Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRAs)
The Undergraduate Student Research Awards are available to UBC Engineering domestic and international undergraduate students. Students have the opportunity to complete a paid, full-time, 16-week work term by conducting research with faculty supervision.
Domestic students can qualify for the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Undergraduate Student Research Awards (NSERC USRAs).
International students can qualify for the Work Learn International Undergraduate Research Awards (WLIURA).
COVID-19 UPDATE: To qualify for these awards, students must reside Canada for the entirety of the term due to regulations and restrictions set out by UBC. Please ensure you read the entirety of the corresponding section to ensure you are eligible.
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Undergraduate Student Research Awards (NSERC USRAs)
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 specific departments.
- List of Eligible Grants for 22-23
- Eligible UBC Vancouver Grant Holders
- 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 Summer/Fall 2021 and Winter 2022 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 Thursday, March 18, 2021. Please note that the deadline for the 2022-2023 cycle will be updated soon.
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.
Work Learn International Undergraduate Research Award (WLIURA)
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 Canada during your work 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 Centre for Student Involvement and Careers 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, 2022.
- At the end of the award, you will be asked to complete an evaluation, which will be initiated by the Centre for Student Involvement and Careers.
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 member 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 29, 2021 to January 28, 2022.
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 from March 7 to March 20, 2022.
Resources
- Faculty and Staff webpage
- Additional Information for Student Applicants
- Additional Information for Faculty Supervisors
- Research Project Proposal Submission Guide
- How to Find a Faculty Supervisor
For further questions, please email apsc.pd@ubc.ca.