Open
Source verified August 3, 2026
Mitacs Accelerate
Research internships linking organizations with academic talent
Latest source updateLast Update: June 10, 2026Latest change: Mitacs Accelerate now says the Cluster funding model is no longer available for new applications, and existing initiated applications may continue only until May 8 at 5:00 PM PT.View change
Latest source update
Last Update: June 10, 2026
Latest change: Mitacs Accelerate now says the Cluster funding model is no longer available for new applications, and existing initiated applications may continue only until May 8 at 5:00 PM PT.
Mitacs Accelerate cluster funding ends for new applications
Mitacs Accelerate now says the Cluster funding model is closed to new applications. Existing initiated applications may continue only until May 8 at 5:00 PM PT, so the program window and funding conditions for that model have been narrowed.
Funding available
$ 10,000 - $ 20,000
Deadline
Open continuously
Opened July 29, 2026
Location
Canada
Who can apply
For-profit and not-for-profit organizations, hospitals, municipalities, and Indigenous governments in Canada can participate as partner organizations.
See full eligibility
Overview
Mitacs Accelerate provides $15,000 CAD per four- or six-month internship, or $20,000 CAD for postdoctoral interns, to support collaborative research projects between Canadian partner organizations and academic institutions. Funding supports intern stipends or salaries and research costs for projects carried out with for-profit, not-for-profit, hospital, municipal, or Indigenous government partners in Canada.
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Opportunity Score
Moderate potential, but conditions must align.
At a glance
Funding available
Financing goals
- Develop strategic partnerships
- Conduct research and development activities
Eligible Funding
- Maximum amount : 20,000 $
- Minimum amount : 10,000 $
Funds Providers
Eligible candidates
Eligible Industries
- All industries
Location
- Canada
Legal structures
- Non-profit
- Public or Parapublic institution
- For-profit business
Annual revenue
- All revenue ranges
Organisation size
- All organization sizes
Audience
- All groups
Non-profit candidates
Sector of operation
- All industries
Target groups
- All the groups
Revenue structures
- All structures
Scope
- All dimensions
Next Steps
1
Determine your project
2
Validate your eligibility
Activities funded
- Collaborative research projects in which interns work with their academic supervisor and partner organization on a research project.
- Research projects delivered through four- or six-month internship units.
- Projects may include interaction with the partner organization in person, virtually, or through a hybrid approach.
- Projects may optionally include a non-academic partner abroad or interaction with an international partner organization, provided the project includes a non-academic partner in Canada.
Documents Needed
- Accelerate Proposal
- Conflict of Interest Declaration form
- Accelerate New Intern Profile form
- Mitacs Academic Institution Acknowledgement form
Official resources
Program guide
Application form
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- For-profit and not-for-profit organizations, hospitals, municipalities, and Indigenous governments in Canada can participate as partner organizations.
- Faculty members at Canadian academic institutions eligible to hold Tri-Agency funds can participate as academic supervisors.
- Interns may be Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or international participants with the required student visa or valid work permit.
- Eligible interns include registered students and postdoctoral fellows at Mitacs partner colleges and universities in Canada.
- Recent graduates, non-degree students, and visiting students or researchers at Canadian academic institutions may also be eligible at the institution’s discretion.
Who is not eligible
- Postdoctoral fellows who were employed full-time at the partner organization prior to applying.
- Interns may not participate in more than one internship at the same time.
- Applicants holding another Mitacs internship or fellowship with overlapping dates are not eligible to start an Accelerate internship until the other Mitacs award is completed.
Eligible expenses
- Intern stipend or salary, with a minimum of $10,000 CAD per internship unit under the standard funding model.
- Research costs, with up to $5,000 CAD available per $15,000 CAD internship unit.
- For each $20,000 CAD postdoctoral internship unit, up to $5,000 CAD can be allocated to research expenses.
- Additional partner contributions for stipend or salary top-ups or direct internship costs such as specialized equipment, with academic institution approval.
Ineligible Costs and Activities
- Consulting proposals.
