NSERC USRA

The 2024 NSERC USRA Program.

APPLICATIONS FOR NSERC USRA 2024 ARE NOW CLOSED

The 2024 NSERC USRA applications are due to the Life Sciences and Biochemistry Program office, email lifesci@queensu.ca by 3pm on Friday, February 16th, 2024 (as well an electronic submission through the NSERC USRA website).

Award value:

Typically, USRA award recipients are expected to work full-time (35 hours per week) for 16 consecutive weeks (May 1 to August 31). Furthermore, provincial minimum wage requirements must be adhered to. While the current minimum wage is $16.55 per hour, the VPR will provide an additional top-up to each award to increase the salary rate to $17.50 per hour. As such, students should be paid a minimum of $17.50 per hour x 35 hours x 16 weeks = $9800.00 plus 4% vacation pay for a total of $10,192 + fringe benefits. NSERC contributes $6000, so accounting for the VPR top-up, the supervisor's contribution would be $3072 + fringe benefits.

For NSERC USRAs: Institutions may recommend applications from self-identified Black student researchers for USRA’s beyond their allocations of awards (akin to the current process already in place for Indigenous students).

The NSERC USRA provides undergraduate students the opportunity to work in a research lab during the summer. Details of the program, including eligibility can be found at https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Students-Etudiants/UG-PC/USRA-BRPC_eng.asp

Each year the Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences receives an allotment of NSERC Undergraduate Summer Research Awards (USRA) from the Office of Research Services. NSERC eligibility rules for supervisors have changed. Since 2020, supervisors are no longer required to hold an active grant when applying to supervise a USRA student. There are no restrictions on who can supervise a USRA student, provided the university deems the Queen’s faculty member eligible to supervise students, but our committee will only consider applications from supervisors with appointments in DBMS.

NSERC recommends that applications are evaluated by the following criteria

Academic record of the applicant
Research aptitude of the applicant
Expected quality of the training to be received; may include suitability of supervision and research environment.

You will find a listing of DBMS Faculty and their research interests at: Biomedical and Molecular Sciences Faculty

To maintain an efficient, fair, transparent, and equitable process to both the applicants and the sponsoring principal investigators, the following guidelines are provided:

Eligibility

Please view the NSERC website for information regarding eligibility, the application form and instructions: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Students-Etudiants/UG-PC/USRA-BRPC_eng.asp

Application Process

Eligible students are first required to find a principal investigator who will sponsor their NSERC USRA application.

Eligible principal investigators (i.e. DBMS faculty) can only sponsor one student applicant per year.

The NSERC USRA website includes general information for students and fellows regarding the application process (https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Students-Etudiants/index_eng.asp).
Students:
1. Complete NSERC Form 202 – Part I (http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/OnlineServices-ServicesEnLigne/Forms-Formulaires_eng.asp
2. Generate a pdf of an up-to-date unofficial transcript (if you are a Queen’s student).
3. Briefly describe your laboratory/research experience and future research-based goals (1-page maximum).
Sponsoring Principal Investigator:
1. Complete NSERC Form 202 – Part II (http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/OnlineServices-ServicesEnLigne/instructions/202/e.asp), and submit on-line and download a copy to include in your PDF to our office.
2. For the Description of the Project in Part II, please be sure to write for non-experts, clearly define abbreviations, limit jargon, and clearly state a scientific rationale and hypothesis.
3. Provide details of all current operating funding for the host lab (i.e. title, agency, amount/year; 1-page maximum). Details of non-operating grants (e.g. NSERC RTI or CFI) are not required. Please enter all number 9's for the grant number for the online application.
4. The deadline for submitting an electronic copy of the full application package to the Life Sciences and Biochemistry Program Office to lifesci@queensu.ca is
  by 3pm on Friday, February 16th, 2024

Evaluation Criteria

The following criteria will be considered when evaluating and ranking the applications:

Academic excellence of the student applicant.
Home institution of student applicant (ie. Queen’s or external).
Laboratory/research-related experience and career goals of student applicant.
Proposed Project.
Currently held funding by host lab (i.e. NSERC funding relative to other sources of research-based operating funds).

*Incomplete applications or those for which guidelines have not been followed will not be considered.

Review Committee

The review committee will be comprised of three DBMS members who will review and rank the applications, one of which will chair the review committee

How to apply

NSERC has prepared tutorial videos to summarize the process of applying for a funding opportunity. These videos provide an overview and general guidance only. For more detailed information, read the appropriate sections in the individual description and specific instructions for the program to which you are applying.

Tutorial videos

Apply online

Eligibility

Please view the NSERC website for information regarding eligibility, the application form and instructions: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Students-Etudiants/UG-PC/USRA-BRPC_eng.asp

Application Process

Eligible students are first required to find a principal investigator who will sponsor their NSERC USRA application.

