The Mathematics Undergraduate Research Award (MURA) is a research award sponsored by the Faculty of Mathematics. It is an opportunity for undergraduate students to:
- Nurture interest and develop potential for a research career in an area of mathematics;
- Gain research experience that complements their studies in an academic setting and receive financial support from the Faculty of Mathematics; and
- Potentially gain interest in pursuing graduate studies.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for an award, you must:
- 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.
- Be registered in at least one of the two terms immediately before holding the award in a bachelor's degree program in the Faculty of Mathematics at the University of Waterloo.
- Have obtained, over the previous years of study, a 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.
- Have secured the agreement of a research faculty member (research supervisor) in the Faculty of Mathematics at the University of Waterloo to supervise the proposed research project.
- Not have started a program of graduate studies in a field of mathematics at any time.
In addition, you may:
- Hold a bachelor's degree and be studying toward a second bachelor's degree.
- Hold only one MURA award per fiscal year (May 1 to April 30).
- Hold a maximum of three MURA awards throughout the undergraduate career in the Faculty of Mathematics.
- Not hold both NSERC USRA and MURA awards in the same academic term.
Value of the Award
The award has a value of $6,000 per academic term. Research supervisors are required to supplement the amount of the award by at least 25% of its value using other sources. The number of awards available for each fiscal year is limited and will be communicated by the Mathematics Research Office in advance.
Selection for the Award
Students must submit applications in the prescribed form to their home department and secure approval of a research supervisor. Departments may choose suitable applicants for ranking and/or nomination that should be submitted to the Mathematics Research Office. Selections will be made by the Associate Dean Research & International in the Faculty of Mathematics based on the nominations submitted by the specified closing date for each academic term.