Undergraduate Student Research Awards (2025)

CIHR USRA, SSHRC USRA, NSERC USRA (2025)

The information below pertains to Summer 2025. This webpage is for applications with a professor from one of the Faculty of Science departments listed in #2 below.

What is the USRA program?

The Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA) program is meant to nurture your interest and potential for a research career, and to encourage you to undertake graduate studies. It is an opportunity to gain research experience in an academic setting, while receiving financial support. Recipients engage in a research and development activity, under the supervision of a McGill Faculty of Science professor.

The Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA) program is funded jointly by Canada’s three national research granting 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 of Canada (SSHRC).

CIHR and SSHRC USRAs are, at the present time, exclusively for students who self-identify as Black.

NSERC continues to encourage all eligible candidates to apply for NSERC USRA, especially women, Indigenous students, and students who self-identify as Black.

The Faculty of Science invites applications from all eligible candidates, and especially those who are members of underrepresented groups, including Women, Persons with Disabilities, Indigenous People, Racialized people/Visible Minorities, and LGBTT2SQ* People (sexual orientation and/or gender identity minorities).

This page is for USRAs with Professors from the Faculty of Science. If your proposed supervisor is from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, or another McGill Faculty, please start here instead. If you are interested in a USRA with a professor at another Canadian university, start at that university's website instead.

How to apply for a USRA

1. Students and Professors: Review student & supervisor eligibility, deadlines, contact persons, and other details on this webpage as well as on the NSERC website.

   Why should you apply?

   Each summer, dozens of students receive funding for a full-time research project through this program. Students develop new skills, learn a lot about how science works, get a better sense of whether they want to pursue research at the graduate level, meet new friends and mentors... and receive financial support. Many undergraduates say that their summer research award allowed them to understand their courses better, changed their academic and professional direction, or was the best part of their undergraduate degree.

   Value and duration

   • When: The Faculty of Science offers USRAs in the Summer term (May through August). We do not generally offer USRAs in other terms.
   • Duration: 15 consecutive weeks on a full-time basis. (16 weeks: optional, if agreed upon with the supervisor.)
   • Value in 2025:

     Duration:	15 weeks (default)	16 weeks (optional)
     NSERC/CIHR/SSHRC contribution:	$6000	$6000
     Professor contribution (minimum):	$2950 tbc	$3550 tbc
     Total value (minimum):	$8950 tbc	$9550 tbc

   • Supplements (not guaranteed)
     • $1500 - FRQNT Supplements of the NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Awards: You may be eligible to apply for this at a later date. More details below: "FRQNT Supplements."
     • $1000 - Environment Canada Atmospheric and Meteorological Undergraduate Supplements. You may be eligible to apply for this at a later date.
     • $5000 - Canadian Forest Sector Workforce Diversity undergraduate supplements. Students who meet the eligibility criteria are automatically considered when they apply to the USRA program. Part of the supplement may be used to defray the supervisor’s costs. Contact the Faculty of Science for more details.

   Student eligibility

   • You must be 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 deadline date for applications at the institution.
     • Note: CIHR and SSHRC USRAs are, at the present time, exclusively for students who self-identify as Black. (In other words: Black students may apply to any one of the three USRA programs. Non-Black students may only apply to NSERC USRA at this time.)
   • You must be registered, at the time you apply, in a bachelor's degree program.
   • To hold an award, you must have been registered in a Bachelor’s degree in at least one of the 2 terms immediately previous to the award.
   • You may hold a maximum of three USRAs throughout your university career.
   • Students from other universities may also apply.
   • First year students are eligible to apply (provided they meet all other requirements). At the time you apply (typically February), you must provide transcripts that show your fall grades and your winter registration. To hold the award, first year students must provide transcripts (in early May) that show successful completion of one year of university study (minimum 24 credits).
   • You may apply to one of the following: NSERC USRA, CIHR USRA, or SSHRC USRA.
   • You cannot concurrently hold more than one of the following: NSERC USRA, CIHR USRA, SSHRC USRA, SURA, Arts ARIA, Schull Yang International Experience Award, McGill International Experience Award, McGill Biomedical Research Accelerator award, FRQS or FRQSC Undergraduate Introduction to Research Award, or similar award.
   • Individual departments may set higher requirements than the minimum requirements, and this award application process is competitive.
   • There are other requirements too: please consult the USRA information on NSERC's website.

   Selection criteria

   NSERC has stipulated that institutions should select USRA recipients based on the following three criteria (which the Faculty of Science expects for SURA as well):

   • Academic excellence;
   • Research potential;
   • Expected quality of the training and mentorship to be received.

   Unsure if your application will be competitive?

   Applying for the award does not guarantee that you will receive it. The only guarantee is that if you do not apply for an award, you will not receive it. However, even if your application seems unsuccessful, many good things can still happen!

   • First, read the eligibility information on this page, for both you (student) and your supervisor. Consult your supervisor's department if you have questions about eligibility; refer to "Departmental contacts, deadlines, how to submit" further below.
   • A department may be able to give you information such as the number of applicants and awards last year, or the average or minimum CGPA; however applicant pools and the number of awards vary from year to year. A comparable dossier may be uncompetitive one year, but successful the next. If you are clearly ineligible, that is one thing; but if you are unsure how competitive you might be, consider applying.
   • If your award application is unsuccessful, sometimes supervisors can provide other sources of funding, or find other ways to involve you in research, for the summer itself.
   • An unsuccessful summer award application may open other doors later: a research course for credit next fall, or a successful award application next summer, for example.
   • Please also consult "Other sources of funding" below.

   Are you thinking of taking summer courses?

   For all projects: Whether the project is remote or ‘in-person’, students are expected to pursue their projects on a full-time basis, for 15 weeks.

