Summer Scholarships: The NSERC USRA
A Canadian scholarship to help you get paid to do research during the summer
Are you interested in conducting research during your undergraduate career, AND getting paid for working in research? Then you have come to the right place to learn about the most competitive and coveted scholarship among science students in university, the NSERC USRA.
The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) is Canada’s largest supporter of research and innovation and is a very common source of funding for students and faculty in research across Canadian universities. Every year, the NSERC holds a competition for undergraduate students to apply for a USRA, an undergraduate student research award.
It is important to note that these research scholarships, concerning the application deadlines, requirements prerequisites etc. all depend on the university you attend, as well as the department/school you are part of as part of your program of study. For example, I am a biology student at McMaster University in the Faculty of Science. The NSERC USRA competition in the department of biology is open to all students in the department and there are only 5 awards that are to be allocated, meaning, there are five students who will be chosen to participate in research with a supervisor in the department of biology.
It is very common for each university to share this information with students around this time as the award application deadlines typically are between March and April. Therefore I would highly recommend looking up the requirements for your specific school to secure a research scholarship. With that being said, there are some requirements and eligibility criteria to be aware of which I will summarize below.
Eligibility Criteria
Depending on your school, there will be internal application requirements including minimum GPA, and supplementary applications etc.; however, there are some minimum criteria set by NSERC that you should be aware of if you are interested in applying for a USRA (a detailed list of these criteria can be found on the NSERC USRA website linked here).
- You must be a Canadian citizen, and a permanent resident of Canada when applying for an NSERC USRA.
- You must be enrolled at a Canadian institution in a bachelor’s degree program. You will be likely to hold an NSERC USRA at the institution you attend for your undergraduate degree.
- You must have obtained a cumulative GPA of a B- to be eligible (refer to your own school’s GPA calculations to confirm). It is important to note that this is the minimum GPA to apply and it is likely that the competitive GPA to hold an award is much higher than a B-.
- You must have completed all course requirements for at least the first year of your program (you must have completed the first year to be eligible).
- You must secure a potential supervisor who is willing to host you as a research student. Therefore, once you know that the competition is active and the applications are open, it is good to begin to reach out to potential supervisors you would be interested in working with, or faculty members with whom you enjoy their research early to ensure they have not already committed to another student.
What will your summer look like?
If you were to obtain an NSERC USRA scholarship, you would have the opportunity to work full-time with a researcher to perform interesting research that is guaranteed to further your opportunities to conduct research as an undergraduate student and in the future as a potential career! Here are some things to know about the scholarship:
- USRAs have a value of $6,000, which is the stipend value you will receive at the end of your work term!
- Depending on the researcher and the length of the project, you may be entitled to work from between 14 to 16 weeks.
As you can tell, there are many advantages to this scholarship including the opportunity to work under amazing researchers, work full-time during the summer and earn income while performing research, and learn laboratory and research techniques that you can add to your resume and list of skills! If I have not convinced you yet, I would highly encourage you to do some more research into your own school’s program to learn about the requirements and application deadlines to ensure you earn a spot as the next NSERC USRA winner.
About the Writer
Wynter Sutchy is a third-year undergraduate student at McMaster University studying Biology (Physiology) and is from King City, ON. She is very passionate about the healthcare field and enjoys sharing her volunteering experiences through writing. She plans to pursue a career in medicine in the future and plans to explore the field of healthcare through research and volunteering throughout her undergraduate career. In her free time, you can expect her to be watching her favourite show, Greys Anatomy, teaching children how to swim, or baking some delicious desserts!
Source: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/students-etudiants/ug-pc/usra-brpc_eng.asp
