Undergraduate Student Research Awards

Each year, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) provides a number of awards worth up to $7,500 towards summer work in university science research labs, for a minimum work term of 16 weeks (May - August). Trent University receives several of these Undergraduate Student Research Awards (URSA's), with typically 2-3 coming to the Department of Physics & Astronomy. The value of the award is topped up from faculty research grants. Amounts vary, but the minimum amount is at least $6,000 for this period.

Summer 2022 application deadline: closed.

Students must have a minimum cumulative average of 70% (B range) to be in contention for one of these awards.

USRA Application Procedures are generally as follows:

• Interested students should read the USRA information and eligibility guidelines posted on the NSERC site 
• Students connect with NSERC grantees interested in being a supervisor. Note:  NSERC considers anyone who is authorized by their university to independently supervise students to be an eligible supervisor. The supervisors must have sufficient research funds, from an eligible source, to be able to pay upfront the full amount of the supplement.
• Eligible students fill out an application form (Form 202 – Part I) by creating an online account at the NSERC site. Do not upload a transcript at this point. Forward the reference number assigned to your application to your proposed supervisor so they can complete Form 202 - Part II.
• Potential Supervisor fills out Form 202 – Part II through the online portal and submits both Parts I and II to the online system in early January. These are automatically sent to Trent's Office of Research.
• Decisions will be made by the end of February.

Please contact Alex Lawrie in the Research Office by email for further information.