Welcome back everyone!
I hope your semester is off to a great start. January means that applications are open for the undergraduate summer awards (NSERC USRA, Chinook Summer Research Award, Alberta Innovates SRS). You are welcome to forward this email and information to any undergraduates you would like to support for one or more of the following awards. Below is a quick overview of each award. Students can apply for multiple awards if they meet the eligibility criteria. If you have any questions, please let me know and I will be happy to help.
Three notable new changes for 2026:
* There are two additional awards offered under the Chinook Summer Research Awards. These are called the “Life and Climate Research Award.” Projects in the social sciences, humanities, arts and sciences that are related to the climate and environment may qualify. Please see the Chinook award page for more detailshttps://www.ulethbridge.ca/research/grants/chinook-summer-research-award. * For each of the awards, a student can only hold the same award up to 3 times. For example, if they held an NSERC USRA for 3 summers, they are still eligible to apply for a Chinook or AI SRS award, but cannot apply again for a fourth NSERC USRA. * Changes to the Priority Areas for the Alberta Innovates SRS. They are expanded to include the intersection between human and animal/environmental health, along with other small tweaks. See below for more details.
PLEASE NOTE: The information below is intended as a quick overview. For more details about the opportunity, eligibility, and application requirements, please review the linked webpage. ________________________________ 1. Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA)https://www.ulethbridge.ca/research/grants/undergraduate-student-research-awards-usra A nationally funded program (NSERC, with limited CIHR & SSHRC) designed to foster undergraduate research experience across all disciplines.
* Value: * $6,000 student stipend (paid as a salary through the summer) * Required minimum supervisor top-up ($2730 in 2025) to meet wage requirements * Duration: * 16 consecutive weeks * Full-time research between May and August * Eligibility: * Undergraduate students at any eligible university * Canadian citizen or PR * Academic standing and prior award limits apply * Research areas and number of awards: * 21 awards available for all students (25 total+ more for Indigenous students) * Natural sciences and engineering (additional awards available for self-identifying black (2) and indigenous students) * 1 additional award for health (CIHR) award available for a black student * 1 additional award for Social sciences and humanities (SSHRC) award available for a black student * Internal deadline: February 2, 2026 (4:00 pm) * Decision timeline: March * Application: * Students and their supervisor must submit separate formshttps://nserc-crsng.canada.ca/en/undergraduate-student-research-awards via the NSERC portal.https://nserc-crsng.canada.ca/en/undergraduate-student-research-awards * The student should send a copy of their transcripts directly from "MyCreds.ca" to usra@uleth.ca. * Student should submit student letter online using the Student letter formhttps://uleth.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bI6YZdZdylWmN4a * The student should ask their supervisor or chosen reference to complete the letter of recommendation formhttps://uleth.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_d3YYklqXtXKglgy. It is the students responsibility to follow-up with their reference to ensure it is submitted before the deadline. * Supervisor Limits: 2 students per supervisor (but you can submit up to 3 applications). You may supervise more than 2 if the additional students are Black or Indigenous.
________________________________ 2. Chinook Summer Research Awardhttps://www.ulethbridge.ca/research/grants/chinook-summer-research-award An undergraduate research award open to all disciplines.
* Value: $6,000 stipend (award paid in full in May) * No supervisor contribution required * Duration: Summer research term * Eligibility: * ULethbridge students enrolled full-time * Students do NOT need to be a Canadian citizen or PR (international students are accepted) * Student must plan to return to studies in the Fall (cannot be in their final semester) * Previous Chinook award holders MUST submit their final report before holding another Chinook award. * Research areas and number of awards: * 19 awards for all research areas (social sciences, humanities, art, health, and natural sciences) * 2 additional Life and Climate Research awards, one in sciences and one in social sciences/humanities * Internal deadline: February 2, 2026 (11:59 pm) * Decision timeline: Early April * Application: Student must submit via the University of Lethbridge scholarships portal. Reference requests will be sent through the online system. Additionally, some * Supervisor Limits: 4 students per supervisor
________________________________ 3. Alberta Innovates Summer Research Studentship (AI SRS)https://www.ulethbridge.ca/research/grants/alberta-innovates-summer-research-studentship An undergraduate award focused on human health research. The majority of funded projects should fit into one of the named priority areas below. New this year: these have been expanded to include the intersection of human and animal/environmental health.
* Value: $7,200 stipend (award paid in full in May) * No supervisor financial contribution required * Duration: Summer research (May–August) * Eligibility: * ULethbridge students enrolled full-time * Minimum 3.30 GPA required * Students do NOT need to be a Canadian citizen or PR (international students are accepted) * Can be in their final semester of their undergrad. * Research areas and number of awards: * Number of awards: 12, based on 2025 (we are waiting to confirm 2026 total funding from Alberta Innovates) * New Priority areas: * Applied health research: Health technologies and therapeutics with commercial or clinical potential * Digital health/data systems: Advance the secure, ethical, and effective use of digital tools and health data to support care delivery, decision-making, and system coordination * Sustainable health systems: Design, implement, or evaluate innovative care models, service approaches, or policies that improve performance and sustainability in Alberta * One Health: Address the interconnection of human, animal, and environmental health to prevent, detect, and respond to shared threats through cross-disciplinary, collaborative, applied activities * Internal deadline: February 2, 2026 (11:59 pm) * Decision timeline: March * Application: Submitted via the University of Lethbridge scholarships portal. Reference requests will be sent through the online system. * Supervisor Limits: 4 students per supervisor
________________________________ If you have questions about eligibility, internal processes, or supporting student applications, please contact myself at oris.internal@uleth.camailto:oris.internal@uleth.ca. If a student is having issues with the application portal, they should contact the awards office at awards@uleth.camailto:awards@uleth.ca.
Best regards, Nicole
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Nicole van Rootselaar, PhD.
(she/her)
Research Facilitator, Internal Awards, Postdoctoral Funding, and Research Management System Support
Office of Research and Innovation Services
Office B635
oris.mailto:Oris.director@uleth.cahealth@uleth.camailto:Oris.director@uleth.ca
403-332-2002
ULethbridge|Researchhttps://www.ulethbridge.ca/research
4401 University Drive
Lethbridge AB, Canada
T1K 3M4
ulethbridge.ca
The University of Lethbridge’s Blackfoot name is Iniskim, meaning Sacred Buffalo Stone. The University is located in traditional Blackfoot Confederacy territory. I am grateful to live and work on the traditional land of the Blackfoot people, and continue to learn and honour their traditional ways of knowing in caring for this land, as well as all Indigenous Peoples who have helped shape and continue to strengthen our University community.
All applications/proposals/notices of intent must be approved by the Office of Research & Innovation Services (ORIS) using the Research Proposal Form (RPF) on the Bridgehttps://bridge.uleth.ca/selfservicetwbkwbis.P_GenMenu?name=bmenu.P_MainMnu with a copy of the application. Therefore, applicants and co-applicants should allow sufficient lead time for a thorough review at each approval level. The RPF must be received before an application is submitted electronically to a funding agency. The faculty member's responsibility is to ensure that the ORIS receives a completed RPF well before the agency deadline. Visit this pagehttps://www.ulethbridge.ca/research/external-grant-deadlines for more information.
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