Description

AARMS Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA) are for undergraduate students enrolled at universities in Atlantic Canada. They are meant to nurture the interest and potential for a research career in the mathematical sciences and to encourage further study at the graduate level by providing research experience. The program is weighted towards supporting undergraduate research at smaller universities.

Eligibility

To be eligible for an award:

  • the student must be registered, as of the deadline date for application, in a bachelor’s degree program at a university in Atlantic Canada;
  • the student must have obtained, over the previous years of study, a satisfactory cumulative average of at least B-;
  • the student cannot be currently registered or have been previously registered, at any time, in a graduate program in the same field of study;
  • the student cannot have completed all their degree requirements.

In addition:

  • if the student already holds a bachelor’s degree and is studying toward a second bachelor’s degree, they may still apply for this award;
  • the student may not hold an AARMS USRA if they also hold a USRA from another granting agency in the same fiscal year (April 1 to March 31).

To hold an award

  • the student must have completed all course requirements for at least the first year of study (or two academic terms) of their bachelor’s degree;
  • the student must have been registered in a bachelor’s degree program at the time of application and in at least one of the two terms immediately before holding the award;
  • the student must be working full time in eligible research and development activities in their proposed field of research during tenure of the award;
  • the student cannot be registered in a graduate program.

Value and duration of awards

  • AARMS USRAs have a value of $6,000, and the host institution will be responsible for managing and distributing the funds to the student over the course of the project;
  • the duration of the award is for a minimum of 10 weeks;
  • the supervisor is encouraged to supplement the award to enable support for a full summer of research activities, but this is not required;
  • the activities conducted during the tenure of the USRA are governed by the agreements, including employment agreements (if applicable) you have with the host institution and the relevant terms and conditions of awards;
  • AARMS’ contribution is paid directly to the host institution.

The AARMS USRA program makes no provision for sick leave or vacation, or for other types of interruptions. Should a USRA be interrupted or terminated early for any reason, AARMS must be informed immediately.

Location of tenure

Without exception, AARMS USRAs are tenable only at universities in Atlantic Canada. Awards must be held at the institution where the supervisor is located.

Supervision of the student at the institution

An eligible supervisor is a person authorized by the university to independently supervise students. The student must work under the supervision of a person who has been approved by the institution.

Equity, diversity and inclusion

AARMS aims to promote and celebrate diversity in the broadest sense, supporting a community that is welcoming and engaging for persons from a wide range of personal and professional backgrounds. These are essential elements for achieving excellence in mathematical sciences research and dissemination.

Furthermore, we are committed to positively encouraging and supporting the participation of persons from underrepresented groups including, but not limited to, indigeneity, race, nationality, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, neurodiversity, socio-economic status, and religion, in all aspects of AARMS activities.

Application procedure

An application for an AARMS USRA will normally be a collaborative process involving an eligible student and their supervisor. Please submit the following materials to the AARMS Executive Administrator (dll@cs.dal.ca) as a single aggregated PDF file by the deadline indicated below.

  • Form 1 – Student Details (normally completed by the student): (fillable pdf)
  • Form 2 – to be completed by the supervisor: (fillable pdf)
  • An unofficial/internal transcript.

Selection process

The selection process will be based on the following criteria:

  • academic excellence;
  • research potential;
  • expected quality of the training and mentorship to be received;
  • a strong preference for applications from smaller universities.

Deadline

Applications are requested by 11:59pm (Atlantic Time) on April 4, 2025. Applicants will be notified of results within 14 days.