NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Awards

Each year, Departments in the Faculty of Engineering receive a number of Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Undergraduate Student Research Awards, providing students with financial support while they gain valuable research experience and knowledge that complements their studies.

Placements consist of 16 weeks of full-time work during the summer months for traditional students, or in a non-academic term for co-op students (as permitted by your program).

A full description of the funding program and links to the application materials can be found on the NSERC website. Canadian citizens and permanent residents are eligible to participate.

Please note that applications are reviewed internally and must be submitted to the department in which you intend to hold your award. Students with a GPA >3.2 are encouraged to apply.

The first step in the process is to find a faculty member to supervise you. You will need to speak to professors and find out if they have projects available, and if they would be willing to support you as an NSERC USRA student.

Once you have identified a potential supervisor, you can get more information about the application process in the Faculty of Engineering by contacting the associate chair (undergraduate) in the department you are enrolled in. If you are a first-year student, you can contact the associate chair (undergraduate) in the department you are interested in applying to.

Department application deadlines are set each year, but are generally in early February. Watch for departmental information sessions in mid-January that provide further details and discuss available research projects.