   Students may take one course during the USRA period, but permission cannot be presumed. This requires a written plan that estimates lost time and a strategy to make it up; and approval from the Supervisor, Department/School, and Faculty. (The Faculty of Science expects the same for SURA.) Additional flexibility may apply in exceptional cases, such as required courses that are only offered in the summer. Ask your supervisor's department to contact the Faculty of Science for more details.

   Other sources of funding

   If you are not eligible for a USRA, or if you apply but do not receive the award, here are a few suggestions. Application deadlines vary.

   • Other similar summer undergraduate research awards or sources of funding:
     • Science Undergraduate Research Awards (SURA) are for McGill Faculty of Science students with McGill Faculty of Science professors; however, there are neither restrictions for citizenship (international students may also apply) nor restrictions on the supervisor's grant type.
     • SURE (Summer Undergraduate Research in Engineering: for research with McGill Engineering professors)
     • ARIA (Arts Undergraduate Research Internship Awards: for McGill B.A. and B.A. & Sc. students)
     • FRQS Undergraduate Introduction to Research Award / Bourse d’initiation à la recherche au 1er cycle, for research in the area of health.
     • FRQSC Undergraduate Initiation to Research Scholarship, for research in social and human sciences, arts and letters.
   • Enriched Educational Opportunities (EEO) Bursaries (for unpaid Internships and research experiences outside McGill; for research abroad).
   • Gault Research Awards, for projects that contribute to the understanding and conservation of the Gault Nature Reserve's unique ecosystems.
   • McGill Biomedical Research Accelerator, for students in the second to last year of their undergraduate degree who hold an interest in the field of biomedical research.
   • McGill Global Health Scholars - Undergraduate Program
   • NSERC Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE): undergraduate studentships are available through some of the CREATE training programs. Find out more about the program in general and then search for existing CREATE programs at McGill or across Canada.
   • NSERC Indigenous Student Ambassadors (NISA)
   • McGill Work-Study Program (for students with demonstrated financial need)
   • SUS 21st Century Ambassador Fund (SCAF) (to attend or host academic conferences or competitions)
   • Trottier Space Institute - Summer Undergraduate Research Awards
   • McCAIS Undergraduate Research Awards (McURA), for interdisciplinary research in the realm of AI and Society.
   • Funding from your supervisor (professor)
   • Departmental funding or awards (where applicable)
   • External funding
     • Funding from your country (if you are a citizen or resident of a country other than Canada; e.g., NSF REU).
     • Other Canadian and international programs: MITACS Globalink (various countries), DAAD RISE (Germany), etc.
     • Some foundations (cancer, liver, wildlife, etc.) or scholarly associations (physiology, etc.) have summer studentship programs. Brainstorm with your supervisor or lab members to determine which associations might be relevant, then check if they have funding for which you are eligible.
   • INRS Undergraduate Summer Research Internships
2. Students: Find a supervisor. Your supervisor must be willing to provide the minimum financial contribution described in "Value and Duration" above.

   Where and with whom to apply

   • To submit a complete application, you need to identify an eligible professor (see below) to serve as your proposed supervisor and to submit a project proposal for you. If you start at the webpages for Science departments, you can browse each unit's site to find professors' research websites. Here is some advice.
   • For Physics projects/professors, also consult this page.
   • For NSERC USRA: Apply through your proposed supervisor's school or department, not necessarily your own. Each Faculty of Science unit has a quota of available awards, and has its own selection process and deadlines.
   • For SSHRC USRA and CIHR USRA: Apply through the Faculty of Science. The Faculty of Science will receive applications. After, a University committee (all Faculties) will rank dossiers and select the recipients.
   • You will find the departmental/faculty contacts and deadlines further below.

   Supervisor eligibility

   • In the Faculty of Science, the proposed supervisor must be a professor who has held, currently holds, or has applied for an eligible NSERC grant (for NSERC USRA), SSHRC grant (for SSHRC USRA), or CIHR grant (for CIHR USRA).
   • The supervisor may be the principal investigator or the co-investigator of the grant.

   My proposed supervisor is an Assistant Professor /Associate Professor / Full Professor / Jointly Appointed professor / Associate Member / Adjunct Professor. Does it matter? What do these terms mean?

   Please note that the following is specific to USRAs in Faculty of Science departments. Professor eligibility for SURAs is different.

   Title	Explanation or definition	Relevance for your NSERC USRA application
   Assistant Professor	Professors typically start their academic career as Assistant Professor.	It does not matter whether your proposed supervisor is an Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or (Full) Professor, as long as they meet all other eligibility requirements. What does matter: Ask your professor the department(s) in which he or she is appointed. At least one of the professor's departments should be listed below. For NSERC USRA check that her or his name is on the departmental list (for CIHR & SSHRC USRA, please read on).
   Associate Professor	Associate Professor is a promotion from Assistant Professor. This is not the same as Associate Member status (see below).
   Professor (or Full Professor)	(Full) Professor is a promotion from Associate Professor.
   Joint appointments	Some McGill professors (whether assistant, associate or full) hold an academic appointment of substantial weight in more than one academic unit.	As above, check that at least one of the professor's departments is on the list under "Departments, contacts and deadlines" and check if her or his name is on the list. Especially for Associate Members, ask the contact for that department if they expect you to apply through the supervisor's other department.
   Associate Member status	Some McGill professors (whether assistant, associate or full) hold this affiliation with a secondary unit, where a joint appointment is not appropriate. Associate Member status is in addition to their primary appointment. This is not the same as Associate Professor rank (see above).
   Adjunct Professor	The individual is primarily employed outside McGill - for example, by government, in industry, as a professional, or at another university or institution - but participates in the academic activities of the McGill unit where he or she is appointed as Adjunct Professor.	Typically not eligible to apply through McGill, since NSERC requires you to apply for a USRA through the supervisor's primary institution. (Example: your supervisor holds her or his main appointment at Université de Montréal, but has an additional appointment at McGill as an adjunct professor. In this case, apply for an NSERC USRA through the Université de Montréal, not through McGill.) If you are uncertain, ask the departmental contact, who can check with the Faculty of Science.

