Undergraduate Student Research Awards Program (USRA) – Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)

Students

To be eligible, the student must:

• be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident or a protected person under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act at the time of application;
• be enrolled in a non-professional bachelor’s program at an eligible university at the time of application (students in undergraduate professional degree programs in the health sciences are not eligible for NSERC USRAs, only for CIHR USRAs (e.g., MD, DDS, BScN);
• have a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 7.5. Note that because this is a competitive program, priority will be given to students who show academic excellence, as demonstrated by their CGPA;
• not hold a graduate degree, nor have ever enrolled in a graduate program, in the field of study of the award (natural sciences, engineering, health, social sciences or humanities);
• meets all the eligibility criteria as outlined in the USRA program description;
• has selected the agency whose mandate aligns most closely with their research and for which uOttawa has grants : Selecting the Appropriate Federal Granting Agency; please note that only self-identified Black student researchers are eligible for CIHR and SSHRC USRAs;
• has completed the self-identification statement and provided consent, if applicable (for Indigenous and Black Student Researchers);
• candidates who have fulfilled their degree requirements by the application deadline are not eligible to apply;
• not have previously received more than one USRA.

Note that if the student already holds a bachelor’s degree and is studying toward a second bachelor’s degree, they may still apply for this program.

To receive an award, the student must:

• as a minimum, have completed all the course requirements of the first year of their bachelor’s program;
  • NOTE: The University of Ottawa will give priority to students in their third or fourth year of study at the time of application.
• be registered in a bachelor’s degree program in the term immediately before receiving the award;
• not be enrolled in a graduate program in the natural sciences, engineering, health, social sciences or humanities;
• not take more than 2 courses during the term of the award if their supervisor allows it; requests to take courses, once approved by supervisor should also be requested to University of Ottawa Program Advisor at [email protected];
• not conduct thesis research during the term of the award.

Additional criteria:

• The term of the award cannot be deferred; the research project must take place during summer 2025.
• Students cannot hold an NSERC-USRA award at the same time as they are in receipt of a Faculty of Science Undergraduate Research Scholarship.
• The USRA program makes no provision for sick leave or other award interruptions.
• Late applications will NOT be accepted.

Supervisors

• Supervisors must hold a full-time tenured or tenure-track position at uOttawa or a permanent research position at one of uOttawa’s affiliated research institutes. Adjunct professors and professors emeriti are not eligible to supervise USRA students.
• Supervisors must have sufficient research funds to pay the full amount of the award (minimum of $7,500, of which $6,000 from NSERC + minimum $1,500 from the supervisor).
• Supervisors can submit a maximum of two applications per term.

The student is responsible for identifying, contacting and obtaining approval from a University of Ottawa supervisor before applying. The University of Ottawa experts database, list of research centres and institutes and Research Discovery Network page can help students identify potential supervisors, depending on their research specialization.

NSERC administers the USRA program and its application process on behalf of the three agencies. NSERC, CIHR and SSHRC applications follow the same process.

Important:

• When applying for funding, the student must complete the self-identification questionnaire found on the eConsole page: under Account Management, select Maintain user profile. If student does not wish to self-identify, they can select “I prefer not to answer” for each question, but they must select a response to complete the questionnaire.
• CIHR and SSHRC USRAs are exclusively for self-identifying Black students: these students must choose CIHR or SSHRC. To be eligible to apply for these awards, the student must self-identify as Black by checking the relevant box within the application form. Note that this self-identification information will be shared with the institution to which they are applying and, if awarded, will be posted publicly.
• Self-identifying Black researchers will be recommended for NSERC awards in addition to the University’s quota and applications will not be compared to applications within the mandatory quota. There is no institutional quota for self-identifying Indigenous student researchers for NSERC awards but there is a quota for providing additional awards for self-identifying Black student researchers for NSERC, CIHR and SSHRC USRAs. Please note that at present, CIHR and SSHRC USRAs are exclusively for Black student researchers.
• A $5,000 supplement from the Canadian Forest Sector Workforce Diversity undergraduate supplement program is available to those receiving a USRA. Learn more about the Canadian Forest Sector Workforce Diversity undergraduate supplement.

