How It Works

Program Details

The Mitacs Globalink Research Award (GRA) supports research collaborations between Canada and select partner organizations and eligible countries and regions.

Under the joint supervision of a home and host professor, successful senior undergraduate students, graduate students, as well as postdoctoral fellows will receive a $6,000 research award to conduct a 12- to 24-week research project in the other country. Awards are offered in partnership with Mitacs’s Canadian academic partners (and, in some cases, with Mitacs’s international partners) and are subject to available funding. 

Program Overview

  1. Applicants (student or postdoctoral fellow, home and host supervisors) submit their application to the partner organization or to Mitacs 16 weeks prior to the project start date for processing. 
  2. Within 12 weeks of submission, Mitacs will contact participants about the outcome of the application. Travel must take place within a year from the date of the outcome.
  3. The intern provides the completed Mitacs Code of Conduct and Ethics and International Pre-Departure forms within 6 months prior to their travel date. 
  4. Mitacs forwards the GRA funds to the Canadian institution after receiving the signed Mitacs Code of Conduct and Ethics and International Pre-Departure forms. In some cases, interns may receive a portion of the funds from Mitacs’s partner organization. 
  5. The intern departs to the destination and begins the research project.
  6. Upon project completion, the intern submits a final report that summarizes the project.
  7. All participants (student or postdoctoral fellow, home and host supervisors) submit a final survey. 

Questions? Contact international@mitacs.ca

 

Funding

  • Projects must begin within one year of the outcome letter being issued
  • Interns must submit the International Pre-departure and Code of Conduct forms, and confirm their project dates in order to receive the award letter 
  • Interns cannot travel until Mitacs has issued both an outcome and award letter 
  • Approved recipients will receive funds to support intern travel and accommodation expenses, research-related expenses, and stipend. Mitacs funds will be sent to the Canadian institution’s Office of Research Services (or equivalent) and administered as a research grant in the Canadian supervisor’s name.
  • Some awards are sponsored in part by one of Mitacs’s international partners and funding amounts may vary.  
  • Where awards are partially funded by one of Mitacs’s international partners, interns may receive funds directly through the partner. Where applicable, the outcome letter will provide applicants with instructions for accessing partner funds.
  • Mitacs funds must be spent according to the budget in the application and Tri-Agency eligible expenses. See Mitacs use of funds for details of eligible expenses for Mitacs programs.
  • Funding is based on a project duration of 12 weeks, though projects durations of up to 24 weeks are acceptable. Applicants are encouraged to seek support from other funding sources for longer durations and use prudence when allocating funds to travel and accommodations.

International Partners

Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, United States and Ukraine: Agence universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF)

Travel direction: Travel to Canada and travel from Canada 

Intern level: Master’s and PhD students, or postdoctoral fellows

Award: $6,000 

Eligible Institutions (Argentina): 

  • Universidad Nacional de la Plata
  • Universidad del Salvador
  • Universidad Nacional de Cuyo
  • Universidad Nacional de Tres de Febrero

Eligible institutions (Brazil): 

  • Universidade Federal do Amapá 
  • Universidade Federal de Goías 
  • Universidade Federal da Paraíba
  • Universidade Federal do Ceará 
  • Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho 
  • Universidade Estadual de Campinas 
  • Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana 
  • Universidade do Estado Do Rio de Janeiro 
  • Universidade de Brasília 
  • Universidade de São Paulo
  • Universidade do Vale do Sapucai
  • Universidade Federal Fluminense 
  • Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais 
  • Universidade Federal de Pernambuco 
  • Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro 
  • Universidade Federal de Uberlândia 
  • Universidade Federal do Paraná 
  • Universidade Federal do Pará
  • Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte 
  • Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul

Eligible institutions (Chile):  

  • Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins
  • Universidad de Playa Ancha

Eligible institutions (Colombia): 

  • Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios
  • Universidad de los Andes
  • Universidad Ean
  • Universidad Libre
  • Pontificia Universidad Javeriana
  • Universidad del Valle
  • Universidad del Rosario
  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia 

Eligible institutions (Mexico):

  • Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados 
  • Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México 
  • Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
  • Universidad Veracruzana 

Eligible institutions (Ukraine):

  • Alfred Nobel University
  • Dnipro National University – Oles Honchar
  • Dnipro State Medical University
  • Donetsk National Technical University
  • Ivan Franko National University of Lviv
  • Kharkiv National University of Radio Electronics
  • Kyiv National University of Trade and Economics
  • Lviv Polytechnic National University
  • Odessa I.I. Mechnykov National University
  • Prydniprovska State Academy of Civil Engineering and Architecture
  • Simon Kuznets Kharkiv National University of Economics
  • Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv
  • V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University
  • Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University

Eligible institutions (United States): 

  • University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Other requirements: Project has to be in the French language and submitted in French. The eligible institutions in Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Ukraine and United States must be members of Agence universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) and up to date in the membership fees.

