NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Awards

INTERNAL DEPARTMENTAL APPLICATION DEADLINE for NSERC USRA: March 10, 2023
Physiology's quota this year is 2 awards.

Supervisor Eligibility: supervisors no longer need to hold an active NSERC grant to supervise a USRA student.

Applicants must have completed a minimum of two terms at the time of application and by the start of the work term in May.
Applicants who self-identify as Black (similar to those who identify as Indigenous) are funded by NSERC above and beyond its allocation for USRA.
As these awards are competitive, departments are strongly urged to nominate only the most deserving students who can commit to the completion of the full 16-week work term.
Students must upload a PDF copy of either the academic history report/e-transcript/official paper transcript on NSERC’s online system when completing their application. (To ensure the authenticity of the transcript, we recommend that the Undergraduate Coordinator verify the transcript and make a PDF copy of the transcript for the eligible students to upload to the NSERC application), the e-transcript or academic history report that students can generate directly from ACORN are acceptable forms of a transcript.
Academic supervisors should supervise students at the department where they hold their primary appointment and/or where their grants are held. Quotas are not transferrable between departments. Supervisors with cross-appointments can supervise students at those departments with the Chair’s approval.
Start dates should not begin on a weekend/holiday and not before May 2nd, dates on all forms and nomination table should match.

Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada.
Registered either full-time or part-time at the time USRA application. Graduating students in the term immediately following the completion of their undergraduate program requirements, as long as they have not started a program of graduate studies.
Must have obtained, over the previous years of study, a cumulative average of at least second class (a grade of "B or "B-", if applicable). First-year students are excluded from the competition.

NSERC considers eligible supervisors to be those who meet NSERC’s Eligibility Criteria for Faculty, and be able to independently supervise students as per their appointment with their university.
Supervision of two NSERC grantees at the same time is allowed as long as they are engaged on a “genuine” research project. However, NSERC does not permit students to move between laboratories on different projects over the 16-week period since the Agency believes that this would dilute the value of the USRA experience.
The supervisor must ensure proper supervision of the USRA Awardeed at all times, especially during fieldwork. One NSERC grantee has to be designated as the student’s official supervisor.
Postdoctoral fellows, graduate or Ph.D. students are NOT eligible supervisors.
Quotas are not transferrable between departments. Therefore, researchers should supervise students at the department where they hold their primary appointment and/or where their grants are held

NSERC On-Line System – First time users need to register:
NSERC Initial registration for new users: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/OnlineServices-ServicesEnLigne/Index_eng.asp