2025 Mitacs Accelerate (Rolling Deadline)

Eligibility

• Students and postdoctoral fellows at Mitacs partner colleges and universities in Canada. Postdoctoral fellows are eligible if the date of graduation from a PhD program is less than five years to the proposed start date of the project. Exceptions are available for extenuating circumstances such as parental leave or military service. Fellows must not have been employed full-time at the partner organization prior to applying.
• Recent graduates (must be within two years of graduation at the start of their project), and non-degree students (diploma, certificate, etc) are eligible at the academic institution’s discretion (any interested applicants should check with their institution to first determine whether they are able to support other types of university students before drafting an application) 
• Full-time graduate students in select Mitacs partner countries (visit the Accelerate International tab for more details)
• Interns who meet the criteria above (students, postdoctoral fellows and recent grads) may be Canadian citizens, permanent residents, international students (with a student visa), or international postdoctoral fellows (with a valid work permit). Interns must be 18 years old or over.
• All academic disciplines
• For-profit corporations and eligible not-for-profit corporations, municipalities, and hospitals in Canada
• For-profit businesses operating outside of Canada (please see Accelerate International)

Summary

Accelerate is the flagship program of Mitacs, and is open to undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows from all disciplines. Accelerate interns will have the opportunity to collaborate with industry on research-focused projects. (Student entrepreneurs should contact Mitacs about a special opportunity to apply for funding for their own startups under this program.) Projects can range from four months up to 5 years in length, with funding starting at $10,000.  Applications are accepted throughout the year on a non-competitive basis. 

Program Details

• Apply anytime
• Six- to eight-week peer review
• College students can do 3 four-to-six month internships, master’s students can do up to 6 four-to-six month internships, PhD students can do up to 12, and postdocs can do up to 9. While undergraduates, other university students (ex. diploma programs), and recent graduates can do up to 3 four-to-six month internships.
• The Mitacs Accelerate Fellowship supports longer-term projects for master’s and PhD students
• Internships start at four months
• Interns interact with both their academic supervisor and partner organization during the project
• Submit an exit survey summarizing project results and experiences
• Follow the Accelerate Code of Conduct
• Apply your skills in a non-academic environment
• Broaden your professional network
• Get a stipend/salary starting at $10,000 per four-month period
• Build out your CV with peer-reviewed research

Funding

Partner contribution starts at $7,500 per internship unit (4-6 months), which results in a $15,000 research award. Of the $15,000 award, the intern will receive a minimum $10,000 stipend/salary.

If a project has 6 or more internship units with 3 or more interns, it is possible for the partner organization to contribute $6,000 per internship unit instead. This will receive a $13,300 research award with a $10,000 minimum stipend to the intern.

Review Mitac’s previous special Accelerate funding offers

Application deadlines

Program 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.

Steps to apply using the digital process:

• Step 1: Click here to download the Accelerate application for the digital process.
• Step 2: Apply on the Accelerate Registration and Application Portal (RAP)

Steps to apply using the non-digital process:

• Step 1: Download the Accelerate application for the non-digital process. These can be downloaded in the “Application” section below.
• Step 2: Collect all required signatures: intern(s), professor(s), partner contact, and university Office of Research Services or equivalent
• Step 3:  Email your proposal package to your Mitacs Advisor

• Note: Interns travelling internationally (whether to or from Canada) for an Accelerate project must visit our Accelerate International page for additional instructions and requirements.

   

Please note: Applications may be subject to review by Research Security. If you have any questions please contact researchsecurity@ucalgary.ca