Mitacs Accelerate
Highlights
This program is designed for businesses like yours to optimize your budget, grow your R&D, and access top-level research talent. By partnering with highly skilled students, graduates, and postdocs, you can solve your research challenges and achieve your innovation goals. This program is open to both for-profit and not-for-profit corporations, making it versatile for various business needs.
Key Benefits:
- Access to top research talent: Collaborate with students and postdocs to bring fresh ideas and expertise to your projects.
- Flexible project plans: Projects start at four months and can be scaled up as needed.
- Financial support: Partner contribution starts at $7,500 per internship unit, resulting in a $15,000 research award, with a minimum $10,000 stipend/salary for the intern.
Why Apply?
- Broaden your professional network: Connect with academia and other industry leaders.
- Commercialize results: Identify new markets and execute initiatives effectively.
- Ease of qualification: The program is designed to be accessible, with a straightforward application process and digital options available.
By participating, you can enhance your business's innovation capacity and achieve significant growth.
Financing Details
Type of Financing: Grant
Repayment Terms and Interest Rates:
- No repayment required.
- No interest rates applicable.
Eligible Expenses:
- Research and development costs.
- Salaries and stipends for interns.
- Equipment and materials necessary for the project.
- Travel expenses related to the project.
- Publication and dissemination costs.
Ineligible Expenses:
- Overhead costs not directly related to the project.
- General administrative expenses.
- Capital expenditures not specified in the project plan.
Fees:
- No application or processing fees associated with the grant.
Qualifications
- Must be a for-profit corporation or an eligible not-for-profit corporation, municipality, or hospital in Canada.
- Must have an office or site where the intern(s) undertakes at least 50% of the internship.
- Must contribute a minimum of $7,500 per internship unit (4-6 months), resulting in a $15,000 research award.
- Must ensure appropriate insurance coverage for the intern(s).
- Must agree to protect and keep confidential intern(s)’s personal information with any third party, unless granted written permission by intern(s).
- Must attend monthly status meetings and update Mitacs as necessary.
- Must supervise the intern(s) during their on-site internship activities.
Must sign the final report and complete an exit survey.
Disqualifications:
- Businesses without an office or site where the intern(s) can spend at least 50% of their internship.
- Businesses unable to contribute the minimum required funding per internship unit.
- Businesses that cannot ensure appropriate insurance coverage.
- Businesses that do not agree to protect the intern(s)’s personal information.
- Businesses that cannot supervise the intern(s) during their on-site activities.
Description
This program offers your business an excellent opportunity to grow and innovate. You can receive up to $15,000 per internship unit for research projects. Each unit lasts 4-6 months, and you can have multiple units depending on your needs.
Here’s how it works:
- $7,500 from your business and $7,500 from the program combine to create a $15,000 research award.
- At least $10,000 of this award goes directly to the intern as a stipend or salary.
- The remaining funds can be used for research costs, such as equipment or materials.
What you can do with this funding:
- Solve research challenges by tapping into the expertise of highly skilled students, recent graduates, and postdocs.
- Achieve your innovation goals by executing initiatives, identifying new markets, and commercializing results.
- Flexible project duration starting at four months, with the option to scale up as needed.
This program not only helps you optimize your budget but also connects you with top-level research talent. It’s a win-win for your business and the academic community.
Program Steps
Download the Application Form:
- Visit the Mitacs website and download the Accelerate application form for either the digital or non-digital process.
Prepare Documentation:
- Gather the following documents:
- Accelerate proposal
- Intern CV (use Mitacs’s optional template if needed)
- Supporting documents as required by your university or province
- For international travel: International pre-departure form and Code of Conduct
- Gather the following documents:
Develop a Research Plan:
- Collaborate with your professor and partner organization to create a detailed research plan. Confirm intellectual property requirements with your academic institution.
Collect Required Signatures:
- Obtain signatures from all participants, including intern(s), professor(s), partner contact, and the university Office of Research Services or equivalent.
Submit Proposal Package:
- For the digital process: Apply on the Accelerate Registration and Application Portal (RAP).
- For the non-digital process: Email your completed proposal package to your Mitacs Advisor.
Review and Feedback:
- Get feedback on the proposal from all participants and your Mitacs Advisor. Make any necessary revisions.
Await Peer Review:
- The peer review process takes approximately six to eight weeks. Be prepared for potential requests for additional information or revisions.
Invoice Payment:
- Ensure the partner organization pays the contribution upon receipt of the Mitacs invoice. Projects can only begin after Mitacs has received the partner payment and forwarded the Accelerate grant to the academic institution.
Start the Internship:
- Confirm the internship start date with your professor and partner. Begin the internship once funds have been forwarded to the academic institution.
Monthly Status Meetings:
- Organize and attend monthly status meetings with all participants. Update Mitacs as necessary.
Complete Final Report and Exit Survey:
- Submit a final report summarizing project results and experiences to Mitacs EDGE within one month after the internship concludes.
- Complete the Accelerate Intern Exit Survey. You will receive an email from Mitacs with the survey link shortly after completing your internship.