This document is a guide for the liaison officers (LO) who administer the Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA) program at Canadian institutions. It describes the activities carried out by LOs and by Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) staff, as well as the policies, guidelines and deliverables for this funding opportunity. The content of this document is intended to guide LOs and outline their responsibilities in the review process.

For more information about the USRA program, policies and guidelines, contact NSERC by email at usra-brpc@nserc-crsng.gc.ca.

This document is updated annually.

The Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA) program supports more than 3,000 students each year. It is administered jointly by Canada’s three granting agencies: the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

USRAs are meant to nurture students’ interest in and fully develop their potential for a research career in health, natural sciences and engineering or social sciences and humanities. These awards are also meant to encourage graduate studies in these fields. They provide financial support to students through the host institution to help them gain research work experience that complements their studies in an academic setting.

CIHR and SSHRC USRAs are currently available only to Black student researchers. Institutions are assigned a separate allocation of awards to offer from each agency. Institutions must respect the agency-specific allocation. Refer to the Undergraduate Student Research Awards allocations web page for a list of allocations by institution and by agency.

Note: NSERC oversees the administration of the USRA program and the application process on behalf of the three agencies. Accordingly, applications must be submitted using NSERC’s online system.

NSERC must receive applications before 8:00 pm (ET) on the deadline date. If the deadline falls on a weekend or federal holiday, applications must be submitted on the following business day before 8:00 pm (ET).

• Register for access to the Grants and Scholarships Administrative Portal (GSAP).
• Register with NSERC’s online system to access the online applications.
• To be granted access to the USRA Liaison Officer (LO) Portfolio in the NSERC online system, submit the Registration Form for Authorized Institutional Representatives to institution@nserc-crsng.gc.ca. Once you have access, Liaison Officer (Master) will appear on the eConsole screen under Institution Services whenever you log into the system.
• Assign the following roles to other institution staff who will use the USRA LO Portfolio: Master LO, LO and LO Assistant. Refer to the LO Portfolio Instructions in GSAP > NSERC Scholarships and postdoctoral awards > View Documents > General for definitions of these roles.
• Notify USRA program staff of any changes to the USRA LO contacts at your institution by emailing usra-brpc@nserc-crsng.gc.ca. Provide the name(s) of any previous LO(s) to be removed from NSERC’s email contact lists and provide the new LO’s contact information.

• Obtain your institution’s award allocation for all three agencies on the Undergraduate Student Research Awards allocations web page. These numbers are the total allocations of summer, fall and winter awards at your institution for the current fiscal year. CIHR and SSHRC awards are currently available only to Black student researchers.
  • For NSERC, some very small institutions have only one award allocation. However, the institution can request additional awards, up to a maximum of four.
  • Any unused allocation following the summer review process may be carried over to the fall and/or winter terms.
• Set your institution’s internal application deadlines. Awards may be held in the summer, fall or winter term. Determine if your institution holds a single review process for all three terms or separate review processes for each term.
• Publicize the program, your institution’s internal deadlines and the application procedures. Refer to the USRA program description, form 202 (you must be logged in to the NSERC online system to access this), and the Instructions for completing an application – form 202 on NSERC’s website. If your institution has additional requirements for the internal selection process that are more stringent than the agencies’ requirements, include these in all advertising material and review committee documentation.
• The agencies expect institutions to make all efforts to offer USRAs to qualified applicants able to hold the awards for 14 to 16 weeks on a full-time basis.
  • In exceptional circumstances, shorter work terms and part-time arrangements may be considered. Contact NSERC well ahead of the application deadline to request these accommodations.
• Appoint members to the institution’s USRA review committee(s) and set the date(s) for the meeting(s) to select the recipients to be recommended to NSERC for a USRA. Consult the Guidelines governing membership of NSERC’s peer review committees for advice on committee composition.

• Complete the Confirmation of payments form, found in GSAP under your institution’s library folder. These should be posted approximately one month before the end of each work term. The form must indicate:
  • the actual start and end dates for each work term
  • the total number of weeks completed
  • the institution’s contribution (gross amount) of the total payment issued
• Submit the Confirmation of payments form no later than one month after the completion of each work term to NSERC’s Finance and awards administration division by email to scholarshipsadministration@nserc-crsng.gc.ca.

