-annual networking fair will bring together prospective internship providers and trainees for the Twinning Program. Industry partners will provide guaranteed internships for approximately 3 months per year. Funding for the trainee’s travel and salary will be provided through the RNA Innovation grant, thus saving the industry partner almost $10,000 dollars/trainee
GE Healthcare‘s broad expertise is expansive and their continuous innovations to reduce costs, increase patient access, and improve product and process quality have made them a leader in many fields.
Aterica Inc is a consumer-focused digital health company that aims to help families and individuals actively manage their health. They are a rapidly growing company and are eager to participate in the deepYellow Challenge and RNA Innovations internships in the future.
Corteva Agriscience (DowDuPont) is committed to RNA Innovation’s research collaboration and will be the first sponsor for the 2019 deepYellow Challenge. They are a global leader in both Seeds and Crop Protection, with an interest in expanding their technology base and research infrastructure.
L’innovation en ARN facilitera l’accès de l’industrie aux stagiaires grâce aux stages deepYellow Challenge and jumelage Program.
Les partenaires de l’industrie s’engageront avec l’équipe deepYellow à travers différentes phases du défi afin de fournir un environnement collaboratif de R&D et de participer au Comité du programme pour assurer l’alignement du programme. Le soutien financier (en espèces ou en nature) pour le fonctionnement et l’administration du défi deepYellow sera fourni par le partenaire de l’industrie, tandis que les stagiaires seront financés par le programme d’innovation ARN. Cette structure permettra d’économiser environ 150000 $/an de financement du personnel pour le partenaire de l’industrie, tout en atteignant leurs objectifs R&D.
La Foire semestrielle de réseautage réunira les futurs prestataires de stages et stagiaires pour le programme de jumelage. Les partenaires de l’industrie fourniront des stages garantis pendant environ 3 mois par an. Le financement du voyage et du salaire du stagiaire sera assuré par le biais de la subvention de l’innovation ARN, ce qui économisera le partenaire de l’industrie près de $10 000 dollars/stagiaire.
Corteva Agriscience (DowDuPont) est engagée dans la collaboration de recherche de RNA innovation et sera le premier sponsor du 2019 deepYellow Challenge. Ils sont un chef de file mondial en matière de semences et de protection des cultures, avec un intérêt à élargir leur base technologique et leur infrastructure de recherche.
Aterica Inc est une entreprise de santé numérique axée sur le consommateur qui vise à aider les familles et les individus à gérer activement leur santé. Ils sont une entreprise en croissance rapide et sont désireux de participer aux stages deepYellow Challenge et RNA innovations à l’avenir.
Les vastes compétences de GE Healthcare sont étendues et leurs innovations continues pour réduire les coûts, augmenter l’accès des patients et améliorer la qualité des produits et des procédés en font un chef de file dans de nombreux domaines.
Laura Keffer-Wilkes, PhDProgram Coordinator
Justin Vigar, MScProgram Coordinator
Les demandes pour le programme d’innovation d’ARN ouvriront le 11 janvier et ferment le 1 avril, 2020 à 23 h 59 HNM. Les étudiants actuellement inscrits ou acceptés dans des études supérieures sont encouragés à postuler. Les étudiants admis dans RNA innovation peuvent commencer leurs études en septembre 2020.
Les demandeurs intéressés devraient avoir un GPA minimum de 3,5 au cours de leurs deux dernières années d’études de premier cycle, bien que les demandeurs ayant un GPA inférieur soient encore encouragés à postuler s’ils ont une expérience de recherche et/ou d’industrie suffisante.
Veuillez soumettre:
- Formulaire de demande
- Deux lettres de référence d’arbitres universitaires ou de l’industrie
- Relevés de notes (premier cycle, MSc, PhD, selon le cas)
Les documents d’application peuvent être envoyés à admin@RNAInnovation.ca. Cette occasion est ouverte aux étudiants canadiens et internationaux. Nous encourageons les étudiants internationaux intéressés à étudier à l’Université de Lethbridge à postuler à des études supérieures pour le 1er février date limite pour éviter les problèmes de visa et un retard à leur départ dans le programme. Les femmes et les minorités visibles sont vivement encouragées à postuler.
Les stagiaires postdoctoraux doivent avoir complété leur doctorat au cours des cinq dernières années pour être admissibles à participer à une initiative CREATE. Le congé parental pris pour le relèvement ou l’élevage des enfants n’est pas compté dans le cadre de la période de cinq ans.
Afin de participer au programme d’innovation ARN, les étudiants doivent également être inscrits dans l’une des institutions participantes. L’application à l’ARN innovation est destinée à l’attribution des bourses et à la participation au programme. Bien que l’acceptation dans l’innovation ARN ne garantit pas l’acceptation à votre établissement, être accepté dans le programme avec une bourse accordée pourrait avoir un impact positif sur votre demande académique. Veuillez consulter les liens pour plus d’informations sur la façon de postuler pour les études supérieures:
Université de Lethbridge
Université de Sherbrooke
