NSERC USRAs
2025 NSERC USRAs
NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada) offers USRAs (Undergraduate Student Research Awards) each summer.
USRAs provide undergraduate students paid, full-time work over the summer as a student assistant on a research project under the supervision of a USask faculty member.
Most of our awards are from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) to support student research in the natural sciences or engineering.
There are additional award opportunities for Black Student Researchers to conduct research in the social sciences and humanities through a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) USRA, or health research through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) USRA.
There are five different types of USRA Awards:
- NSERC USRAs (61 Awards for USask) - Applications closed
- NSERC USRAs for Indigenous Student Researchers (Unlimited Awards for USask) - Applications closed
- NSERC USRAs for Black Student Researchers (6 Awards for USask) - Applications Closed
- SSHRC USRA for Black Student Researchers (3 Awards for USask) - Applications Closed
- CIHR USRA for Black Student Researchers (3 Awards for USask) - Applications Closed
Applications must include completed application forms from both the student applicant and faculty supervisor.
Contact undergraduate.research@usask.ca with any questions.
Award Details
NSERC USRAs last for 14-16 weeks from May to August, and students are paid $15 - $20.41/hour plus benefits. NSERC provides $6000 for the award and a faculty supervisor provides additional funds so that students are paid USask rates for undergraduate students.
Eligibility
Requirements to apply for the award:
- Be a Canadian Citizen, Permanent Resident, or have Protected Status. International Students are not eligible for this award program.
- Be registered in a bachelor’s degree program at the application deadline
- Have a cumulative average of at least a B- (or 70).
- You cannot be enrolled in an undergraduate professional degree program in the health sciences (MD, DDS, or BScN) to hold an NSERC (does not apply for CIHR USRAs).
- You cannot have been registered at any time in a graduate program in the same field of study (for example, you cannot have started a graduate program in the natural sciences or engineering and apply for an NSERC USRA).
- You can only hold 1 NSERC USRA per fiscal year (April 1 – March 31).
- You can only hold 3 NSERC USRAs in your undergrad career.
Requirements to hold the award:
- Have completed at least two semesters of university.
- You can hold the award if you have completed your degree (for example if you convocated in the spring).
- You are expected to engage on a full-time basis in research and development activities during the tenure of the award.
- Award recipients may take a maximum of two courses during the tenure of the award if special arrangements to make up the time have been made with the supervisor.
- The proposed research project must be for 14-16 weeks of full-time work in a subject matter appropriate to the award (for example, NSERC awards must meet NSE eligibility criteria).
Note: CIHR and SSHRC USRAs are, at the present time, exclusively for Black student researchers. To be considered for these awards or the NSERC USRA for Black Student Researchers, you must self-identify as Black. Applying for this award means that you self-identify as Black and that you consent to this information about your identity being shared with NSERC and, if awarded, publicly.
Note: Only Indigenous Students may apply for the NSERC USRA for Indigenous Student Researchers. Verification of Indigenous Membership/Citizenship at the University of Saskatchewan is led and determined by the deybwewin | taapwaywin | tapwewin: Indigenous Truth policy and Standing Committee in accordance with the processes developed to enact the policy. Verification of Indigenous Membership/Citizenship with documentation is a condition of receiving this award.
Note: Applications must meet the subject matter eligibility criteria for the award. Please see Selecting the Appropriate Federal Granting Agency for guidance on eligibility for NSERC, SSHRC, and CIHR. For NSERC projects that relate to health please also review the Addendum to the guidelines for the eligibility of applications related to health. If the adjudication committee has any concerns regarding application eligibility, the application will be rejected.
Application Process
All applications will be submitted through Canvas. Students should self-enroll in the Canvas Course for the award that they are applying for using the links in the Apply section below.
Students from other universities who are applying to work with a USask faculty member will submit their applications via email to undergraduate.research@usask.ca.
The application includes two forms. One is to be completed by the student, and the other is to be completed by the faculty supervisor. Students are responsible for uploading all forms to Canvas. Students do not need to provide USask Transcripts for this application. If you have taken classes at other universities, you must submit official transcripts from those universities that include a legend. You should not submit transcripts for university courses taken in high school.
Only students who are selected for an award will be required to submit their application to the NSERC Portal in March.
- Review the list of eligibility requirements to ensure that you qualify to apply for and hold a USRA.
- Identify a professor that you are interested in working with and contact them to discuss research opportunities. Check out our Events and Resources section for guides on how to talk to a professor about a research position.
- If the professor agrees to support your application, be prepared to submit your application to Canvas. Please note that one of the forms you submit will need to be completed by your faculty supervisor.
- Self-enroll in the Canvas Course for the Award you want to apply for using the links below. Note only USask students will be able to enroll in the Canvas course.