Research strengths or priorities: Open to all disciplines

Submission: Submit to Mitacs through the local Mitacs Advisor 

Call dates or open all year for submission: Open all year and call dates TBD

Website: Agence universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF)

Brazil: Fundação Araucária Foundation

Travel direction: Travel to Canada and travel from Canada 

Intern level: Full-time senior undergraduates, master’s and PhD students, or postdoctoral fellows 

Duration: 12-24 weeks 

Award: $6,000 

Eligible Institutions:

  • Centro Universitário de Maringá – UNICESUMAR
  • Instituto Federal do Paraná – IFPR
  • Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná – PUC
  • Universidade Estadual de Londrina – UEL
  • Universidade Estadual de Maringá – UEM
  • Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa – UEPG
  • Universidade Estadual do Centro-Oeste – UNICENTRO
  • Universidade Estadual do Norte do Paraná – UENP
  • Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná – UNIOESTE
  • Universidade Estadual do Paraná – UNESPAR
  • Universidade Federal da Fronteira do Sul – UFFS
  • Universidade Federal da Integração Latino-Americana – UNILA
  • Universidade Federal do Paraná – UFPR
  • Universidade Positivo
  • Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná – UTFPR
  • Universidade Tuiuti do Paraná 

Other requirements: N/A 

Research strengths or priorities:

All disciplines, but with a focus on: 

  • Agricultural technology 
  • Clean tech 

Submission: Submit to Mitacs through the local Mitacs Advisor 

Call dates or open all year for submission: Call dates TBD

Website: Fundação Araucária Foundation

Chile: Consejo de Rectores de las Universidades Chilenas (CRUCH-FUDEA)

Travel direction: Travel to Canada and travel from Canada 

Intern level: Full-time senior undergraduates, master’s and PhD students, or postdoctoral fellows 

Duration: 12-24 weeks 

Award: $6,000 

Eligible institutions:

  • Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH)
  • Universidad de La Frontera (UFRO)
  • Universidad Católica del Norte (UCN)
  • Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (PUC)
  • Universidad Católica del Maule (UCM)
  • Universidad de Concepción (UdeC)

Other requirements: N/A 

Research strengths or priorities: Open to all disciplines 

Submission: Submit to Mitacs through the local Mitacs Advisor

Call dates or open all year for submission:  Call dates TBD

Website: Consejo de Rectores de las Universidades Chilenas (CRUCH-FUDEA)

European Union: Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) RISE

Travel direction: Travel from Canada only 

Intern level: Full-time master’s and PhD students or postdoctoral fellows 

Duration: 12-24 weeks 

Award: $6,000 

Eligible institutions: All European Union universities and research institutes 

Other requirements: Open to successful MSCA RISE Award recipients 

Research strengths or priorities: All disciplines 

Submission: Submit to Mitacs through the local Mitacs Advisor  

Call dates or open all year for submission: Open all year 

Website: Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) RISE

France: Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS)

Travel direction: Travel to Canada and travel from Canada 

Intern level: Full-time PhD students and postdoctoral fellows

Duration: 12-24 weeks 

Award: $6,000

Eligible institutions: All labs identified as UMR (Unité Mixte de Recherche)

Other requirements: 1 student per project maximum and the project must be in the field of quantum technologies

Research strengths or priorities: Quantum technologies

Submission:  Submit to Mitacs through the local Mitacs Advisor

Call dates or open all year for submission: Call dates TBD

Website: Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS)

France: France-Canada Research Funds Consortium (FCRF)

Travel direction: Travel to Canada and travel from Canada 

Intern level: Full-time senior undergraduates, master’s and PhD students, or postdoctoral

Duration: 12-24 weeks 

Award: $6,000 

Eligible institutions: All institutions covered by the FCRF program  

Other requirements: Must be a recipient of FCRF Award. 1 intern maximum per project 

Research strengths or priorities: All disciplines 

Submission: Submit to Mitacs through the local Mitacs Advisor  

Call dates or open all year for submission: Open all year 

Website: France-Canada Research Funds Consortium (FCRF)

