[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/usra2009.jpg” caption=”More than 40 USRA recipients shared their enthusiasm and talent at the annual poster session, organized by the School of Graduate Studies.”]When Cory Ozimok, an undergraduate chemical biology student, applied for an Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA), he was daunted. Working with his supervisor, John Brennan, Ozimok was to develop a paper-based system to detect harmful E. coli bacteria.

“I wasn't sure I could do it. I thought it sounded way too ambitious for an undergraduate to accomplish,” he says. “But I proved myself wrong.”

By the end of the summer, Ozimok had designed a paper test strip that turns blue in the presence of E. coli.

USRA awards like Ozimok's provide faculty guidance and at least $5,625 over 15-16 weeks for undergraduate students doing the kind of independent research usually reserved for graduate students. The goal is to give undergraduates experience and inspiration at a time when they are still determining their academic and career paths.

“These awards open doors for research opportunities for undergraduate students,” said Mo Elbestawi, vice-president, Research and International Affairs. “The program epitomizes what the McMaster experience is all about – linking education and research.”

For Krystal Summers, an undergraduate student in social work, the USRA was an opportunity to formalize a lifelong interest in indigenous craftwork. Summers comes from a family of Ojibway-Cree craftspeople who work with hides and beads. For her USRA, Summers spent two months living in the Andes with the Quechua, indigenous people who create traditional woven goods.

“I feel that I have made a lifelong connection,” says Summers. “The USRA was a really good place to get my feet wet in research and, in particular, in the study of indigenous peoples.” Fueled by her USRA research, Summers is planning to go to graduate school.

The experience also had a profound effect on Ozimok. “I had always thought that I would go to med school, but my experience with the USRA has had a huge impact on me. I'd like to get my PhD with a goal of working in drug discovery.”

Allison Sekuler, associate vice-president and dean of graduate studies agrees the program can be transformative. “USRAs offer students a chance to try their hands at real research and, in the process, discover something about themselves. For some students, it sparks a passion that leads them to graduate work. For others, it offers valuable skills for the job market.”

Ozimok says that one of the most compelling parts of the USRA was the independence it allowed. “I had the support of my advisors, but they gave me the freedom to come up with my own ideas and develop my own experiment.”

“Mentorship is a key aspect of the USRA,” says Peter Self, assistant dean, graduate student life and research training. “McMaster's world-class researchers support the undergraduates and share their enthusiasm and talent for research.”

Today, (Nov. 11) more than 40 USRA recipients shared their own enthusiasm and talent at the annual poster session, organized by the School of Graduate Studies. McMaster's USRAs are sponsored by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, the Faculties of Social Sciences, Humanities and Business, and the Office of Research and International Affairs.