   What if my proposed supervisor is not on these lists?

   • Please ask if she/he currently holds an NSERC/SSHRC/CIHR research grant, previously held an NSERC/SSHRC/CIHR grant, or is currently applying for an NSERC/SSHRC/CIHR grant. (Most but not all Faculty of Science professors do hold one of these grants.) Please share this information with your supervisor's department's contact person (refer to the "Departments, contacts, where to submit, and deadlines" section below) so they can contact the Faculty of Science to verify the supervisor's eligibility.
   • Your proposed supervisor might still be eligible. There are several possible reasons he or she might not show up here, which include the following:
     • SSHRC grants and CIHR grants are not listed here.
     • This list does not include professors from outside the McGill Faculty of Science. (In this case, apply through the other Faculty according to their deadlines.)
     • Some professors have appointments in multiple departments (or faculties), but are only listed in one department below.
     • Professors who are currently applying for an NSERC grant, or held a grant in the past, but do not currently hold a grant, might not appear here.
     • The list below is preliminary, not final. It represents a slice in time, and may not have the most recent information.

   Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences supervisors (NSERC USRA)

   If a professor is not listed here, she/he may still be eligible; please refer to "What if my proposed supervisor is not on these lists?" above. SSHRC grants and CIHR grants are not listed here.

   Note: Prof. Parisa Ariya (whose research grant is listed under Chemistry) and are also eligible.

   • Prof. Parisa Ariya
   • Prof. Frederic Fabry
   • Prof. Robert Fajber
   • Prof. John Gyakum
   • Prof. Yi Huang
   • Prof. Daniel Kirshbaum
   • Prof. Thomas Preston
   • Prof. Djordje Romanic
   • Prof. David Straub
   • Prof. Ivy Tan
   • Prof. Bruno Tremblay
   • Prof. Andreas Zuend

   Biology supervisors (NSERC USRA)

   If a professor is not listed here, she/he may still be eligible; please refer to "What if my proposed supervisor is not on these lists?" above. SSHRC grants and CIHR grants are not listed here.

   • Prof. Ehab Abouheif
   • Prof. Rowan Barrett
   • Prof. Gary Brouhard
   • Prof. Melania Cristescu
   • Prof. Joseph Dent
   • Prof. Gregor Fussmann
   • Prof. Abigail Gerhold
   • Prof. Andrew Gonzalez
   • Prof. Irene Gregory-Eaves
   • Prof. Frederic Guichard
   • Prof. Mélanie Guigueno
   • Prof. Anna Hargreaves
   • Prof. Arnold Hayer
   • Prof. Michael Hendricks
   • Prof. Andrew Hendry
   • Prof. Lars L. Iversen
   • Prof. Rees Kassen
   • Prof. Hans Larsson
   • Prof. Paul Lasko
   • Prof. Brian Leung
   • Prof. Virginie Millien
   • Prof. Nam Sung Moon
   • Prof. Laura Nilson
   • Prof. Tomoko Oyama
   • Prof. Laura Pollock
   • Prof. Neil Price
   • Prof. Simon Reader
   • Prof. Rodrigo Reyes Lamothe
   • Prof. Anthony Ricciardi
   • Prof. Jon Sakata
   • Prof. Daniel J Schoen
   • Prof. Fiona Soper
   • Prof. Jennifer Sunday
   • Prof. Jacalyn Vogel
   • Prof. Alanna Watt
   • Prof. Stephanie Weber
   • Prof. Sarah Woolley
   • Prof. Monique Zetka
   • Prof. Huanquan Zheng

   Chemistry supervisors (NSERC USRA)

   If a professor is not listed here, she/he may still be eligible; please refer to "What if my proposed supervisor is not on these lists?" above. SSHRC grants and CIHR grants are not listed here.

   Note: (whose research grant is listed under Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences) and are also eligible.

   • Prof. Mark P Andrews
   • Prof. Parisa A Ariya
   • Prof. Bruce A Arndtsen
   • Prof. Karine Auclair
   • Prof. Amy Blum
   • Prof. Scott Bohle
   • Prof. Lucas Caire Da Silva
   • Prof. Gonzalo Cosa
   • Prof. Masad J Damha
   • Prof. James L Gleason
   • Prof. Matthew Harrington
   • Prof. Ashok K Kakkar
   • Prof. Pat Kambhampati
   • Prof. Rustam Khaliullin
   • Prof. Marc-Andre Légaré
   • Prof. C.J. Li
   • Prof. Nathan Luedtke
   • Prof. Jean-Philip Lumb
   • Prof. Janine Mauzeroll
   • Prof. Eric McCalla
   • Prof. Maureen McKeague
   • Prof. Tony Mittermaier
   • Prof. Nicolas Moitessier
   • Prof. Audrey Moores
   • Prof. Dima Perepichka
   • Prof. Thomas Preston
   • Prof. Linda Reven
   • Prof. Lena Simine
   • Prof. Brad Siwick
   • Prof. Hanadi Sleiman
   • Prof. Christopher Thibodeaux
   • Prof. Youla S Tsantrizos
   • Prof. Theo van de Ven
   • Prof. Paul Wiseman

   Computer Science supervisors (NSERC USRA)

   If a professor is not listed here, she/he may still be eligible; please refer to "What if my proposed supervisor is not on these lists?" above. SSHRC grants and CIHR grants are not listed here.

