Northern Canadian Research Internships 2009/2010 in Natural Science and Engineering
Northern Canadian Research Internships 2009/2010 in Natural Science and Engineering
In response to the report delivered by the Task Force on Northern Research, NSERC established the Northern Research Internships (NRI) program in 2003. Up to 30 internships per year are available.
Northern Research Internships are tenable in a northern Canadian organization that will benefit from the research conducted, either directly or through the sharing of knowledge. Partner organizations can include colleges, federal, provincial and territorial government departments, companies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or communities. Students/fellows should consult with their supervisors and/or the potential research organizations themselves to find a suitable partner for an internship.
Program objectives
* Supports senior undergraduate students, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows pursuing studies in the Canadian North by facilitating extended stays and subsidizing the costs associated with activities in the North.
* Enhances the interaction between undergraduate and graduate students/postdoctoral fellows and Northerners who have a stake in northern research.
1 For the purposes of the program, Canada’s North is defined as the land- and ocean-based territory that lies north of the southern limit of the discontinuous permafrost, from northern British Columbia to northern Labrador. For a map outlining the location of permafrost, visit Natural Resources Canada’s This link will take you to another Web site The Atlas of Canada Web site.
2 Organizations not located in the North which have land or offices in the North, and interact with Northerners, may be considered.
Program benefits
* Encourages a new generation of highly qualified persons to pursue research in the North.
* Helps increase the capacity for northern research in a way that also involves Northerners.
* Helps bridge the gap between stakeholders interested in northern research.
Award value
* A $4,000 allowance is allocated for travel and logistics.
* Holders of an NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA), Postgraduate Scholarship (PGS), Industrial Postgraduate Scholarship (IPS), Postdoctoral Fellowship (PDF) or Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarship (CGS) will qualify for a stipend of $125 per week. All other applicants will qualify for a stipend of $375 per week.
* he stipend will be paid to the successful applicant for a minimum of 12 weeks and a maximum of 16 weeks.
* Northern partners must supplement the internship by at least $125 per week or provide in-kind support, such as room and board, for the duration of the award.
* The university supervisor, or the university, must supplement the internship by at least $125 per week for the duration of the award.
* Vacations or interruptions during the tenure of the award will not be subsidized.
* There are no retroactive awards.
To be eligible to apply for this program, you must:
* be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada;
* be an undergraduate student in the final two years of your bachelor’s degree program, or be (or plan to be) a graduate student, or have received your PhD in the natural sciences or engineering within the past five years;
* have secured a formal agreement with a northern partner, which will contribute financially to the internship, or will provide in-kind support.
To hold these awards, you:
* must be involved full-time in northern research and development activities in the natural sciences or engineering during the tenure of the award;
* must have completed the last or second last year of your bachelor’s degree program, or be unconditionally registered full-time in a graduate program, or be a full-time postdoctoral fellow in the natural sciences or engineering at an eligible Canadian university;
* must be supervised by a professor holding an NSERC grant who will contribute financially to the internship, either directly or through the university;
* must spend the duration of the internship in the Canadian North, so that interaction occurs with the northern partner;
* must submit a final report and an itemized expense report within two months of the internship’s conclusion (see below for details);
* may hold only one Northern Research Internship award per 12-month period;
* may hold a maximum of two Northern Research Internships.
Program duration
The award’s tenure may not be less than 12 weeks or longer than 16 weeks. The active weeks of the internship do not have to be consecutive, but must occur within a 12-month period. The start date is determined by the successful applicant, the university supervisor and the northern partner. The award may be held at any time during the year, as permitted by the successful applicant’s academic program.
Application requirements
Application deadlines
There are no fixed deadlines for this program. Applications should be made at least eight weeks before the start of a proposed internship. Retroactive awards for internships that are already in progress will not be approved. The number of Northern Research Internships available in a given year will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
Notification of award and transfer of funds
For application please visit
http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca
Please address all documents and inquiries to:
Scholarships and Fellowships Division
NSERC
350 Albert Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 1H5
Tel.: 613-947-0428
Fax: 613-996-2589
E-mail: schol@nserc-crsng.gc.ca