McGill Undergraduate Research Awards Program

What you will need

• ✓ Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or protected person as of the application deadline
• ✓ Current registration in an eligible bachelor's degree program
• ✓ Transcripts showing fall grades and winter registration (for first-year students)
• ✓ Transcripts showing successful completion of one year of university study with minimum 24 credits (for first-year students, due early May)
• ✓ Confirmation of a supervisor who is a grantholder from the McGill Faculty of Science
• ✓ Completed NSERC USRA application forms and official transcripts from all universities you've attended

About this award

In 2026, the award had a minimum total value of $9,050 for a 15-week project, or $9,650 if you and your supervisor agreed to a 16-week term. This total includes a $6,000 contribution from the granting agency and a minimum contribution of $3,050 or $3,650 from your professor. As this is a research award, not a loan, you do not have to pay it back. You might also get extra funding (these supplements are not automatic): a $1,500 FRQNT (Fonds de recherche du Québec – Nature et technologies – the provincial research fund for nature and technology) supplement, a $1,000 Environment Canada Atmospheric and Meteorological Undergraduate Supplement, or a $5,000 Canadian Forest Sector Workforce Diversity undergraduate supplement. This is for you if you are an undergraduate student eager to gain hands-on research experience in an academic setting and considering a future career in research or graduate studies. Deadlines depend on your program: if you apply for the NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada – the agency for science and engineering) award, you apply to your supervisor's department in February. For CIHR (Canadian Institutes of Health Research – the agency for health science) or SSHRC (Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada – the agency for social sciences) awards, you apply to the Faculty of Science in March. You will likely hear back in March for NSERC and April for CIHR/SSHRC. Selection is handled differently based on the award. For NSERC, the supervisor's department chooses the winners. For CIHR and SSHRC, McGill University handles the selection. Recipients are selected on academic excellence, research potential, and the expected quality of the training and mentorship to be received. Each Faculty of Science unit has a quota of NSERC awards and its own selection process. Your award is paid partly by your supervisor's department and partly by the Faculty of Science, by direct deposit to your bank account; your first pay should normally come by mid or late May. You must be registered in an eligible bachelor's degree program when you apply. You can hold a maximum of three USRAs throughout your university career. Renewal conditions aren't listed — if you're counting on this for multiple years, confirm with McGill University whether it's one-time or renewable and what you need to maintain.

Who qualifies

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. You must be registered in an eligible bachelor's degree program at the time you apply and have been registered in a Bachelor's degree in at least one of the two terms immediately before the award. While students from other universities may apply, your supervisor must be a grantholder from the McGill Faculty of Science. Note that CIHR and SSHRC USRAs are exclusively for students who self-identify as Black; non-Black students may only apply to the NSERC USRA. First-year students are welcome to apply, but to actually hold the award, you must provide transcripts in early May showing you successfully completed one year of university study with a minimum of 24 credits.

This is what the award's official page said when we last checked. Rules change, so confirm on the award's official page before you apply.

• ✓ Canadian citizen, permanent resident or protected person
• ✓ Open to undergraduate students
• ✓ Studying Natural sciences, engineering, Medicine, health, Social sciences or humanities

How to apply

1. 1

   Read the award's official page

   Check you meet every requirement, and note each document they ask for.

2. 2

   Order your transcript1–2 weeks

   Your school's registrar can take a week or two.

3. 3

   Check this year's deadline

   We don't have a confirmed date for this round. The award's official page will have it.

Tips for applying

• Research ProjectAvoid choosing a topic without consulting a professor first. Instead, identify a McGill Faculty of Science professor whose work interests you and discuss a potential project. Send a polite email introducing yourself and your research interests to secure a supervisor.
• SupervisorAvoid assuming any professor can supervise you. Instead, ensure your chosen supervisor is a "grantholder," meaning they hold, have held, or are applying for an eligible research grant. Ask your potential supervisor to confirm their grantholder status before you apply.
• StrategyAvoid applying to all three programs if you do not meet the identity requirements. Instead, check if you self-identify as Black before applying to CIHR or SSHRC. If you do not, focus your efforts entirely on the NSERC application.
• RealismAvoid counting on this as a sure summer job. Instead, remember that you are competing for a limited number of spots across different departments. Apply early and ensure your transcripts are ready to prove your academic standing.

Questions students ask

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