NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Awards: Eligibility, Pay and How to Get a Professor to Sponsor You
By Muntasir • Published Sep 18, 2026 • Updated Sep 20, 2026 • Graduate & Professional School, Canadian Universities & Colleges
NSERC pays $6,000 toward a 14-16 week full-time research term with a professor, and your school adds a required top-up so your total pay is higher. You need a B- average, at least two completed terms, and a professor willing to supervise you.
💵 NSERC contributes $6,000. Your host university tops that up, so total pay depends on your school.
🎓 You need a cumulative B- average or better over your current and previous year of study.
⏱️ 14-16 weeks full-time, 35 hours a week, usually over the summer.
📩 You need a professor willing to supervise and co-sign your application before you apply.
What a USRA is
The Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA) is a paid research position with a professor at your own university, funded jointly by NSERC , CIHR, and SSHRC. NSERC covers natural sciences and engineering. The award supports over 3,000 students a year across the three agencies. You do research inside a professor's lab or project full-time, usually across a summer, and get paid for it instead of volunteering your time.
Pay
NSERC pays $6,000 directly to your host institution for a 14-16 week, full-time (35 hours a week) term. Your university is required to add a top-up on top of that federal amount, so your actual pay is higher than $6,000. The size of the top-up varies by school and sometimes by supervisor, since some professors add extra funding from their own grants. Ask your research office or your prospective supervisor for the specific total your school pays before you commit to a term.
Eligibility
Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or Protected Person under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, as of the application deadline.
Registered full-time or part-time in a bachelor's degree program at an eligible Canadian institution.
At least two completed academic terms before starting the award. First-year students are not yet eligible.
A cumulative average normally at least a B- over your current and previous year of study. Some universities set a higher internal bar for their own USRA competition, so check your school's cutoff.
Not enrolled in an undergraduate professional health degree program such as MD, DDS, or BScN, for NSERC's stream specifically.
A limit on how many USRAs you hold across your whole undergraduate career. Ask your research office for the current cap, since it is tracked per student across all three agencies.
How to get a professor to sponsor you
A supervisor is required before you apply for a USRA. Start by identifying professors whose published research genuinely interests you. Read a couple of their recent papers or lab website pages so you speak to specific projects rather than general interest.
Email professors directly, starting in your second year so you have time before summer deadlines. Keep the email short: your year, program, relevant coursework or lab skills, your average, and one or two sentences on why their specific research interests you. Attach an unofficial transcript and a short resume. Ask whether they plan to take a USRA student for the coming summer.
Expect to email several professors, since not everyone has funding room or a project ready for a new student that term. A professor who agrees becomes your supervisor on the application and completes their portion of the paperwork confirming supervision and, where relevant, their contribution to your top-up pay.
What the term looks like
You work full-time in the professor's lab or research group for the 14-16 week term, usually contributing to an ongoing project rather than running your own independent study. Expect regular meetings with your supervisor, lab or fieldwork depending on the field, and often a short report or presentation at the end of the term summarizing your contribution.
If more than one professor says yes
Compare the specific project, the supervisor's availability for regular guidance, and the confirmed top-up amount before choosing. A well-funded lab with an engaged supervisor gives you a stronger reference letter and a clearer sense of whether graduate research suits you than a higher pay figure alone.
Tax treatment
Your USRA pay counts as income, and your host institution issues the appropriate tax slip after the term ends. Set aside time each spring to include it when you file, and check with your institution's student financial services if you are unsure which slip to expect.
How to apply
Applications go through NSERC's online system, coordinated by your department or faculty's undergraduate research office rather than submitted directly by you to NSERC. Ask your department for its internal deadline, since it falls well before the agency's own cutoff to leave time for department-level review. Competitions run on different terms across schools, commonly a spring or summer round, so check your own faculty's schedule rather than assuming a single national date.
Timeline to follow
Fall or winter of second year: start reading faculty research pages in your department.
Winter: email potential supervisors and ask about USRA availability for the summer.
Once you have a supervisor: confirm your department's application deadline and required documents.
Submit through your department, then wait for your school's own funding confirmation alongside NSERC's decision.
After the award ends
A completed USRA becomes a concrete research line on your resume and graduate school applications, and many supervisors write reference letters based directly on that summer's work. Ask your supervisor early, before the term ends, whether continuing part-time during the school year or returning for a second USRA the following summer is an option.