Mitacs-Horizon Europe International Mobility Award

Eligibility

This grant is designed for Canadian faculty at eligible post-secondary institutions and Canadian SMEs with an interest in international R&D collaboration. Applications must be submitted by pairs of travelers: either two faculty members from different PSIs, or one faculty member and one Canadian industry SME representative. Applications must not include more than two travelers.

• Faculty member(s) at all eligible Canadian PSIs: Only full-time faculty may apply. Adjunct faculty are not eligible. No restrictions on academic discipline, however the applicant’s field must align with ongoing Horizon Europe calls for proposals and/or corresponding European research consortia.
• Industry SME representatives: Only for-profit small- and medium-sized enterprises incorporated in Canada may apply. Canadian arms of large multinationals are not eligible. There is no restriction on industry sector, however their field must align with ongoing Horizon Europe calls for proposals and/or corresponding European research consortia. Any designated traveler(s) from an SME must be a full-time employee, founder, or owner.
• NEW: As noted in the FAQs, “Previous recipients are not eligible to receive a second award.”

Note: Eligibility is now extended to all Mitacs-eligible academic institutions across Canada.

Applicants must:

• Identify a Horizon Europe Pillar II Cluster, Destination, and Action aligned with their expertise, per the recently launched Horizon Europe 2026 Work Programme
• Provide justification for travel and planned activities that will support consortia participation

Eligible Activities: 

• Identifying and meeting potential partners
• Participating in consortium-building workshops
• Developing proposals and aligning R&D priorities
• Visiting institutions, research centres, or sites related to Horizon calls

Eligible Travel Period:

• March 6 (open of call) to September 30, 2026
• Successful applicants may travel as soon as official notice of their successful application has been received from Mitacs

Summary

Canada is now formally associated with Horizon Europe Pillar II, opening new doors for researchers and innovators to lead and participate in world-class R&D consortia. To seize this opportunity, Mitacs launched the Horizon Europe International Mobility Award (IMA) — a short-term strategic initiative to support Canadian faculty and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in joining or building Horizon Europe consortia — in fall 2025.

Building on the overwhelming demand of the pilot call, we are excited to announce a second call set to launch in early March 2026 with the following updates:

• All applications require two participants, either two faculty from different institutions or one faculty member and one industry representative from a Canadian SME.
• Applications will be reviewed via a rolling cohort basis throughout the call period, and top-rated candidates may receive notice of their approval before the call closing date. Early applications are encouraged, as the competition may close early if available funds are exhausted.

Award value and funding rules:

• Value: Travel grants support eligible travel costs, with a value of $5,000 per person ($10,000 total).
• Funds Release: Mitacs will release the award to ORS (for faculty members) or directly to the applicant (for Partner Organization contacts) after successful applicants travel and submit their proof of travel (i.e. boarding pass and/or hotel receipt) and post-travel form.

Important Dates:

• Call closes: Wednesday April 8, 2026 (or while supplies last)
• All outcomes expected within 2 weeks of call close date
• Planned travel must conclude by:  Sept 30, 2026

For specific questions on IMA, please connect with the Mitacs Pilots Team (pilots@mitacs.ca), including the phrase “Mitacs – Horizon Europe International Mobility Award” in the subject line of your message. 

Steps for Applying

1. Download and fill out the application form: Choose either (Faculty-Faculty collaboration or Faculty-Industry collaboration).
2. Access and fill out the SimpleSurvey Intake Form.
3. At Step 6 ("Application Form Upload"): Download a PDF copy of your completed Intake Form responses using the links provided on that page.
4. Go back to the previous page in SimpleSurvey and select “Save and continue later.” You will receive a return link that you will use later to upload your signed application form.
5. Upload documents to RMS: Attach your completed application form and the PDF printout of your SimpleSurvey Intake Form responses.
6. Submit your RMS record for internal approvals. Note: You cannot submit the application to Mitacs without the required RSO signatures. The internal review process is mandatory.
7. After RMS approval, RSO will sign the application form and reupload it to RMS for retrieval.
8. Return to the SimpleSurvey Intake Form using the save link from Step 4. Upload the signed, approved application form where prompted, then complete your final submission to Mitacs.

Overhead

Not allowable. 

Application deadlines

RSO detailed review deadline

RSO final internal review deadline

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.

RESOURCES

Reminder: The sooner the researcher engages with Research Services, the more help we can be!

Contact the following Research Service units for support with:

Projects Involving Indigenous Research:

Support with incorporating wise practices in Indigenous research, community engagement, and Indigenous data management is available through the Indigenous Research Support Team (IRST).

Applicants can reach out by email to IRST at IRST@ucalgary.ca in advance of the RSO internal deadline. For more information about IRST, please visit the IRST webpage.

Knowledge Mobilization, Research Impact Assessment, DORA:

Support for knowledge mobilization/engagement/translation, community partnerships, research impact, responsible research assessment (DORA), and open science, is available through the Knowledge to Impact team.

Applicants can reach out by email to the KI team at knowledge.impact@ucalgary.ca.

For more information and access to resource archives, please visit the KI team webpage.

Research Data Management:

For information on research data management plans, processes, or best practices for your research program, please contact research.data@ucalgary.ca.

EDI in Research:

RSO can provide resources and support to research teams on the integration of equitable and inclusive practices in research design and research practice.

Contact edi.rso@ucalgary.ca for more information.

Research Security:

The Research Security Division is available to ensure researchers adhere to research security guidelines and policies, including the National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships (NSGRP) and the policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern (STRAC).

Visit the Research Security website to learn more or contact researchsecurity@ucalgary.ca.

Pre-Award Submissions:
RMS: Creating a Pre-Award Application