Attracting top international talent through new Mitacs Accelerate Global Excellence Award: Call for applications now open

March 2, 2026 

Vancouver, BC — Today, Mitacs is launching the call for applications to the Mitacs Accelerate Global Excellence Award, a new initiative to attract and support highly skilled, exceptional international postdoctoral researchers, including Canadians currently studying abroad, to collaborate with Canadian postsecondary and partnering organizations, including industry, not-for-profit corporations, hospitals, and municipalities.

The projects will focus on commercialization of leading-edge science and technology in sectors such as AI, quantum, clean technology, advanced materials and manufacturing, defence, cybersecurity, agri-tech, and health and life sciences. The Global Excellence Award will leverage Canada’s world-class postsecondary infrastructure and research capacity to address global challenges, by turning research discoveries into market-ready solutions.

The call for applications is open until May 1, 2026. Fifty awards will be granted for 2026–27, jointly funded by Mitacs and industry or other partners. Additionally, Mitacs is pleased to partner with the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) to offer up to an additional 10 fellowships with their affiliated researchers for a total of 60 awards.

Aligned with the Government of Canada’s investment in talent attraction and retention and the Canada Global Impact+ Research Talent Initiative, this new postdoctoral award demonstrates Mitacs’ commitment to attracting top research talent to help strengthen the economy, improve productivity, and increase competitiveness.

The new award complements other Mitacs initiatives, including the Mitacs Accelerate Industry Postdoc award offered in 2025 that is providing enhanced funding for nearly 250 postdoctoral fellowships awarded nationwide in partnership with over 200 partners.

Quotes

“The new Mitacs Accelerate Global Excellence Award exemplifies our commitment to developing top talent for Canada on a global scale. Mitacs is pleased to partner with the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) to offer additional fellowships. Through this award, we’re strengthening Canada’s ability to attract and retain talent, and furthering our global competitiveness for a strong and resilient future.”

Dr. Stephen Lucas, CEO, Mitacs

“Canada’s future competitiveness and prosperity depend on our ability to attract and develop exceptional research talent. By combining Mitacs’ industry-research focus with CIFAR’s global research networks and next-gen programming, this partnership strengthens the bridge between discovery and innovation, and helps position Canada as the convenor for outstanding research and impact.”

Stephen Toope, President and CEO, CIFAR

About Mitacs

For over 25 years, Mitacs has helped grow the economy and develop the workforce of tomorrow, connecting industry with academia and global partners to solve real-world challenges. We support business-academic research collaboration through internships, co-funded with businesses, for undergraduate to graduate students and post-doctoral fellows.

As a national innovation connector, Mitacs takes a talent-first approach to strengthen innovation capacity and drive global competitiveness. We serve as an essential research-commercialization bridge, accelerating market entry and growth for new products and services.

This is a critical time for Canada to think big and take bold action. Mitacs is ready to help build a strong and resilient Canadian economy, powered by ideas, talent and innovation.

Mitacs is funded by the Government of Canada, the Government of Alberta, the Government of British Columbia, Research Manitoba, the Government of New Brunswick, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Government of Nova Scotia, the Government of Ontario, Innovation PEI, the Government of Quebec, the Government of Saskatchewan, and the Government of Yukon.

About CIFAR

Founded in Canada and connected to the world, CIFAR brings together brilliant researchers across disciplines, geographies and career stages to explore the questions that reshape how we understand the world – and how we shape its futures. CIFAR convenes more than 500 of the world’s top researchers from 167 institutions, spanning 6 continents. Our community is among the most highly cited in the world, including 26 Nobel Prize Laureates and 4 Turing Award winners. Since 2017, CIFAR has led the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy, an initiative that has significantly advanced cutting-edge AI research and attracted top talent, firmly establishing Canada as a global leader in the field.