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Research & Innovation

NSERC/SSHRC/CIHR Winter Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA) for Black and Indigenous Scholars

Research Admin Offices:

  • ROADS
  • HRS

Funding Type:

Grant

Opportunity Type:

  • Grant

Value:

USRAs have a value of $6,000, and the host institution is required to supplement the award. The duration of the award is 14 to 16 weeks on a full-time basis (35 hrs/wk, e.g. co-op placement).
The agency’s contribution is paid directly to the host institution and is included in the funds that awardees receive.
The granting agencies will not reimburse the institution for any period during which you worked part time. No payment will be approved for any vacation leave awardees take during tenure of the award.

Disciplines:

  • DeGroote School of Business
  • Faculty of Engineering
  • Faculty of Humanities
  • Faculty of Science
  • Faculty of Social Sciences
  • Health Sciences

Sponsors:

Deadlines:

Internal Deadline:

December 15, 2024

Sponsor Deadline:

January 15, 2025

Additional Dates:

  • Complete form 202 via NSERC’s via online system - December 15, 2024
  • ROADA to submit Final Applications - January 15, 2025

Description:

Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRAs) are meant to nurture interest and fully develop the potential of undergraduate students for a research career in health, natural sciences, engineering, social sciences or humanities. These awards are also meant to encourage undergraduate students to undertake graduate studies by providing research work experience that complements their studies in an academic setting.  You are permitted to hold a USRA during a co-op placement.
The Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA) program supports more than 3,000 students annually and is administered jointly by Canada’s three research granting agencies: the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).
At the present time, Winter 2025 NSERC USRAs are available to student researchers at McMaster who self-identify as Black and/or Indigenous on the application form, while Winter 2025 CIHR and SSHRC USRAs are exclusively for student researchers who self-identify as Black on the application form.

Additional Program Information:

There is no limit on the number of NSERC USRAs for Black and Indigenous student researchers at McMaster. However, for Winter 2025 the number of CIHR USRAs for Black student researchers at McMaster is limited to three (3), and the number of SSHRC USRAs for Black student researchers at McMaster is limited to two (2).
If the number of applications for CIHR and SSHRC USRAs submitted by Black student researchers at McMaster exceeds the University’s quota, then an internal selection committee will be established. The committee will select the awardees based on academic excellence, research potential, and expected quality of the training and mentorship to be received.

Eligibility:

To be eligible to apply for a Winter 2025 CIHR, NSERC or SSHRC USRA, a student:
  • must be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada or a Protected Person under subsection 95(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada), as of the deadline date for applications at the institution (September 3);
  • must be registered, as of the deadline date for applications at the institution (September 3), in a bachelor’s degree program at an eligible institution;
  • must have obtained, over the previous years of study, a satisfactory cumulative average (normally at least B-);
  • cannot be currently registered or have been previously registered, at any time, in a graduate program in the same field of study;
  • cannot have completed all degree requirements. However, applicants who already hold a bachelor’s degree and are studying toward a second bachelor’s degree are eligible to apply;
  • must not have already been awarded a USRA since April 1, 2024; and
  • must not have already been awarded three USRAs throughout their undergraduate career.
Additional eligibility requirements for CIHR USRAs:
  • must self-identify as Black on the application form.
Additional eligibility requirements for NSERC USRAs:
  • must self-identify as Black and/or Indigenous on the application form; and
  • cannot be currently enrolled in an undergraduate professional degree program in the health sciences (e.g., MD, DDS, BScN). 
Additional eligibility requirements for SSHRC USRAs:
  • must self-identify as Black on the application form; and
  • cannot be currently enrolled in an undergraduate professional degree program in the health sciences (e.g., MD, DDS, BScN). 
Eligibility to hold an award
To be eligible to hold a Winter 2025 CIHR, NSERC or SSHRC USRA, a student:
  • must have completed all the course requirements of at least the first year of study (or two academic terms) of their bachelor’s degree;
  • must have been registered in a bachelor’s degree program at the time of application and in at least one of the two terms immediately before holding the award;
  • must be employed full time (35 hrs/wk, e.g. co-op placement) in eligible research and development activities in their proposed field of research during tenure of the award; and
  • cannot be registered in a graduate program. 

Application/Nomination Process:

Applications for the USRA program must be completed and submitted to the Canadian institution where the applicant wishes to hold the award through NSERC’s online system. More information about the application process can be found at Instructions for completing an Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA) application – form 202.
A student can apply to more than one institution. However, please note that it is the institution’s choice whether to accept candidates from other institutions.

Resources:

Additional Details.

Contact:

For researchers with project ideas who are searching for eligible students, please contact your Faculty for assistance.
Below is the list of the faculty contacts
Faculty of Business
Faculty of Engineering
Faculty of Science
Sunita Nadella
Faculty of Health Sciences
Faculty of Social Sciences
Faculty of Humanities
 
For more information about the USRA program, please contact Kim Graham, ROADS.