Canadian Government Undergraduate Student Research Awards Call for Application 2024

Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRAs) are meant to nurture your interest and fully develop your potential for a research career in health, natural sciences and engineering, or social sciences and humanities. These awards are also meant to encourage you to undertake graduate studies by providing research work experience that complements your studies in an academic setting.

You are permitted to hold a USRA during a co-op placement. Your institution’s co-op office or USRA liaison officer (LO) may be able to assist you in finding a placement. LOs are institution administrators and usually work in your institution’s scholarship office.

• Table of Content
• About Canadian Government
• Canadian Government Undergraduate Student Research Awards
• Aim and Benefits of Canadian Government Undergraduate Student Research Awards
• Canadian Government Undergraduate Student Research Awards Courses
• Requirements for Canadian Government Undergraduate Student Research Awards Qualification
• Interview date, Process and Venue for Canadian Government Undergraduate Student Research Awards
• Application Deadline
• How to Apply

About Canadian Government

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Canadian Government Undergraduate Student Research Awards

Application Deadline	Not Specified
Value	$6,000
Country to study	Canada
School to study
Type	Contest
Course to study	View courses
Sponsor	Canadian Government
Gender	Men and Women

Aim and Benefits of Canadian Government Undergraduate Student Research Awards

• USRAs have a value of $6,000, and the host institution is required to supplement the award.
• The duration of the award is 14 to 16 weeks on a full-time basis.
• The activities conducted during the tenure of the USRA are governed by the agreements, including employment agreements (if applicable), you have with the host institution and the relevant terms and conditions of awards.
• The agency’s contribution is paid directly to the host institution and is included in the funds that you receive.

The USRA program makes no provision for sick leave or vacation, or for other types of interruptions. Should a USRA be interrupted or terminated early for any reason, the agencies must be informed immediately.

Canadian Government Undergraduate Student Research Awards Courses

Requirements for Canadian Government Undergraduate Student Research Awards Qualification

To be eligible to apply for an award

• you must be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada or a Protected Person under subsection 95(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada), as of the deadline date for applications at the institution
• you must be registered, as of the deadline date for applications at the institution, in a bachelor’s degree program at an eligible institution
• you must have obtained, over the previous years of study, a satisfactory cumulative average (normally at least B-; check with your institution)
• you cannot be currently enrolled in an undergraduate professional degree program in the health sciences (e.g., MD, DDS, BScN) (does not apply for CIHR USRAs)
• you cannot be currently registered or have been previously registered, at any time, in a graduate program in the same field of study
• you cannot have completed all your degree requirements

CIHR and SSHRC USRAs are, at the present time, exclusively for Black student researchers. To be considered, you must self-identify as Black (see the Black student researchers section for more details).

In addition

• if you already hold a bachelor’s degree and are studying toward a second bachelor’s degree, you may still apply for this award
• you may hold only one USRA per fiscal year (April 1 to March 31)
• you may hold a maximum of three USRAs throughout your undergraduate career (regardless of the granting agency)

To hold an award

• you must have completed all course requirements for at least the first year of study (or two academic terms) of your bachelor’s degree
• you must have been registered in a bachelor’s degree program at the time of application and in at least one of the two terms immediately before holding the award
• you must be working full time in eligible research and development activities in your proposed field of research during tenure of the award
• you cannot be registered in a graduate program

Notes:

• You may hold an award at any time during the year as permitted by your academic program.
• Tenure may start on a date acceptable to both you and your host institution.

Interview date, Process and Venue for Canadian Government Undergraduate Student Research Awards

Selection process

Eligible Canadian institutions are assigned an allocation of awards to offer each year. Refer to the Undergraduate Student Research Awards allocations web page for a list of allocations by institution and agency. Note: CIHR’s and SSHRC’s allocations are, at the present time, exclusively for Black student researchers.

The selection process of USRA applications will be carried out by institutions with an allocation and will be based on the following three selection criteria:

• academic excellence
• research potential
• expected quality of the training and mentorship to be received

All application and review processes are internal to the institution. It is the institution’s responsibility to establish its own selection criteria within the broad guidelines that the agencies provide. Institutions have the discretion to apply stricter selection criteria than those outlined above. When selecting students for awards, the institution will take into account the objectives of the USRA program. For details on the institution selection procedures, refer to the Guidelines for Undergraduate Student Research Awards liaison officers or contact the USRA LO at the institution where you would like to hold the award.

Deadline

Each eligible institution sets its own internal deadline dates for receiving applications. For information about these dates, contact the USRA LO at the institution where you intend to apply for an award.

Although awards may be held in the summer, fall or winter term, each institution will determine the number of selection processes it holds each year.

Application Deadline

Not Specified

How to Apply

Interested and qualified? Go to Canadian Government on www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca to apply

To apply for these awards, you must complete and submit an application using NSERC’s online system. Refer to the Instructions for completing an Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA) application – form 202 web page for more information.

 Read the instructions before completing and submitting your application.

You can apply to more than one institution. You must apply directly to the institution where you would like to hold the award. However, please note that it is the institution’s choice whether to accept candidates from other institutions.

For more details visit: NSERC website.