Sustainability Catalyst Internship

What’s On This Page

The Sustainability Catalyst Internships offer University of Toronto graduate students paid opportunities to work with partners on real-world sustainability solutions across the Greater Toronto Area, while receiving additional support from U of T 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).

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.

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 at the 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

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 ($32.31/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: 

Applicants should email their cover letter including why this position is of interest to them, and their resume highlighting relevant skills and experience, as a single PDF document to keagan.urbanowicz@utoronto.ca no later than 11:59 PM on March 30, 2025, noting the project title in the email subject line. Only applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.  Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Early applications are encouraged.  

If you are applying for more than one Sustainability Catalyst Internship position, you must submit a separate cover letter and resume for each position. You must also fill out this internship project ranking form by the application deadline to indicate your preferred projects.  

Please note: As there may be varying interest among internships, we encourage students to apply to multiple positions and organizations, should they meet the skill requirements.

Internships:

Workshops for Students

CECCS and U of T Career Exploration & Education invite prospective Catalyst intern applicants to participate in the following workshops (participation in the workshops is not a requirement to apply):

Friday, March 21, 1:00-2:30 PM – Job Applications Workshop (online). This workshop will provide students with tips on how to highlight relevant skills and experience and tailor your application to the position(s) you are applying for. Please register for the March 21 Job Applications workshop here.

Monday April 7, 12:00-1:30 PM – Job Interviews Workshop (online). This workshop will provide students with the opportunity to practice their interview skills and prepare for the internship roles they have applied to. Please register for the April 7 Interview Workshop here.

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.  

Benefits

Access to graduate students enrolled in U of T’s 200 graduate programs, including more than 60 professional programs

Work with the highest ranked university in Canada and #1 for graduate employability (Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings)

Benefit from dedicated research and capacity to address your sustainability challenges, opportunities and goals

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

Partner with the most sustainable university in the world (QS World University Rankings 2025) 

Emoji Source: OpenMoji

What kinds of projects can U of 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 

PAST PROJECTS & INTERNS

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. 

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. 

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. 

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 

Submit a Project Proposal

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. **