Sustainability Catalyst Internships
The Sustainability Catalyst Internships offer U of T graduate students paid opportunities to work with partners on real-world sustainability solutions across the Greater Toronto Area, while receiving additional support from university staff.
The internships are part-time and run during the summer period each year from May to September. The internships are managed by the secretariat of the President’s Advisory Committee on the Environment, Climate Change, and Sustainability (CECCS).
What’s On this page
Students gain meaningful experience and opportunities to contribute to real-world sustainability issues
Partners gain current insights and advanced research skills that will help address sustainability priorities within the organization
Students & partners gain support from CECCS throughout: from project scoping and recruitment to hiring, payroll administration and intern management
How It Works
This paid summer internship is open to partners from public, private and non-governmental organization sectors from across the Greater Toronto Area and full-time U of T graduate students (Masters and PhD) from any program or discipline.
Sustainability Catalyst Interns work with mentors at the partner organization and put their applied research skills to work on an agreed sustainability challenge.
CECCS facilitates project definition and delivery, connects partners to promising students and provides support throughout the internship process.
Applications for partners open in February and students are awarded internships in March.
What our students & partners have said about the internship
The internship offers valuable opportunities for emerging professionals to gain experience, build connections, and put their degrees to good use by working on something they are passionate about.
Nicola Schmidt, Zero-Waste & Green Economy Intern
Toronto Environmental Alliance
The opportunity for TCBN to participate in this initiative was exceptional. The [U of T intern’s] support with community engagement and policy analysis activities has directly contributed to our work ensuring inclusive approaches to the development of large infrastructure, energy and housing projects in Toronto.
Kumsa Baker, Director of Community Engagement
Toronto Community Benefits Network
Partner With Us
Do you have an applied research project that you need support with? Apply to be a host organization for our Sustainability Catalyst Internship Program to receive part-time support from a U of T graduate student/research assistant.
Access to graduate students enrolled in U of T’s 200 graduate programs, including more than 60 professional programs
Work with the #1 public university in North America for graduate employability (Times Higher Education)
Partner with the most sustainable university in the world (QS World University Rankings 2025)
Benefit from CECCS administrative & management support leading up to and during the internship
Help shape the next generation of leaders and create a talent pool of future employees
Benefit from dedicated research and capacity to address your sustainability challenges, opportunities and goals
What kinds of projects can U f T graduate students do?
Students work on projects determined by successful partner applicants in any area of sustainability from social justice issues to climate action and planetary health. Sample activities:
- conduct a literature, jurisdictional, or best practice review
- conduct and report on interviews or focus groups
- develop project engagement and action plans or toolkits
- develop case studies and assessment frameworks
- prepare a feasibility study
- build and assess lifecycle costing tools
- write a business case
- conduct and develop an environmental scan
- prepare a GHG emissions inventory
- design, implement and analyze a survey
- analyse and draft policy documents or briefing materials
- GIS mapping or community needs mapping
EcoSchools Canada | René Daranjo
EcoSchools Canada | René Daranjo
René worked with EcoSchools Canada to implement curriculum-specific connections between environmental action and provincial curriculum. She also supported the development of a school certification status and recognition processes for schools doing outstanding environmental work in their communities.
City of Toronto | Aashna Pachai
City of Toronto | Aashna Pachai
Aashna worked with the City of Toronto Environment & Climate Division to support their PollinateTO Program and Climate Resilience Plan. She updated project inventories, conducted site visits, created visualizations, and wrote impact reports.
U of T Climate Action Network & the University of Cambridge | Yazan Zamel
U of T Climate Action Network & the University of Cambridge | Yazan Zamel
Yazan worked with U of T Climate Action Network and The University of Cambridge on a mapping project aimed at better understanding and characterizing climate networks in other jurisdictions. This included survey design, a literature review, and identifying key priorities based on the summary of results.
Information for Students
As a Sustainability Catalyst intern, you will work on an applied research project determined by a partner organization in the Greater Toronto Area.
Why apply for a Sustainability Catalyst Internship? Use and develop your skills to provide a useful sustainability research project for an organization in the public, private, or non-profit sector that will make a tangible difference in their work.
- Gain paid part-time work experience with one of our partners at a Research Assistant level at U of T ($31.10/hour plus benefits)
- Be part of a Catalyst Cohort that will receive career development opportunities and project support from CECCS along the way
- Have your project showcased online and at relevant U of T or partner events
- Program Requirements:
You were enrolled in a full-time graduate program (Masters or PhD) at U of T in the 2024-2025 academic year. As this is a part-time internship, international students are also eligible.
- You are in good academic standing and not on academic probation
- You are legally entitled to work in Canada and will be residing within the Greater Toronto Area during the internship
- You have confirmed your eligibility to work the required hours by checking the guidelines of any graduate student funding you hold. It is the award recipient’s responsibility to comply with the rules and regulations of their award(s).
2025 Internship Opportunities
Application Process:
The application period for our 2025 internship opportunities has closed. View the PDF links below to learn more about each internship.
Internships:
- Exploring and Evaluating Carbon Capture Technologies for Sequestering Process Carbon Emissions, Algoma Steel
- Developing an Environmental Sustainability Strategy and Framework, North York General Hospital
- Reducing Hospital Waste Using Communal Sorting Stations, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital
- Financing Municipal Climate Solutions, City of Toronto Environment, Climate & Forestry
- Developing a New Green Infrastructure Incentive Program for Stormwater Management on Private Property, City of Toronto Environment, Climate & Forestry
- Expanding Toronto’s Home Energy Loan Program to Enhance Community Flood Resilience, City of Toronto Environment, Climate & Forestry
- The Future of Cycling: Engaging with Children and Youth to Enhance the Cycling Experience in Toronto, City of Toronto Transportation Services
- Complete Street Cross Sections: Tools for Sustainable Street Redesign in Toronto, City of Toronto Transportation Services
- Regulatory Effects on Energy Efficiency Retrofitting of Existing Condos, Sustainable Buildings Canada
- Bouncing Forward – Neighbourhood Resilience Plan, East Scarborough Storefront
- Documenting endangered species in the Greenbelt, protections they enjoy and threats they face, Ontario Nature
- Analyzing Canadian Business Interests and Maturity Levels Toward the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda, UN Global Compact
- Climate-Resilient Urban Agriculture Toolkit, Ecosource
- Promising Practices: Placemaking in Floodplains, 880 Cities
- Engagement for a Toronto Green Jobs Strategy, Toronto Community Benefits Network
Funding
Partners pay the internship salary at the established U of T rate (currently $32.31/hour plus benefits) for a minimum of 250 hours.
A select number of internships will be eligible to receive a subsidy from CECCS (prioritized for non-governmental organizations and Indigenous organizations). Please indicate on your application if you would like to request this or contact our Project Manager to discuss.
U of T hires and manages the payroll for the interns.
Application Process
Applications will be reviewed by a U of T panel. While we encourage a broad range of proposals, the application should clearly articulate an actionable applied research problem that a graduate student can complete over the course of the internship (assistance with project scoping will be available to successful applicants).
The host organization must also identify a project mentor who alongside the Sustainability Catalyst Project Manager will support the intern throughout the project.
Applications have now closed for 2025 project proposals. If you are interested in being a 2026 host, contact the CECCS Project Manager.