A. Domestic Students: Departmental Application Procedures - NSERC USRA
The following procedures only apply to UBC Students with Domestic status (Canadian Citizens or Permanent Residents) who are applying for NSERC USRA awards at UBC. *Note: NSERC awards are available at all all major Canadian Universities, however deadlines may vary. Please check application deadline dates carefully for each institution.
Eligibility: To apply you should be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident completing the 2nd or higher year of an undergraduate Physics/Astronomy/Engineering Physics program. (*Note: 1st year students are eligible for NSERC if they have completed two terms of registered courses prior to the summer term where they would receive an award). You should have obtained a cumulative average of at least B+ over the previous years of university study. However, please note that is highly unlikely for any 1st year student to receive an NSERC award, as interested supervisors will prefer students with more university experiences and credit.
NSERC documentation:
1. NSERC Form 202 Part I - Students must submit an official application to NSERC by filling out the NSERC Form 202 Part I through the NSERC online portal, including uploading copies of your official transcripts (and the legend on the back). To access the online application, please see here http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Students-Etudiants/UG-PC/USRA-BRPC_eng.asp. Your 'Form 202 Part I' will have a unique NSERC ref. number. Submit an e-copy or PDF of this form to UBC Physics and Astronomy Department (ugcoord@phas.ubc.ca) as part of your application by 11.59pm PST, January 15th, 2025. This form is NOT required for WLIURA and stand-alone SURE applications.
2. NSERC Form 202 Part II - this form is for the faculty supervisor to fill out, once we have matched a student with that supervisor. It is not required in a student's application. The deadline for NSERC Form 202 Part II will be sometime in March.
What to include in your application to the department:
Please ensure the following five components are accounted for and included in your application via email, to ugcoord@phas.ubc.ca. The file name of each document should be saved as your full name and the type of document:
- Form 202 Part I, as mentioned, above. Please submit as a PDF. NOT required for WLIURA and stand alone SURE applications.
- Official transcripts - We will accept a PDF scanned copy of your official transcripts, or e-copy of your official transcripts. Official transcripts include the registrar's signature on the copy. If you have attended any post-secondary institutions prior to UBC (or your current university), please also included these official transcripts.
- Curriculum vitae (CV/resume). Please submit as a PDF.
- Personal statement indicating your research interests and the names of two-three, (preferably three) UBC faculty members you would be most interested in working with during the summer, indicated clearly at the top as your first, second, and third choice of faculty/supervisor. We ask you to share if your choice of supervisor has expressed interest in working with you.
- Consider your personal statement to be like a cover letter: you want to include your interests, experience and what you would bring to a research project, as well as some information about your future career goals.
- Please indicate if you do not want to be considered for the SURE award.
- Please submit this as a PDF document!
- At least one (two would be highly recommended) letter(s) of reference from a faculty member of your home institution, or supervisor in a previous job (or volunteer activity). You will not be permitted to send these. We require all letters to be submitted by your referee(s) directly to (ugcoord@phas.ubc.ca) as PDFs, and not as Word documents and email messages! You can check with us if your letters of reference have been sent by your referees. The deadline for letter(s) of reference is also January 15th.
*For the 2026-27 cycle, NSERC allows UBC to recommend applications from self-identified Indigenous and Black student researchers for awards beyond our institutional allocation of funding. We encourage you to apply through the following pathways:
i) If you identify as an Indigenous student (First Nations, Inuit, or Métis), UBC has a new program called Launchpad that we highly encourage you to apply to in lieu of the NSERC USRA. Launchpad offers dedicated, paid 14–16-week summer research placements with additional financial support supplementing that of NSERC USRA. Please do not submit a USRA application to the department through ugcoord — instead apply directly to Launchpad; eligible applicants will be automatically considered for a USRA via Launchpad. Learn more and apply on the Launchpad website.
OR
ii) If you self-identify as Black, or Black multiracial, or identify with Black ancestry, on the Form 202 Part 1 – 'Personal Profile' page, on the NSERC online portal, scroll down to the “Self-identification statement” section. Under “Statement 2: Black applicants,” and indicate that you self-identify as a Black student applicant.
You are also welcome to mention your self-identification as a Black student in your personal statement to our PHAS application cycle.
B. International Students: Departmental Application Procedures - Work Learn International Undergraduate Research Awards (WLIURA)
The following procedures only apply to UBC Students with International status (with a current study permit and work visa) who can apply for WLIURA Work Learn International Undergraduate Research Awards. Domestic students (including Permanent Residents) are required to submit a NSERC USRA application as described above.