   Note: (whose research grant is listed under Mathematics & Statistics) is also eligible.

   • Prof. Oana Balmau
   • Prof. Mathieu Blanchette
   • Prof. Xiao-Wen Chang
   • Prof. Jackie Cheung
   • Prof. Luc Devroye
   • Prof. Christophe Dubach
   • Prof. Gregory L Dudek
   • Prof. Golnoosh Farnadi
   • Prof. Jin Guo
   • Prof. Hamed Hatami
   • Prof. Bettina Kemme
   • Prof. Paul Kry
   • Prof. Michael Langer
   • Prof. Yue Li
   • Prof. Hsiu-Chin Lin
   • Prof. Xue Liu
   • Prof. David Meger
   • Prof. Brigitte Pientka
   • Prof. Joelle Pineau
   • Prof. Doina Precup
   • Prof. Reihaneh Rabbany
   • Prof. Siamak Ravanbakhsh
   • Prof. Siva Reddy
   • Prof. Blake Richards
   • Prof. Robert Robere
   • Prof. Martin Robillard
   • Prof. David Rolnick
   • Prof. Kaleem Siddiqi
   • Prof. Clark Verbrugge
   • Prof. Adrian Vetta
   • Prof. Jérôme Waldispuhl

   Earth and Planetary Sciences supervisors (NSERC USRA)

   If a professor is not listed here, she/he may still be eligible; please refer to "What if my proposed supervisor is not on these lists?" above. SSHRC grants and CIHR grants are not listed here.

   • Prof. Genevieve Ali
   • Prof. Don Baker
   • Prof. Nicolas Cowan
   • Prof. Peter Douglas
   • Prof. Eric Galbraith
   • Prof. Natalya Gomez
   • Prof. Galen Halverson
   • Prof. Yajing Liu
   • Prof. Nagissa Mahmoudi
   • Prof. Jeffrey McKenzie
   • Prof. John Stix
   • Prof. Vincent Johan van Hinsberg
   • Prof. A.E. Williams-Jones

   Geography supervisors (NSERC USRA)

   If a professor is not listed here, she/he may still be eligible; please refer to "What if my proposed supervisor is not on these lists?" above. SSHRC grants and CIHR grants are not listed here.

   • Prof. Genevieve Ali
   • Prof. Mette Bendixen
   • Prof. Gail L Chmura
   • Prof. Margaret Kalacska
   • Prof. Sara Knox
   • Prof. Bernhard Lehner
   • Prof. Graham MacDonald
   • Prof. Mallik Mahmud
   • Prof. Grant McKenzie
   • Prof. Tim Moore
   • Prof. Brian Robinson
   • Prof. Nigel Roulet
   • Prof. Raja Sengupta
   • Prof. Christian von Sperber

   Mathematics and Statistics supervisors (NSERC USRA)

   If a professor is not listed here, she/he may still be eligible; please refer to "What if my proposed supervisor is not on these lists?" above. SSHRC grants and CIHR grants are not listed here.

   Note: is also eligible.

   • Prof. Louigi Addario-Berry
   • Prof. Patrick Allen
   • Prof. Masoud Asgharian
   • Prof. Linan Chen
   • Prof. Rustum Choksi
   • Prof. Mehdi Dagdoug
   • Prof. Henri Darmon
   • Prof. Christian Genest
   • Prof. Eyal Goren
   • Prof. Pengfei Guan
   • Prof. Tim Hoheisel
   • Prof. Tony Humphries
   • Prof. Dmitry Jakobson
   • Prof. Joel Kamnitzer
   • Prof. Niky Kamran
   • Prof. Abbas Khalili
   • Prof. Eric Kolaczyk
   • Prof. Jean-Philippe Lessard
   • Prof. Jessica Lin
   • Prof. Jean-Christophe Nave
   • Prof. Johanna Neslehova
   • Prof. Sergey Norin
   • Prof. Adam Oberman
   • Prof. Courtney Paquette
   • Prof. Elliot Paquette
   • Prof. Mikael Pichot
   • Prof. Piotr Przytycki
   • Prof. Brent Pym
   • Prof. Marcin Sabok
   • Prof. Russell Steele
   • Prof. David Stephens
   • Prof. John Toth
   • Prof. Anush Tserunyan
   • Prof. Gantumur Tsogterel
   • Prof. Jerome Vetois
   • Prof. Adrian Vetta
   • Prof. Daniel Wise
   • Prof. Archer Yi Yang

   Physics supervisors (NSERC USRA)

   McGill Physics runs a different process to match students and professors. Please read this page before applying.

   If a professor is not listed here, she/he may still be eligible; please refer to "What if my proposed supervisor is not on these lists?" above. SSHRC grants and CIHR grants are not listed here.

   • Prof. Robert Brandenberger
   • Prof. Thomas Brunner
   • Prof. Simon Caron-Huot
   • Prof. Cynthia Chiang
   • Prof. Lilian Childress
   • Prof. Jim Cline
   • Prof. Bill Coish
   • Prof. David Cooke
   • Prof. Francois Corriveau
   • Prof. Nicolas Cowan
   • Prof. Andrew Cumming
   • Prof. Keshav Dasgupta
   • Prof. Matt Dobbs
   • Prof. Charles Gale
   • Prof. Guillaume Gervais
   • Prof. Peter Grütter
   • Prof. Hong Guo
   • Prof. Daryl Haggard
   • Prof. Jason Hessels
   • Prof. Michael Hilke
   • Prof. Sangyong Jeon
   • Prof. Victoria Kaspi
   • Prof. Adrian Liu
   • Prof. Shaun Lovejoy
   • Prof. Alexander Maloney
   • Prof. Tami Pereg-Barnea
   • Prof. Nikolas Provatas
   • Prof. Kenneth Ragan
   • Prof. Walter Reisner
   • Prof. Dominic Ryan
   • Prof. Jack Sankey (Childress)
   • Prof. Katelin Schutz
   • Prof. Jonathan Sievers
   • Prof. Bradley Siwick
   • Prof. Brigitte Vachon
   • Prof. Kai Wang
   • Prof. Andreas Warburton
   • Prof. Tracy Webb
   • Prof. Paul Wiseman

   Psychology supervisors (NSERC USRA)

   If a professor is not listed here, she/he may still be eligible; please refer to "What if my proposed supervisor is not on these lists?" above. SSHRC grants and CIHR grants are not listed here.

