Canadian Science Policy Fellowship will not be available in 2023-24. The 2023-24 call for applications is suspended until further notice.

We regret to inform our prospective participants that the Canadian Science Policy Fellowship (CSPF) program will not proceed in 2023-24. If you have already applied for the 2023-24 cohort, please note the program will not run in 2023-24 and applications will not be considered. We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the change to our programming. We will post updates as information becomes available for future cohorts.

 

The Mitacs Canadian Science Policy Fellowship places PhD holders in government host offices for a 12-month immersion into the policy-making process. Fellows apply their academic training, critical thinking, and analytical skills to support evidence-informed decision-making that addresses policy challenges within participating federal host offices. Hosts gain valuable science-based knowledge and build the professional skills of participating fellows.

We welcome application submissions from prospective fellows and hosts on an annual call cycle running from fall throughout winter.  

The fellowship aims to:

  • Create mutually beneficial relationships between government decision-makers and academic researchers in support of policy challenges in Canada
  • Enhance science communication, collaboration, and capacity in support of evidence-informed policy-making
  • Equip academic researchers with skills to address policy challenges while learning about government
  • Contribute to a national network of science policy expertise across academia, government, not-for-profit organizations, and industry

By participating in the fellowship, fellows get the training and first-hand experience needed to address challenges of national public importance. Through the fellowship, fellows:

  • Work full-time in a participating host office for 12-months (September-August) at an annual salary of $70,000-$80,000
  • Attend professional development training and networking opportunities with their peers throughout the year
  • Learn about policy-making in the public service through professional hands-on experience
  • Apply their academic expertise and skills to public issues of concern 

Host offices provide positions to fellows that support key policy challenges in their departments. By participating, hosts:

  • Provide a range of policy tasks to their fellows, such as policy development, stakeholder engagement, and creating and maintaining key policy documents
  • Grow their access to specialized expertise and the most up-to-date knowledge available in academia
  • Increase the policy capacity within their department
  • Support a growing body of researchers uniquely trained to address key policy challenges

Want to learn more about science policy? Download our Science Policy Briefing here. 

Curious about our past CSPF fellowships? Review our Look Book for examples of how participants have contributed to the Canadian science policy landscape. 

You can also read about our past cohorts in our yearly news releases.

If you have any questions about the Mitacs Canadian Science Policy Fellowship program, please email the Canadian Science Policy Fellowship team.

As part of the CSPF program, Mitacs provides professional development training for fellows throughout the year, as well as opportunities to network with stakeholders from the science policy community through invitations to conferences, events, and volunteering.

Fellowship training starts with Orientation at the outset of the cohort year, where fellows learn about a variety of topics, including:

  • Science policy
  • Science communication
  • Government 101
  • Media training

Throughout the year, fellows participate in mandatory instructor-led courses focusing on developing key science policy themes through their fellowships:

  • Strengthening science communication
  • Growing relationship-building skills with diverse stakeholders

Mitacs welcomes host offices to offer their fellows additional professional development training available to employees of their departments.

If you have any questions about the Mitacs Canadian Science Policy Fellowship program, please email the Canadian Science Policy Fellowship team.