The Research at York (RAY) program is an exclusive opportunity for eligible undergraduate students. You get to participate in research projects with faculty members and fellow students, as well as receive compensation at a competitive rate.
You may be eligible for the RAY program if you meet all of the following criteria:
Domestic Students:
- Full time or part time undergraduate student enrolled in a degree program (see chart below).
- Meet the specific skills and experience requirements set by the sponsoring department.
- Full-time – Enrolled in a minimum of 18 credits for Fall/Winter (min. 6 credits or more per term).
- Full-time student with a disability – Enrolled in a minimum of 12 credits for Fall/Winter (min. 3 credits or more per term).
- Part-time – Enrolled in minimum 12 – 17 credits (min. 6 credits or more per term).
- Part-time student with a disability – Enrolled in minimum of 6 credits for Fall/Winter (min. 3 credits per term).
- Full-time – Enrolled in a minimum of 9 credits for summer.
- Full-time student with a disability – Enrolled in a minimum of 6 credits for summer.
- Part-time – Enrolled in minimum of 6 credits for summer.
- Part-time student with a disability – Enrolled in minimum of 3 credits for summer. OR
- Must have been enrolled in a minimum of 6 credits in the previous winter term (min. 3 credits for a student with a disability) AND will be returning to undergraduate studies in the Fall/Winter academic year.
International Students:
- Full time undergraduate student enrolled in a degree program (see chart below).
- Valid study permit for the period of employment.
- Meet the specific skills and experience requirements set by the sponsoring department.
- Full-time – Enrolled in a minimum of 18 credits for Fall/Winter (min. 9 credits or more per term).
- Full-time student with a disability – Enrolled in a minimum of 12 credits for Fall/Winter (min. 6 credits or more per term).
- Full-time – Enrolled in a minimum of 9 credits for summer.
- Full-time student with a disability – Enrolled in a minimum of 6 credits for summer. OR
- Must have been enrolled in the previous Fall/Winter term (min. 18 credits; 12 credits for a student with a disability), AND will be returning to full time undergraduate studies in the Fall/Winter academic year.
We encourage students to apply for government financial aid (for example, OSAP or the comparable assistance program in the student's home province).
Recognizing the value of their contribution to York University research, RAY student wages are set at a minimum rate of $16.25 per hour, which is above the top rate of other Work/Study university positions.
- Rates for RAY positions and hours to be worked vary: details are available for each job posting on the Career Education and Development website.
- RAY students are paid by their hiring department through York's payroll system.
- Your employer must obtain a York employee number for you, keep track of your hours worked, and submit a payroll timesheet on your behalf every two weeks.
If you have any concerns about your pay, you will need to discuss these concerns with your employer. Student Financial Services does not pay students and cannot make adjustments to your pay.
By participating in the RAY program, you can receive financial assistance to meet your direct educational costs (tuition, mandatory fees, textbooks) and gain valuable research experience that will supplement your classroom learning. RAY will also give you a preview of the type of research that you might encounter in graduate school study. As a RAY student, you will get work experience that will help you in your post-graduation career and receive research mentoring from faculty members and senior/graduate students.
A RAY position can provide you with hands-on research experience while assisting faculty members with meaningful research support. Examples of quality research activities include:
- research proposal development
- literature searches, web research/surveys, archival searches
- preparing subjects for interviews
- basic fieldwork or data collection
- interview transcriptions
- basic data/statistical analysis
- translation of research materials
- cataloguing
- preparation and execution of experiments
As a RAY student, you are a valued York University employee and have important responsibilities. All students are expected to:
- Complete your assigned duties.
- Keep your supervisor informed of your availability to work the agreed-upon hours.
- If you are unable to honour your commitment, speak to your supervisor immediately and try to arrange a more workable schedule.
- If you withdraw or drop to part-time status during the academic session, inform your employer immediately: you will no longer be eligible for the RAY program and will have to resign from your position.
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