Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA)

The Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRAs) allow students to gain valuable research work experience that complements their studies in an academic setting by providing financial support available through the host institution. Through the support of the USRA program, students are able to develop the potential for a research career in health, natural sciences, engineering, social sciences, or humanities while it also encourages students to undertake graduate studies and foster the pursuit of a research career in these fields. 

Students and Faculty are encouraged to consult the NSERC USRA Guidelines before completing an application.

Note: Students are permitted to hold a USRA during a co-op placement. Trent Careerspace may be able to assist you in finding a placement. 

Deadline: Applications are now closed for the 2024 USRA summer competition.

Duration: 14 - 16 consecutive weeks, from May 1st, 2024

Award Value: $6000 from NSERC plus host institution/supervisor contribution (see below)

• NSERC's contribution is paid directly to the host institution and is included in the student's salary.
• NSERC will not reimburse the institution for any period during which students worked part-time. No payment will be approved for any vacation leave taken during the tenure of the award. 

Based on the current ON minimum wage requirements (minimum wage is $16.55 per hour) and vacation pay and benefits,

• The minimum pay for the tenure of the award of 14 weeks is $9,368.42 ($6,000 awarded from NSERC + $3,368.42 supervisor’s contribution)
• The minimum pay for the tenure of the award of 15 weeks is $10,037.59 ($6,000 awarded from NSERC + $4,037.59 supervisor’s contribution)
• The minimum pay for the tenure of the award of 16 weeks is $10,706.76 ($6,000 awarded from NSERC + $4,706.76 supervisor’s contribution)

**SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS**

Indigenous heritage students (NSERC only)

• NSERC USRA: All applications from students of Indigenous heritage that otherwise meet all the eligibility criteria will be submitted to NSERC for funding.

Black heritage students 

• NSERC USRA: All applications from students of Black heritage that otherwise meet the eligibility criteria will submitted to NSERC for funding.
• CIHR and SSHRC USRAs: Trent University plans to host 1 CIHR USRA and 1 SSHRC USRA recipient at our campuses. This unique pilot competition will run concurrently with the NSERC USRA competition and use the existing NSERC USRA portal.

Note: CIHR and SSHRC USRAs are, at the present time, exclusively for Black student researchers. To be considered, students must self-identify as Black.

All Students

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 internal deadline date for applications.
• Be registered in a non-professional bachelor's degree program as of the internal deadline date for applications.
• Have a minimum cumulative average of 70% (B - range)
• Not be currently enrolled in an undergraduate professional degree program in the health sciences (e.g., MD, DDS, BScN) (does not apply for CIHR USRAs)
• Not be currently registered or have been previously registered, at any time, in a graduate program in the same field of study.
• Not have completed all your degree requirements.
• Have a supervisor who is willing to co-apply for the award and has the resources to pay the supervisor portion of the award in accordance with the NSERC guidelines above.

Note: CIHR and SSHRC USRAs are, at the present time, exclusively for Black student researchers. To be considered, students must self-identify as Black.

In addition:

• You may still apply for this award if you already hold a bachelor’s degree and are studying toward a second bachelor’s degree.
• 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, students must:

• Have completed all the course requirements of at least the 1st year of their bachelor’s program;
• Have been registered in a bachelor's degree program in the term immediately before holding the award;
• Not take daytime courses during the term of the award in order to dedicate themselves to award activities on a full-time basis;
• Must be employed full-time in eligible research and development activities in the proposed field of research during the tenure of the award and
• Not registered in a graduate program and not do thesis research during the term of the award.

Black Scholars

If a student seeks consideration for one of the Black Scholar awards (NSERC, SSHRC or CIHR), they are required to meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Be an undergraduate student who identifies as Black;
• Register on the NSERC USRA portal and complete the self-identification processes;
• Meet all of the other requirements for a USRA award listed above (citizenship status, academic standing, enrolled in a bachelor's program, etc.);

Supervisors

NSERC will no longer require professors to hold an active eligible grant when applying to supervise a USRA student. NSERC considers anyone who is authorized by their university to independently supervise students to be an eligible supervisor. 

Supervisors must have sufficient research funds from an eligible source (internal or external grant) to be able to pay upfront the full amount of the award supplement ($6,000 awarded from NSERC + supervisor’s contribution).

Subject matter eligibility

NSERC, CIHR, and SSHRC support and promote high-quality research in a wide variety of disciplines and areas, which are divided into broad fields of research (health, natural sciences and engineering, and social sciences and humanities). This includes research that bridges two or more disciplines or that requires the skills of several disciplines.

For more information, refer to the Selecting the appropriate federal granting agency web page.

It is not necessary for your proposed supervisor’s research program to be exclusively within your selected agency’s field of study (health, natural sciences, and engineering, or social sciences and humanities).

1. Interested students should review the USRA information and eligibility guidelines posted on the NSERC website.
2. Students should connect with a Trent University faculty member who they are interested in being their supervisor.
3. Eligible students complete an application form (Form 202 - Part I) by creating an On-line System Login here.
   • If this is your first time applying for a USRA, you must register before starting forms. If you applied for a USRA in previous years, please DO NOT create a new account or a new Form 202. Instead, update Part I of the application previously submitted. 
   • Share the reference number generated after completing Form 202 - Part I with your supervisor.
4. The student's supervisor completes Form 202 - Part II through the online portal from their own account. Parts I and II of the form are linked by the professor using the reference number provided by the student. The supervisor submits both Parts I and II to the online system, which are sent automatically to the Trent Office of Research.***Instructions for completing the application can be found in this video.
5. All the students must submit the following additional documents to Chathurika Hettiarachchi in a single email and confirm that they have completed their application in the NSERC portal.
   • Student’s 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 the link to their professional goals. Maximum 250 words.

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).

Transcripts

All transcripts must be combined into a single PDF file. 

Official transcripts can be accessed through MyCreds, found in the myTrent portal. Follow the instructions here for ordering transcripts. Instructions on the procedure to obtain a PDF copy of your transcripts for upload to the NSERC portal can be found in this video.

• Trent University Students: Please note that official transcripts are not required for the internal deadline for applications and the adjudication process. Instead, please upload a copy of your unofficial transcript to the portal/online application for this deadline. If you are awarded a USRA scholarship, it is at that time you may be required to update the portal with your official transcripts.
• Students from other Universities: Official Transcripts will be required at the time of the internal deadline. When you upload a copy of your official transcript, please ensure that the transcript key/legend is included as well. This key can usually be found on the back of your official transcript.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and contact details

The answers to frequently asked questions regarding the NSERC USRA program can be found here.

For further inquiries on Trent University's USRA program, please contact Chathurika Hettiarachchi.