France: French Embassy in Canada

Travel direction: Travel from Canada only 

Intern level: Full-time senior undergraduates, master’s and PhD students, or postdoctoral fellows  

Duration: 12-24 weeks 

Award: $6,000 

Eligible institutions: All universities in France  

Other requirements: 2 interns maximum per project, supports projects outside of Quebec only

Research strengths or priorities: All disciplines 

Submission: Submit to Mitacs through the local Mitacs Advisor  

Call dates or open all year for submission: Open all year 

Website: French Embassy in Canada

France: Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies du numérique (Inria)

Travel direction: Travel to Canada and travel from Canada 

Intern level:  

  • Travel to Canada: Full-time PhD students
  • Travel from Canada: Full-time master’s or PhD students 

Duration: 16-24 weeks 

Award:  

  • Travel to Canada: $3,000 CAD + reimbursement by Inria of the flight cost, visa fees and other accommodation expenses (for a maximum of $3,000 CAD)
  • Travel from Canada: $3,000 CAD + monthly gratification stipend equivalent to minimum $3,000 CAD

Eligible institutions: Centres de recherche INRIA: 

  • Centre Inria de l’Université de Bordeaux
  • Centre Inria de l’Université Grenoble Alpes 
  • Centre Inria de l’Université de Lille
  • Centre Inria de Lyon
  • Centre Inria Nancy – Grand Est 
  • Centre Inria de Paris 
  • Centre Inria de l’Université de Rennes
  • Centre Inria de Saclay
  • Centre Inria d’Université Côte-d’Azur 

Other requirements: Projects must include a minimum of 16 weeks at the host institution in order to be eligible

Research strengths or priorities:  

  • Applied mathematics, computation and simulation
  • Algorithmics, programming, software and architecture
  • Networks, systems and services, distributed computing
  • Perception, cognition and software engineering
  • Digital health, biology and earth
  • Artificial intelligence  

Submission:  Submit to Mitacs through the local Mitacs Advisor  

Call dates or open all year for submission: Open all year 

Website: Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies du numérique (Inria)

France: Université de Grenoble Alpes (UGA)

Travel direction: Travel to Canada and travel from Canada 

Intern level:  

  • Travel to Canada: full-time master’s (Master 1 and 2) and PhD students or postdoctoral fellows
  • Travel from Canada: full-time PhD students or postdoctoral fellows  

Duration: 12-24 weeks  

Award: $6,000 

Eligible institutions: Université de Grenoble Alpes (UGA) 

Other requirements: 1 intern maximum per project.

Research strengths or priorities:  

Submission: 

  • Travel to Canada: submit to Université de Grenoble Alpes through an annual call
  • Travel from Canada: submit to Mitacs through the local Mitacs Advisor
  • Specific conditions for GRA Quantum:
  • When applying via the Mitacs Application Portal, you must add Zoraida Martinez (Mitacs contact point at UGA) to the list of participants. Please add the email address: martinez-racini@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr

Call dates or open all year for submission:  

  • Travel to Canada: TBC
  • Travel from Canada: open all year  

Website: Université Grenoble Alpes

France: Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (Inserm)

Travel direction: Travel to Canada and travel from Canada

  • Travel to Canada: PhD students and postdoctoral fellows
  • Travel from Canada: PhD students and postdoctoral fellows

Duration: 12-24 weeks  

Award: $6,000 

Eligible institutions: Any Inserm research unit

Other requirements: Must be a recipient of an Inserm award and receive an invitation to apply.

Research strengths or priorities: Health and medical sciences.

Submission: Submit to Mitacs through the local Mitacs Advisor

Call dates or open all year for submission: Mitacs and Inserm will invite applications at the end of March or early April with a deadline for the end of May.

Website: Inserm

France: Université de Lorraine

Travel direction: Travel to Canada and travel from Canada 

Intern level:  

  • Travel to Canada: full-time master’s (M2 only) and PhD students or postdoctoral fellows
  • Travel from Canada: full-time senior undergraduate, master’s and PhD students or postdoctoral fellows  

Duration: 12-24 weeks  

Award: $6,000 

Eligible institutions: Université de Lorraine  

Other requirements:  Before applying, any candidate must first present their project at mitacs-contact@univ-lorraine.fr to ensure that UL and the supervisor at UL agree to cofund it.

