Research

Take advantage of this amazing opportunity to do research at the undergraduate level. The goals of the NSERC USRA program are:

• To stimulate interest in natural sciences and engineering
• To provide career-related work experience for the award recipient/student
• To provide students with financial support

Eligibility

Please familiarize yourself with the award and the eligibility requirements through the information found on the UBC NSERC USRA webpage.

Work Terms

The Faculty of Applied Science is provided with a quota of NSERC USRAs annually for the UBC Vancouver and Okanagan campuses.

A USRA can be held during the following terms:

• Summer (May 1 to August 31)
• Fall (September 1 to December 31)
• Winter (January 1 to April 31)

There is one application deadline per academic year.

How to Apply

Find a professor who is willing to hire and supervise you for a research project. Due to the recent changes made by NSERC, both eligible grant holders and non-grant holders can apply for the NSERC grant. Non-grant holders will require approval from their Associate Dean.

• Eligible UBC Vancouver Grant Holders APSC 2024-25
• NSERC – List of Research Subject Codes for Scholarships and Fellowships

The NSERC USRA application process for the Faculty of Applied Science is two-fold.

1. Complete and submit Form 202 on the NSERC website.

Please refer to the NSERC USRA Checklist for Common Errors and the resources provided under the ‘Additional Information’ section to ensure you have completed the form correctly:

• Part I Example (to be filled by the student)
• Part II Example (to be filled by the supervisor). This now includes a section on ‘Quality of Training’ where faculty members must include a brief description of the expected quality of training for the student under “Outline of Student’s Role”

2. Follow the department-specific instructions to apply:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Chemical & Biological Engineering
• Civil Engineering
• Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Materials Engineering
• Mining Engineering
• School of Engineering – UBC Okanagan

Please not that these are the instructions to work with professors from the Faculty of Applied Science. If you are interested in working with a professor from another faculty, please refer to the corresponding faculty/school contacts.

Deadlines

Each department has their own deadlines for the research awards; please check with the department you are applying to work with. All departments must submit their final lists to the Professional Development office by March 15, 2024.

Additional Information

Here are some important reference tools and required documents for students, supervisors, and coordinators that will help to explain application procedure, ensure the applicants are eligible, and that they complete the application correctly:

• Info-sheet for potential supervisors
• Info-sheet for students
• FAQ for Students and Supervisors
• Use this Resource Document to find a professor

For further questions, please email apsc.pd@ubc.ca.

The goals of the Work Learn International Undergraduate Research Award:

• To provide undergraduate international students with career-related work experience through research opportunities
• To stimulate interest in natural sciences and engineering

Eligibility

• You are an international undergraduate student at the UBC Vancouver Campus
• You have a valid Social Insurance Number (SIN)
• You have a valid study permit
• You have a B- 68% cumulative GPA and have completed a minimum of first year (or two terms)
• You are on a scheduled break or are full time for immigration purposes
• You are residing in British Columbia, Canada during your work term
• You will be engaged in research activities at the UBC Vancouver campus on a full-time basis for at least 16 weeks. This includes 35 paid hours per week plus a one-hour unpaid lunch break.

If you are an international undergraduate student that is graduating, you are eligible only for the academic term directly after you complete your program requirements, regardless of your graduation date.

Students who finish their courses in Winter Term 2 (April) and graduate in the spring (May) are eligible to hold a Work Learn International Undergraduate Research Award in the summer term.

Program Restrictions

• You may hold only one Work Learn International Undergraduate Research Award per fiscal year (April 1 to March 31).
• You may only hold a maximum of three Work Learn International Undergraduate Research Awards throughout your degree.
• Students are not eligible to hold a Work Learn International Undergraduate Research Award position in the same term they are holding an NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award or a Work Learn placement.
• Work Learn International Undergraduate Research Award students are recommended to not have more than 3 credits in one summer term  (maximum 3-credits in Term 1 and/or 3 credits in Term 2), in order to focus on the 35 hour per week requirement of full-time work in their position.

Award Period

• The minimum normal duration of the award is 16 consecutive weeks of full-time work (35 hours/week plus 1 hour unpaid lunch break).
• Under exceptional circumstances, the UBC Career Centre may approve awards for periods of less than 16 weeks (approval is needed in advance).
• Work Learn International Undergraduate Research Awards are held in the Summer term (May 1 – August 31). The latest a student can start working on their award to meet the minimum 16 week requirement is May 12, 2023
• At the end of the award, you will be asked to complete an evaluation, which will be initiated by the UBC Career Centre.

Value and Payment

These awards have a value of $6,000. This amount will be reimbursed to your project supervisor’s account. Supervisors are required to pay a minimum wage over 16 weeks (inclusive of 4% vacation pay), as well as benefits (CPP, EI, WCB) amounting to approximately 7.48%.

The minimum pay for the tenure of your award of 16 weeks is $8,654.46 (inclusive of 4% vacation pay).  If the award is longer than 16 weeks, your pay should increase by a minimum of $553.28 for each additional week (inclusive of 4% vacation pay) or $110.66 for each additional day (inclusive of 4% vacation pay).

How to Apply

You have two options for applying to the Work Learn International Undergraduate Research Awards: 

​​​​​​Option 1

If you have a UBC Vancouver faculty supervisor in mind, you can create your own research opportunity by contacting them and letting them know about the program. The faculty member must submit the research project proposal on UBC CareersOnline through an employer account during the Call for Research Proposals period from November 20, 2023 to January 30, 2024.

Option 2

All research opportunities within the Work Learn International Undergraduate Research Awards will be posted on UBC CareersOnline. If you do not have a UBC Vancouver faculty member in mind, you can browse through and apply for these opportunities on UBC CareersOnline (login with your CWL –> Opportunities –> Search), which will be posted in from March 11 to March 24, 2024.   

Resources

• Additional Information About the Award 
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
• ​​​​​Additional Information for Student Applicants
• Additional Information for Faculty Supervisors
• Research Project Proposal Submission Guide (For Faculty Supervisors)

For further questions, please email apsc.pd@ubc.ca.