CIHR Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA)

CIHR-USRA awards are exclusively for Black student researchers. Students in the health fields from all faculties are encouraged to apply. (Please click on the following link to determine CIHR project subject matter eligibility: Selecting the appropriate federal granting agency)

Deadline: Friday, March 7, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. EST.

Award Value

For positions held between May 1 and August 31, 2025, the total value of the award ranges from:

14 weeks: minimum amount of $8,428.00
16 weeks: minimum amount of $9,632.00
The minimum values correspond to minimum wage in Ontario
Students will receive 4% vacation pay, as per the Ontario Employment Standards (ESA). (Students are not eligible for paid days off/vacation days.)
The program makes no provisions for sick leave, or for other types of interruptions
Should sick or vacation leave be incurred during the employment period, the student would just need to ensure they worked their total number of hours by their award end date
Should a USRA be interrupted or terminated early for any reason, CORIS (coris@carleton.ca) should be informed immediately. Positions may not be deferred.

Duration of Awards

The duration of the award is 14 to 16 weeks on a full-time basis (35 hours/week)
USRA awards are tenable at any time during the year as permitted by your academic program and faculty, and agreed upon by student and supervisor
Students may be enrolled in a maximum of 1.0 credit during the tenure of the award, if special arrangements to make up the time have been made with the Supervisor (for courses scheduled during business hours).
Over the summer, a maximum of 0.5 credit is allowed in early summer, and 0.5 credit in late summer
Recipients are not permitted to do thesis research during the term of the award. It is permitted to use data acquired during a USRA as the basis of a thesis, provided registration in the thesis course start after the USRA employment is completed.
USRAs may be held during co-op placements
Remote work is acceptable with supervision expected on a frequent basis. This must be agreed on between the student and the supervisor

Eligible Applicants

To be eligible to apply for an award, you must, as of the deadline date for applications at Carleton University:

Identify as being Black;
Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or Protected Person under subsection (95)2 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada);
Be registered in a bachelor’s degree program at an eligible institution;
Have obtained, over the previous year(s) of study, a second class Overall CGPA. At Carleton, this translates into a B-/7.0

In addition…

if you already hold a bachelor’s degree and are studying toward a second bachelor’s degree, you may still apply for this award
you may hold only one (1) USRA per fiscal year (April 1 to March 31)
you may hold a maximum of three (3) USRAs throughout their undergraduate career (regardless of agency)

Ineligible Applicants

You are NOT eligible to apply for a USRA if, you:

are currently registered or have previously been registered in a graduate program in the same field of study
have completed all your degree requirements by the deadline date for applications at Carleton University.

To Hold An Award, you must:

Have completed all the course requirements of at least the first year of university study of your bachelor’s degree
Have been registered in at least one of the two terms immediately before holding the award, in a bachelor’s degree program: whether part- or full-time
(Study abroad is permitted within this rule, provided the student was registered in a bachelor’s degree program)
Not be registered in a graduate program

You may also find it helpful to review: Frequently asked questions about USRAs

Eligible Supervisors of USRA Students

Any faculty member who is authorized to supervise undergraduate students at Carleton in the relevant discipline is eligible to act as a supervisor. It is not necessary for the Supervisor’s research program to fall exclusively within the purview of the selected agency.

Carleton Competition Results

CORIS will inform applicants of award decisions following their adjudication. No feedback is provided to the applicants.

Carleton Payment of Awards

CIHR pays the awards to Carleton University.

Successful candidates will receive payment from the university in accordance with its pay procedures (twice per month, on the following dates). Students who have not been employed by Carleton before will need to fill out an Online Employee Intake Form. Supervisors communicate their funding information directly to Christine Rivas in CORIS.

After completing the Online Employee Intake Form (if applicable), no further action is required by the student or the supervisor with regards to payroll. The university will issue a T4 or T4A slip (Statement of Income) at the end of the calendar year.

Application Documents and Submission

Please complete the forms below and then proceed to upload via the link at the bottom of this page.

Download and Complete:

Form 202 Part I
- Completed by the student
Form 202 Part II
- Completed by the potential Supervisor, but uploaded by the student at the time of application