   • Prof. Rosemary Bagot
   • Prof. Jennifer Bartz
   • Prof. Jonathan Britt
   • Prof. Carl Falk
   • Prof. Oliver Hardt
   • Prof. Heungsun Hwang
   • Prof. Brendan Johns
   • Prof. Paul Masset
   • Prof. Milica Miocevic
   • Prof. Jeffrey Mogil
   • Prof. Kris Onishi
   • Prof. David J Ostry
   • Prof. Ross Otto
   • Prof. Caroline Palmer
   • Prof. Michael Petrides
   • Prof. Jelena Ristic
   • Prof. Mathieu Roy
   • Prof. Signy Sheldon
   • Prof. Debra Titone
   • Prof. Anna Weinberg

   All Faculty of Science departments' supervisors (for the SSHRC and CIHR USRA programs)

   Unfortunately a list of SSHRC and CIHR grantholders in the Faculty of Science is not available at this time.

   If you are interested in doing a research project with:

   • a professor from the Faculty of Science (see refer of departments above),
   • whose research lies in the field of medicine, or health, or social sciences, or humanities,
   • and who is not listed in the list of NSERC supervisors (grantholders) above,

   ...please ask that professor if she or he currently holds, has held, or is applying for research grant funding from CIHR or SSHRC. (Most but not all Faculty of Science professors do hold research grants from either NSERC, SSHRC, or CIHR.)

   We encourage you to then victor.chisholm [at] mgill.ca (contact the Faculty of Science (Victor Chisholm)) to declare your intent to apply for the CIHR USRA or SSHRC USRA so we can help you confirm your and your supervisor's eligibility to apply.

   Supervisors from Anatomy and Cell Biology, Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Physiology: These departments are part of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Science. Please refer to the Faculty of Medicine and Health Science's webpage for NSERC USRA as they run a separate USRA competition with different deadlines.

   Supervisors from other faculties, departments or academic units: Please refer to the McGill-wide USRA webpage.

   ---

3. Students: Complete your application forms. These require official transcripts from all universities you've attended. Give a copy of your NSERC application form to your supervisor so she or he has your NSERC reference number.

   Questions about eligibility, forms, etc.?

   Clarify these questions before you apply or as soon as an issue arises. Generally this means to consult the supervisor's department (for NSERC USRA), or the Faculty of Science (for CIHR USRA and SSHRC USRA). You will find contacts further below. Departmental staff will consult the Faculty of Science if or when needed.

   Forms for students, including transcripts and checklists

   Before you start, please consult NSERC’s Application Instructions. These cover NSERC USRA, SSHRC USRA, and CIHR USRA.

   1. University-level transcripts: Order official copies.
      • You must upload one document (PDF) containing official transcripts of all universities you attended.
        • This must include separate official transcripts from each university you may have attended; for example, prior to McGill, on exchange, in the summer, etc.
        • Do not include CEGEP transcripts.
        • If you have difficulty combining multiple transcripts, you may want to request paper copies of all official transcripts (instead of e-transcripts), and then physically scan them yourself into one PDF.
        • NSERC prefers black and white scans where possible.
      • About McGill's e-Transcripts:
        • Here is the main page for McGill's e-Transcript (McGill Student Records webiste) and here is how to download the e-Transcript as a PDF (link to external mycreds.ca website)
        • NSERC accepts transcripts in colour, even though they prefer black and white.
        • NSERC does not require the transcript legend on McGill transcripts. However, if you are (also) providing non-McGill transcripts, the legend must be included.
        • NSERC's system does not seem to accept PDFs that have a mix of landscape and portrait pages. However, the current McGill e-Transcript has all pages in portrait except the last page (transcript legend) in landscape. You may need to modify the e-Transcript in order to upload it. If you cannot rotate the last page, you may delete it. Exceptionally, tampering the official transcript in this manner is acceptable, because NSERC accepts transcripts for the UJSRA competition that do not meet the usual requirements to be considered official.
        • These instructions are specific to the USRA competition; in other circumstances, do not tamper with official transcripts.
      • NSERC may require that updated or official, original documents be provided after the completed application has been submitted to NSERC. If you order official copies on paper, hold onto them.
   2. NSERC Form 202, part 1: This is the main form you must complete.
      • Complete Form 202, part 1 using NSERC's online system and following NSERC's instructions for completing Form 202.
      • Take care to select the appropriate agency (CIHR, SSHRC, or NSERC). If you choose the wrong agency, your supervisor may not be able to submit an application for you.
      • You must upload a scan of your transcripts. See also above.
      • You must submit your complete form (Form 202, part 1) before your professor can do his or her part. Your professor will need your (last) name and your NSERC reference number.
   3. Checklist - Consult, complete, and provide to your department as part of your application.
      • NSERC USRA checklist (PDF)
      • SSHRC/CIHR USRA checklist (PDF)

   Your application is not yet complete. Your supervisor must complete NSERC Form 202, part 2 (with your project proposal) and you must submit PDFs of your documents to your supervisor's department (details below).