Research strengths or priorities:  

  • Complete value chain of materials
  • Sustainable management of resources
  • The environment/forestry
  • Energy transition
  • Clean tech
  • The green economy
  • Digital world
  • Public health and ageing
  • AI and digital humanities 

Submission:  Submit to Mitacs through the local Mitacs Advisor

Call dates or open all year for submission: Open all year  

Website: Université de Lorraine

Germany: GSI Heavy Ion Institute (Helmholtz Association)

Travel direction: Travel to Canada and travel from Canada

Intern level:

  • Travel to Canada: full-time master’s (M2 only) and PhD students and postdoctoral fellows 
  • Travel from Canada: full-time senior undergraduate, master’s and PhD students or postdoctoral fellows

Duration: 12-24 weeks 

Award: $6,000 

Eligible institutions:  

  • GSI Helmholtzzentrum fuer Schwerionenforschung GmbH Darmstadt
  • Helmholtz Institute Mainz
  • Helmholtz Institute Jena

Research strengths or priorities: Open to all disciplines, focus on Physical Sciences

Submission: submit to Mitacs through the local Mitacs Advisor

Call dates or open all year for submission: Open all year 

Website: GSI

Germany: Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ Helmholtz Association)

Travel direction: Travel to Canada and travel from Canada 

Intern level: Full-time PhD students and postdoctoral fellows 

Duration: 12-24 weeks 

Award: $6,000 

Eligible institutions:  

  • Ernst Ruska-Centre for Microscopy and Spectroscopy with Electrons (ER-C)
  • Institute for Advanced Simulation (IAS)
  • Institut für nachhaltige Wasserstoffwirtschaft
  • Jülich Supercomputing Centre (JSC)
  • Institute of Bio- and Geosciences (IBG)
  • Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI)
  • Institute of Energy and Climate Research (IEK)
  • Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM)
  • Jülich Centre for Neutron Science (JCNS)
  • Nuclear Physics Institute (IKP)
  • Peter Grünberg Institute (PGI) Central Institute for Engineering, Electronics and Analytics (ZEA)  

Other requirements: N/A 

Research strengths or priorities:

All disciplines, but with a focus on: 

  • Information
  • Energy
  • Bioeconomy 

Submission: Submit to Mitacs through the local Mitacs Advisor

Call dates or open all year for submission: Open all year 

Website: Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ Helmholtz Association) 

Germany: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)

Travel direction: Travel to Canada and travel from Canada 

Intern level: Full-time PhD students and postdoctoral fellows 

Duration: 12-24 weeks 

Award: $6,000 

Eligible institutions: KIT departments and KIT divisions 

Other requirements: N/A 

Research strengths or priorities: All disciplines 

Submission:  

  • Travel to Canada: submit the request to KIT
  • Travel from Canada: submit to Mitacs through the local Mitacs Advisor  

Call dates or open all year for submission:  

  • Travel to Canada: Call dates TBD
  • Travel from Canada: open all year 

Website: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)

Germany: RWTH-Aachen University-National Research Council of Canada (NRC)

Travel direction: Travel to Canada only  

Intern level: Full-time master’s and PhD students  

Duration: 24-48 weeks 

Award: $12,000 

Eligible institutions: RWTH Aachen University, NRC Collaboration Centres working with Canadian universities   

Other requirements: Participant must be enrolled as a student at RWTH Aachen University. The project is required to come under an NRC Challenge or Supercluster Program 

Research strengths or priorities: All disciplines 

Submission: Submit to RWTH-Aachen University

Call dates or open all year for submission: Open all year 

Website: NRC-MITACS-RWTH Globalink Research Award Program 

Germany/USA/Luxembourg/Italy/The Netherlands: Max Planck Society

Travel direction: Travel to Canada and travel from Canada

Intern level: Full-time PhD students and postdoctoral fellows 

Duration: 12-24 weeks 

Award: $6,000 

Eligible institutions:  All Max Planck Institutes in Germany and abroad are eligible – see https://www.mpg.de/institutes?letter=E&tab=institutes

Research strengths or priorities: Open to all disciplines, focus on

  • Biomedical
  • Chemistry
  • Physics
  • Technology disciplines
  • Social sciences and humanities

Submission:  Submit to Mitacs through the local Mitacs Advisor  

Call dates or open all year for submission: Open all year 

Website: Max Planck Society

Japan: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)

Travel direction: Travel from Canada only 

Intern level: Full-time master’s and PhD students and postdoctoral fellows 

Duration: 9 weeks 

Award: $3,000 CAD + 534,000 yen + flight costs

Eligible institutions: All universities and research institutes in Japan based on JSPS projects 

Other requirements: Participants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada 

