2025-2026 Mitacs and Stem Cell Network (SCN) Industry-Based Internship Program

Eligibility

• This internship is intended for students in Masters/PhD programs or for Postdoctoral fellows. Trainees must work in a Canadian University or 3 research institutes in the field of stem cells and regenerative medicine. Recent graduates within two years of their degree and affiliated with an eligible academic institution will also be eligible.
• Applicants must be legally permitted to reside and work in Canada by the award start date. There are no citizenship requirements for this program. SCN and Mitacs welcome applications from all qualified individuals and encourages applications from persons with disabilities or members of underrepresented groups in the sciences.
• Interns may be required to travel to participate in this opportunity (see below for financial details). At least two months of the eight-month internship must be hosted by the academic institution.
• When creating intern-company matches, the SCN TEC may prioritize companies who have not received SCN funding in the last two years.

Summary

SCN and Mitacs developed a partnership through the Mitacs Accelerate program, which will support the brightest graduate students and postdoctoral fellows conducting research in regenerative medicine. These interns will share their time (eight months) between academic institutions and companies, to power life-saving therapies and technologies through regenerative medicine research for the benefit of all. This application cycle is for the Summer/Fall 2025 term (for projects beginning no earlier than August 2025) and will fund up to five intern positions.

Successful candidates are eligible for funding of $30,000 CAD, for two four-month terms, fully funded by both Mitacs and Stem Cell Network.

The $30,000 award breaks down as follows:

• $20,000 ($10,000 per term) as a mandatory minimum stipend
• $10,000 for flexible research expenses which could be allocated towards consumables for the project, eligible travel and relocation expenses, or additional stipend

Application deadlines

Program application deadline

Application deadlines

Stage 2 Internal Deadline

Stage 2 Application Deadline

NOTE: Consult your Faculty Associate Dean (Research) (ADR) regarding Faculty-specific deadlines and submission processes.

Principal Investigators: Complete a Research Management System (RMS) record, including a copy of your complete application, and submit this for approvals in RMS.

Postdocs, students, and trainees: For fellowships and externally-sponsored research training awards or opportunities, you must complete the Research Funding Application Approval (RFAA) Trainee PDF form, and submit it, along with a complete copy of the application, to Research Services at rsotrainee@ucalgary.ca. Trainees should not use RMS at this time.

Approvals: The University of Calgary requires that all funding applications be approved prior to submission. Approval requires signatures via either RMS or the RFAA Trainee form, in the following order:

• Principal Investigator
• Department Head
• Faculty ADR/Dean
• Research Services (on behalf of the Vice-President Research)

Read the Meaning of Grant Signatures policy to understand what your approval means. Please see the agency guidelines for details about which signatures are required on your application, as it may differ from internal requirements.

Late submissions: Late submissions will only be accepted in cases of medical or family emergencies, or other exceptional circumstances. If you submit your RMS record to Research Services after the internal deadline has passed, you must secure additional approvals. Please read: Late Applications Process.

Please see the application guidelines for more information.

Apply Here

Applications to the Mitacs-Stem Cell Network partnership is a two-stage process: An SCN application package, and then a Mitacs Accelerate application package. Applicants may apply in English or in French.

Stage 1:
SCN application package (due February 28, 2025) will be evaluated by SCN's Training and Education Committee (TEC).

Stage 2:
Successful eligible applicants from Stage 1 will be invited to submit a Mitacs Accelerate application.