To be eligible for an USRA, you must:
- be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada;
- be registered in a full-time course load as per Concordia’s Student Registration Status Policy 4.6, at the time you apply, in a bachelor’s degree program at an eligible university;
- be in good academic standing the year of application (i.e., not be on academic probation). Have obtained over the previous years of study, a cumulative average of at least a ‘B’ on the equivalent Concordia University of Edmonton grading scale (for repeated courses, the last passing grade counts). Students who do not meet the cumulative average requirement must have a ‘B’ average on their last 30 credits. Students currently on academic probation are not eligible.
- submit a separate Concordia USRA Application form along with NSERC’s Form 202 (Part I & II), by the deadline.
In addition:
- If you already hold a bachelor’s degree and are studying toward a second bachelor’s degree, you may still apply to this program.
- You may hold only one USRA per fiscal year (April 1 – March 31).
- You may hold an USRA in the Summer immediately following graduation (i.e. if you complete your degree in the Winter term preceding the USRA period, you may hold the USRA in the immediate Spring and Summer period).
- You may hold a maximum of three USRAs throughout your university career (regardless of the granting agency).
- Complete the self-identification statement and provide consent if relevant (for Black and Indigenous student researchers).
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 in at least one of the two immediately preceding terms in a bachelor’s degree program at an eligible university;
- not have started a program of graduate studies; and
- be engaged on a full-time basis in research and development activities in the natural sciences or engineering during the tenure of the award.
You are not eligible for an award if:
- you hold higher degrees in the natural sciences or engineering;
NOTE: Once NSERC has approved your USRA for tenure at one particular institution, you may not transfer it to another institution.
Faculty Member Requirements:
While USRA students receive the USRA award that covers part of their salary, faculty members are required to provide additional top-up funding. The top-up covers the remaining salary component and mandatory employment related costs (MERCs). These additional costs are covered by the supervising faculty member through an active grant with sufficient funding to cover the top-up for the period of the award, as well as the costs of research activities, if applicable. Funding must be in place (secured) and funds received by the institution before the USRA application is submitted. Faculty members assume the responsibility to be present and actively supervise the fulltime USRA student during the 14-week period.