NSERC Indigenous Student Ambassadors
The NSERC Indigenous Student Ambassadors award aims to engage Aboriginal students and fellows in promoting interest and participation in the natural sciences and engineering by visiting Canada’s Aboriginal communities and schools and sharing their research and education experiences or participating in science promotion events and activities. For more information, .
The Indigenous Student Ambassadors is valued at up to $5000.
To be eligible, you must:
- be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada;
- be an Indigenous person;*
- be registered full-time in a degree program in the natural sciences or engineering (NSE) at an eligible institution or be employed at an eligible institution as a postdoctoral fellow in the NSE;
- have obtained, over the previous years of study (minimum of two academic terms), a cumulative average of at least a grade of "B" or "B-", if applicable. Your supervisor may make a case for an exception to this requirement in his/her letter of reference (see below).
*For the purposes of this document, NSERC uses the Canadian Constitution Act, 1982 definition.
To be considered for this award, you must submit the following documents:
- a one to two-page proposal (see below for details);
- a detailed budget which provides estimates for all costs of travel, accommodation and incidental expenses (for example equipment rental, photocopies, etc.);
- a copy of your most recent transcripts (transcripts must show the name of the institution, the program in which you are enrolled, your complete course of study, your marks and the legend explaining acronyms);
- a letter of reference from your supervisor, other faculty member or senior staff at your institution, which attests to your skills and aptitudes for becoming an Aboriginal Ambassador;
- a letter from the Aboriginal community/school you plan to visit confirming the proposed arrangements;
- a copy of documentation confirming your Aboriginal status;
- a signed copy of the Terms and Conditions of Applying Form.
Your proposal must clearly:
- identify your intended audience (high school, community group, etc.) and the projected number of participants;
- discuss the method of engagement (speech, workshop, summer camp, etc.);
- indicate the dates of the outreach activities;
- outline the subject matter you will be presenting or your planned outreach activities, and your intended message;
- include your contact information (telephone, email and personal mailing address).
The application must be submitted in Portable Document Format (PDF) as a single document. Keep a copy of the confirmation of receipt. Applications must be submitted electronically using the .
The Aboriginal Ambassadors in the Natural Sciences and Engineering Award Application Deadline:
Minimum of two months before the start of the activity