Our Offer

Undergraduate students accepted in the Fin-ML CREATE program will receive:

  • A scholarship of $5,000 given to support a supervised research project on an applied problem, on a topic that fits Fin-ML’s interests in machine learning in quantitative finance and business analytics
  • The supervisor must commit to a $1,000 contribution
  • Visibility in Fin-ML’s network and exposure to our news, offers and activities

NOTE: The program offer does not include finding the research project. The student and supervisor have to propose a project and describe it in the application. The first step is to find a professor who has a project you can work on (see the Eligibility section for guidance in choosing a professor).

Program Objectives

The goal of the undergraduate scholarship program is to:

  • Offer students the opportunity to learn about collaborative research
  • Encourage undergraduate students to pursue graduate studies
  • Allow participants to become familiar with the methods and interests promoted by Fin-ML
Eligibility

Students

Students who show a high degree of motivation in specializing in the field of mathematical and computational finance and business analytics, enrolled in an undergraduate degree at: Université de Montréal, HEC Montréal, Concordia University, University of Calgary, University of Waterloo or Queen’s University.

Students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of B+ and must have completed at least 24 credits by the end of the current term.

All students who apply to the Fin-ML CREATE program must identify a professor (supervisor) who is willing to supervise their work on a topic that suits Fin-ML’s interests.

Professors (Supervisors)

The supervisor must be part of the academic team of the Fin-ML CREATE program, listed here. As part of the application process, supervisors must confirm and acknowledge their support.

In the case where:

  • The student’s current or potential supervisor is not listed, is a member of the participating universities, and demonstrates relevant background and research interests to Fin-ML’s:
    • the supervisor can apply to be part of the Fin-ML CREATE team, by sending their CV and description of research interests to fin-ml.admissions@ivado.ca.
    • The student’s acceptance is conditional on accepting the supervisor as part of the team.
  • The student does not have a supervisor, or has a supervisor who does not have the Fin-ML CREATE required background:
    • All students are invited to contact one of the professors listed here.
Deadline and Duration

*** COMPETITION CLOSED THIS SESSION ***

The deadline for undergraduate applications will be determined at the next competition

Students can start participating in the Fin-ML CREATE Program as of (to be determined) or as soon as results are published and have 6 months to complete their research project. Later starts can be accepted.

Expectations

Undergraduate students will be expected to do a research project supervised by a Fin-ML professor on an applied problem, and draft a report by the end of their work summarizing the research output.  The report must be of 500 words and submitted to fin-ml.admissions@ivado.ca within a maximum period of 6 months after the start of the project.

The student also shall:

  • recognize that they are a member of an academic community to which they shall contribute;
  • draft their research findings (papers, recordings of presentations, source codes, databases, etc.), in compliance with the intellectual property rules that apply to their own specific case;
  • recognize the financial support granted by NSERC CREATE when disseminating the research results and, more broadly, in all the activities in which they takes part in.

The supervisor shall:

  • commit to a $1,000 contribution;
  • provide a work environment that is conducive to the completion of the project;
  • oversee the work of the student.

Failure to complete the requirements of the program may result in the cancellation of the grant.

Competitive Process

The applications shall be reviewed to ensure compliance with program rules (e.g. applications that are incomplete, or list an ineligible applicant or supervisor). Only the applications that meet all criteria will be forwarded to the admissions committee.

The parity-based admissions committee shall be made up of professors who are part of the Fin-ML CREATE team. If a reviewer is listed as a supervisor, a reference, or has any previous ties with one of the applicants, they will abstain from commenting or from influencing the selection process in which they are included.

The admissions committee shall then rank the applications based on excellence, as well as the candidate’s alignment with Fin-ML’s scientific direction. The committee will specifically assess:

  • the applicant's academic excellence;
  • the extent and scope of the applicant’s experience (multidisciplinary and professional experiences, extra-academic activities, collaborations, contributions to the scientific community and society as a whole, etc.);
  • the alignment of the applicant’s experience and proposed project to Fin-ML CREATE’s objectives.
Application Details
  • Complete the application form describing your project proposal and upload one PDF document combining:
    • Your CV;
    • All grade transcripts from Bachelor’s degree onward;
  • Your named supervisor will be contacted to confirm and acknowledge his support in your participation.

Any missing item will result in an incomplete file and will penalize your application. Please identify all parties and prepare all documents prior to applying, as you will need to enter all the information at once.

Apply