Eligible principal investigators (i.e. DBMS faculty) can only sponsor one student applicant per year.

The NSERC USRA website includes general information for students and fellows regarding the application process (https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Students-Etudiants/index_eng.asp).
Students:
1. Complete NSERC Form 202 – Part I (http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/OnlineServices-ServicesEnLigne/Forms-Formulaires_eng.asp
2. Generate a pdf of an up-to-date unofficial transcript (if you are a Queen’s student).
3. Briefly describe your laboratory/research experience and future research-based goals (1-page maximum).
Sponsoring Principal Investigator:
1. Complete NSERC Form 202 – Part II (http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/OnlineServices-ServicesEnLigne/instructions/202/e.asp), and submit on-line and download a copy to include in your PDF to our office.
2. For the Description of the Project in Part II, please be sure to write for non-experts, clearly define abbreviations, limit jargon, and clearly state a scientific rationale and hypothesis.
3. Provide details of all current operating funding for the host lab (i.e. title, agency, amount/year; 1-page maximum). Details of non-operating grants (e.g. NSERC RTI or CFI) are not required. Please enter all number 9's for the grant number for the online application.
4. The deadline for submitting an electronic copy of the full application package to the Life Sciences and Biochemistry Program Office to lifesci@queensu.ca is
  by 3pm on Friday, February 16th., 2024

Evaluation Criteria

The following criteria will be considered when evaluating and ranking the applications:

Academic excellence of the student applicant.
Home institution of student applicant (ie. Queen’s or external).
Laboratory/research-related experience and career goals of student applicant.
Proposed Project.
Currently held funding by host lab (i.e. NSERC funding relative to other sources of research-based operating funds).

*Incomplete applications or those for which guidelines have not been followed will not be considered.

Review Committee

The review committee will be comprised of three DBMS members who will review and rank the applications, one of which will chair the review committee

How to apply

Tutorial videos

Apply online

Eligibility

Please view the NSERC website for information regarding eligibility, the application form and instructions: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Students-Etudiants/UG-PC/USRA-BRPC_eng.asp

Application Process

Eligible students are first required to find a principal investigator who will sponsor their NSERC USRA application.

Eligible principal investigators (i.e. DBMS faculty) can only sponsor one student applicant per year.

The NSERC USRA website includes general information for students and fellows regarding the application process (https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Students-Etudiants/index_eng.asp).
Students:
1. Complete NSERC Form 202 – Part I (http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/OnlineServices-ServicesEnLigne/Forms-Formulaires_eng.asp
2. Generate a pdf of an up-to-date unofficial transcript (if you are a Queen’s student).
3. Briefly describe your laboratory/research experience and future research-based goals (1-page maximum).
Sponsoring Principal Investigator:
1. Complete NSERC Form 202 – Part II (http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/OnlineServices-ServicesEnLigne/instructions/202/e.asp), and submit on-line and download a copy to include in your PDF to our office.
2. For the Description of the Project in Part II, please be sure to write for non-experts, clearly define abbreviations, limit jargon, and clearly state a scientific rationale and hypothesis.
3. Provide details of all current operating funding for the host lab (i.e. title, agency, amount/year; 1-page maximum). Details of non-operating grants (e.g. NSERC RTI or CFI) are not required. Please enter all number 9's for the grant number for the online application.
4. The deadline for submitting an electronic copy of the full application package to the Life Sciences and Biochemistry Program Office to lifesci@queensu.ca is
  by 3pm on Friday, February 16th., 2024

Evaluation Criteria

The following criteria will be considered when evaluating and ranking the applications:

Academic excellence of the student applicant.
Home institution of student applicant (ie. Queen’s or external).
Laboratory/research-related experience and career goals of student applicant.
Proposed Project.
Currently held funding by host lab (i.e. NSERC funding relative to other sources of research-based operating funds).

*Incomplete applications or those for which guidelines have not been followed will not be considered.

Review Committee

The review committee will be comprised of three DBMS members who will review and rank the applications, one of which will chair the review committee

How to apply

Tutorial videos

Apply online

The 2024 NSERC USRA Program.

APPLICATIONS FOR NSERC USRA 2024 ARE NOW CLOSED

The 2024 NSERC USRA applications are due to the Life Sciences and Biochemistry Program office, email lifesci@queensu.ca by 3pm on Friday, February 16th, 2024 (as well an electronic submission through the NSERC USRA website).

by 3pm on Friday, February 16th, 2024

by 3pm on Friday, February 16th., 2024

by 3pm on Friday, February 16th., 2024