NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA) and Science Undergraduate Research Award/Science Emerging Research Award (SURA/SERA)

The Department of Mathematics and Statistics is now processing “pre-applications” from 2nd, 3rd and 4th year Mathematics and Statistics students for the 2023-2024 NSERC competition for Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA) and the 2023 Science Undergraduate Research Awards (SURA/SERA). 

IMPORTANT - DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS & STATISTICS PROCEDURES: *Mathematics and Statistics USRA/SURA application procedures may differ from other Faculty of Science Department procedures, therefore, please review the instructions below very carefully.


Award Information:

The USRA program is designed for undergraduate students who wish to carry out a research project under the supervision of an NSERC-funded Faculty Member at UVic. Please follow the Instructions below if you are interested in applying. You can read more about the eligibility and program requirements by visiting NSERC website. 

To be eligible to apply for the USRA award, you must: 

  • be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada as of the deadline date for applications at the university;
  • be registered, at the time you apply, in a bachelor's degree program at an eligible university;
  • have obtained, over the previous years of study, a cumulative average of at least second class (a grade of "B" or "B-," if applicable) as defined by your university.


A second and parallel program is the Science Undergraduate Research Awards/Science Emerging Research Awards (SURA/SERA) funded by the Faculty of Science at UVic. The SURA/SERA are research awards with program requirements and financial aspects that differ slightly from that of the USRA. Please follow the instructions above if you are interested in applying. You can read more about the eligibility and program details here.

To be eligible for a SURA/SERA, a student, at the time of application, must: 

  • be registered as a full-time student (12 units or higher) for a bachelor's degree in the Faculty of Science at the University of Victoria in the current Winter Session (Sep – Apr)
  • have completed at least 30 units of course credits toward a B.Sc. degree by the end of the Fall term prior to submitting an application
  • intend to continue full-time undergraduate studies in the term immediately following the research project
  • have a cumulative GPA of 6.0 or higher for all courses completed at the time of application.

Instructions for award applications:
These undergraduate research opportunities are an excellent way to get introduced to research in mathematics and statistics, and are a natural precursor to graduate studies.

If you are interested in either of the above awards, please complete the pre-application form by clicking on the link here no later than Sunday, February 5th, 2023 at 11.59pm. This is the first step to the application. If approved, you will be invited to submit a formal application by Tuesday, February 14th to start the official application process. Please login to Microsoft 365 using your netlink ID to fill out the form.


*Again, keep in mind, the Department of Mathematics and Statistics has a pre-application process.

Jamie Cassels Undergraduate Research Awards (JCURA)

The Jamie Cassels Undergraduate Research Awards (JCURA) offer exceptional undergraduate students the opportunity to carry out research in their field of study. The projects are then displayed in poster format at the JCURA fair in March every year.

Valerie Kuehne Undergraduate Research Awards (VKURA)

The Valerie Kuehne Undergraduate Research Awards (VKURA) provide an opportunity for first year students to gain research-enriched and applied experiences in their discipline or field of study. Students gain first-hand experience in planning and undertaking research or creative works.