Note: CIHR does not require institutions to submit Confirmation of payments.

Refer to the Guidelines governing membership of NSERC’s peer review committees for the selection of internal review committee members. The agencies believe that diverse review committee membership results in higher-quality reviews. In choosing members for USRA review committees, we encourage institutions to consider the following:

• diverse gender representation
• representation of people from underrepresented groups
• individuals at different stages of their careers
• broad range of expertise on multidisciplinary committees
• where necessary, members who can review applications in both official languages

To support the merit review of CIHR and SSHRC USRA applications, institutions may wish to include health, social sciences and humanities or multidisciplinary experts on their review committees.

The agencies encourage institutions and departments to publish review committee membership and selection procedures on their websites.

The agencies expect members to consistently guard against the possibility of unconscious bias influencing the decision-making process, whether these biases are based on schools of thought, the perceived value of fundamental versus applied research, areas of research or research approaches (including emerging ones), size or reputation of an institution, experience or prominence of the proposed supervisor, age, gender and/or other personal factors associated with the applicant. The agencies caution members against any judgment of an application based on such factors. To assist members in recognizing potential bias, all members must complete the Bias in Peer Review online learning module. Members are also encouraged to complete one of the Sex and Gender training modules produced by CIHR.

NSERC supports excellent, innovative and impactful research that advances knowledge and understanding and responds to local, national and global challenges. NSERC recognizes that equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) principles are foundational to research quality and impact. It is essential to recognize and remove systemic barriers that limit the full participation of all individuals and communities and to integrate EDI considerations in all aspects of research. These principles are integral to the Tri-agency statement on EDI and the Tri-agency EDI Action Plan. For more information, consult the NSERC Equity, diversity and inclusion web page.

Equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) strengthen research communities and the quality, social relevance and impact of research. Self-identification data collection in support of EDI provides information on the diversity of the population applying for and receiving agency funds. This data is important for monitoring our programs and informing measures to increase EDI among all those involved in the research enterprise.

When applying for funding, students must complete the self-identification questionnaire found on the eConsole page by selecting Maintain user profile under Account management in the online system. If a student does not want to self-identify, they have the option to choose “I prefer not to answer” for each question but are required to select a response for the questionnaire to be marked as complete. Self-identification data is not part of the application and will be neither accessible to or shared with institution staff, proposed supervisors and/or review committee members. For more information, refer to Frequently Asked Questions about the Self-Identification Questionnaire.

Although responses to these questions are not available to LOs, the agencies encourage institutions to select a cohort of awardees that mirrors the diversity of the student population and/or applicants to the USRA program. Consideration should also be given to the diversity of the USRA supervisors.

Columns in the USRA LO Portfolio will show student researcher applicants who self-identified as Indigenous and those who self-identified as Black. A third column will show to which agency the application was submitted.

For NSERC only

USRA applications from Indigenous* student researchers may be submitted beyond the institution allocations of awards. NSERC provides supplementary allocations for additional awards for Black student researchers. For Indigenous and Black student researchers to be recommended for these additional awards, they must provide consent on the application form to share this information with their institution and NSERC. The institution must indicate this information on the 2026-2027 Recommended USRA applications form, provided and uploaded to GSAP. If an Indigenous or Black student researcher’s application is not identified in the appropriate section of the form, they will be counted as part of the institution allocation. NSERC will not accept replacement applications.

Note: The supplementary allocation for Black student researchers is not a limit. There is no limit on the number of Black student researchers who may be offered an award within an institution’s award allocation. NSERC expects institutions to use their allocations of awards to support applicants from all underrepresented groups, including Black student researchers.

LOs are not required to verify applicants’ status as an Indigenous or Black student researcher on an application.

* “Indigenous Peoples” is a collective name for the original peoples of North America and their descendants. “Aboriginal Peoples” is sometimes used as a synonym. For the purposes of this program, NSERC uses the Canadian Constitution Act, 1982 definition of Aboriginal Peoples, which includes First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples of Canada.