There are two components to applying for the USRA competition: one is submitted to NSERC directly and one is sent to the University of Ottawa’s International Research and Experiential Learning team. Please follow the directions below.

1. Submit the following documents via NSERC’s online application system:

• Form 202, Part I:
  To be completed by the student through their personal account on NSERC’s online application system. Make sure to select the appropriate agency (NSERC, CIHR or SSHRC). Please note that CIHR or SSHRC are exclusively for Black student researchers. Once all modules have been completed, please go to Portfolio page and select Verify to ensure all required information has been provided. Once the verification is complete, the student will receive a reference number, which must be forwarded to the professor. A student may submit only one application per year while at the University of Ottawa. If the student has previously used Form 202 to apply to NSERC, the student must first update the same form (including updated transcripts) and then submit it for this application.
• Form 202, Part II:
  The professor supervising the research will complete this form from their own account on NSERC’s online application system. The professor then links Parts I and II of the form by using the reference number provided by the student and submits the forms online.
  • Please note: the project start date must be between May 1, 2025, and June 1, 2025. The start date must be accurately entered on Form 202, Part II in order for the project to be eligible. If the proposed start date does not fall within this window, the application will not be accepted.
  • The supervising professor is responsible for submitting a research project to the USRA that falls within the selected agency’s mandate. With regards to NSERC, if judges find that the project does not fall within  that the project does not fall within the field of natural sciences or engineering (NSE), the professor may be asked to submit further clarification or incur the full costs of the award.
• Transcripts:
  All transcripts must be combined into a single PDF file. The formatting for margins, spacing, font and page numbers is outlined in NSERC’s online presentation and attachment standards (does not apply to the transcript file).
  • University of Ottawa students: Transcripts in PDF format from uoZone are accepted. An official transcript may be required at a later date if the award is granted. If you have also attended another university, please include a scanned copy of your official transcripts from that institution, including the legend on the back.
  • Students from other universities: Submit official transcripts, including the legend on the back of each transcript scanned into a single PDF file.
• Collection of self-identification data: Self-identification data provide information on the diversity of candidates applying for and receiving agency funds. This data is important for evaluating USRA programs and informing measures to enhance EDI among all those involved in the research enterprise. Candidates are requested to complete two sets of self-identification questions prior to submitting their application: a self-identification form whose data is used for general statistical purposes, and a self-identification statement whose data may be used to identify recipients for targeted undergraduate funding opportunities.
• With regards to NSERC only, it is important to give consent to share information included in the application including personal information, with other funding organizations in the objective of applying for joint funding opportunities. 

  2. Submit the following documents to IREX via email [email protected]:

• Student resumé:
  The resume must include sections on education, awards and research experience. Maximum two pages in length. Please note that students do not need to have research experience to receive the award.
• Statement of interest:
  The student must explain why they want to participate in the proposed research project and how this is linked to their professional goals.
• The candidate must indicate their year of studies.
• Please write a maximum 250 words.
• The student submits their resumé and statement of interest in a single email and confirms that they have completed their application in the NSERC portal.

NOTE: Your application will be processed once the complete admission package and all required documents are received. Applications will not be accepted if they’re incomplete (Form 202 Part I, Form 202 Part II, Transcript, Resumé, Statement of Interest).

Applications are assessed on the basis of the student’s academic excellence as demonstrated by their cumulative grade point average (CGPA). In addition, the University of Ottawa will give priority to students in their 3rd and 4th year of study at the time of application.

Self-identifying Black and Indigenous student applications will be assessed based on the student’s eligibility.

Award contracts are prepared by academic or administrative units of University of Ottawa faculties or affiliated institutes. The total award amount must be included in one single contract and paid from the supervisor’s research funds. Supervisors will be reimbursed the NSERC portion of the award ($6,000) once those funds are received.