NSERC UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH AWARDS (USRA) PROGRAM
2024-25 Competition – Internal Deadline and Application Procedures
Administered by Faculty of Medicine – Research & Graduate Studies (RGS) Office

Deadline for submission: January 29, 2024
 
Applications must be completed using the web-based NSERC Application. 

Undergraduate Students, who meet the eligibility requirements and are interested in carrying out a 16-week (35 hours per week) research/development work term in Natural Sciences and Engineering, under the supervision of a faculty NSERC research grant holder, are invited to submit an application to the 2024-25 NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Awards Program at Memorial. Research awards resulting from Memorial’s annual internal competition may be held in the SUMMER 2024, FALL 2024 or WINTER 2025 semester.

NSERC USRA Program Information

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

All applicants must apply through our online Qualtrics submission process (we no longer accept applications via email). Application window opens January 4, 2024 and closes January 29, 2024

• Students applying for a Memorial Faculty of Science, Faculty of Medicine, or School of Pharmacy NSERC USRA must complete the NSERC USRA questionnaire and upload a copy of their completed Form 202, Part I (this includes academic transcripts, which must list FALL 2023 grades and the courses enrolled in for the WINTER 2024 semester).
• For instructions on how to complete Form 202, Part I, students should refer to the NSERC website or contact sciencegrants@mun.ca. If you have not previously used the NSERC portal, you can create an account here. Although the NSERC On-line system instructs you to use official transcripts, we advise Memorial applicants to use up-to-date unofficial copies at the time of submission to our competition.

NEW FOR 2024: A questionnaire will ask applicants to describe, in no more than 200 words, their interest in scientific research, including (as appropriate) relevant experience in volunteering, MUCEPs, Co-op or other research activities. You may include particular circumstances or barriers that have limited your ability to engage in such activities.

FULL NSERC USRA APPLICATION PACKAGE INCLUDES:

• NSERC Form 202 Part I – Completed using NSERC’s online system
• Previous applicants can log in and edit the previous year’s form
• Upload a PDF copy of your Official University Transcript(s) (including one copy of the legend located on the back of the transcript) and attach it to the Form 202 Part I. For multiple transcripts, they must be uploaded as one PDF

STUDENT ELIGIBILITY

• Students must be Canadian citizens, permanent residents of Canada, or Protected Persons under subsection 95(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada)
• Applicants must be registered in an eligible undergraduate bachelor's degree program
• Award employment must be done in the Faculty of Medicine (St. John's campus)
• Applicants who self-identify as Indigenous or Black will be automatically granted a NSERC USRA award given they meet the minimum program requirements
• Students must have a cumulative average of at least second class (a grade of "B" or "B-,") as defined by Memorial
• Students may hold no more than three (3) USRAs during their undergraduate degree
• Students may not be working on an honours thesis during the semester for which they hold an NSERC USRA, and the research must be distinct from their honours thesis
• Students may not be enrolled in, or have completed, a graduate degree in the natural sciences or engineering

VALUE OF THE AWARD

$6,000 (from NSERC) plus the supervisors’ minimum mandatory top-up of $2,900 – for minimum award of $8,900.  Travel allowances are no longer granted.

DURATION OF THE AWARD

Mandatory 16 consecutive weeks (35 hour work week) – note that there is one competition at Memorial, but the research project work term can commence in the Summer 2023, Fall 2023, or Winter 2024 semester.

MEDICINE – RGS OFFICE CONTACT

Amy Carroll (709) 864-6338; e-mail rgsfunding@mun.ca

APPLICATION CHECKLIST

□ I have filled out and completed the appropriate questionnaire (NSERC USRA)

□ I have completed and attached Form 202, Part I at the end of the questionnaire   (NSERC USRA applications only)

□ I have attached my unofficial university transcripts (which includes FALL 2023 grades plus WINTER 2024 registered courses) at the end of the questionnaire (for USRA applicants, transcripts will be a part of Form 202, Part I)

Note: Students are not required to identify a supervisor at this point in the application process but you can list your preferred supervisor. Once awardees have been selected, the Faculty of Medicine will forward a list with contact information of faculty members who are eligible to supervise students and their research area(s) to those who have not identified a preferred supervisor.   

WHAT HAPPENS TO MY APPLICATION ONCE SUBMITTED?

Once all applications are collected, the Faculty of Medicine will work with the Faculty of Science to rank the applications and students will be notified if they are successful.  In past years, competitive awards have been based on student merit; departmental/unit ranking; year of program; and Committee consensus. 

For those students offered an award, the Medicine – RGS Office will assist with identifying an eligible research supervisor for each student, who will meet with the awardees to discuss a suitable research project, and determine the term period and potential start date.  Eligible supervisors will later be asked to complete the on-line NSERC Form 202 - Part II (inputting the student’s reference number) and confirm the student supplement amount from their research grant account once a connection has been confirmed with the student via the RGS Office.

For those students who wish to apply for a Science SURA, your NSERC USRA application will be used for that program as well.  For those students who wish to apply for a Medicine SURA, you must apply separately to the Faculty of Medicine SURA program.  The deadline for student applications for the Medicine SURA program is March 6, 2024. 

CAN I APPLY TO OTHER UNIVERSITIES BESIDES MEMORIAL?

Eligible students enrolled at Memorial may also apply to and, if offered an award, hold an award at any Canadian University but they must apply separately to another university within that university’s deadline date and comply with that university’s internal policies for the USRA Program. Students interested in applying to other universities should contact the other universities directly to inquire about competition closing dates, and information about the internal process for applying to the USRA program at that university. 

CAN I APPLY TO MEMORIAL EVEN THOUGH I ATTEND ANOTHER UNIVERSITY?

Yes, please submit the APPLICATION CHECKLIST items above.  For the Faculty of Medicine awards, preference will be given to Memorial University students.