For CIHR and SSHRC

CIHR and SSHRC USRAs are currently available only to Black student researchers. To be eligible to apply for these awards, you must self-identify as Black by checking the relevant box within the application form. Note that this self-identification information will be shared with the institution to which you are applying and, if awarded, publicly. For further details on these awards, refer to the USRA program description and the Undergraduate Student Research Awards allocations web page.

Ensure that the applicant:

• has provided a complete application
• is registered (full-time or part-time) in a bachelor’s degree program at an eligible institution, as of the institution’s application deadline
• has not held a USRA in the current fiscal year or more than two previous USRAs throughout their undergraduate career (regardless of the agency)
• has completed all course requirements for at least the first year of study (or two academic terms) of the bachelor’s degree
• is a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada or a Protected Person under subsection 95(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada), as of the institution’s application deadline
• has obtained, over the previous years of study, a satisfactory cumulative average (normally at least a B-, if applicable) as defined by the institution
• has indicated a start date after April 1 (for summer term only)
• meets all the eligibility criteria described in the USRA program web page
• has selected the agency whose mandate most closely aligns with their research area, and that the institution has an allocation for the selected agency. For further details, refer to the following web pages: Selecting the appropriate federal granting agency, Undergraduate Student Research Awards allocations and Addendum to the guidelines for the eligibility of applications related to health
• has completed the self-identification statement and provided consent, if relevant (for Indigenous and Black student researchers)

The eligibility criteria to apply for and hold a USRA have been known to cause confusion:

• To be eligible to apply, a student must be registered in a bachelor’s degree program as of the institution’s application deadline.
• To then be eligible to hold the award, the student must have been registered in at least one of the two preceding terms. This allows students who have graduated to hold a USRA in one of the two terms immediately following their graduation.
• Students who have completed their degree requirements by the application deadline are not eligible to apply.

For the purposes of this eligibility criterion, the terms of an academic year are:

• Summer: May to August
• Fall: September to December
• Winter: January to April

If the institution subdivides any of these periods into two separate sessions, registration in either will count as registration in that term.

If an institution wishes to recommend an applicant who does not meet the minimum grade point average (GPA) requirements, it may provide a justification letter outlining why the student is considered meritorious. The agencies do not reject applications based on GPA.

Students who are registered at eligible Canadian institutions but have studied abroad for one semester during an exchange program, are eligible for a USRA if they were registered in a bachelor’s degree program at the Canadian or foreign institution.

Students studying at a foreign institution who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada are eligible for a USRA if they meet all the other eligibility criteria.

USRAs can be held at any eligible Canadian institution. The agencies encourage mobility of students at the undergraduate level. USRAs can be used to allow students to expand their background training at other institutions as well as to provide institutions with the opportunity to offer similar experiences to students from elsewhere. Moreover, institutions may use the program as a recruitment tool for graduate studies.

Students must apply to the institution where they would like to hold the USRA. They must comply with the internal selection criteria of that institution and be selected by that institution to hold one of their allocated awards. Allocations are not transferable from one institution to another. The proposed USRA supervisor must be affiliated with the host institution and approved by the institution where the student will hold the USRA.

The agencies permit USRA recipients to spend a portion of time away from their host institution, including outside of Canada. However, students are not permitted to spend the entire period of their award away from their host institution unless they are in the company of their supervisor. This means that it would be acceptable, for example, for a student to do field work abroad with their supervisor, but it would not be acceptable for a student to be sent to a different lab abroad without their supervisor.

Supervisors may choose to send award recipients to work with their collaborators at labs elsewhere in Canada or outside the country or to conduct field work. Supervisors are responsible for the travel expenses and other costs, which are in addition to the institution’s required contribution to the award.

If supervisors choose to send award recipients elsewhere to do research, they are still responsible for supervising them. The agencies expect the research supervisor to be present for the majority of the award period (i.e., at least seven to eight weeks) and supervisors must make appropriate arrangements for colleagues, postdoctoral researchers and/or doctoral students to fill in for them the remainder of the time.

