Mitacs Globalink Research Award (GRA) BU Process

Globalink Research Award Overview

Brandon University has partnered with Mitacs to offer the Globalink Research Award (GRA).  The GRA supports research collaborations between Canada and select partner organizations and eligible countries and regions.

Under the joint supervision of a home and host professor, successful senior undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows will receive a $6,000 research award to conduct a 12-to-24-week research project in the host country. Awards are offered in partnership with Mitacs’ Canadian academic partners and, in some cases, with Mitacs’ international partners, and are subject to available funding. Funding is based on a project duration of 12 weeks, however, projects durations of up to 24 weeks are acceptable. Applicants are encouraged to seek support from other funding sources for longer durations and use prudence when allocating funds to travel and accommodations. Both home and host supervisor must hold a faculty position at an eligible University.

 Program Overview

  1. Applicants (intern(s), home and host supervisors) submit their application to Mitacs or to the partner organization 16 weeks prior to the project start date for processing.
  2. Within 12 weeks of submission, Mitacs will contact participants about the outcome of the application. Travel must take place within a year from the date of the outcome.
  3. The intern provides the completed Mitacs Code of Conduct and Ethics and International Pre-Departure forms within six (6) months prior to their travel date.
  4. Mitacs forwards the GRA funds to the Canadian institution after receiving the signed Mitacs Code of Conduct and Ethics and International Pre-Departure forms. In some cases, interns may receive a portion of the funds from Mitacs’s partner organization.
  5. The intern departs to the destination and begins the research project.
  6. Upon project completion, the intern submits a final report that summarizes the project.
  7. All participants (intern(s), home, and host supervisors) submit a final survey.

GRA Streams

  1. International Partner Stream – Projects with a Designated Mitacs International Partner
    Mitacs works with international partners to deliver the GRA in several countries and regions. Visit the Mitacs website for a complete listing of International Partner Collaborations.
  2. Allocation Stream – Projects without a Designated Mitacs Partner
    The GRA program supports research and travel between Canada and several countries and regions. Mitacs provides a list of countries that are not supported on their website, which Mitacs has obtained from the Government of Canada’s travel advisory risk levels. Please note that this list is subject to change.
  3. Quantum Technologies Initiative Stream – Projects Involving Quantum Technology
    Research proposals submitted through the Quantum Stream focus on research using quantum technology that applies the principles of quantum mechanics (Quantum Science) — primarily quantum entanglement, superposition, or tunneling – to build new technologies whose performance depends on one or multiple quantum principles.

Eligibility

Interns

  • Must be registered as full-time senior undergraduate students, graduate students, or postdoctoral fellows at an eligible Canadian institution or eligible international institution and remain as such throughout their Globalink Research Award. Postdoctoral fellows may apply if their date of graduation from a PhD program is no more than five years prior to the proposed start date of the research project and they have postdoctoral status at an eligible institution.
  • Cannot undertake a research project at an institution where they have previously completed a degree.
  • Cannot undertake a research project in a country where they hold citizenship.
  • Permanent residents or citizens of Canada who are enrolled in an eligible country other than Canada and who wish to do a project in Canada are eligible to apply.
  • Permanent residents or citizens of Canada who are enrolled in a Canadian institution and who hold citizenship in an eligible country may apply to do a project there.
  • Must be the legal age of majority in Canada (18 years of age or older).
  • Must meet travel requirements for their intended destination, including visa and/or immigration requirements and associated documentation.
  • Cannot hold more than one Globalink Research Award per academic lifetime.
  • Cannot have previously held a Mitacs-JSPS Summer Program award.

Supervisors

  • Must hold a faculty position at an eligible university.
  • Must be eligible to supervise graduate students.
  • Supervisors at Canadian institutions: Must be eligible to hold Tri-Agency funding.

Funding

Supervisor Contribution Requirement

The GRA is a $6,000 award.  For projects without a Mitacs international partner (Allocation Stream), the $6,000 is jointly funded by Mitacs ($4,000) and the Canadian institution via the supervisor ($2,000). Projects with a Mitacs international partner (International Partner Stream) do not require contributions from the Canadian institution. Projects submitted in the Quantum Stream do not require co-funding from the Canadian university and do not require the participation of a Mitacs international partner, however, if the project is submitted in collaboration with a participating Mitacs international partner, this will increase the overall award by $3000.

For the Allocation Stream, Brandon University has an allocation of five (5) non-partner awards per fiscal year, which is why pre-approval outlined below may be required.

To determine if a project requires co-funding, applicants should contact the local Mitacs advisor, Yvette Shang (yshang@mitacs.ca). Applications submitted under both streams must follow the BU internal submission process for pre-approval, however Allocation Stream applications may also be subject to internal review for selection (see How to Apply section below). The Office of Research Services will assist in verifying that the co-funding the applicant is proposing to use is available and eligible for leveraging. Please note, co-funding must be from an unrestricted source (e.g. GPR). Applicants must obtain pre-approval and confirmation of eligibility of co-funding before preparing their final application on the Mitacs GRA Application Portal.