   How to name your files / electronic application documents

   Name each PDF according to the following format:
   StudentLastName-StudentFirstName-USRA-DocumentType-ProfNameOptional-yyyy-mmm-dd.PDF
   ...where YYY-MMM-DD is the date you prepared this document, italic text (mixed case) represents variables, and roman text (all-capitals) represents constants.

   Sample file name:	Description:
   Doe-Jane-USRA-Complete-ProfMacdonald-2025-Feb-05.pdf	Complete USRA application (if you wish to combine all the required documents into one PDF) for student Jane Doe with Professor Macdonald, prepared on February 5
   Doe-Jane-USRA-Form1-2025-Feb-05.pdf	Only NSERC USRA Form 202 Part 1, for student Jane Doe, prepared on February 5. Note that this should include the transcripts which you have uploaded to NSERC.
   Doe-Jane-USRA-Checklist-2025-Feb-05.pdf	The required checklist, for student Jane Doe, prepared on February 5.
   Doe-Jane-USRA-Form2-ProfMacdonald-2025-Feb-06.pdf	Only NSERC USRA Form 202 Part 2, for student Jane Doe, supervisor Professor Macdonald, prepared on February 6
   Doe-Jane-USRA-Form1-2025-Feb-12.pdf	Updated version of Form 1 (including transcripts as uploaded to NSERC), dated February 12. Avoid submitting multiple versions of a document; but if necessary, for example if a grade changes, the date in the filename will help your department track which is the most recent version.
   Doe-Jane-USRA-Statement-2025-Feb-05.pdf	A supporting statement is not a normal requirement in most departments; however, if student Jane Doe chooses to provide one, or if her department requests a statement from all applicants, this would be the naming format to use. Change "statement" in the filename if this is for some other kind of document, such as your CV.

   ---

4. Students and professors, about ‘in-person’ projects and remotely supervised projects: We encourage proposals for ‘in-person’ projects. We encourage in-person project proposals to include a remote backup; 2-3 sentences will often suffice, especially since a remote phase is unlikely to last the whole summer. Hybrid projects and wholly-remote projects are still permitted, with supervision expected on a frequent basis. For remotely-supervised projects, students can be required to participate in meetings or activities at specified times. The Faculty of Science invites supervisors to consider safety, feasibility, adaptability, equity, and quality of training when planning projects. Students and supervisors should discuss expectations and constraints before applying and before accepting awards.

   ---

5. Professors: Complete the supervisor's application form (NSERC Form 202, Part 2) following the advice below. Give a copy to your student. Inform your department if you choose a 16-week award instead of a 15-week award.
   VERY IMPORTANT: Read the information immediately below (for professors) and immediately above (for both professors and students).

   Information for supervisors (professors) when completing Form 202 Part 2

   It is the responsibility of researchers and their departments to ensure that application forms include all information required by both NSERC and the Faculty of Science. Please read the following tips and "gotchas".

   • In general: NSERC expects the research supervisor to be physically present for the majority of the period of the award. It is acceptable for the research supervisor to delegate supervision for short periods to other faculty members, experienced technicians, postdoctoral fellows or doctoral students. Remote work is acceptable with supervision expected on a frequent basis.
   • Use NSERC Form 202, Part 2, even if you are applying for a CIHR USRA or SSHRC USRA.
   • Ensure that the student's project is "NSERC-able" for NSERC USRA (or "SSHRC-able" for SSHRC USRA, or "CIHR-able" for CIHR USRA). Consult the tri-agency guidelines as necessary.
   • If you can't find your department on the NSERC pick-list, ask the student which tri-agency she/he indicated when completing her/firm form. (One of the first steps for a student is to choose one agency: CIHR, NSERC, or SSHRC. The student's choice of agency will limit the departments available to you.)
   • The project description now involves three separate fields:
     1. Outline of proposed research project:
        1.  Describe the student's research project, not necessarily your larger research program.
        2. This is the longest of the three fields, so it may be the best place to describe Plan A / Plan B for in-person and/or remote projects: you may use language such as “If circumstances require a remote project, we plan to…” plus 2-3 explanatory sentences; “The preceding project can be pursued and supervised wholly remotely. However, if circumstances permit, we plan to…”; “This project [will/could also/can] be pursued and supervised wholly remotely.”
     2. Outline of the student's role: Consider starting with "The student will..."
     3. Expected quality of the training to be received:
        1. You may wish to address: Exposure to a research team; Training in research techniques and skills; Expected contributions to research output; Outcomes, goals, or benefits the student may attain.
        2. Please also indicate that supervision will be (primarily) by you, the named supervisor, not (solely/predominantly) by a postdoc, lab tech, other senior lab member, etc.
   • The start date on the form should: reflect your real plans; be May 1 or later; allow the student to finish a 15-week (or 16-week) project before Fall classes start, on August 27 this year! There is no dedicated field on the form for either the duration or the end-date, but please see the section below about value and duration.
   • The research subject code is a required field, but easy to miss, and without it, you will not be able to submit a complete application. It is also a key part in identifying eligible candidates for the Canadian Forest Sector Workforce Diversity undergraduate supplements (worth an additional $5000).
   • Submitting the form takes two steps; without both of these, we cannot send dossiers to NSERC:
     1. Click on the Portfolio page and select Verify to ensure that all the required information has been entered. Once the verification is completed, the status of the application will be changed to "Completed," which really means "Not yet submitted" because...
     2. You must then select Submit to LO ("liaison officer"). This will lock both your form and the student's form against further updates.
   • Post-submission revisions? After you "Submit to LO", if either you or your student need to update any information, and if you find that the form is protected, contact your departmental contact (or Victor Chisholm) to unlock the form.
   • Give the student a PDF of Form 202 Part 2, so she or he can provide a complete application to your department office. If your department asks for it directly from you, note that the Faculty of Science expects that you and the student have discussed the project and your expectations.

