Mitacs Globalink Research Award (Internal Selection for Allocation Stream)

The Mitacs Globalink Research Award (GRA) program supports research collaborations between Canada and eligible countries and regions through intern(s) international mobility. Open to full-time senior undergraduates, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, the award enables talented researchers to undertake one 12- to 48-week project or two 12- to 24-week projects with a host supervisor inbound to Canada or abroad from Canada.

The program is offered through two streams:

1. Allocation stream: Participating Canadian universities receive a set number of internship units per year. Please see UBC's internal selection process below.
2. Quantum stream: Open to all Canadian universities. The project must be in the quantum sector.  No limit of projects per Canadian university and does not count in the university’s allocation.  Applicants may apply directly through Mitacs by contacting their local Mitacs advisor.

Eligible host supervisors must:

• Hold a faculty position at an eligible university
• Be eligible to supervise graduate students
• Be eligible to hold Tri-Agency funding, for supervisors at Canadian universities

Additional changes to the Mitacs GRA program:

• Institutions are no longer required to provide co-funding.
• International partners are not involved in program delivery.

About Mitacs Awards

• Awards are offered in partnership with Mitacs’ Canadian academic institution partners and are subject to available funding.
• Applicants are encouraged to seek support from other funding sources to cover all expenses and use prudence when allocating funds to travel and accommodations.
• 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.
• Mitacs Globalink Research Award program website

internalUBC Internal Process for Allocation Stream

Under the Allocation stream, universities are allocated units and UBC has been allocated 38 internship units (IUs) for FY 2026. 

Value

Each intern will receive $6,000 per internship unit (IU):

• $6,000 research award to conduct one 12- to 24-week research project in the other country. This is one internship unit.
• $12,000 research award to conduct one 24- to 48-week research project or two 12- to 24-week research projects in the other country. This is two internship units.

UBC has established an internal selection process open to eligible faculty in all disciplines at UBCV and UBCO.

Key Dates

May 19, 2025: Faculty members submit a two-page application to the VPRI for internal review.
May 26, 2025: Decisions of internal review communicated to applicants.

Applicants successful in the internal review may proceed to complete a full application for submission to Mitacs. Ensure all required signatures are obtained. See Submission to Mitacs information below for details.

Internal application content

Interested eligible faculty are encouraged to submit a brief application (max 2 pages) containing the following:

• Participant and project details: This should include the project title, names of PIs and interns, project dates and requested internship length(s).

Note: PIs may request a maximum of 4 IUs per application.

• Brief description of research proposal: Include objectives, hypotheses and/or research questions, and how interns will be involved in the project, including a timeline of proposed activities.
• Brief description of collaboration: Include a description of how the collaboration will benefit from the project and any plans to apply for future funding.

Submit internal applications to Leslie Grad, Manager, Strategic Initiatives, leslie.grad@ubc.ca by May 19^th, 2025.

An internal selection committee will select the top eligible applications for full submission to Mitacs until all of our IUs have been allocated. Adjudication will be based on the following:

• the overall quality and feasibility of the project
• how effectively the intern(s) are involved in the project and the quality of the opportunities offered to them
• the benefit the project will bring to the collaboration and feasibility of future funding plans.

If UBC does not use its complete allocation this May, we will consider a second call in early September.

submissionSubmission to Mitacs

Following internal selection, approved projects proposed though the Allocation stream require signatures from both the VPRI (or designate) and ORS prior to Mitacs submission. Signatures must be obtained in the following order:

1. VPRI (or designate): Applicants should send their Mitacs applications to leslie.grad@ubc.ca to facilitate the necessary VPRI signature. Signed applications will then be returned to applicants.
2. ORS: Complete application packages, including a completed and signed RPIF, must be sent to ORS for review and signature. Contacts for ORS signature may be found here.

Please allow enough time to obtain all appropriate university signatures. Selected applications should be submitted to Mitacs at least 16 weeks before the proposed project starts. Selected applicants should apply directly through Mitacs by contacting their local Mitacs advisor.