Award Announcement
The Undergraduate Research Initiative would like to thank all students for their applications to the NSERC USRA 2024 competition. Successful applicants in the general NSERC USRA stream have been notified of their award. Those on the waitlist have also been contacted. Students who have not received a letter will not be offered an award for 2024.
As a reminder, the NSERC USRAs are incredibly competitive. This year, USask received 141 applications, of which only 60 could be awarded in accordance with our NSERC USRA allocation.
Note: Students applying in the following streams will receive their results early the week of 04 March:
- NSERC USRAs for Indigenous Student Researchers
- NSERC USRAs for Black Student Researchers
- SSHRC USRA for Black Student Researchers
- CIHR USRA for Black Student Researchers
NSERC USRA Overview
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRAs)
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 USRA Awards:
- NSERC USRAs (60 Awards for USask)
- NSERC USRAs for Indigenous Student Researchers (Unlimited Awards for USask)
- NSERC USRAs for Black Student Researchers (Unlimited Awards for USask)
- SSHRC USRA for Black Student Researchers (1 Award for USask)
- CIHR USRA for Black Student Researchers (1 Award for USask)
Applications for summer 2024 are due at 11:59pm (SK Time) on January 31st, 2024. Changes have been made to our application process, so make sure to review the details below. 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 $14 - $16.96/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.
Students need to find a faculty supervisor before applying for these awards. That faculty member will complete part of the application.
Eligibility
- 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 (January 31st 2024)
- 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.
If you already hold a bachelor's degree and are studying toward a second bachelor's degree, you may still apply to this program.
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.
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.
Application Process
New for 2024, 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.
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 by January 31st, 2024.
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 that are selected for an award will be required to submit their application to the NSERC Portal in early 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 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 by January 31st! 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.
- Submit your application as the assignment in your Canvas Course.
Your application will include:
- Faculty Application Form (Form 202 Part II)
- Student Application Form
- Official Transcripts from other Universities (only if you have taken courses at other universities).
Applications will be evaluated with the following criteria:
- Academic Performance 30% (evaluated based on GPA and GPA by year, transcripts, department ranking, awards listed on student application form and optional answer to question four on the student application form)
- Quality of the Research Experience & Anticipated Mentorship 40% (evaluated based on faculty application form)
- Student Research Potential 30% (evaluated based on answers to questions 1 – 3 on student application form)
Rubric
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 will be shared with students in late February.
Students who are selected for NSERC Awards 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 contacted in early March.
Apply
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.
If you are an undergraduate student at a different university and are applying for an NSERC USRA to work with a USask faculty member, please email undergraduate.research@usask.ca for more information regarding your application process.
If you have questions about which award you should apply for, contact undergraduate.research@usask.ca.
USask has been allocated 60 NSERC USRAs for our summer 2024 competition. This award is for projects in the natural sciences or engineering.
USask can put forward all eligible applications from Indigenous Students for this award.
This award is for projects in the natural sciences or engineering.
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.
USask can put forward all eligible applications from Black Students for this award.
This award is for projects in the natural sciences or engineering.
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.
USask has been allocated one SSHRC USRA for a Black Student Researcher.
This award is for projects in the social sciences or humanities.
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.
USask has been allocated one CIHR USRA for a Black Student Researcher.
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.
Info for Faculty & 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 bay 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
- SSHRC USRA for Black Student Researchers
- CIHR USRA for Black Student Researchers
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). The range for the faculty contribution is from $2,410.68 - $4,188.94 for 14 weeks or $3,612.20 - $5,644.50 for 16 weeks.
The USRAs at USask are held as paid summer job positions (May through August), not as stipends, in compliance with Canada Revenue Agency decision on summer assistantships.
New for 2024, Students will be submitting applications through Canvas rather than directly to the NSERC Portal.
Faculty will be required to complete the Faculty Application Form (which includes the same questions as Form 202 Part II), and should send the completed form to their student to upload into the Canvas site by January 31st 2024.
Students that 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 early March. Sessions will be scheduled to assist students with this process.
Departments have a crucial role in USask’s NSERC USRA process for 2024.
To ensure consistent understandings of grading at the department level, we require Departments to submit a list of ranked student applicants in terms of academic performance (considering grades and year in the program). Please email your ranked list of applicants to undergraduate.research@usask.ca by the end of day on 31 January 2024.
If the faculty supervisor is in a different department / college than the student applicant, the student should be ranked by the faculty supervisor’s department / college. Contact undergraduate.research@usask.ca with any questions about the ranking process.
USask faculty are invited to submit applications to join USASk’s NSERC USRA Adjudication Committee! Please complete the application form by January 17th 2024. Committee members will be selected and contacted by January 18th.
The Terms of Reference outlines the Committee’s Mandate, Membership Criteria, and Review Process.
Please contact Mandy Fehr (Coordinator, Undergraduate Research, Scholarly, and Artistic Work) at undergraduate.research@usask.ca with any questions about the application process.
Events & Resources
| Event | Date/Time | Location | Registration |
| Student Workshop: Identifying Your Research, Scholarly, and Artistic Skills - In-Person Session | Tuesday, 09 January 2024 at 11:30am-12:50pm | Thorvaldson 110 | Register |
| Student Workshop: Identifying Your Research, Scholarly, and Artistic Skills - Virtual Session | Thursday, 11 January 2024 at 4:30-5:50pm | Online | Register |
| Undergraduate Student Research Awards Application Support Workshop | Wednesday, 17 January 2024 at 11:30am-1:30pm | GEOL 261 | |
| Undergraduate Student Research Awards Application Support Workshop | Thursday, 18 January 2024 at 2:30-4:30pm | AGRI 2C71 |
- Intro to USask NSERC USRA for 2024
- USask NSERC USRA Process Information Session
- Talking to a Professor About a Research Position Slides
- How to Identify Your Research Scholarly and Artistic Skills
More to come!