Has anyone here participated in summer research at the university as an undergrad (either NSERC supported or not)? If so, which department and how may hours per week? This whole concept seems interesting and I'm curious about it

Thanks.

People do it all the time! It's usually full-time (37.5 hrs per week), but many science experiments don't allow for a typical 9-5 schedule so be aware of that going in - if you want to get stuff done you'll likely end up putting in extra unpaid hours.
The experience you have depends more on the specific lab than on the department - some profs are really chill, and some are much more intense and expect a lot more from you.

What happens to you if your NSERC application gets rejected?

Does the prof not hire you then and you're basically jobless for the summer?

Originally Posted by bradyr

What happens to you if your NSERC application gets rejected?

Does the prof not hire you then and you're basically jobless for the summer?

Yes, its up to your professor to hire you with their own grant money in that case. At which point you're their "investment", so you better produce results!