Research Opportunities

 
Are you interested in what research in mathematics or statistics entails? Eager to tackle unsolved problems under the guidance of a professor, by yourself, or as a member of a team? We offer a variety of settings in which you can do just that.

NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Awards

The NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Awards (NSERC USRA) provide an opportunity for undergraduate students to conduct independent research under the guidance of a faculty member in the Department of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences and gain valuable experience working in an academic environment. Students work on a wide variety of projects, ranging from pure to applied mathematics to statistics and mathematical finance.

An NSERC USRA provides students with a stipend for a 16-week period, typically during the summer months (May-August).

***All NSERC USRA & MSS USRA supervisors/prospective supervisors must be employed by the University of Alberta.***

Application Process

The Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA) program is jointly administered by Canada’s three Tri-Agency funding 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 (SSHRC).

The Undergraduate Research Initiative is the institutional Liaison Officer for the USRA program at the U of A. Please contact usra@ualberta.ca if you have questions about the USRA program.

Award Details

• Award Value: $6000 for 4 months/16 weeks + department/supervisor top-up (minimum of $2,500). The total minimum value of a USRA (award + top up) is $8400 for 4 months/16 weeks.
  • In cases where the USRA is classified as employment (e.g., co-op placements), the top-up must also cover all mandatory employment-related costs (e.g. EI, CPP, etc.).
  • non-UofA students, if offered an award, will be registered on a not-for-credit basis at the University of Alberta for the tenure of their award.
• Award Term: Awards are normally held for 4 months/16 weeks, and are tenable in Summer, Fall or Winter terms. However, there is only one application cycle each year, so all applicants must apply for the same deadline, regardless of the term in which they intend to hold the award.

Student + Supervisor Eligibility

• Please see the detailed eligibility criteria on the NSERC website.
• At present, CIHR and SSHRC USRAs are exclusively for Black student researchers. Students who don’t qualify for a CIHR or SSHRC USRA are encouraged to apply to the URI streamlined funding competition instead.
• You must have a confirmed UofA faculty supervisor who is authorized by the institution to independently supervise students and they must be eligible to hold research funding in accordance with the U of A’s Eligibility to Apply for and Hold Research Funds Policy.

Application Process

The USRA application consists of several parts:

Step 1 (Student): Complete Form 202 Part 1

• Register for or login to your NSERC Online Services Account.
• Complete the self-identification questionnaire (in your NSERC Online services user profile).
  • If you previously registered for an NSERC account, but did not complete this step, you can access the questionnaire by going to eConsole --> Account Management --> Maintain User Profile.
• Complete Form 202 Part 1 - Application for a USRA. See this video and/or these instructions for step-by-step guidance on how to complete Form 202.
  • Be sure to select the correct agency (NSERC, SSHRC, or CIHR) based on the subject matter of your research.
• Upload your academic transcript. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable.
  • Your transcripts must include Fall 2025 term grades and show that you are registered in Winter 2026 classes.
  • MyCreds and similar link sharing platforms for official transcripts are NOT compatible with the NSERC online system. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted.
  • If you are shortlisted for an award, NSERC may request an official transcript at a later date for verification purposes, if needed.
• Verify your application, then provide the reference number to your supervisor, so that they can link their Part 2 to your application.

Note: if you have previously applied for a USRA, you will NOT be able to create a new Form 202 Part 1. You will need to update your existing Form 202 Part 1.

Step 2 (Student): Complete the Supplementary Written Responses

• Download and complete the Supplementary Written Response form (fillable PDF form)
• These supplemental written response questions are used by USRA adjudicators to evaluate the “research potential” criterion (see “Selection Process" below)

Step 3 (Supervisor): Complete Form 202 Part 2

• Register for or login to your NSERC Online Services Account.
• Complete Form 202 - Part 2.
  • Use the reference number provided by the student to link their Part 1 to your Part 2.
  • Ensure that the subject matter of the proposal aligns with the subject matter eligibility for the selected agency. Consult “Selecting the Appropriate Federal Granting Agency” for guidelines.
  • Ensure that the correct term (Summer, Fall or Winter) is selected.
  • Ensure the proposed start and end dates fit within the selected award term.
• Download and save a PDF containing ALL parts of the application (Part 1, Part 2, Student transcript). Send this PDF to the student so they can submit it to URI.
• After you have downloaded a copy of the complete application, click “verify” and “submit to LO” in the NSERC online portal. The status of the application should say “submitted.”

Note: If you need to access or edit your application after you click “submit to LO” please contact usra@ualberta.ca to have the application returned to you for editing.

Step 4 (Student) - Submit your USRA application documents to URI

• Submit the following documents to URI via the Google Form below:
  • Form 202 Part 1 + Unofficial Transcript (from Step 1 above)
  • Supplemental Student Written Responses (from Step 2 above)
  • Form 202 Part 2 (from Step 3 above)
• Note: The student is responsible for coordinating with their supervisor to ensure that ALL parts of the application are completed and submitted to URI before the deadline. The Google Form may be submitted by the student or the supervisor, but the submission must contain all of the documents listed above.

GOOGLE FORM

Deadline

The internal UofA deadline for USRA applications is Monday, February 2, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.