Co-supervision is allowed, however, only one person can be identified as the supervisor in the application. Co-supervision of a student may be mentioned in the research proposal section of the application.

Remote work is acceptable, with supervision expected on a frequent basis.

USRAs are meant to be held in an academic setting. However, an institution may choose to authorize its adjunct faculty members to supervise USRA students, including outside of the academic setting. In this case, the supplemented funds for the award must come from institution sources or from a tri-agency research grant for which this expense is eligible (for example, NSERC Discovery Grants or SSHRC Insight Grants). The student should not be an employee of the supervisor’s non-academic institution as it relates to the USRA. All such arrangements described above must be approved by the institution. USRAs are not industrial internships.

Consult the Instructions for completing an application - form 202 for further details about transcripts. The instructions state that the legend on the back of the transcript is required, but it is only needed for transcripts from other institutions. The agencies may ask for one copy of the legend from your institution as needed.

It is the responsibility of the LO to ensure the presence and authenticity of transcripts submitted to the agencies for selected students. Institutions may choose to accept unofficial transcripts from their applicants. In these cases, the agencies will accept unofficial transcripts if they are sent from the institution.

The agencies may require that updated transcripts be provided after the completed application has been submitted.

Award recipients may take a maximum of two courses during the tenure of the award if special arrangements have been made with the supervisor to make up the time. USRA recipients are not permitted to do thesis research during the term of the award. Courses taken outside of regular working hours can be taken over and above the two-course limit. If institutions divide the summer term into two short terms, USRA recipients are permitted to take one course in each term.

Students wishing to take more than two courses must first discuss the matter with their supervisor and obtain approval. The supervisor then makes a formal request to the LO, outlining the reasons they require an exception and including links to the courses, if possible. The LO will then forward the request, along with any comments, to NSERC for approval by email to usra-brpc@nserc-crsng.gc.ca.

For the purposes of the USRA program, credits assigned to co-op placements are not considered academic credits.

The institution’s review committee(s) will assess the merit of each application based on the following three selection criteria:

• academic excellence
• research potential
• expected quality of the training and mentorship to be received

Institutions are responsible for determining the weight of the three selection criteria. Review committees may evaluate the suitability of the supervision as part of the third criterion. Refer to the appendix for suggestions on how to evaluate the three selection criteria.

Supervisors can hold grants from CIHR, NSERC or SSHRC, provided the research proposed for the USRA falls within the selected agency’s mandate.

• Verify the eligibility of applications (refer to the applicant eligibility section).
• Submit applications to the USRA review committee(s) using the LO Portfolio. The LO Portfolio has sorting capabilities in most columns. You will be able to view the applications and provide read access to the institution review committee(s). Applications appear in the LO Portfolio only after the transcripts are attached and Part I is linked to a supervisor’s Part II.
  • Clicking on the applicant’s name in the LO Portfolio will provide a PDF version of the application.
  • There is no capacity to download information from the LO Portfolio in Excel format.
  • If a student makes a change to their application after the supervisor has submitted it to the LO, the data will not be reflected in the version received. To receive an up-to-date version, you must return the application and ask the supervisor to resubmit.
• Hold the meeting with the institution review committee(s).
• Use the USRA LO Portfolio in NSERC’s online system to track the progress and status of applications from your institution. Refer to the NSERC LO Portfolio Instructions, available on GSAP, for more information. Verify that the correct start date of the award is entered in form 202, Part II and that applicants have uploaded up-to-date transcripts.
• The application status can be set to the following lists:
  • List A = approved CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC applications to be forwarded to NSERC
  • List B = not forwarded to NSERC; could be moved to the A or C list before the deadline
  • List C = not forwarded to NSERC (not recommended and cannot be changed to the A or B list in future)
• Once you save the A-list applications, the status on the applicant’s portfolio and the LO Portfolio will be updated to Approved within 24 to 48 hours. If an application does not update to Approved after 48 hours, send an email to usra-brpc@nserc-crsng.gc.ca.
• If you save an application to List A by mistake, send an email to usra-brpc@nserc-crsng.gc.ca.
• Note: Once an application has been A-listed, NSERC cannot return the application for any changes. Application substitutions will not be accepted after the deadline date. If an application needs to be postponed to another term, it will be withdrawn by NSERC and a new application will need to be created and submitted for the next term.
• Complete the 2026-2027 Recommended USRA applications form. Be sure to follow the recommendations made by the institution’s USRA review committee(s).
• To ensure students’ information is transmitted in a secure and confidential manner, all institutions must upload an unranked alphabetical list of recommended applications forms (including Indigenous and Black student researchers) to GSAP and send an email to schol-slo@nserc-crsng.gc.ca after the form has been uploaded. The LO must identify all Indigenous and Black student researchers submitted as part of the supplementary allocations, as well as the agency to which the application is being submitted.
• Ensure that you do not exceed your institution’s allocation:
  • For NSERC awards: Applications from Indigenous student researchers should not be counted as part of your institution’s allocation. There is no limit on the number of Black student researchers that can be offered an award within your institution’s allocation.
  • For CIHR and SSHRC awards: CIHR and SSHRC USRAs are currently available only to Black student researchers.
• Substitutions for ineligible or rejected applications are not permitted. If any applications must be withdrawn after they have been submitted, substitutes will not be accepted for the same term. Additions to the list will not be permitted after the deadline date.
• Inform all applicants of the outcome of the institution’s internal selection process (including those on the B and C lists).

