NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Awards

To be eligible to apply for an award, you must:

• Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada
• Be registered in a bachelor's degree program at an eligible university (full-time or part-time) in at least one of the two terms immediately previous to holding the award. The terms of an academic year are: Summer (May 1 to August 31), Fall (September 1 to December 31), Winter (January 1 to April 31). Registration in either one of the two summer sessions will count as registration in that term.
• Have obtained, over the previous years of study, a minimum cumulative B- (68%) average
• At the time of your award, have completed all the course requirements of at least the first year of university study (or two academic terms) of your bachelor's degree
• Not have started a graduate studies program in the natural sciences or engineerin

In addition:

• If you already hold a bachelor's degree and are studying toward a second bachelor's degree, you may still apply to this program.
• You may hold only one university USRA and only one industrial USRA per fiscal year (April 1 to March 31).
• You may hold a maximum of three university USRAs and a maximum of three industrial USRAs throughout your undergraduate university career.
• You should not receive academic credits for the work done during the term of a USRA.  Students may take one course if special arrangements to make up the time under supervision have been made with the supervisor. In particular, USRA holders are not permitted to do thesis research during the term of the award.
• If you are a graduating student, you are eligible to hold a USRA as long as you were registered in at least one of the two previous terms before holding the award, have not started a program of graduate studies, and have met all other eligibility requirements of the program.
• Once you start working, you must be engaged, on a full-time basis for a minimum of 16 consecutive weeks, in research and development activities in the natural sciences or engineering during the tenure of the award.
• Students who are registered at an eligible Canadian university but have studied abroad for one semester during an exchange program may be eligible for a USRA award, provided they were registered at the Canadian university during the exchange and their studies abroad are credited towards their Canadian degree program.

Who is not eligible?

You are not eligible for an Undergraduate Student Research Award if:

• You are currently enrolled in an undergraduate professional degree program in the health sciences (e.g., MD, DDS, BScN, B.Sc.Pharm.);or
• You hold higher degrees in the natural sciences or engineering.

Try to create your own research opportunity by contacting eligible professors you would like to work with and tell them about this program. Many professors will be happy to talk to you about the opportunity to hire you at a subsidized wage. If you find a professor who is interested, ask them to contact their USRA Coordinator for more information.

Here are some tips:

• Know what you are going to say: be prepared to talk about your interests, knowledge areas, and lab or volunteer experience. Familiarize yourself with the professor's research subject so you can ask informed questions about it. This will show that you are genuinely interested in helping with the research.
• Bring a copy of your resume.
• Read the NSERC program rules for supervisors. Make sure you understand these rules and application procedures. You must work under the supervision of a faculty member who holds an eligible active NSERC research grant either at the time you submit the application or when you hold the award.
• Regardless of whether you get the position or not, thank the professor for their time. A thank you email would be a nice touch.

• These awards have a value of $4,500. This amount will be reimbursed to your project supervisor's account at the end of your work tenure.
• Universities are required to supplement the amount of the award by at least 25% of its value using other sources such as university funds, NSERC grants, or any other research funds. The minimum pay for the tenure of your award of 16 weeks is $6,076. If the award is longer than 16 weeks, your pay should increase by a minimum of $379.75/week for each additional week.
• You will receive your payment from the university in accordance with its pay procedures. You will also receive a T4 or T4A slip (Statement of Income) for tax purposes from UBC Payroll.
• A travel allowance may also be granted if you take up the award at a university other than the one at which you are currently registered (see the section on Travel Allowances below for more information).
• NSERC will not reimburse the University for any period during which you worked part-time. No payment will be approved for any vacation leave you take during the tenure of the award.

An Undergraduate Student Research Award is tenable at any eligible Canadian university and can allow you to expand your background training at other universities. You must apply at the institution where you would like to hold the USRA and must comply with the internal selection criteria of that institution and be selected by that university to hold one of their quota of awards. Once NSERC has approved your award for tenure at one particular institution, you may not transfer it to another institution

Awards in industry

NSERC encourages you to diversify your research experience using the USRA program. The program provides the opportunity for you to work at your own university, other universities across Canada, or in a Canadian industry (Industrial USRA). You may hold up to three of each award (university USRA and industrial USRA) in the course of your undergraduate career. This program offers you the opportunity to work on a challenging research project in an industrial environment.