   Where to find the NSERC form and support

   • Form 202 is available via https://ebiz.nserc.ca/nserc_web/nserc_login_e.htm – but first, your student must complete Form 202 Part 1 and provide his/her reference number to you.
   • Instructions for Form 202, including if you do not remember your PIN or CPI:  www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/OnlineServices-ServicesEnLigne/instructions/202/USRA-BRPC_eng.asp#a3.
   • NSERC On-line Services FAQ: http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/OnlineServices-ServicesEnLigne/FAQ-FAQ_eng.asp
   • NSERC On-line Services Helpdesk: (613) 995-4273
   • On-line Services Support Request: http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/OnlineServices-ServicesEnLigne/SupportRequest-DemandeDeSoutien_eng.asp

   About value and duration: default 15 weeks (minimum top-up $2950 tbc); optional 16 weeks (minimum top-up $3550 tbc).

   When your department prepares offer letters to NSERC USRA students, they will indicate the offer is for a 15-week award, unless you tell them you wish to offer a 16-week award (e.g., by email to the departmental USRA coordinator). This duration affects the minimum amount you must contribute.

   Recommended start and end dates

   Start	End (default 15 weeks)	End (if 16 weeks)
   Thu., May 1, 2025	Wed., August 13, 2025	Wed., August 20, 2025
   Mon., May 5, 2025	Fri., August 15, 2025	Fri., August 22, 2025
   Wed., May 7, 2025	Tue., August 19, 2025	Tue., August 26, 2025. May 7 is the latest start date that allows for a 16-week project before Fall classes start on August 27.
   Mon., May 12, 2025	Fri., August 22, 2025	May 14 is the latest start date that allows for a 15-week project before Fall classes start on August 27.
   Wed., May 14, 2025	Tue., August 26, 2025

   ---

6. Students: Submit your complete application before the deadline. Students apply through the department of the proposed supervisor. Deadlines vary by department. (Not sure what to submit, or how your PDFs must be named? Refer to #3 above.)

   Departmental contacts and deadlines

   You must provide your application (PDF documents) to a McGill department. Simply submitting the electronic forms on the NSERC portal is insufficient, because the staff in McGill departments who select the awardees do not have access to the NSERC system.

   The "contact person" listed in each department is both for questions, and to whom you should submit your completed application, unless noted otherwise.

   Supervisor's department:	Contact person:	Deadline:
   For CIHR USRA and SSHRC USRA:
   For all Faculty of Science departments listed below (For CIHR USRA and SSHRC USRA only)	victor.chisholm [at] mcgill.ca (Mr. Victor Chisholm)	Friday, March 21, 2025, for CIHR USRA and SSHRC USRA only. (For NSERC USRA, deadlines are significantly earlier! See below.)
   For NSERC USRA:
   Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences	Mr. Raj Pai via graduateinfo.aos [at] mcgill.ca (graduateinfo.aos)	Friday, February 21, 2025
   Biology (NB: 2 contacts!)	BOTH susan.gabe [at] mcgill.ca (Ms. Susan Gabe) AND nancy.nelson [at] mcgill.ca (Ms. Nancy Nelson)	Wednesday, February 19, 2025, 12:00 noon
   Chemistry	Dr. Samuel Sewall via advisor.chemistry [at] mcgill.ca (advisor.chemistry) Optional: include your C.V. and/or personal statement.	Friday, February 21, 2025, 12:00 noon
   Computer Science	Ms. Mioara Morisca via undergrad.cs [at] mcgill.ca (undergrad.cs) Optional, if your transcript does not reflect all your research experience: include your CV (1 page max.) and/or Statement of research experience, research interests, relevant experience (150 words max.).	Friday, February 21, 2025
   Earth and Planetary Sciences	Ms. Samantha Farina via grad.eps [at] mcgill.ca (grad.eps)	Friday, February 21, 2025
   Geography	Ms. Sabrina Montanaro via undergrad.geog [at] mcgill.ca (undergrad.geog)	Friday, February 21, 2025
   Mathematics and Statistics	angela.white [at] mcgill.ca (Ms. Angela White)	Monday, February 24, 2025, 4:30 PM
   Physics	Prof. Walter Reisner Note: Consult these application instructions specific to Physics.	Friday, February 21, 2025
   Psychology	Mr. Nicholas Tsoukatos via undergrad.psych [at] mcgill.ca (undergrad.psych)	Friday, February 14, 2025
   Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences	You can find the deadlines for other faculties via the McGill-wide NSERC USRA webpage. Application procedures, deadlines, and other details vary according to the faculty of your proposed supervisor.
   Faculty of Arts [including but not limited to the School of Information Studies]
   Faculty of Dentistry
   Faculty of Education [including but not limited to the Department of Kinesiology & Physical Education]
   Faculty of Engineering
   Faculty of Management
   Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences [including but not limited to the Departments of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Biochemistry, Microbiology & Immunology, Pharmacology, and Physiology]
   Faculty of Music

   ---

7. Watch your (McGill) email for results. Most NSERC USRA offers will be made to students by mid-March; however some may come later. CIHR USRA and SSHRC USRA offers are expected in early April.

   ---

8. If you are offered an award: Keep your offer letter, read it carefully, and follow the procedures it describes to accept your award.

   ---

9. The first instalment of your award payment should normally come by late May.

   More about award payments: what to expect, and things you must do

   If you are offered an award, departmental staff will ask supervisors (professors) to confirm the source of funds for the professor's share of your award. Watch for email messages or requests: they may contact you to sign a form or provide further information.