How to Apply

Brandon University invites proposals that align with the university’s strategic research priorities. This award facilitates the collaboration between BU and international partners by enabling students and postdoctoral fellows to travel between institutions. Projects that show promise in establishing long-term and multifaceted research collaborations, and that demonstrate alignment with BU’s strategic research priorities will receive priority consideration.

Requirements

BU Faculty members will submit the following to the Office of Research Services (email to herrj@brandonu.ca):

 Project proposal that outlines the following:

  • General Information
    • Project title
    • BU Supervisor’s name
    • International Partner Institution
    • Intern(s)’ name(s)
  • Proposed Research
    • Background (1-2 pages)
    • Objectives (1 page)
    • Indigenous community involvement or impact (if applicable)
    • Timeline (Gantt chart recommended)
  • Benefits to Canada
    • Home and Host Supervisors’ expertise & existing or planned collaboration (1 page)
    • Impact/ Significance (½ page)
    • Strengthening Canada’s innovation capacity (½ page)
  • Opportunities offered to the intern(s)
    • Intern support and research environment (½ page)
    • Interaction (supervision and mentorship) (½ page)
  1. Interns’ statement(s) of interest: Each intern must write their own statement (½ page)
  2. Budget:
    • Amounts allocated to (1) Stipend, (2) Travel and Living Expenses, and (3) Research Costs.
      Note: the maximum value of GRA is $6,000 CAD per intern. Special funding offers such as the Quantum Stream with international partners may offer greater amounts. Mitacs requires that a maximum of $1,500 per internship unit be allocated to Research Costs.
    • For projects submitted to the Allocation Stream, please indicate the source of the required $2000 supervisor contribution.
  3. BU External Research Application Cover Sheet

For more details regarding the project proposal, please contact Julia Herr, Research Officer, at herrj@brandonu.ca.

Application Process

 Step 1: BU Faculty member to submit a Project Proposal to the Office of Research Services for pre-approval

Allocation Stream Deadline: October 1 for projects that will take place in the following year.

International Partner Stream Deadline: Ongoing submissions, at least 20 weeks prior to the project start date. Mitacs international partners may also have their own specific call dates or submission windows. Please check the Mitacs website for details. This stream will no longer accept submissions after March 31, 2025, therefore the last internal deadline for submissions to the international partner stream is February 28, 2025.

Quantum Stream Deadline: Ongoing submissions, at least 20 weeks prior to the project start date. Quantum Stream applications involving a Mitacs international partner should follow the above guidelines for the International Partner Stream.

All Streams:

  • Multiple proposals can be submitted by the same PI
  • One proposal is required for each project
  • Each project can include one or multiple students
  • Proposal should specify number of inbound and/or outbound students and international collaborators

Step 2: Internal review for pre-approval – Allocation stream only

As BU has an award allocation to support five interns for projects without a Mitacs international partner. If applications for more than five participating interns are submitted in this stream, the proposals will be reviewed by the Senate Research Committee, and five interns and their associated projects will be pre-approved for submission to Mitacs. The committee will assess applications based on the following criteria:

  • Quality of the research proposal.
  • Level of supervision and mentorship committed by the host supervisor.
  • Benefits to the intern, industry/society, and Canada.
  • Alignment with BU’s strategic research priorities.

If applications for five or fewer interns are submitted by the October 1 deadline, the applications will be reviewed and assessed for pre-approval within the Office of Research Services. Should allocations remain vacant following the internal deadline, submissions will be re-opened and allocated in the order in which they are received until all allocations are filled or until February 28.

Once a project proposal is approved, BU will communicate the results to the applicants (intern(s) and supervisor), and will notify the local Mitacs advisor that pre-approval has been granted. The Mitacs advisor will provide further instructions to the applicants regarding the online submission process.

Step 3: Mitacs submission

The Mitacs advisor will assist the applicants in creating a new online application. The international academic supervisor and the intern(s) must be added to the application as participants.

Submission through the Mitacs online application portal must take place at least 16 weeks prior to the project start date.

Final applications require institutional approval prior to submission. Once all applicants have signed off on the application, use the “Create ORS Approval Document” function to prepare a PDF, and send a copy to the Research Officer, Julia Herr, at herrj@brandonu.ca. The signed document will be returned to you once approved, and must be uploaded to the portal in order to submit.

Step 4: Mitacs results 

Mitacs will notify interns(s), supervisors, and BU about the outcome of the application. Application review may take up to 12 weeks.

 Step 5: Start of project

Interns cannot travel until Mitacs has issued both an outcome and award letter.

Please note that exact dates of the project may be affected by visa processing timelines. Travel must take place within a year from the date of the outcome.

 

For more information, please contact Julia Herr, Research Officer, in the Office of Research Services via email: herrj@brandonu.ca.

 

 

 

 

 

Revised: June 2024