Note: Students will start working on their USRA projects before awards can be confirmed by the agencies. Institutions must start payments to students to whom they have offered positions without waiting for approval of the awards from the agencies. Institutions must also continue to pay any students whose applications are rejected by the agencies for the remainder of the work term.

Canadian Forest Sector (CFS) Workforce Diversity supplement

LOs can indicate, either in the email or on the form, which applications should be considered for the Canadian Forest Sector (CFS) Workforce Diversity supplement. Applications that list one of the targeted research subject codes or have one of the targeted keywords in the title will be considered automatically.

Areas of relevance for the CFS may fall within the following research subject codes:

• Civil engineering (1000)
• Construction engineering and management (1001)
• Structural engineering (1100)
• Forest engineering (1300)
• Environmental engineering (1500)
• Industrial engineering (1600)
• Design and manufacturing (1700)
• Chemical engineering (1800)
• Mechanical engineering (2100)
• Statistics and probability (3000)
• Geosciences (4000)
• Geographical information (4100)
• Remote sensing (4102)
• Physical geography (4150)
• Biogeography and landscape ecology (4704)
• Soil sciences (4800)
• Plant and tree biology (4900)
• Cell biology (5100)
• Biochemistry (5400)

NSERC, on behalf of the three agencies, must:

• respond to inquiries (for example, about the eligibility of the applicant, proposed research, etc.)
• evaluate requests to pre-approve part-time arrangements or work terms shorter than 14 weeks

NSERC, on behalf of the three agencies, will:

• verify that applications meet all program requirements, particularly the eligibility of the student and research proposal, and that the transcript is correct
• verify that the Recommended USRA applications form list matches the applications received using the NSERC online system
• verify that the number of applications received does not exceed the allocation
• request any missing information
• notify USRA LOs of any rejected applications (replacements for rejected applications will not be accepted in the same term)
• notify USRA LOs of any applications selected for the CFS Workforce Diversity supplement
• post the Confirmation of payments forms for NSERC on GSAP
• receive final Confirmation of payments forms from institutions (NSERC and SSHRC only)

Each agency, individually, must:

• approve applications
• send award letters directly to recipients (midway through their award)
• issue payments to institutions
• post Confirmation of payments forms on GSAP (SSHRC only) (CIHR does not require these)
• receive Confirmation of payments forms from institutions (SSHRC)
• respond to post-award inquiries

Supervisors must ensure that students are properly supervised at all times (especially during field work) and appropriately trained and mentored in research techniques and safety methods. Supervisors also have the right to set working hours and assign tasks.

