The Mathematics Undergraduate Research Award (MURA) Program is an undergraduate research award program sponsored by the Faculty of Mathematics. This award provides experience that nurtures an interest in research careers and mathematics experience for undergraduate students with financial support during a full-time, on-campus or remote position for 16 weeks.
Meet Clara
Clara worked with Professor Xi He, where she investigated and designed novel techniques to support differentially private analysis of graph data during the Winter 2022 term.
“One thing I appreciated a lot about my research assistantship under Dr. He was the amount of independence and ownership I had over my project. This autonomy and level of trust between my supervisor and I was unlike anything I had never experienced before in my previous co-ops.
I would absolutely recommend other undergraduate students to pursue a research assistantship if they're curious about research or graduate school at all. It's hard to know what research is really like until you do it!” Clara Xi, BCS candidate
Application Deadlines
Competitions for MURA are held three times each year. Deadlines are as follows:
| Term | Due Date |
|---|---|
| Spring 2023 | Closed |
| Fall 2023 | TBC |
| Winter 2024 | TBC |
Length of Project
Full-time (35 hours per week) for 16 consecutive weeks (80 working days). Can be used as a co-op work term if a co-op student. Regular students are also eligible for this award.
Note: An MURA is a full-time position. Students cannot be full-time or working on another project/job while holding an MURA.
Eligibility
Student Eligibility:
- Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada or an International Student on study permit, as of the application deadline.
- Be registered in a bachelor's degree program in the Faculty of Mathematics at the University of Waterloo, as of the application deadline.
- Cumulative average of equal to or above 80%.
- Have completed all the course requirements of at least the first year of university study (or two academic terms) of a bachelor's degree.
- Must secure a faculty supervisor before applying.
- Not have started a program of graduate studies in a field of mathematics at any time.
Supervisor Eligibility
- Must be eligible to administer NSERC funds.
- Must be authorized to independently supervise students.
Compensation
The award has a value of $6,000 per academic term (commencing the Spring 2021 term). The recommended minimum amount for the supervisor’s contribution is $3028 per term (or $757 per month), giving a total minimum payment for the term of $9,028. The number of awards available for each fiscal year is limited and will be communicated by the Mathematics Research Office in advance.
How to apply
After finding an eligible supervisor that has agreed to work with you and deciding on a research project that clearly defines your role and responsibilities with the supervisor, you must:
- Complete the online form using your WATIAM sign in information
- Once the student application is completed, email Jessica Rosa-Vecchairelli (jrosa@uwaterloo.ca) the following information:
- Name of supervisor
- Unofficial transcripts
- Date you expect to complete your degree (year/month)
- Have you held an NSERC USRA/MURA in the past? Yes/No