Research strengths or priorities: All disciplines 

Submission: Submit to Mitacs through the local Mitacs Advisor  

Call dates or open all year for submission: Call dates TBD

Website: JSPS website

Japan: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST)

Travel direction: Travel from Canada only 

Intern level: Full-time senior undergraduates, master’s and PhD students, or postdoctoral fellows

Duration: 12-24 weeks 

Award: $3,000 CAD + Airfare + Accommodations

Eligible institutions:

  • Human Informatics and Interaction Research Institute
  • Cyber Physical Security Research Center
  • Human Augmentation Research Center
  • Human-Centered Mobility Research Center
  • Artificial Intelligence Research Center
  • Industrial Cyber-Physical Systems Research Center
  • Digital Architecture Research Center

Research strengths or priorities: Open to all disciplines 

Submission: Submit to Mitacs through the local Mitacs Advisor  

Call dates or open all year for submission: Open all year

Website: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST)

Korea: National Research Foundation (NRF) Korea

Travel direction: Travel to Canada and travel from Canada 

Intern level: Full time master’s and PhD students, or postdoctoral fellows

Duration: 12-24 weeks  

Award:

  • Travel to Canada: $9,000 to $15,000 (approximately)
  • Travel from Canada: $6,000

Eligible institutions: All universities in Korea 

Other requirements: Participants applying to Canada must be Korean citizens or permanent residents of Korea. Participants applying from Canada must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada. 

Research strengths or priorities: STEM fields 

Submission: 

  • Travel to Canada: Submit to NRF and to Mitacs through the local Mitacs Advisor
  • Travel from Canada: Submit to Mitacs through the local Mitacs Advisor

Call dates or open all year for submission:  

  • Travel to Canada: February 22 to March 26, 2024
  • Travel from Canada: Open all year  

Website: National Research Foundation of Korea

Mexico: Universidad Technologica El Retono (UTR)

Travel direction: Travel to Canada

Intern level: Full time senior undergraduate students

Duration: 12-24 weeks

Award: $6,000   

Eligible institutions: 

  • Universidad Politécnica de Aguascalientes
  • Universidad Tecnológica de Aguascalientes
  • Universidad Tecnológica del Norte de Aguascalientes
  • Universidad Tecnológica Metropolitana de Aguascalientes
  • Universidad Tecnológica de Calvillo
  • Universidad Tecnológica El Retoño
  • Instituto Tecnológico de Aguascalientes

Research strengths or priorities: Open to all disciplines

Submission:  Submit to Mitacs through the local Mitacs Advisor

Call dates or open all year for submission: Open all year  

Website: Universidad Tecnológica El Retoño

South Africa: National Research Council of South Africa (NRF SA)

Travel direction: Travel to Canada and travel from Canada 

Intern level: Full-time PhD students and postdoctoral fellows  

Duration: 12-24 weeks

Award: $6,000   

Eligible institutions:

  • Cape Peninsula University of Technology
  • Central University of Technology, Free State
  • Durban University of Technology
  • Mangosuthu University of Technology
  • Nelson Mandela University
  • North-West University
  • Rhodes University
  • Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University
  • Sol Plaatje University
  • Stellenbosch University
  • Tshwane University of Technology
  • University of Cape Town
  • University of Fort Hare
  • University of Johannesburg
  • University of KwaZulu-Natal
  • University of Limpopo
  • University of Mpumalanga
  • University of Pretoria
  • University of South Africa
  • University of the Free State
  • University of the Western Cape
  • University of the Witwatersrand
  • University of Venda
  • University of Zululand
  • Vaal University of Technology
  • Walter Sisulu University of Technology

Other requirements (Travel to Canada): Be a South African Citizen or permanent resident, be an NRF-funded doctoral student or postdoctoral fellow for the full duration of the Mitacs award

Research strengths or priorities: Open to all disciplines

Submission: Submit to Mitacs through the local Mitacs Advisor

Call dates or open all year for submission: Call dates TBD

Website: National Research Foundation

Taiwan: National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) – NARLabs

Travel direction: Travel to Canada and travel from Canada 

Intern level: Full-time senior undergraduates, master’s and PhD students, or postdoctoral fellows

Duration: 12-24 weeks  

Award: $6,000  

Eligible institutions: All institutions in Taiwan

Other requirements: For inbound to Canada, applicants must be citizens of the Republic of China (Taiwan).

