NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA) – Canada

Location: Canada

Program: Undergraduate Degrees

Eligibility: International Students

Duration: 14 to 16 weeks

Deadline: Not Specified

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The Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA) program is designed to nurture undergraduate students’ interest in research and fully develop their potential for a research career in health, natural sciences and engineering, or social sciences and humanities. The awards are also meant to encourage students to undertake graduate studies by providing research work experience that complements their academic studies. The program supports more than 3,000 students each year and is jointly administered by Canada’s three federal granting agencies: the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). Applications must be submitted directly to the eligible Canadian institution where the student wishes to hold the award through NSERC’s online system, and each institution sets its own internal application deadline.

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) is Canada’s primary federal funding agency for university-based research in natural sciences and engineering. It supports thousands of researchers, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows across Canadian universities each year. Through programs like the USRA, NSERC is committed to building Canada’s future research workforce by giving promising undergraduate students their first meaningful research experience. The USRA program reflects NSERC’s dedication to fostering equity, diversity, and inclusion in research by providing supplementary allocations for Black and Indigenous student researchers and encouraging institutions to support applicants from all underrepresented groups.

Benefits of the Scholarship

This award will provide the following to its recipients:

$6,000 for the duration of the award, plus a required supplementary contribution from the host institution
Duration of 14 to 16 weeks on a full-time basis
Other benefits

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Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for this award, applicants must meet the following:

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 institution’s application deadline
Must be registered (full-time or part-time) in a bachelor’s degree program at an eligible institution as of the institution’s application deadline
Must have obtained a satisfactory cumulative average over the previous years of study (normally at least B-; check with your institution)
Cannot be currently enrolled in an undergraduate professional degree program in the health sciences (e.g., MD, DDS, BScN) (does not apply to CIHR USRAs)
Cannot be currently registered, or have been previously registered at any time, in a graduate program in the same field of study
Cannot have completed all degree requirements
Must have completed all course requirements for at least the first year of study (or two academic terms) of the bachelor’s degree before holding the award
Must be working full time in eligible research and development activities in the proposed field of research during the tenure of the award
May hold a maximum of three USRAs throughout the undergraduate career (regardless of the granting agency)

Note: Kindly check the official webpage for full and detailed requirements.

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Selection Criteria

The selection process is carried out internally by eligible Canadian institutions based on three criteria: academic excellence, research potential, and the expected quality of the training and mentorship to be received. Institutions have the discretion to apply stricter selection criteria than those provided by the agencies. Self-identification data provided with applications may also be used to determine eligibility for supplementary funding opportunities designated for specific underrepresented groups, including Black and Indigenous student researchers.