- Development projects.
- University tuition fees.
- Internships in which the intern is doing work they were previously doing as an employee or contractor.
- Goods or services from any organization listed as a partner on the project, and any expenses for partner organization personnel.
Eligible geographic areas
- Canada
Selection criteria
- Whether the proposed project qualifies as research in its discipline and can make new contributions to the current state-of-the-art/body of knowledge, or solve an existing problem using novel techniques.
- Whether the proposed objectives are well-defined and reasonable for the research problems or questions.
- Whether the methodology is well-defined, sufficiently detailed, and appropriate to achieve the objectives.
- Whether the work plan is feasible based on the proposed timeline and available resources.
- Whether the internship offers an appropriate learning and development opportunity, and whether the proposal meets research security, benefits to Canada, partner capacity, conflict of interest, and Indigenous research requirements where applicable.
How to apply
- Develop a research project with the academic and partner participants.
- Review the Mitacs Responsible Conduct of Research Policy, adjudication criteria, Writing Your Proposal guide, and other relevant Mitacs policies before writing the proposal.
- Contact a Mitacs Advisor before initiating an Accelerate application and to determine which application platform to use.
- Proceed with the application route identified by the Mitacs Advisor; eligible new applications may go through Mitacs Plus.
Processing and Agreement
- Applications are peer reviewed and this will take approximately six to eight weeks; proposals with multiple internships or that require revisions may take longer.
- An application may be returned with a request for revisions before it is approved.
- Following submission, partner organizations receive an invoice, refundable if not approved, and this does not guarantee approval.
- Once an outcome is available, Mitacs contacts all participants with the decision and applicable instructions.
- After formal approval and receipt of the partner contribution, Mitacs forwards the funds to the academic institution; no work should begin until an Award Letter has been issued and funds have been distributed to the institution.
Additional information
- Applications can be submitted in English or French.
- Mitacs takes no position on intellectual property; it is shared between the academic institution, its researchers, and the partner organization according to the academic institution’s IP rules unless a separate agreement is negotiated.
- All Mitacs-funded projects must adhere to the Mitacs Intellectual Property Policy, and certain universities have developed their own IP terms for Mitacs projects.
- Mitacs reserves the right to decline funding or award funding conditional on additional research security requirements.
Contacts
Frequently Asked Questions about the Mitacs Accelerate Program
What is the Mitacs Accelerate?
Mitacs Accelerate provides $15,000 CAD per four- or six-month internship, or $20,000 CAD for postdoctoral interns, to support collaborative research projects between Canadian partner organizations and academic institutions. Funding supports intern stipends or salaries and research costs for projects carried out with for-profit, not-for-profit, hospital, municipal, or Indigenous government partners in Canada.
How much funding can be received?
Mitacs Accelerate Funds up to $20,000 of admissible expenses.
Who is eligible for the Mitacs Accelerate program?
To be eligible for the Mitacs Accelerate program, you must:
The project must include both an academic partner and a non-academic partner in Canada that benefit from the research.
Academic supervisors must be faculty at a Canadian academic institution who are eligible to hold Tri-Agency funds.
The intern must be at least 18 years old and hold eligible status at a Canadian academic institution, while the partner organization must be an eligible Canadian non-academic organization.
What expenses are eligible under Mitacs Accelerate?
Collaborative research projects in which interns work with their academic supervisor and partner organization on a research project.
Research projects delivered through four- or six-month internship units.
Projects may include interaction with the partner organization in person, virtually, or through a hybrid approach.
Projects may optionally include a non-academic partner abroad or interaction with an international partner organization, provided the project includes a non-academic partner in Canada.
Who can I contact for more information about the Mitacs Accelerate?
You can contact Mitacs by email at accelerate@mitacs.ca.
Where is the Mitacs Accelerate available?
The Mitacs Accelerate program is available across Canada.
Is the Mitacs Accelerate a grant, loan, or tax credit?
Mitacs Accelerate is a Grant and Funding