Research strengths or priorities: All disciplines  

Submission: Submit to Mitacs through the local Mitacs Advisor

Call dates or open all year for submission: January to August

Website: TBD

Ukraine: Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine

Travel direction: Travel to Canada

Intern level: Full-time senior undergraduates, master’s and PhD students, or postdoctoral fellows

Duration: 12-48 weeks  

Award: $6,000 to $12,000 (depending on duration) 

Eligible institutions: All universities in Ukraine

Other requirements: N/A

Research strengths or priorities: All disciplines

Submission: Submit to Mitacs through the local Mitacs Advisor

Call dates or open all year for submission: Open all year  

Website: Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine

United Kingdom: British High Commission Ottawa

Travel direction:Travel to Canada and travel from Canada

Intern level: Full-time PhD candidates or postdoctoral fellows

Duration: 12-24 weeks  

Award: $6,000

Eligible institutions: All universities in the United Kingdom

Other requirements: N/A

Research strengths or priorities:Artificial intelligence safety – The understanding, prevention, and mitigation of harms from AI. These harms could be deliberate or accidental; caused to individuals, groups, organisations, nations or globally; and of many types, including but not limited to physical, psychological, social, or economic harms.

Submission: Submit to Mitacs through the local Mitacs Advisor

Call dates or open all year for submission: February 9 to March 26, 2024

Website: British High Commission Ottawa

If you have a question on a specific international partner, please contact Étienne Pineault. For other questions, please contact the local Mitacs Advisor.

Eligibility

  • Must be registered as full-time senior undergraduates, graduate students, or postdoctoral fellows at an eligible Canadian institution or eligible international institution and remain as such throughout their Globalink Research Award
  • Postdoctoral fellows may apply if their date of graduation from a PhD program is no more than five years prior to the proposed start date of the research project and they have postdoctoral status at an eligible institution 
  • Cannot undertake a research project at an institution where they have previously completed a degree
  • Cannot undertake a research project in a country where they hold citizenship
  • Permanent residents or citizens of Canada who are enrolled in an eligible country other than Canada and who wish to do a project in Canada are eligible to apply 
  • Permanent residents or citizens of Canada who are enrolled in a Canadian institution and who hold citizenship in an eligible country may apply to do a project there
  • Must be the legal age of majority in Canada (18 years of age or older)
  • Must meet travel requirements for their intended destination, including visa and/or immigration requirements and associated documentation 
  • Cannot hold more than one Globalink Research Award per academic lifetime 
  • Cannot have previously held a Mitacs-JSPS Summer Program award 

In addition to the Mitacs international partner offering (international partner stream), the program also supports research and travel to academic institutions between Canada and most countries (allocation stream). The program does not support the countries listed below, which Mitacs has obtained from the Government of Canada’s travel advisory risk levels. Please note that this list is subject to change.

Outbound from Canada

Afghanistan
Belarus
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Chad
Central African Republic
Democratic Republic of Congo
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Isreal, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
Haiti
Iran
Iraq
Lebanon
Libya
Mali
Mauritania
Myanmar
Niger
Nigeria
North Korea
Papua New Guinea
Russia
Somalia
South Sudan
Sudan
Syria
Ukraine
Venezuela
Yemen

Inbound into Canada

North Korea
Russia

How to Apply

Please note the application process may vary depending on the Canadian university and the international partner. Please check with your local Mitacs Advisor to determine if your project fits the funding requirements for your institution or an international partner and to request the link to the GRA Application Portal.

Awards are offered in partnership with Mitacs’s academic partners (and in some cases with Mitacs’s international partners) and are subject to available funding. It is recommended applicants apply at least 16 weeks prior to their planned start date.

Application process

1. Review all eligibility and award guidelines from Mitacs, the international partner, and the Canadian institution.

2. Participants connect with one another to discuss project interests. Please note that Mitacs cannot connect interested applicants.

3. Academic supervisors at Canadian institutions obtain endorsement from the Canadian institution before preparing the application. Please contact your local Mitacs Advisor for more information on what kind of endorsement is required for your project, and how to receive the link to the GRA Application Portal.

  • Projects that are being proposed with a Mitacs international partner (international partner stream) do not require co-funding from the Canadian university. The Vice President Research (VPR) or designate signature is not required. 
  • Projects that are being proposed without a Mitacs international partner (allocation stream) must be co-funded by the Canadian institution that must contribute $2000 towards the Globalink Research Award. The Vice President Research (VPR) or designate signature is required. 
  • Projects that are being proposed through the Quantum stream do not require co-funding from the Canadian university. The Vice President Research (VPR) or designate signature is not required. Projects that are being proposed through the Quantum stream do not require the participation of a Mitacs international partner. If it is being submitted in collaboration with a participating Mitacs international partner, this will increase the overall award. 
  • The Office of Research Services (ORS) or designate signature will be required on all completed applications. 
  • Applicants should allow 1-3 weeks to obtain the appropriate signatures.  