Award recipients may change supervisors at the discretion of the institution before the award starts. After it has started, the award recipient is expected to stay with that supervisor to ensure continuity of training.

The agencies allow USRA recipients to work under the supervision of two people as long as they are working on a research project that allows them to be exposed to all aspects of the research process. One supervisor must be designated as the official supervisor and that person should complete Part II of form 202.

USRA recipients must not be expected to contribute to the costs of research (such as equipment and supplies or travel) from their award. In addition, they are not required to be registered during the work term.

The agencies expect USRA recipients to work approximately the same hours on average and have the same working conditions as institution employees, within the limitations of the type of research they are doing and in consultation with their supervisor. If staff at the institution in that department work 40-hour weeks on average, then the USRA recipient should, too. The standard work week is 35 hours or more.

The agencies do not place restrictions on outside sources of funding or employment that award recipients may have while holding awards, provided the following regulations are adhered to:

• When considering other sources of income, all institutional regulations must be followed
• USRA recipients are expected to devote full-time hours to their USRA research
  • Full-time hours may vary depending on the institution at which award recipients are completing their award

The USRA program makes no provision for sick or vacation leave or for other types of interruptions. The duration of the award is 14 to 16 weeks. Shorter work terms will only be considered in exceptional circumstances beyond the student’s control. Should a USRA be interrupted or terminated early for any reason, the agencies must be informed immediately and the Confirmation of payments form must be completed. Awards may not be deferred.

USRAs have a value of $6,000 and the host institution is required to supplement the award. The activities conducted during the tenure of a USRA are governed by the agreements, including employment agreements (if applicable), that award holders have with host institutions and the relevant terms and conditions of awards.

Each agency’s contribution is paid directly to the host institution and is included in the amount that the USRA recipient receives.

For summer awards, payments will be issued before the end of July. For fall or winter awards, payments are normally issued within four to six weeks after the submission deadline for the term.

Once a student is awarded a USRA, the agencies will not prorate their financial contribution, even if the work term is shortened. The institution can decide how they adjust their contribution, if necessary, in accordance with the terms of their agreement with the USRA recipient.

After receiving the Confirmation of payments form, each agency’s finance and awards administration division will conduct a review. In only very exceptional circumstances, institutions will be contacted for reimbursement of any portions of awards not used by USRA recipients.

The information that institutions and applicants are asked to provide is collected under the authority of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Act, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Act and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Act. Information about applications received by CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC is stored in accordance with the relevant personal information banks described in each agency’s Info Source chapters. Additional details concerning the use, protection and disclosure of this information can be found on CIHR’s ATIP web page, on NSERC’s Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) web page and SSHRC’s ATIP web page.

Institutions must use the information provided by the applicant only to help complete the institution’s evaluation of the application and not for any other purpose.

CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC are obliged by the Privacy Act to protect the personal information of applicants associated with applications to their programs. CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC expect institutions to store such information in a secure manner, not to use or disclose it for any other purpose and to destroy—in a secure manner within a short period after it is no longer required—any information that has not been forwarded to the agencies. All personal notes and documents must also be securely destroyed at the conclusion of the review process. All applications and documentation provided to members electronically must be deleted.

Under the Official Languages Act, federal institutions, including CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC, must ensure respect for the rights of individual Canadians to receive services from federal institutions and organizations that provide services on their behalf in the official language of their choice.

CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC are committed to promoting equitable access by

• ensuring that its funding opportunities enable the participation of both official language communities
• providing applicants with equitable access to the information and resources in the official language of their choice
• monitoring and promoting the participation of official language minority institutions, researchers and students in their programs

As partners in co-delivering the agencies’ funding opportunities, institutions must respect the act in when managing their internal selection processes. Therefore, applicants can submit their applications in the official language of their choice. Institutions must have mechanisms in place to review both English and French applications.

USRA program: usra-brpc@nserc-crsng.gc.ca

USRA financial matters: scholarshipsadministration@nserc-crsng.gc.ca

Online services helpdesk: webapp@nserc-crsng.gc.ca

Post-awards inquiries

CIHR: support-soutien@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

SSHRC: fellowships@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca