USRA Awards
The Summer 2024 USRA competition information is listed below. Please note that applications will need to be submitted by email to the Graduate Program Assistant (statgrad@sfu.ca) (with any "printed" materials included as pdf attachments).
The Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA) programs expose upper-division undergraduates to research, with the goal of encouraging upper-division students to pursue graduate studies leading to research careers. Students must be available to work full-time during the 16-week tenure of the award, from May-August, inclusive. Previous students have been able to link their USRA to a co-op work term; please contact the for more information on this possibility. If you are assigned to a project and would like to link the USRA to a co-op, please check first with your supervisor. Students requiring further feedback on or assistance with the co-op report or paperwork should consult the co-op office.
Science students have access to two programs, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) USRA program and the ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV Vice President, Research (VPR) USRA program. NSERC USRAs are restricted to Canadian citizens and permanent residents; VPR USRAs are open to international students. Canadian citizens and permanent residents should apply to the NSERC program only. For more information, please see the ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV Dean of Graduate Studies USRA website.
Application Process
Note: We thank all applicants for their interest but request that they refrain from contacting prospective supervisors. Supervisors will contact applicants selected for an interview.
NSERC Award:
Canadian citizens and permanent residents should apply for the NSERC USRA only; please do not apply for the VPR USRA. If you are eligible for the NSERC USRA:
- Go to the website
- Please submit the following: the printed NSERC Form 202 (Part I) with your NSERC Online Reference #; an up-to-date, unofficial transcript (not an advising transcript); and, optionally, a short statement (<200 words) about yourself and your interest in the USRA program. These must be submitted electronically to the Graduate Program Assistant (statgrad@sfu.ca) in the Department of Statistics & Actuarial Science by Friday, February 9th, 2024.
- Selected students will be notified by the department. These students must verify their applications online by Friday, February 9th 2024. Note that this verification includes uploading transcripts.
VPR Award:
If you are eligible only for the VPR USRA:
- Go to /gradstudies/awards-funding/ugrad-research-awards/deadlines-application-procedures.html and complete the student portion of the application form. In the section on Award Information, filling in the proposed supervisor is optional.
- Once you have completed the student portion, print it and attach an up-to-date, unofficial transcript (not an advising transcript) and, optionally, a short statement (<200 words) about yourself and your interest in the USRA program. These must be submitted electronically to the Graduate Program Assistant (statgrad@sfu.ca) in the Department of Statistics & Actuarial Science by February 9th, 2024.
- Selected students will be notified by the project Supervisors.
- Supervisors will fill out the "Supervisor Information" and "Research Project" sections of the form.
USRA 2024
Summer 2024 (Semester 1244)
Project Title/Description | Supervisor | Student | Semester | Award Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
Open education resources for data science | B. Lin |
1244 | ||
Enhancing Multinomial Logit Model Performance through Integration with Deep Learning Neural Networks | H. Shi |
1244 | ||
Statistical and machine learning methods for large-scale single-cell omics data | L. Zhang | 1244 | ||
Artificial intelligence and the future of Statistics education | S. Isberg |
1244 | ||
Inferring threats from climate change through examination of time-varying phylogenetic trees with ecological data | L. Elliott |
1244 | ||
Project Information TBD | L. Wang | 1244 | ||
Integrating climate risk into decision-making: An integrated assessment model approach |
J.F. Bégin and B. Sanders |
1244 |
Past Projects
Find information about past USRA projects here.