4. Complete the application: in addition to completing all the fields in the portal, applicants will be required to submit a research proposal and a Mitacs Pre-Departure form. Additional information will be provided in the application portal.

5. Submit your complete application 16 weeks prior to project start date:

  • Academic supervisors at Canadian institutions and the intern who created the application are the only participants who are able to submit the application through the portal. All participants will receive a confirmation email once the application is submitted. 
  • For projects conducted with a Mitacs international partner, participants must follow the submission process highlighted by the partner, which could differ from the above. 

Please refer to the ‘International Partners’ section for partner-specific information.

Application
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Mitacs Terms, Conditions & Policies
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Program Administration

Mitacs forwards the GRA funds to the Canadian institution after receiving the signed Mitacs Code of Conduct and Ethics and International Pre-Departure forms. In some cases, interns may receive a portion of the funds from Mitacs’s partner organization.
Use of funds

Mitacs funds may be used to support the direct costs of research as specified in the Tri-Agency’s Financial Administration guidelines and in accordance with your academic institution’s guidelines for research expenses. Innovation projects in the Business Strategy Internship program are eligible to include direct project costs in accordance with the same guidelines. Please direct any questions about eligible expenses for Mitacs projects first to your academic institution and second to your Mitacs Advisor or grant management contact.

Additional eligible expenses (for both research and innovation projects) include:

  • In accordance with the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (specifically Chapter 9: Research Involving the First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples of Canada) recognizing the importance of respecting the culture and traditions of Indigenous peoples and acknowledging the necessity to incur expenditures in that regard in the conduct of research, the following expenditures are eligible:
    • costs related to community mobilization and engagement, including culturally relevant promotional items such as tobacco, cloth, feasting and gift-giving for honouring ceremonies, and cash reimbursements (in a method acceptable to the individual or community being reimbursed) to compensate community participation;
    • honoraria for Indigenous Elders and community experts;
    • contracts and/or consultant fees for knowledge translation and communication activities for Indigenous Elders, community members and other Indigenous knowledge-holders involved in activities related to the Indigenous community;
    • salary research allowance to help cover the costs to temporarily replace co-applicants from eligible Indigenous not-for-profit organizations to release them from their duties to the organization.
  • In accordance with NSERC guidelines for Research Partnerships Programs Project Management Expenses, and other funding agencies, direct project management expenses may be included in the research costs portion of the grant. The maximum amount that may be allocated to project management costs is 10% of the value of the standard cash contribution of the partner organization to the grant, prior to any discounts. (i.e., for a standard Accelerate internship, the partner contribution is $7,500, so 10% or $750 would be available for direct project management expenses.) Please contact your local Mitacs Advisor for more information.
  • Mitacs does not claim any ownership of Intellectual Property developed through research projects and internships that are funded
  • It is recommended that the participating organizations and institutions undertaking a research collaboration through Mitacs-funded projects come to a mutual understanding on the Intellectual Property implications of the project(s)

The Mitacs Globalink Research Award is competitive with limited awards available. All applications will undergo review by an interdisciplinary team. Proposals will be adjudicated based on the following criteria: 

  • Quality of the research proposal
  • Level of supervision and mentorship committed by the host supervisor
  • Relevance to society and industry
  • Expected benefit to Canada

Once applications are reviewed, outcome letters are typically issued 10-12 weeks after submission that provide the outcome of the review process and outline next steps.

Responsibilities

  • Make all necessary preparations for travel abroad with the appropriate institution office(s) 
  • Obtain appropriate visa, work permit or other immigration documentation required for the destination 
  • Attend any mandatory sessions as required by the home institution 
  • Work full-time on the research project (at least 75% abroad, and up to 25% at the home institution) 
  • Submit a final report and exit survey to Mitacs at the end of the project

  • Adhere to institutional policies for visiting researchers 
  • Provide ongoing direction and research support to the intern prior to and during the research project 
  • Advise the intern on appropriate travel arrangements and accommodation 
  • Provide the intern with any necessary documentation to support the visa application 
  • Ensure the intern has appropriate lab and/or office space and resources during the research project
  • Submit an exit survey and sign the final report prepared by the intern

