Adrian J. Lam
President and Co-Founder
| president@utsri.ca

Letter from the President

“When I founded UTSRI in January 2024, it was born from a bold conviction that young people deserve more than passive exposure to science – they deserve to lead it.

Today, that vision has been actively and continuously evolving into one of the most ambitious and transformative youth-led academic initiatives in the country. UTSRI is dedicated to launching Canada’s largest research competitions and conferences across all three campuses of the University of Toronto. Through this initiative, we aim to provide both high school and undergraduate students with meaningful, hands-on research opportunities via a centralized, competition-based platform unlike anything currently available.

Our work is guided by a belief that science should be strategic, collaborative, and driven by students at every stage of their academic journey. By fostering interdisciplinary teamwork and real-world problem solving, UTSRI enhances not just academic excellence, but leadership, communication, and innovation. This initiative will further solidify the University of Toronto’s global and national presence not only as a hub for cutting-edge research, but also as a leader in youth-driven scientific development.

We are proud of how far we’ve come in such a short time. Despite facing fierce and seemingly never-ending challenges, UTSRI successfully organized its first large-scale competition, the STEM High School Case Competition, in February 2025. With the ambitious flagship research competition in our timeline, we’ve also introduced a bold new project: the Scientific Research and Strategy Summit – a first-of-its-kind conference that merges STEM with Model UN, emphasizing scientific debate and critical research analysis – two of the most important elements of one’s scientific journey.

Over the next two years, UTSRI will continue to host annual case competitions for both high school and university students, laying the groundwork for the full research competition. These events are more than just opportunities, they are stepping stones toward a national transformation in how youth interact with science.

Some may view our goals as unrealistic. But our strength lies in meticulous planning, strategic partnerships, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. Our access to experienced researchers, state-of-the-art facilities, and research funding, combined with our phased approach to development, ensures that UTSRI is not only feasible, but inevitable.

To every student, researcher, and supporter reading this: thank you. Your belief in this vision is what allows us to push the boundaries of what is possible in science education and leadership. Together, we are not only reimagining the future – we are building it. Let’s bring Canada’s largest STEM conferences and competitions to UofT.”

ad astra per aspera,

Adrian J. Lam