Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRAs) are meant to nurture interest and fully develop potential for a research career in health, sciences, engineering, social sciences or humanities. These awards are also meant to encourage students to undertake graduate studies by providing research work experience that complements their studies in an academic setting.

New for the 2023 competition, applicants who self-identify as Black may be considered above the institution's quota limit. This also continues to be the case for applicants who self-identify as Indigenous. Students will have the opportunity to self-identify when completing the online application and consent to sharing this information with the University of Windsor.

Awards may be held in the Winter 2024 term.
There is currently ONE NSERC award available. Students who self-identify as Black or Indigenous, and meet the award criteria, may be awarded a USRA award beyond the University quota.
The value of the award for 2023-24 is $6,000 for employment for 14 weeks, at 35 hours per week between January 1 to April 30.
NSERC requires that all students holding USRAs receive supplementary assistance from the University. A minimum of $2,355 will be provided by the Principal Investigator (Total minimum award value is $8,355). This supplement is a minimum value; any supplement above this level may be set at the Principal Investigator’s discretion.

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
you must be registered, as of the deadline date for applications at the institution, in a bachelor's degree program at an eligible institution
you must have obtained, a cumulative average of at least 70% up to the time of application
you cannot be currently enrolled in an undergraduate professional degree program in the health sciences (e.g., MD, DDS, BScN)
you cannot be currently registered or have been previously registered, at any time, in a graduate program in the same field of study
you cannot have completed all your degree requirements

Students must be supervised by a faculty member holding an active NSERC Discovery research grant either at the time the student submits the application, or at the time the student takes up the award.
Students should not receive academic credits for the work done during the term of a USRA. Therefore, holders of these awards are not generally permitted to take courses during working hours throughout the term of their award. Students may take one course if special arrangements to make up the time under supervision have been made with the supervisor. In particular, USRA holders are not permitted to do thesis research during the term of the award.
To be eligible to apply, a student must be registered, as of the deadline date for the application at the institution, in a bachelor's program. 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.
Students are responsible to read and understand all eligibility requirements to apply and hold the award. The information can be found on the NSERC website.