  • Adhere to institutional policies for research abroad 
  • Provide ongoing direction and research support to the participant prior to and during the research project 
  • Submit an exit survey and sign the final report prepared by the participant

In addition to the above, the Canadian supervisors and institutions – whether home or host – have additional responsibilities, specifically:

  • Support interns with the necessary preparations for travel abroad (institutional travel policy, immigration application support) 
  • Assume fiduciary responsibility for the Mitacs grant

The following deliverables must be submitted to Mitacs no later than one month after the project concludes:

  • A final report that summarizes the project: the intern is responsible for drafting the final report and securing approval and signatures from the participating supervisors
  • Exit survey from the student
  • Exit survey from the home academic supervisor
  • Exit survey from the host academic supervisor

  • Participants must consult Mitacs for cancellation requests.
  • Project cancellations are reviewed by Mitacs on a case by case basis, and Mitacs may require all or a pro-rated portion of the funds to be returned.

FAQs

Yes. If an applicant was a recipient of the RISE-GRI program, they are still eligible to apply for a Globalink Research Award. Please note that they cannot hold both these awards concurrently; they must have completed one project in order to start on the next.

Yes, if they received their PhD within five years of the project start date and if they have a postdoctoral fellow status at an eligible institution.

Yes. Undergraduate students are eligible provided they:
• Have finished their second year of studies prior to departure
• Remain enrolled full-time during the award

No, participants may only hold one GRA in their lifetime.

No, participants cannot simultaneously hold a Globalink Research Award and another Mitacs award. Participants who hold another Mitacs award must complete it prior to receiving a Globalink Research Award.
At the time of submitting an application, if applicants are also recipients of other non-Mitacs awards, scholarships, or fellowships, they must list all funding sources in their proposal. Each participant is responsible for complying with rules and regulations of their various sources of funding.

Although the application does not accommodate supplementary supervisors, we understand that more co-supervisors may be involved in the project and that is a normal aspect of research projects. Note for the supervisors listed in the application:
• the primary host supervisor must be a professor at the institution where the project is conducted
• the primary home supervisor must be a professor at the intern’s home institution

No. Students and postdoctoral fellows are responsible for identifying a home and host academic supervisor. Applicants may wish to begin by asking their home supervisor for assistance.

The home supervisor should be affiliated to the institution where the student or postdoctoral fellow is enrolled full time.

Yes, Canadian academic supervisors must obtain endorsement from the Canadian institution before preparing the application (the VPR, or their appropriate representative, will have to sign on the completed application). Canadian academic supervisors can contact their local Mitacs Business Development representative for more information on how to obtain their institution’s endorsement.

Unless otherwise specified in a call for proposals, projects that are being proposed with a Mitacs international partner (international partner stream) do not require co-funding from the Canadian university. The Vice President Research (VPR) or designate signature is not required.
Projects that are being proposed without a Mitacs international partner (allocation stream) must be co-funded by the Canadian institution that must contribute $2000 towards the Globalink Research Award. The Vice President Research (VPR) or designate signature is required.

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The Canadian supervisor and the intern who created the application are the only participants who are able to submit the application through the portal. All participants will receive a confirmation email once the application is submitted. If you are having trouble submitting your application, please contact international@mitacs.ca.

You will need to identify a primary supervisor, with whom you will work more closely, to appear on your application. Secondary supervisors are not required to be listed on the application form.

All applicants must be named to complete the application. If name(s) are not provided, participants will not be able to sign sections 3, 5, and 6, of the form, and the application will be incomplete.

No. Interns must not begin their travel preparations until they have received both an outcome letter and award letter from Mitacs. Projects must begin within one year of the outcome letter being issued.

Unfortunately, Mitacs cannot advise interns on immigration procedures and documentation. Applicants should contact the relevant consulate or embassy of their host country as soon as possible to determine the appropriate immigration channel.

Outcome letters are typically issued 10-12 weeks after application submission. If an application is approved, the applicant must submit the Mitacs International Pre-Departure and Code of Conduct forms, and confirm their project dates in order to receive the award letter. Interns cannot travel until Mitacs has issued both an outcome and award letter.

The Globalink Research Award is $6,000. Mitacs will provide its portion of the research grant to the Canadian institution once all necessary documentation has been received at Mitacs. Please note that policies regarding the distribution of the research grant can vary according to the Canadian institution’s policies and, in some cases, Mitacs’s international partners’ policies. Please allow approximately two weeks for Mitacs to process funding. Where applicable, Mitacs’s outcome letters will provide instructions for accessing partner funds.