Examples of writing texts for a scholarship application

The following advice applies to all internal scholarships at ÉTS.

You can also use these examples as inspiration for your other applications, while ensuring that you follow the specific instructions for each scholarship.

Research Project

INSTRUCTIONS: Your summary must include all of the following elements (in this order): the project title, the issue (formulation of the problem and its context), identification of the main objective and specific objectives, the methodology used, the expected outcomes, and bibliographical references (maximum 3).

Development of a robotic system that will enable repair tasks involving contact with the environment to be carried out.

Hydro-Québec Production operates more than 500 dikes and dams, over a hundred of which are more than 50 years old. To ensure the long-term safety and reliability of its facilities, Hydro-Québec must carry out repair work on submerged structures. In order to reduce the risk of accidents and the unavailability of power generation units, Hydro-Québec has initiated a project to develop a robotic system that will enable repair work involving contact with the environment to be carried out, namely the automatic, underwater repair of the grooves in the notches where the beams slide, allowing the valves upstream of the power stations to be drained. This project is part of the second phase of design and development of the underwater robotic system for repairing Hydro-Québec's submerged dam structures.

The proposed research project aims to develop control algorithms for the manipulator, the part of the system that will generate the precise movements and forces required by the repair procedure. To this end, work will be carried out on the development of a force-position controller. This controller must be robust since it always operates in transient mode because the contact surface is not well known. In addition, the manipulator is mounted on a mobile carrier, which makes the positioning of its base imprecise. Finally, the underwater grinding process causes unmodelled disturbances due to the movement of the water.

A literature review will be conducted to study the different types of controllers and to learn about the grinding process and studies already carried out in this project. Subsequently, several robust control strategies will be compared in order to evaluate their performance. In particular, an impedance control law will be compared to a hybrid force-position control law. New methods based on formulations of the robustness problem using linear matrix inequalities will be used to calculate the gains of the control systems. Tests will be carried out to validate the limits of the controllers and the quality of the grinding produced.

This approach will optimise the performance of the system despite the considerable uncertainties caused not only by the imprecise carrier and the grinding process, but also by the immersion of the system in water.

• Bone, G. M., Elbestawi, M. A., Lingarkar, R., & Liu, L. (1991). Force control for robotic deburring. Journal of Dynamic Systems, Measurement, and Control, 113(3), 395‑400. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.2896423
• Slotine, J.-J. E. & Li Weiping. (1988). Adaptive manipulator control: A case study. IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, 33(11), 995‑1003. https://doi.org/10.1109/9.14411

Research experience and other relevant experience

INSTRUCTIONS: From your research and other experience (e.g., work), select those that are relevant to your field of research (maximum three experiences). Describe each one, specifying your tasks and responsibilities, the location and the period (dates). Doctoral and master's research work is not eligible.

During my second bachelor's internship, from September 2022 to December 2022, I worked in a research laboratory at Sacré-Cœur Hospital in Montreal (HSCM) under the supervision of Dr. Charles Lafont. The project I was working on involved developing a new system for closing human sternums after open-heart surgery. Before my arrival, the HSCM laboratory had already created the shape memory alloy connecting element used to join the two halves of the sternum, as well as two prototype tools used to secure it in place. The objective of my work was to create a test bench simulating the rib cage in order to test both the connecting element and the tools. In addition, I had to make the most recent prototype functional, as it had defects that rendered it unusable. I therefore developed skills in designing new tools for conducting research experiments.

During the summer of 2021, I worked at Pratt & Whitney as a machinist. I participated in the manufacture of engine parts on various production machines. I also carried out special repairs to salvage parts that would normally have been rejected. I had to determine the tools, rotation speeds and feed rates and, in some cases, organise modular supports and clamps to hold the parts in place.

Communication and leadership skills and interpersonal skills

INSTRUCTIONS: Describe your experiences during your university studies that demonstrate your communication, interpersonal and leadership skills (e.g., mentoring, teaching or practical work assignments, project management, student clubs, organizing meetings or events, presentations other than conferences/symposiums). Start with the most recent. Describe each activity and specify your tasks and responsibilities, location, and time period (dates).

Laboratory assistant (ÉTS) for two undergraduate courses (ELE105-Electrical Circuits in the fall 2022 semester and MEC240-Thermodynamics in the winter 2023 semester). My role was to explain the instructions, answer questions, both technical and theoretical, and ensure understanding. I also acted as a mediator within the work teams.

Participation in ÉTS Techno Class events (2021 and 2022), science outreach competition. I was a guide for young audiences, helped set up the exhibition, and led one of the activities (PontPop).

Publications and communications

• INSTRUCTIONS FOR PUBLICATIONS: Provide the full reference for your publications (with peer review). Start with the most recent. It is mandatory to present the information using the following categories: 1) published articles, 2) accepted but unpublished articles, 3) submitted articles.
• INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMMUNICATIONS: Provide the complete reference for your communications (with peer review) at conferences/congresses (maximum five communications). Start with the most recent. It is mandatory to present the information using the following categories: 1) communications presented, 2) communications accepted but not presented, 3) communications submitted. 

For internal competitions, the recommended bibliographic style is APA-ÉTS. For more information, please consult the library website.

Planned activities

INSTRUCTIONS: For each session remaining, list all planned activities (e.g., literature review, experimentation, writing, etc.).

• Winter 2024

  The validation of image analysis will be finalized in the coming weeks. An article on the subject is currently being written and should be submitted for publication in March 2021. Subject recruitment, testing and analysis of results will also continue during this period.

• Summer 2024

  The summer session will be mainly devoted to writing the thesis and preparing for the defence.