Eligibility - Work Learn International Undergraduate Research Awards (WLIURA): To apply, you should be a UBC Vancouver B.Sc. undergraduate on a study permit (i.e. "international"), holding a current work visa (which is valid through the duration of the appointment), and completing the 2nd or higher year of an undergraduate Physics/Astronomy program. You should have obtained a cumulative average of at least B+ over the previous years of university study.
WLIURA applications are organized differently than the NSERC cycle, as projects approved for funding must first go through the UBC Career Center. Students can approach a WLIURA application through a few methods:
- We encourage students to discuss and work with a faculty member to submit a joint proposal to UBC Careers Online, of which, the submission must be done by their supervisors (the Careers Center deadline for this is typically at the end of January). Only once the supervisor's project is approved, will they be eligible to employ the student as a WLIURA recipient. To get started, students should either reach out and indicate their interest to a supervisor/faculty, if they are aware of their research/ projects, OR if they are unsure, we highly encourage students to first view the current and previous USRA project lists, and inquire whether the supervisor is interested in working with them and submitting a proposal to UBC Careers, with a specific project. In either case, if approved, the project will be posted on Careers Online in March, indicating that the position has an internal candidate. In this outcome, the student does not need to send an internal application to PHAS.
- If you are not be able to discuss or secure a joint-project proposal with a supervisor, this is absolutely fine! Some supervisors do not have an intended student at the time in which they submit their project. Others may also prefer to have an open-ended interview process and accept applications from various students. In this case, a supervisor's job posting on Careers Online will indicate they are looking for a candidate, and students will be permitted to apply directly to the position when posted in March. The supervisor is responsible for communicating with applicants and facilitating any applicable interviews. To have a successful application and be considered for an interview, students should provide the necessary documents to supervisors on Careers Online. This may include; a CV, academic transcript, and personal statement/cover letter. Reference letters are encouraged. Again, this method of applying is facilitated through UBC Careers Online (not through PHAS department).
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Supervisors may also have an approved project listing an internal candidate, whilst not securing one. If there is a WLIURA-approved supervisor with an open position, we encourage WLIURA eligible students to apply internally (directly to PHAS), as well. This will allow our USRA Committee to identify you as qualified candidate and pair you with a suitable project. In this case, you are welcome to submit your WLIURA application to PHAS department (ugcoord@phas.ubc.ca) by our WLIURA-specific internal deadline, March 2nd, 2026 (not to be confused with the NSERC application deadline in January). The required WLIURA application documentation is below.
To increase your chances of being ranked and matched with a supervisor, students may apply directly to open positions on Careers Online in March (when posted) AND apply internally to PHAS Dept (ugcoord@phas.ubc.ca), by the March 2nd deadline. Similar to the above mentioned reasons; if there are any WLIURA project supervisors without an internal candidate, regardless of how their job position is posted, submitting your application may help the USRA Committee identify and match suitable candidates to these positions.
WLIURA documentation:
- Official transcripts - We will accept a PDF scanned copy of your official transcripts, or e-copy of your official transcripts. Official transcripts include the registrar's signature on the copy. If you have attended any post-secondary institutions prior to UBC, please also included these official transcripts.
- Curriculum vitae (CV/resume). Please submit as a PDF.
- Personal statement indicating your research interests and the names of two-three, (preferably three) UBC faculty members you would be most interested in working with during the summer, indicated clearly at the top as your first, second, and third choice of faculty/supervisor. We ask you to share if your choice of supervisor has expressed interest in working with you.
- Consider your personal statement to be like a cover letter: you want to include your interests, experience and what you would bring to a research project, as well as some information about your future career goals.
- Please indicate if you do not want to be considered for the SURE award.
- Please submit this as a PDF document.
- At least one (two would be highly recommended) letter(s) of reference from a faculty member of your home institution, or supervisor in a previous job (or volunteer activity). You will not be permitted to send these. We require all letters to be submitted by your referee(s) directly to (ugcoord@phas.ubc.ca) as PDFs, and not as Word documents and email messages. You can check with us if your letters of reference have been sent by your referees. The deadline for letter(s) of reference is also January 15th.
C. SURE (Science Undergraduate Research Experience) Award
Both Domestic and International students can apply. You should be a UBC Vancouver B.Sc undergraduate of any nationality completing the 2nd or higher year of an undergraduate Physics/Astronomy program. You should have obtained a cumulative average of at least B+ over the previous years of university study.
Instructions: You are welcome to indicate your interest in the SURE award in your personal statement for either the NSERC or WLIURA application. There is no need to apply twice or separately. If you are only interested in the SURE award, you can apply using the same required documents as in the WLIURA award.