For Students and Fellows – Overview – Undergraduate

Industrial Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA)

Value	Application Deadline	How to Apply
$4,500 plus company contribution	Minimum of four weeks before start date of work term	Form 202
Program Contacts

What are these awards for?

These awards are meant to stimulate your interest in research in the natural sciences and engineering. They are also meant to encourage you to undertake graduate studies and to pursue a research career in these fields. If you would like to gain research experience in an industrial setting, these awards can provide you with financial support through your host company. NSERC encourages qualified Aboriginal students to apply to this program.

Are you eligible for an award?

To be eligible to apply for an award, you must:

• be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada;
• be registered (at the time you apply) as a full-time student in a bachelor's degree program at an eligible university;* and
• have obtained, over the previous years of study, a cumulative average of at least second class (a grade of "B" or "B-," if applicable) as defined by your university.

* Note: If you were registered full-time throughout your program, except for the final term during which you were only required to register part-time in order to complete your degree, you are eligible to apply for an award to be held immediately following your final term.

In addition...

• If you already hold a bachelor's degree and are studying towards a second bachelor's degree, you may still apply to this program.
• You may hold only one USRA per fiscal year (April 1 to March 31).
• You may hold a maximum of three USRAs throughout your university career.

To hold an award, you must:

• have completed all the course requirements of at least the first year of university study (or two academic terms) of your bachelor's degree;
• have been registered full-time in the term immediately before holding the award;*
• not have started a program of graduate studies in the natural sciences or engineering; and
• be employed full-time in research and development activities in the natural sciences or engineering during tenure of the award.

* Note: You may hold an award in the term immediately following the completion of all requirements of your undergraduate program, regardless of your graduation date. If you were only required to register part-time in your final term in order to complete your degree, you are still eligible to hold an award.

Who is not eligible?

You are not considered eligible for an Undergraduate Student Research Award if:

• you are currently enrolled in an undergraduate professional degree program in the health sciences (e.g., M.D., D.D.S., B.Sc.N.); or
• you hold higher degrees in the natural sciences or engineering.

Value of awards

• These awards have a maximum value of $4,500 for a full 16-week period.
• Companies are required to supplement the award by at least 25 per cent of its value. The company will be responsible for supplements to the weekly value and fringe benefits (if applicable).
• NSERC's contribution is paid directly to the host company and is included in the salary it offers you.
• A travel allowance may also be granted (see Travel allowances for more information).

NSERC will not reimburse the company for any period during which you worked part-time. No payment will be approved for any holidays you take during tenure of the award.

Your status at your host company

For the duration of the award, you will be an employee of the host company. Your activities will be governed by the terms and conditions of employment of regular employees engaged in similar work and by any other conditions the company may impose.

Duration of awards

• The normal duration of the award is 16 consecutive weeks.
• NSERC will not grant an award for periods of less than 12 consecutive weeks.
• You can hold an award at any time during the year as permitted by your academic program.
• Tenure may start on a date acceptable to both you and your host company.

Where can you hold your award?

Industrial Undergraduate Student Research awards are tenable only in the R&D facilities of eligible industrial organizations in Canada . Organizations wishing to participate in this program must meet NSERC's eligibility criteria (see the following section, Is your host company eligible?). A list of eligible industrial organizations is available from the scholarship liaison officer at Canadian universities or from NSERC's list of eligible companies.

Please note, however, that this list of companies is not exhaustive and other companies may be eligible. If the proposed collaborating company is not on the list of eligible companies, you should consult with NSERC before proceeding with the application.

Is your host company eligible?

To participate in the NSERC Industrial Undergraduate Student Research Award program, an industrial organization must:

• be either federally or provincially incorporated in Canada (companies that have not been incorporated may be considered if they are wholly Canadian-owned);
• be engaged in R&D activities based, to a significant extent, on technology derived from the natural sciences and engineering (excluding clinical and health research); and
• operate on a for-profit basis (government-owned companies will be considered provided they operate as regular for-profit enterprises or on a cost-recovery basis. Universities and other non-profit institutions that receive a significant portion of their operating budget from public funds are not eligible).

