Undergraduate Student Research Awards

USRA awards are meant to nurture interest and fully develop potential for a research career, as well as to encourage students to pursue graduate studies upon completing their undergraduate degree. The Tri-Agencies ecourages qualified Indigenous students and Black students to apply for this award. Institutions are able to submit mertiorious applications from both groups above their institutional quota.

These awards provide students with 14 or 16 consecutive weeks of work alongside a researcher on the UNB Fredericton or Saint John campus, and can be applied for during each of the three terms in an academic year.

New Funding Announcement:

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), and the Canadian Institues of Health Research (CIHR) have announced 95 SSHRC USRA, and 95 CIHR USRA awards for students of Black Heritage for the 2022-23 Undergraduate Student Research Award cycle. UNB is expecting to receive 1 SSHRC award and 1 CIHR award. Applications for these awards must be submitted using the NSERC USRA application portal and follow the same elegibilty and application guidelines detailed below. Please note: At present the SSHRC and CIHR awards are exclusivley for Black student researchers, the NSERC USRA is open to all students.

Value

$6,000 + contribution from proposed supervisor over 14 or 16 weeks

NSERC Supplements

Canadian Forest Sector Workforce Diversity undergraduate supplements - $5,000
- Applications are automatically considered by NSERC if the proposed project falls within the research areas of relevance to Natural Resources Canada - Canadian Forest Sector.
ECCC Atmospheric and Meteorological undergraduate supplements - $1,000
- USRA holders must apply directly to ECCC by August 1 of the summer they hold the award.

Eligibility

Before starting your application, please verify you meet all eligibility requirements posted on the NSERC USRA Program Page.

Citizenship

Canadian, Permanent Resident, or Protect Persons

Application Process

Before applying, consult the NSERC USRA Program Information page

Identify a supervisor	Students who have determined they are eligible, should reach out to Faculty members who are eligible to Supervise a USRA student. If you are looking for help finding a supervisor, a good place to start is with your Department Secretary or Undergraduate Coordinator.
Obtain transcripts	Transcripts are required to be attached to your application. Unofficial transcripts may be used at the time of application, but if you are selected for an award, official transcripts must be ordered from the Registrar's office.
Begin application	Both student and supervisor must complete a portion of the application. A complete video guide to the application can be found online. Written instructions can also be found online.
Submitting your application	As outlined in both the video and written application guide, students will submit their applica-tion which will provide a reference number. Students will need to send the reference number to their proposed supervisor, along with the last name submitted in the student’s application. The supervisor will then complete, and submit the application to the School of Graduate Stud-ies SLO through the NSERC Online System.

Supervising a student

In order to supervise a student, your research must fall into a research area that is fundable by one of the three Tri-Agencies.

Students associated with another institution are welcome to apply with a supervisor who holds faculty status with UNB.

For more information on eligible grants, please contact sgsaward@unb.ca.