The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) jointly administer the annual Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA) program. These four-month undergraduate student research awards provide hands-on, full-time paid research and are meant to nurture your interest and fully develop your potential for a research career in health, natural sciences, engineering, social sciences or humanities. These awards provide research opportunities that complement your area of study and prepare you for graduate studies.

A MacEwan faculty supervisor oversees the work of the award recipient. Successful USRA holders receive a minimum of $9,200 in funding ($6,000 from NSERC + $3,200 minimum contribution from the faculty supervisor) for 14-16 weeks of full-time work. All USRA applicants (NSERC, SSHRC, and CIHR) use the same application process. Currently, SSHRC and CIHR awards are exclusively available to self-identifying Black students. All qualified applicants, including those self-identifying as Black or Indigenous, are encouraged to apply for NSERC USRAs.

USRA STUDENT APPLICATION FORM

USRA STUDENT APPLICATION GUIDELINES

Deadline to apply: March 2, 2026

Faculty supervisors

Department of Biological Sciences

  • Dr. Andrea Botero-Ramírez, boteroramireza@macewan.ca
    Research topics: Plant pathology, sustainable crop protection strategies
  • Dr. Benjamin Bourrie, bourrieb@macewan.ca
    Research topics: Food and beverage fermentation, probiotics, microbial ecology
  • Dr. Randi Guest, guestr@macewan.ca
    Research topics: Molecular genetics, biotechnology, microbiology
  • Dr. Kevin Judge, judgek3@macewan.ca
    Research topics: Sexual selection and the ecology of mating systems
  • Dr. Joshua Miller, millerj253@macewan.ca
    Research topics: Genomic architecture, evolution, ecology, conservation
  • Dr. Habib Rezanejad, rezanejadh@macewan.ca
    Research topics: Diabetes, tissue culture, stem cell regeneration

Department of Computer Science

  • Dr. Dana Cobzas, cobzasd@macewan.ca
    Research topics: Robotics, medical imaging, algorithms, computer vision
  • Dr. Mahdi Daghmehchi Firoozjaei, mahdi.firoozjaei@macewan.ca
    Research topics: Blockchain, cyber security, technology forensics
  • Dr. Mahmoud Elsaadany, elsaadanym@macewan.ca
    Research topics: Wireless communication systems, Cellular LTE, networks
  • Dr. Chinenye Ndulue, nduluec@macewan.ca
    Research topics: Human–computer interaction (HCI), game design

Department of Decision Sciences

  • Dr. Parminder Singh Kang, kangp7@macewan.ca
    Research topics: Supply chain, data mining, sustainable development
  • Dr. Arka Mukherjee, mukherjeea2@macewan.ca
    Research topics: Game theory, sustainability, supply chain

Department of Mathematics & Statistics

  • Dr. Cristina Anton, popescuc@macewan.ca
    Research topics: Differential equations, stochastic processes and their applications
  • Dr. Brian Franczak, franczakb@macewan.ca
    Research topics: Mixtures of contaminated shifted asymmetric laplace factor analyzers
  • Dr. Rui Hu, hur3@macewan.ca
    Research topics: Experimental design, robustness, spatial statistics
  • Dr. Cristian Ivanescu, ivanescuc@macewan.ca
    Research topics: Operator algebras, functional analysis
  • Dr. Christopher Ramsey, ramseyc5@macewan.ca
    Research topics: Operator algebras and matrix-valued integration
  • Dr. Nicolae Strungaru, strungarun@macewan.ca
    Research topics: Mathematics of aperiodic order, physical quasi-crystals
  • Dr. Adi Tcaciuc, tcaciuca@macewan.ca
    Research topics: Functional analysis, operator theory
  • Dr. Zhichun Zhai, zhaiz2@macewan.ca
    Research topics: Machine learning, harmonic analysis, fractional partial differential equations

