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:
- Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or Protected Person as of the appropriate application deadline date
- Be registered, at the time you apply, in a bachelor’s degree program
- Have obtained, over the previous year(s) of study, a second-class Overall CGPA. At Carleton, this translates into a B-/7.0
In addition…
- If the student is already holding a bachelor’s degree and is studying toward a second, they may still apply for this award
- With written supervisory approval, student can be registered in up to 1.0 credit, outside of regular working hours. Over the summer, this translates into a maximum of 0.5 credit in early summer and 0.5 credit in the late summer term
- With written supervisory approval, student can be in a coop placement
- Students may hold only one USRA per fiscal year (1 May to 30 April)
- Students may hold a maximum of three USRAs throughout their undergraduate career (regardless of agency)
Students are not eligible to apply for a USRA if:
- They have already held 3 USRAs
- They have already held a USRA during the same fiscal year (April 1 – March 30)
- They are currently enrolled in an undergraduate professional degree program in the health sciences (e.g., MD, DDS, BScN) (does not apply for CIHR USRAs); or
- They are currently registered or have previously been registered in a graduate program in the same field of study
- They have completed all their degree requirements at the time of application
To hold an award, you must:
- Have completed all the course requirements of at least the first year of university study for your bachelor’s degree
- Have been registered in at least one of the two terms immediately before holding the award, in a bachelor’s degree program – whether part-time or full-time (Study abroad is permitted within this rule, provided the student was registered in a bachelor’s degree program)
- Not be registered in a graduate program
- Recipients are not permitted to do thesis research during the term of the award. It is permitted to use data acquired during a USRA as the basis of a thesis, provided registration in the thesis course starts after the USRA employment is completed.
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:
- 14 weeks: minimum amount of $8,428.00
- 15 weeks: minimum amount of $9,030.00
- 16 weeks: minimum amount of $9,632.00
- Note: Carleton pays the awards directly to the USRA recipients. The program makes no provisions for sick leave, or for other types of interruptions. Should sick or vacation leave be incurred during the employment period, the student would just need to ensure they worked their total number of hours by their award end date.
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).