How do you apply?

You may apply for these awards at one or more of the eligible companies of your choice. Send the application to the proposed company of tenure.

The complete nomination to be submitted by the company must include the following:

To be provided by the student:

• the duly completed Form 202, Part I, Application for an Undergraduate Student Research Award; and
• official academic transcripts with the Grade Point Average (GPA) indicated.

To be provided by the company:

• the duly completed Form 202, Part II;
• a description of the benefits to be derived by the student from the research experience and exposure to an industrial environment;
• information on the company, if necessary, to establish eligibility for the program;*
• a description of the research facilities to which the student will have access, as well as the location of these facilities;* and
• written confirmation that the company possesses sufficient funds to pay the student (i.e., minimum of $5,625 for a 16-week work term).*

* Not required from companies already on NSERC's list of eligible companies.

Companies that submit USRA applications, but are not included on the list of eligible companies, can be approved for those applications only. To be included on NSERC's list of eligible companies, please refer to Company Eligibility. There is no guarantee that the company's eligibility will be approved. NSERC will not consider incomplete applications or those that are missing transcripts.

How are students selected for awards?

Companies will select their candidates on the basis of information that may be available from interviews and other sources. A limited number of awards are available. NSERC will support up to 10 students per eligible company, per fiscal year (April 1 to March 31). Awards will be given on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to fulfilment of the eligibility conditions for these awards, and subject to availability. Companies will inform applicants whose applications they did not forward to NSERC.

Application deadlines

There is no deadline for submitting your application to this program. However, for administrative purposes, NSERC should receive applications from the company at least four weeks before the scheduled start date of the work term.

If you have already started your work term with a company before NSERC has notified you of the decision, there is no guarantee that your application will be successful. NSERC may still reject your application based on eligibility criteria or availability of awards.

Award decisions

NSERC will inform students and companies of its decision, generally within one month of the day it receives the application.

Confidentiality

NSERC is committed to maintaining the strict confidentiality of information submitted in the application form and of company information, especially as it relates to proprietary information.

However, the student's name, the name of the company and the general field of research are considered public information and may be released by NSERC.

Title to research results

The host company will retain all titles and rights to the results of your work. The company's patent policies will apply to any patentable inventions and developments resulting from your work.

Final report

At the end of tenure of the award, the company and the student must each submit a one-page final report. The company report must be completed by the student's supervisor or company official. The report should include:

• a summary of the progress and results achieved in the pursuit of the objectives outlined in the research proposal; and
• an evaluation of the experience with the USRA program, including a brief explanation of any problems encountered and how the student has obtained a better understanding of industrial research.

Payment of awards

As a student, you will receive your award payments directly from your host company. Companies will issue payments to you for the total value of the award in accordance with their pay procedures. They will also issue a T4 or T4A slip (Statement of Income) to you at the end of the calendar year.

NSERC will reimburse its contribution to the company at the end of the work period, following receipt of the company's final report. In order to receive the reimbursement, the company's final report and the form Confirmation of Payments, duly completed and signed by an authorized company official, must be submitted immediately after completion of the USRA work term.

Travel allowances

NSERC may approve a travel allowance for the actual costs you incur to get to your host company's work location. The maximum allowance is an amount equivalent to economy air fare between the university at which you are registered and the company.

In addition...

• NSERC will pay the return travel costs only if the actual period of tenure is 12 weeks or more.
• NSERC will not provide a travel allowance for your spouse or children.
• This allowance is not designed to offset your daily commuting costs to and from the company.
• NSERC will provide an allowance (as deemed reasonable by NSERC’s Finance Division) for ground transportation costs to and from your residence and your point of departure (e.g., airport, train station, bus station). Receipts must be provided.
• NSERC will not provide an allowance for the cost of transporting excess baggage or removing household effects.
• Travel claims must be submitted no later than one month after the completion of the USRA work term.

Note: Frequent flyer points will not be reimbursed.

To apply for a travel allowance, complete the travel claim form provided with your award letter. Send it along with your original receipts to the Finance Division at NSERC.