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Undergraduate Student Research Awards, Summer 2025

USRA Program Overview

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.

The USRA program was previously specific to the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC). But for the past few years, has included awards from the other two federal granting agencies: the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Each of the Carleton faculties listed below has a number of available positions for the NSERC awards, and its own selection process. Applications are particularly encouraged from Indigenous and Black student researchers, for whom there is additional funding.

The university will additionally receive awards through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). These positions are available only to student researchers who self-identify as Black. The mechanics of these awards (eligibility, duration, stipend, etc.) remain the same as the NSERC stream. The subject matter being researched, however, must fall under the mandate of the relevant council.

For more information about the USRA program and application instructions, please visit: the relevant Carleton Office for Research Initiatives and Services page, as well as the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Undergraduate Student Research Awards page.

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for an award, you must:

In addition…

Students are not eligible to apply for a USRA if:

To hold an award, you must:

You may also find it helpful to review: Frequently asked questions about USRAs

Eligible Supervisors of USRA Students

Any faculty member who is authorized to supervise undergraduate students at Carleton in the relevant discipline is eligible to act as a supervisor. It is not necessary for the Supervisor’s research program to fall exclusively within the purview of the selected agency.

Award Value

For the 14-16 week duration of positions held between May 1, 2025, to August 31, 2025, the total value of the award ranges from:

Application Deadline and Submission:

For the CIHR/SSHRC USRA: submission is via webform by March 7, 2025

For the NSERC USRA:

Here is the link to instructions for completing an application – form 202 for the Undergraduate Student Research Awards:  NSERC – Online Services – Instructions.

In addition to submitting via this method in the NSERC Online services portal, please send your complete application, as a PDF, to:  Sarah Mohammed (by no later than 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 26th, 2025).

Past Winners