2024 Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA)

The Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA) program supports more than 3,000 students annually and is administered jointly by Canada’s three research granting agencies: the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).

Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRAs) are meant to nurture your interest and fully develop your potential for a research career in health, natural sciences, engineering, social sciences or 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.

Deadline: Set by the Faculty - Spring 2024. Please confirm dates with your faculty.

Duration: 14–16 weeks (summer 2024)

All students interested in applying should review the following:

• USRA program overview, on the USRA website (external link) 
•  (PDF file) 2024 TMU USRA Application Guidelines 
•  (PDF file) 2024 TMU USRA Application Guidelines Addendum

Eligibility

Additional details can be found 2024 TMU USRA Competition Guidelines document.

• 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 application deadline.
• Be registered in a bachelor's degree program at an eligible university as of the application deadline.
• Have obtained a cumulative GPA equivalent to a B (3.0 at TMU) over the previous years of study.
• Have completed all the course requirements of at least your bachelor's degree’s first year of university study (2 academic terms). Preference will be given to students entering their 3rd and 4th year of study.
• Be engaged on a full-time basis in research and development activities in your proposed field of research during the tenure of the award.

You may hold a maximum of 3 USRAs throughout your (undergraduate) university career.

Black student researchers

For CIHR and SSHRC: At the present time, CIHR and SSHRC USRAs are exclusively for self-identified Black student researchers. Institutions are assigned an allocation of awards: 1 CIHR and 3 SSHRC USRA for TMU.

To be eligible for these awards, you must:

1.  indicate your eligibility by checking the relevant box within the URO/USRA application form; and
2.  you will need to self-identify as Black by checking the relevant box within the Form 202 (this step will only be required if selected for the award).

For NSERC: Institutions may recommend applications from self-identified Black student researchers for USRAs beyond their allocation of awards.

NOTE: this self-identification will be shared with the institution to which you are applying and, if awarded, publicly. 

Indigenous student researchers (for NSERC only)

Institutions may recommend applications from self-identified Indigenous student researchers for USRAs beyond their allocation of awards.

To be eligible for these awards, you must:

1. indicate your eligibility by checking the relevant box within the URO/USRA application form; and
2.  you will need to self-identify as Indigenous by checking the relevant box within the Form 202 (this step will only be required if selected for the award).

NOTE: this self-identification will be shared with the institution to which you are applying and, if awarded, publicly. 

Important changes to the program:

1. Supervisors no longer need to hold an active grant to be eligible but they still need to provide supplemental funding. They also need to be a TFA member.
2. For NSERC only: While the proposed research project must clearly lie within the natural sciences and/or engineering (NSE), it is not necessary for the proposed supervisor’s research program to be exclusively within the NSE. 

New this year: Form 202 will only be required for applicants/supervisors who have been selected for the award by their faculty.