- Submit your application as the assignment in your Canvas Course. Students from other institutions will email their completed application to undergraduate.research@usask.ca.
Your application will include:
- Student Application Form.
- If applicable: Additional Scholarships & Other Awards Received pages (only attach if you need more space to list scholarships and awards than was provided in the Student Application Form. Instructions are within the Student Application Form).
- Faculty Mentor Application Form.
- If applicable: If you attended a university or universities other than USask, you will need to upload official transcripts from those universities. If you have only attended USask, you do not need to attach USask transcripts.
Applications will be evaluated with the following criteria:
- Quality of the Research Experience & Anticipated Mentorship 40% (evaluated based on Faculty Mentor Application form)
- Academic Performance 30% (evaluated based on GPA and GPA by year, transcripts, and awards listed on student application form. (If a student has experienced extenuating circumstances they believe have impacted their academic performance, they should also answer question four on the student application form, as that response will be considered in adjudicating academic performance.)
- Student Research Potential 30% (evaluated based on answers to questions 1 – 3 on student application form)
A detailed rubric has been developed that includes descriptions of how the above criteria will be evaluated. You can review the rubric here or in your Canvas course.
Results for the following streams were released on March 14, 2025. Congratulations to all awardees!
- General NSERC USRA
- NSERC USRA for Black Student Researchers
- NSERC USRA for Indigenous Student Researchers
Results for the CIHR and SSHRC USRAs for Black Student Researchers will be released by the end of March.
Results will be shared with students in March. Students who are selected for NSERC, SSHRC, and CIHR USRAs will be required to create an NSERC account and submit their applications to that portal. Sessions will be scheduled to assist students with this process.
Students who are waitlisted for this award will be notified that they have been waitlisted and contacted as soon as possible if any spots open up.
Apply
All Tri-Agency USRA streams are now closed for applications.
Results for the following streams were released on March 14, 2025. Congratulations to all awardees!
- General NSERC USRA
- NSERC USRA for Black Student Researchers
- NSERC USRA for Indigenous Student Researchers
Results for the CIHR and SSHRC USRAs for Black Student Researchers will be released by the end of March.
The application portals for each award are separate. Students should select the award that is the best fit for them and only apply for one award. Note: Students who qualify for an NSERC Award for Black Student scholars and apply for that award will automatically be considered for an NSERC USRA Award and only need to submit their application to the Canvas course for NSERC USRA Awards for Black Student Scholars.
If you are an undergraduate student at a different university and are applying for an NSERC, SSHRC, or CIHR USRA to work with a USask faculty member, please email your completed application to undergraduate.research@usask.ca.
If you have questions about which award you should apply for, contact undergraduate.research@usask.ca.
This stream is now closed as of January 24, 2025. Results were released on March 14, 2025. Congratulations to all awardees!
USask has been allocated 61 NSERC USRAs for our summer 2025 competition. This award is for projects in the natural sciences or engineering.
Note: Applications must meet the subject matter eligibility criteria for NSERC. Please see Selecting the Appropriate Federal Granting Agency for guidance on eligibility. For projects that relate to health please also review the Addendum to the guidelines for the eligibility of applications related to health. If the adjudication committee has any concerns regarding application eligibility, the application will be rejected.
This stream is now closed as of February 14, 2025. Results were released on March 14, 2025. Congratulations to all awardees!
We are planning to contact applicants in March.
USask can put forward all eligible applications from Indigenous Students for this award. This award is for projects in the natural sciences or engineering.
Note: Applications must meet the subject matter eligibility criteria for NSERC. Please see Selecting the Appropriate Federal Granting Agency for guidance on eligibility. For projects that relate to health please also review the Addendum to the guidelines for the eligibility of applications related to health. If the adjudication committee has any concerns regarding application eligibility, the application will be rejected.
Only Indigenous candidates will be considered for this award. For this award, Indigenous includes First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people of Canada.
Verification of Indigenous Membership/Citizenship at the University of Saskatchewan is led and determined by the deybwewin | taapwaywin | tapwewin: Indigenous Truth policy and Standing Committee in accordance with the processes developed to enact the policy. Verification of Indigenous Membership/Citizenship with documentation is a condition of receiving this award.
Please visit https://indigenous.usask.ca/indigenous-initiatives/deybwewin-taapwaywin-tapwewin.php to proceed through the verification system. If you have any questions or require additional information about deybwewin | taapwaywin | tapwewin, please contact indigenoustruthpolicy@usask.ca
This stream is now closed as of January 24, 2025. Results were released on March 14, 2025. Congratulations to all awardees!