Apply by this date for projects taking place in Summer 2026, Fall 2026, or Winter 2027.

Need help with your application? URI will be offering several info sessions for funding applicants, covering both the Tri-Agency USRA process and the new streamlined process for other URI Awards.

Current UofA students can register via campusBRIDGE: 

• December 4 (5:05-5:50pm) - online ( Register via campusBRIDGE)
• January 7, 2026 (5:05-5:50pm) - online ( Register via campusBRIDGE)
• January 22, 2026 (5:05-5:50pm) - online ( Register via campusBRIDGE)

Non-UofA students can register here.

Selection Process

• URI will verify the completeness and eligibility of applications, and forward applications to the supervisor’s Faculty/Department for adjudication.
• Each Faculty/Department will coordinate their own adjudication process, based on the following criteria (set by the Tri-Agency):
  • Academic excellence
  • Research potential
  • Expected quality of the training environment and mentorship
• URI has provided the following detailed rubric to Faculties/Departments to support consistency in evaluation of USRA applications across the UofA.

When and how will I be notified?

• Once adjudication is completed, Faculties/Departments will notify applicants of the outcome (typically via email in approximately late March). Notification timelines may vary by Department. If you have not heard about the status of your application by April 1, please contact URI and we will inquire about the status of your application.
• URI normally receives the finalized list of USRA awardees by early April. Prior to the start of each award term (summer/fall/winter), URI will forward successful applications to NSERC (via the NSERC online portal) for processing. Applicants may receive an automated notification from the NSERC online system that their application has been received by NSERC.
• An official notice of award from the corresponding agency will normally be sent to the student after their award term starts (usually in July for summer term projects).

Supplements for USRA recipients

NSERC offers the following supplements to USRA awards. These supplements are only available to students who have received a USRA, and they are paid directly to the student.

• Environment and Climate Change Canada Atmospheric and Meteorological undergraduate supplement - eligible USRA awardees must apply by August 1.
• Canadian Forest Sector Workplace Diversity undergraduate supplement - if you meet the eligibility criteria, your application will automatically be considered by NSERC for the supplement when you apply to the USRA program.

If you have any questions about the awards, please contact Dr. Nicolas Guay (mssac@ualberta.ca), while if you have inquiries about the adminstrative end of the application process, please contact Tara Evans (mssugrd@ualberta.ca).

MSS Undergraduate Student Research Awards

The Department of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences also offers Undergraduate Student Research Awards (MSS USRAs). The value of the awards is also the same, namely $6,000 plus a contribution of at least $2,500 from the supervisor. The terms of the awards and selection criteria are the same as for the NSERC USRAs. However, the eligibility requirements are relaxed:

• students who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents may apply;
• students who have already received three NSERC USRAs through their academic career may apply.

Application Process

The MSS USRAs are competitive. To apply for an MSS USRA, students should first find a supervisor, as for the NSERC USRAs. The next step is to complete the MSS USRA application form (for students) electronically, which includes providing your transcript and curriculum vitae. They then forward their transcript and curriculum vitae to their supervisor, who completes the MSS USRA application form (for supervisors). No letter of reference is required.

Something new this year is that student applicants and prospective supervisors must submit a checklist, which includes a question regarding self-identification as Black or Indigenous. The checklist link to the form can be found here: checklist form.

The student and supervisor MSS USRA application forms must be submitted electronically no later than Monday, February 2, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.

If a student applies for an NSERC USRA, the application is also automatically considered for an MSS USRA. The student does not need to apply to both NSERC USRA and MSS USRA separately.

If you have any questions about the awards, please contact Dr. Nicolas Guay (mssac@ualberta.ca), while if you have inquiries about the application process, please contact Tara Evans (mssugrd@ualberta.ca).

Undergraduate Research Initiative

The University of Alberta's Undergraduate Research Initiative (URI) supports the involvement of undergraduate students in research activities. It maintains an Undergraduate Research Portal that helps connect undergraduate students with research opportunities across campus, and it provides funding to students through the Undergraduate Researcher Stipend.

The URI also hosts workshops on how to get involved in undergraduate research, helps organize conferences to showcase undergraduate research, and much more.

MATH 499, MA PH 499 and STAT 499

These Research Project courses provide students in one of our Specialization or Honors programs an opportunity to pursue research under the direction of a faculty member in the Department of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences. Students are expected to spend, on average, 6 hours per week on independent research in consultation with their research supervisor. The additional weekly seminar allows students to hone their technical communication skills. Course requirements include the presentation of a public oral presentation and a written final report.

To find a potential supervisor, students are encouraged to speak directly with professors whose research area is of interest. A list of potential research projects contributed by some faculty members interested in supervising undergraduate research is also available here (access restricted to ualberta).

Students interested in taking this course should contact the course coordinator (see Bear Tracks) two months in advance of the beginning of term to ensure that a suitable project supervisor can be found. 

Additional Opportunities

Professors are able to employ undergraduate students in research assistant positions on occasion. Students are encouraged to speak directly with professors about potential research opportunities. You can find a comprehensive list of mathematics conferences in Canada that welcome student participation at this link.