Department of Physical Sciences

  • Dr. Serhiy Buryak, buryaks@macewan.ca
    Research topics: Geochemistry, Climate change, Paleoclimate
  • Dr. Carolyn Furlong, furlongc2@macewan.ca
    Research topics: Field geology, petroluem geoscience, giobiology
  • Dr. Roland Lee, leer86@macewan.ca
    Research topics: Conversion of biomass to value-added products; development of environmental analytical methods
  • Dr. Samuel Mugo, mugos@macewan.ca
    Research topics: Polymer nanomaterials for portable sensing and encapsulation; 3D fabrication from biomaterials

Department of Psychology

  • Dr. Trevor Hamilton, hamiltont9@macewan.ca
    Research topics: Pharmacological and environmentally-induced changes in fish behaviour
  • Dr. Cameron Hassall, hassallc@macewan.ca
    Research topics: Neuroimaging, computational modelling, decision making, reasoning
  • Dr. Christopher Striemer, striemerc@macewan.ca
    Research topics: Cognitive neuroscience of attention perception and visuomotor control

Department of Human Services & Early Learning

  • Dr. Ozlem Cankaya, cankayao@macewan.ca
    Research topics: Parent-child play types
  • Dr. Maria Di Stasio, distasiom@macewan.ca
    Research topics: Socio-emotional development, relationships, bullying, adolescents, inclusive practices
  • Dr. Natalia Rohatyn-Martin, rohatynmartinn@macewan.ca
    Research topics: Community-based, qualitative, social justice, deaf or hard of hearing, services for persons with disabilities

Department of Humanities

  • Dr. Erin Cowling, cowlinge@macewan.ca
    Research topics: Hispanic studies, theatre interpretation, plays, social psychology
  • Dr. Aidan Alexander Henry Forth, aidan.forth@macewan.ca
    Research topics: British history, imperialism, colonialism, empire, violence, warfare, humanitarianism, refugees and migrants, globalization, culture, travel, technology

Department of International Business, Strategy, Marketing & Law

  • Dr. Fernando Angulo Ruiz, anguloruizl@macewan.ca
    Research topics: Market research, internationalization
  • Dr. Etayankara Muralidharan, muralidharane@macewan.ca
    Research topics: Business policy, crisis management, international trade, marketing

Department of Nursing Foundations & Science

  • Dr. Mary Asirifi, asirifim@macewan.ca
    Research topics: Stigma faced by adolescents with disabilities in Ghana

Department of Physical Sciences

Department of Psychology

  • Dr. Sandy Jung, jungs0@macewan.ca
    Research topics: Sexual violence, forensic psychology

School of Social Work

  • Dr. Lun Li, lil53@macewan.ca
    Research topics: Social isolation, aging, immigrants, gerontological social work

Department of Sociology

  • Dr. Emily Milne, milnee4@macewan.ca
    Research topics: School-based policy and strategy to reduce educational inequalities
  • Dr. Jeffrey Stepnisky, stepniskyj@macewan.ca
    Research topics: Identity, culture, self, Ukraine, collective memory, self-understanding, antidepressant medications
  • Dr. Jessica Wright, jj.wright@macewan.ca
    Research topics: Queer joy, gender-based violence

Department of Anthropology, Economics & Political Science

  • Dr. Jeff Rice, ricej26@macewan.ca
    Research topics: Foreign policy, peace and conflict
  • Dr. Jing Jing Liu, liuj79@macewan.ca
    Research topics: Africa-China, Nigeria, markets, money, migration, race/ethnicity

Department of Management & Organizations

Department of Human Services & Early Learning/Sociology

Department of Design

  • Dr. Farzan Baradaran Rahimi, baradaranrahimif@macewan.ca
    Research topics: Immersive learning, computational design, virtual reality, game design, empathy

Department of Nursing Foundations & Science

  • Dr. Mary Asirifi, asirifim@macewan.ca
    Research topics: Stigma faced by adolescents with disabilities in Ghana

Department of Psychology

  • Dr. Trevor Hamilton, hamiltont9@macewan.ca
    Research topics: Pharmacological and environmentally-induced changes in fish behaviour

School of Social Work

  • Dr. Lun Li, lil53@macewan.ca
    Research topics: Suicide behaviours, ethno-cultural minority groups, mental illness, aging, immigration