Saskatchewan Funds Research and Innovation Opportunities for Post-Secondary Students

Regina, SK — Saskatchewan post-secondary students are gaining more opportunities to grow their research and innovation skills. In 2022–23, the Government of Saskatchewan is providing $1.15 million to Mitacs for research internships and additional programming, including the new Indigenous Pathways program. 

The funding, an increase of $600,000, will support up to 265 research and development internships for undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to work in Saskatchewan industries. 

“This investment increases opportunities for students to develop and apply their education and research skills while gaining valuable work experience that benefits our industries and province,” said Advanced Education Minister Gordon Wyant. “Mitacs supports Saskatchewan’s Growth Plan by helping develop a skilled workforce and enhancing business productivity and innovation.” 

Provincial funding supports internships for students to work with employers in Saskatchewan’s key economic sectors, such as agriculture, life sciences, oil and gas, energy, and technology and innovation. Specific Mitacs programs also support Saskatchewan’s International Education Strategy by helping to recruit international students and send Saskatchewan students abroad. 

Mitacs creates partnerships between businesses and post-secondary institutions to connect interns with employers, making an economic impact and producing innovative results for Saskatchewan industries. 

“Because of Mitacs, I have the opportunity to gain invaluable experience in applied research, make important professional connections in my field, and serve as a conduit between the renowned Clean Energy Technologies Research Institute (CETRI) at the University of Regina and key industry players working to generate renewable hydrogen,” said Abdinoor Jelle, postdoctoral researcher and Mitacs fellow at CETRI. “I am contributing my skills and expertise to help advance a critical source of clean energy for the future — an opportunity I wouldn’t have without Mitacs. By providing connections to industry, it has made it possible for me to pursue my career in renewable clean energy, and I am grateful for that.” 

The Government of Saskatchewan has provided $4.3 million to support Mitacs programs in the province since 2007. This investment has enabled Mitacs to leverage $10.7 million in federal and industry funding, resulting in a total of 2,054 internships in Saskatchewan so far. 

“The path to continued prosperity relies on robust competitiveness, access to skilled talent, and the capacity to innovate,” said Tash Ismail, Chief Business Development Officer of Mitacs. “In this lies an opportunity for our innovators to do things differently. Mitacs aims to create change by harnessing the power of innovation. We see that resolve in Saskatchewan, too: to discover and design new solutions for everything from food security to chronic pain to carbon capture. With the generous support of the province, our team will continue, in collaboration with our industry and post-secondary partners across the province, to deliver top talent and make real impact.” 

Mitacs is a national not-for-profit that builds research and development partnerships between the private and post-secondary sectors, enabling businesses to access the talent they need to solve challenges, seize opportunities, and stimulate growth. Mitacs acts as a catalyst for productivity, innovation, and impact by facilitating collaboration between Saskatchewan industry and the province’s academic institutions, and by deploying highly skilled post-secondary talent into the economy. Mitacs supports internships through the University of Regina, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan Polytechnic, and Parkland College. 

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