   Your award payment will be processed in part by your supervisor's department (for the supervisor's portion, minimum $2950 tbc), and in part by the Faculty of Science (for the NSERC portion, $6000). The two offices may process these at different times. It is normal in April if you do not see your award in MINERVA, or in early May to only see one of the two parts of your award. Your first pay should normally come by mid or late May, by direct deposit to your bank account; if not, ask the contact person in your supervisor's department.

   You will be able to see your award payments in MINERVA > Financial Aid & Awards > My Financial Aid and Awards. Please note that there can be a delay of 2-3 business days between the date you see on MINERVA and when it gets to your bank account.

   ---

10. In May, start your research project.

    ---

11. Watch for an email from NSERC (or CIHR or SSHRC) in mid-summer (usually late June or early July). This letter will confirm your award. Keep this letter!

    ---

12. FRQNT supplements for NSERC USRA, $1500 TBC: Your email letter from NSERC will indicate if you are eligible to apply for this supplement. If so, follow their application instructions and deadlines.

    FRQNT Supplements for NSERC USRA

    The FRQNT Supplements for NSERC USRA are expected for Summer 2025. The following information was verified on July 10, 2025.

    FRQNT Supplements: The Fonds de recherche du Québec – Nature et technologies (FRQNT) may offer a $1500 supplement to NSERC USRA holders enrolled at an eligible university in Quebec. Students registered at a university outside Quebec (summer "visitors" whose home university is outside Quebec) are not expected to be eligible for the FRQNT supplement. The Faculty of Science does not guarantee student eligibility for this or an equivalent supplement. Students must apply for the FRQNT supplement — this is a separate step from your NSERC USRA application.

    Before applying for the FRQNT supplement:

    • First, you must receive a letter (by email) from NSERC that confirms your USRA and invites you to apply for the FRQNT supplement. (The FRQNT application requires a reference number from the NSERC letter.)
    • This letter from NSERC in mid-summer is different from the letter from your department in late winter / early spring.
    • The NSERC letter usually comes in July. In 2025, several students reported receiving this around June 23-25. Check your junk mail folder.
    • The NSERC email that you receive will be a notification of results that invites you to download the actual letter from their website.
    • You will only be able to apply for the FRQNT supplement if the NSERC letter invites you to do so. Not all USRA holders are eligible for this supplement.

    Application tips:

    • Webpage:
      • To find the application form, start at Suppléments aux bourses de 1er cycle en milieu académique du CRSNG - BRPC (BPCA) 2025-2026.
      • Select the link "Poser sa candidature".
      • You will sign in to the FRQ's new portal, but the application form is on the old portal (ancien portail). 
      • Select the link Ancien portail FRQnet (Previous FRQnet portal).
      • Select the link Portfolio électronique (FRQnet Electronic Portfolio).
      • Select the link Nature et technologies when you have to choose one of the three FRQ sectors.
      • Select the link Concours disponibles (Available competitions)
      • Click on Bourses de formation (Training awards)
      • Look for Suppléments aux bourses de 1er cycle du CRSNG / Académique - BPCA : Été 2025 (Supplements of the NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Awards - BPCA : Été 2025)
      • Select the link below Date d'accès (Access Date) to access the application.
      • On the next screen, read the information, and then click on Créer une demande (Create an application).
      • If you need help, contact the FRQ: click on Nous joindre near the top of the old portal.
      • If you have contacted the FRQ and still need help, please contact Victor Chisholm in the Faculty of Science.
    • Make sure you are looking at information Summer awards, and check the year!
      • If you find a FRQ webpage with an application deadline in April or December, that is likely for NSERC USRAs held in the Fall or Winter term.
      • For Summer USRA, the deadline is usually at the end of August.
      • It is normal that the FRQ website only displays information for Summer USRAs at certain times of the year.
    • Language: The main webpage is in French.
      • CRSNG in French translates to NSERC in English; BRPC translates to USRA.
      • If an English webpage is added later, assume that the French version may have more information.
      • After you select "Poser ma candidature," the application opens in French by default.
      • If you prefer to apply in English, before you log in, look for the “EN/FR” language toggle near the top right of the form.
      • If this year's English-language application form is the same as prior years, it may still require a few parts in French, such as your project title.
      • If your French is not strong, your supervisor, lab group, or research coleagues may be able to help.
    • Deadline date and time: This year, the deadline to apply is August 28, 2025, at 16:00 EDT. Plan for your application to be fully completed and submitted well before that time, not still in progress.

    Results:

    • We expect that the results will be communicated by the FRQNT (directly to students) in the 4 weeks that follow their deadline.
    • Students will receive these supplements directly from the FRQNT, likely in September or October.
13. Questions? Clarification of eligibility? Special circumstances? Who is my USRA LO / Liaison Officer?

    For more information

    • For the FRQNT Supplements to NSERC USRA, please refer to their webpage, and please contact them directly. If you have contacted the FRQNT and still need help, please contact Victor Chisholm in the Faculty of Science.
    • For NSERC USRA: Please consult the department where you wish to apply, which means your proposed supervisor's department. Depending on the question, they may have to consult the Faculty of Science, and in some cases McGill will have to consult with NSERC. For contacts, please refer to "Departmental contacts and deadlines" above.
    • For CIHR USRA and SSHRC USRA: Please contact victor.chisholm [at] mcgill.ca (Victor Chisholm) in the Faculty of Science. (For NSERC USRA, start with the supervisor's department.)
    • Please reach out before you apply, or as soon as the issue arises.
    • On the NSERC website, you may find phrases like "refer to the USRA LO [Liaison Officer] at the institution where you would like to hold the award" for more information. At McGill, for the Faculty of Science, this also means to contact the appropriate individual from the "Departments..." section.
    • Please note that if you or your supervisor are not eligible for an NSERC USRA, you may still be eligible for a Science Undergraduate Research Award (SURA), or one of the other programs listed near the top of this page, under #1, "Other sources of funding."