Join Us

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Interested in the LEAF lab?

Who and when we recruit: We are regularly looking for exceptional students and researchers to work with at many levels of experience: Postdocs, Ph.D., research-oriented Master’s students, and undergraduates. See the information for prospective students on when the deadlines to apply for graduate programs are.

What we do: Our lab is a welcoming, intellectually vibrant environment working to solve some of the most interesting and critical research problems in the fields of robotics and machine learning. You can learn more about what we do by studying our publications.

Interested? Please read this page first before contacting the PI directly.

Prospective Ph.D. and Master’s Degree students

Program purpose: These are research-intensive programs, with coursework to supplement students’ research development. Both programs are research-intensive.

Program prerequisites: Applicants with all academic backgrounds (especially, but not limited to, CS and Machine Learning backgrounds) are encouraged to apply. There are some per-program prerequesites below.

Ph.D. applicants

Program purpose: This program will train you to be a successful and independent scientist in our fields of research. The dominant focus is research.

Program prerequisites: Applicants with all academic backgrounds (especially, but not limited to, CS and Machine Learning backgrounds) are encouraged to apply.

Routes to joining as a Ph.D. student: Applicants may enter a Ph.D. program with us through one of several routes:

  1. Through the UTIAS Ph.D. program following completion of a M.A.Sc. degree.
  2. Through the CS Ph.D. program following completion of a M.Sc. degree.
  3. Through the UTIAS Ph.D. program without having already completed a Master’s degree. Successful applicants are expected to exhibit exceptional potential.
  4. Through the CS Ph.D. program without having already completed a Master’s degree. Successful applicants are expected to exhibit exceptional potential.
  5. Transfer from the UTIAS M.A.Sc. program. After twelve months in the M.A.Sc. program, it is possible for successful students to transfer to the Ph.D. program.
  6. Transfer from the CS M.Sc. program. After seventeen months in the MSc program, it is possible for successful students to transfer directly to the Ph.D. program.

Application process:

  • Step 1: Apply through the one of the routes above. Your chances are not directly affected by your choice of route. Mention the PI’s name in your application if you’re interested in working together, and describe your research interests as they relate to ours.
  • Step 2: Virtual interview: For candidates we select to interview, we will discuss your background and potential research directions together in the interview.

See the coursework details section below for details on the relatively small amount of coursework involved. Applicants with all academic backgrounds (especially, but not limited to, CS and Machine Learning backgrounds) are encouraged to apply.

Master’s Degree applicants

Program purpose: This is a research-intensive program that serves as a stepping-stone to prepare you for Ph.D.-level research. The dominant focus is research.

Program prerequisites: Applicants with all academic backgrounds (especially, but not limited to, CS and Machine Learning backgrounds) are encouraged to apply.

Routes to joining as an Master’s student:

  1. Through the UTIAS M.A.Sc. program. After twelve months in the M.A.Sc. program, it is possible for successful students to transfer to the Ph.D. program.
  2. Through the CS M.Sc. program. After seventeen months in the M.Sc. program, it is possible for successful students to transfer directly to the Ph.D. program.

Coursework details

For both UTIAS Ph.D. and M.A.Sc. programs, currently, 2 of the 4 required courses must be classified as Robotics (ROB) or Aerospace (AER), which involves a broad set of robotics, computer science, and machine learning topics. The remainder of your courses can be chosen in coordination with your advisor to help you hone your knowledge of topics relevant to your research. See the Robotics course list here. You can learn more about program-specific information here, including the precise program requirements. Again, the primary focus of these programs is to train you to be a successful and independent scientist in our fields of research.

For the CS graduate programs, please see the program descriptions regarding coursework.

Current Ph.D. and M.A.Sc. students (UofT-affiliated)

Send us an email with your CV and a description of your research interests. Please mention how your interests overlap with our past work or future direction. We encourage people with all educational backgrounds to apply. Applicants with a track-record of relevant publications are especially encouraged to apply.

Visiting Ph.D. and M.A.Sc. students

Send us an email with your CV and a description of your research interests. Please mention how your interests overlap with our past work or future direction. We encourage people with all educational backgrounds to apply. Applicants with a track-record of relevant publications are especially encouraged to apply.

Current undergraduates at the University of Toronto

Send us an email with your CV and a description of your project/research interests. Typically, we will expect you to have taken a Robotics, Machine Learning, or Computer Vision-related course. Regardless, we encourage people with all backgrounds to apply.

Summer opportunities for undergraduates

There are usually a few slots for undergraduates to work with us in the summer. If you think you might be a good fit, please let us know. Note that the best route to a summer internship is through getting involved with our lab well beforehand. There are also a variety of fellowships for undergraduates that we can point you to. Obtaining one of these fellowships increases your chances.

Part-time opportunities for undergraduates

We involve undergraduates to work with us during the semester. These positions are offered on a case-by-case basis depending on a variety of factors, including the applicant’s motivation to spend substantial effort on their research project.

Remote collaborators (not UofT-affiliated)

We sometimes collaborate remotely with exceptional students and researchers who have sufficient relevant experience. Send us an email with your CV and a description of your project/research interests. Please mention how your interests overlap with our past work or future direction. Applicants with a track-record of relevant publications are especially encouraged to apply.

How to contact us

Reach us at the following email:

Please note that the absence of a response does not mean we are not interested (especially in the case of graduate student applicants). In the case of graduate student applicants, please make sure that you’ve read all of information on this page about the application process. Crucially, while we would love to discuss research directions and fit earlier than the application process, there simply isn’t enough time to discuss with all applicants. When you apply, make sure to mention the LEAF lab and the PI’s name in your application, which will guarantee that we will consider it.

When you send us an email, it helps us to know that you’ve read the information on this page. To increase your chances of a reply, please include the string “[LEAF-interest]” somewhere in the subject of your email.

Frequently Asked Questions

Your question may be already answered above. Below are some other FAQs and their answers.

Are you planning to hire graduate students in the upcoming cycle?

Yes.

Are you planning to hire graduate students to begin in Fall 2026?

Yes.

I’m interested in pursuing a specific research direction as a graduate student, does it interest you and can I pursue it with you?

While we would love to discuss research directions and fit earlier than the application process, there simply isn’t enough time to discuss with all applicants before the process begins. Please describe your research interests as part of your graduate application. If you are selected for an interview, we will absolutely discuss your research interests and mutual fit.

I would like to directly enter as a Ph.D. student without a Master’s degree. Is this possible?

We appreciate your ambition and would love for you to apply. If you do not yet have a Master’s degree, you probably should instead apply to a Master’s program (described above), which would offer you the opportunity to develop and demonstrate your potential as a Ph.D. student. We expect most students who join as Master’s students to succeed in demonstrating their potential and thus continue on to earn a Ph.D. If you instead have an exceptionally strong record without a Master’s degree, please point this out to us directly in your application and we will consider it.