USask has been allocated six NSERC USRAs for Black Student Researchers. Students applying for this award will automatically be considered for one of our 61 NSERC USRAs if they are not selected for one of these awards. This award is for projects in the natural sciences or engineering.
Note: Applications must meet the subject matter eligibility criteria for NSERC. Please see Selecting the Appropriate Federal Granting Agency for guidance on eligibility. For projects that relate to health please also review the Addendum to the guidelines for the eligibility of applications related to health. If the adjudication committee has any concerns regarding application eligibility, the application will be rejected.
Applying for this award means that you self-identify as Black and that you consent to this information about your identity being shared with NSERC and, if awarded, publicly.
This stream is now closed as of March 7, 2025. Good luck to all applicants!
We are planning to contact applicants by the end of March.
Applying for this award means that you self-identify as Black and that you consent to this information about your identity being shared with NSERC and, if awarded, publicly.
Note: Applications must meet the subject matter eligibility criteria for SSHRC. Please see Selecting the Appropriate Federal Granting Agency for guidance on eligibility. If the adjudication committee has any concerns regarding application eligibility, the application will be rejected.
This stream is now closed as of March 7, 2025. Good luck to all applicants!
We are planning to contact applicants by the end of March.
USask has been allocated three CIHR USRA for Black Student Researchers.
This award is for projects in health research. Students enrolled in an undergraduate professional degree program in the health sciences (MD, DDS, or BScN) are eligible for this award.
Applying for this award means that you self-identify as Black and that you consent to this information about your identity being shared with NSERC and, if awarded, publicly.
Note: Applications must meet the subject matter eligibility criteria for CIHR. Please see Selecting the Appropriate Federal Granting Agency for guidance on eligibility. If the adjudication committee has any concerns regarding application eligibility, the application will be rejected.
Info for Faculty and Departments
Supervisors must be eligible to hold the same tri-agency funding that their student is applying for; however, they do not have to have an active award at the time of application. For example, supervisors of NSERC USRAs must be eligible to hold an NSERC award. The supervisor must have sufficient funds to provide a supplement in addition to the NSERC base pay of $6000 to offset salary costs.
Faculty may act as a supervisor for no more than 3 student applications for NSERC USRAs.
Faculty may act as a supervisor for additional USRAs for Indigenous and Black Student Researchers applying for the following:
- NSERC USRA for Indigenous Student Researchers
- NSERC USRA for Black Student Researchers (Applications closed)
- SSHRC USRA for Black Student Researchers
- CIHR USRA for Black Student Researchers
The USRAs at USask are held as paid summer job positions (May through August), not as stipends, in compliance with the Canada Revenue Agency's decision on summer assistantships.
If awarded, the Tri-Agency provides $6,000 for a full-time 14 -16-week period of research-related experience for students. Faculty supervisors must supplement the USRA to comply with Saskatchewan’s provincial employment standards (minimum wage minimum). Student wages at USask have increased to reflect this minimum, and the current range is $15.00 - $20.41 per hour. Where students are performing more advanced research or working with more autonomy, faculty can also move into salary band three which caps at $23.86.
For guidance in selecting a student's rate of pay, please consider academic and research experience. See our 2025 Student Wages Calculator for additional guidance.
Students will be submitting applications through Canvas rather than directly to the NSERC Portal.
Faculty will be required to complete the Faculty Mentor Application Form, and should send the completed form to their student to upload into the Canvas site by the deadline.
Only students who are awarded USRAs will be required to create an NSERC account and submit their applications to that portal. If your student is selected for an award, you will be required to submit Form 202 Part II to the NSERC Portal in March. RASI will share a guide with students and faculty on how to use the portal, and sessions will be scheduled to assist students with this process.
USask faculty are invited to submit applications to join USASk’s NSERC USRA Adjudication Committee! Please complete the application form by January 28th, 2025. Committee members will be selected and contacted by January 31st.
The Terms of Reference outlines the Committee’s Mandate, Membership Criteria, and Review Process.
Please contact Leah Houseman at undergraduate.research@usask.ca with any questions about the application process.
Events & Resources
When: April 1, 2025
Where: Thorvaldson Building, Room 110
You can also join our mailing list to be notified about future events.
- Talking to a Professor About a Research Position Slides
- Intro to USask's NSERC USRA - Dec 2024 Slides
- How to Identify Your Research Scholarly and Artistic Skills
Faculty Information Session: USask's NSERC USRA Process for 2025
Want to boost your summer student's chances of USRA success? Join RASI and Dr. James (J.D.) Johnston as they share tips for mentoring students applying for USRAs. The zoom link will be provided when you register for this event. Contact undergraduate.research@usask.ca with any questions or if you do not receive the meeting link.
More to come!