Mitacs

The Mitacs business development team actively identifies and engages non-academic partners by consulting them on their research and innovation challenges, educating them on the benefits of collaborating with academic research experts, facilitating those connections, supporting project development, and ultimately providing significant funding towards the project. Mitacs serves three main stakeholders in any project through its Accelerate Program: non-academic partners, academic supervisors, and student interns.

Mitacs also has the premier program in Canada for supporting research intensive student startups through its Accelerate Entrepreneur program (e-Accelerate).

What makes for ideal Mitacs Accelerate research project and partners?

Mitacs support/funding is available to all academic disciplines and industry sectors; this results in a wide spectrum of project and partner variations, but there are certain characteristics that can really drive a successful Mitacs research project and/or partnership to success.

What make for an ideal research project?

• Projects that DO require sophisticated knowledge and/or research capacity.
• Projects that DO address a business or societal problem or opportunity.
• Research challenges/opportunities that DON’T require immediate solutions: i.e. the non-academic partner is not under significant time-pressure to address the challenge. It is something that will require at least 4 months or more to fully address, and the partner’s business operations won’t be significantly impacted if there is a delay.
• Research topics that can generate publications and can form part, or all of a student’s thesis.

What does an ideal non-academic partner look like?

• Any size company/organization (i.e. private business, not-for-profit organization, crown corporation, etc.) that understands their innovation path and appreciates the value that academic research can provide towards achieving their objectives/milestones.
• They are interested in testing out new talent and potentially hiring for their team.
• They understand and appreciate the value of intellectual property.
• They are interested in engaging with members of the research team on a regular basis.

What makes for an ideal academic research partner?

• Appreciates the value of partnerships towards achieving their long-term research capacity building goals.
• Appreciates the applied research and work integrated learning experience that their students will receive.
• Collaborative.
• Understands the non-academic partner perspective, especially as it relates to addressing specific outcomes critical to their business success or survival.

Did you know?

• Mitacs can support projects with international partners.
• There is no size limitation on projects.
• In 2020-2021, Mitacs supported over $8.25 million in projects in Manitoba.
• Open to graduate students, postdocs, and college students – both domestic and international.
• 95% approval rate on proposals due to Mitacs hands-on support/consultation.
• Mitacs has supported over 20 student spin off companies at U of M through the e-Accelerate Program.

The application process for a Mitacs programs is as follows:

All researchers must include a completed FAAF in their application package to Partnerships & Innovation.

Find the FAAF document on UM Sharepoint

Please submit applications for review to Janice Smith at Janice.Smith@umanitoba.ca

Globalink Research Interns must apply and register as Visiting Student Researchers at UM. For more information, visit the Visiting Student Researchers page.

For information on hosting a Visiting Student Researcher, visit the Visiting Student Researchers intranet page.

For students going abroad with Mitacs:

If you are a UM student who will be going abroad on a Mitacs program, please use the following contact information to address any questions you may have.

For faculty members: 

If you are supervising an outbound Mitacs researcher, you must submit the following forms to Mitacs:

• Mitacs Globalink International Pre-Departure Form (pdf)
• Rise Globalink Research Internship International Pre-Departure Form (pdf)

For questions about the Globalink Research Award, RISE Globalink Research Internship or Mitacs-JSPS Summer Program, please contact international@mitacs.ca.