Mitacs Accelerate
by Mitacs
Mitacs Accelerate funds research internships that pair a company or not-for-profit with a university or college intern and supervisor. The partner contributes from $7,500 per 4- or 6-month internship and Mitacs leverages it into a $15,000 research award. For-profit businesses, hospitals and municipalities can be partners. Start with a Mitacs Advisor; peer review takes about six to eight weeks.
Key facts
- Amount
- The partner contributes from $7,500 per 4- or 6-month internship, which Mitacs leverages into a $15,000 research award; the intern receives at least $10,000. Postdoctoral interns: $10,000 partner contribution for a $20,000 award. Internships can scale up to 5 years.
mitacs.ca · Last verified Oct 29, 2026 · Auto-checked against official source
Our standard funding model requires a partner contribution starting at $7,500 CAD per internship (4 or 6 months) which results in a $15,000 CAD research award.
- Instrument
- Conditional contribution
- Status
- Open, continuous intake no fixed deadline; approvals on the funder's cycle
- Your share
- Partner pays $7,500 per internship unit; Mitacs adds the rest of the $15,000 research award. For-profit partners must provide private-sector funds.
mitacs.ca · Last verified Oct 29, 2026 · Auto-checked against official source
- Who qualifies
- Businesses Nonprofits and charities Other applicants Municipalities and local boards Indigenous organizations and communities
- business
- nonprofit
- hospital
- municipality
- indigenous-government
- Needs three participants: an eligible intern, an eligible academic supervisor and an eligible partner organization
- Partner organizations can be for-profit or not-for-profit corporations, hospitals, municipalities or Indigenous governments in Canada
mitacs.ca · Last verified Oct 29, 2026 · Auto-checked against official source
Partner organizations can be for-profit corporations, not-for-profit corporations, hospitals, municipalities or Indigenous governments in Canada.
- Where
- Algoma District · Cochrane District · Greater Sudbury (single-tier census division) · Kenora District · Manitoulin District · District Municipality of Muskoka · Nipissing District · Parry Sound District · Rainy River District · Sudbury District (excl. Greater Sudbury) · Thunder Bay District · Timiskaming District
11 of 11 Northern Ontario districts are eligible for this program. A filled dot is eligible, an outline is not.
How do you apply?
Call first. This funder expects contact with a program officer before you apply.
- Contact a Mitacs Advisor
- Agree a research project with an academic supervisor and intern
- Apply through the platform the Advisor names (Mitacs is moving to the Mitacs Plus portal)
- Review, often in as little as 3 weeks
mitacs.ca · Last verified Oct 29, 2026 · Auto-checked against official source
Applications are often reviewed by Mitacs in as little as 3 weeks to keep projects moving forward with minimal delay.
Common questions
Who does the research in a Mitacs Accelerate project?
A post-secondary student or postdoctoral fellow, supervised by an eligible academic, working on your organization's research problem.
How much does a business pay?
From $7,500 per 4- or 6-month internship under the standard model, which becomes a $15,000 research award. Postdoctoral internships take a $10,000 contribution for a $20,000 award.
Where else could this money come from?
Chosen by what these programs have in common with this one, not by hand. The reason is shown for each, so you can judge whether it holds.
-
INVEST North, Innovation: Industrial Research Chair Program
Open, continuous intake both for nonprofits & charities; research · Up to $1,000,000
-
Canada Small Business Financing Program (CSBFP)
Open, continuous intake both for small business, expansion and startups & new entrepreneurs; national, continuous intake · Up to $1,150,000
-
Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) Tax Incentive
Open, continuous intake both for small business, expansion and startups & new entrepreneurs; national · Up to 35% of costs
Notes on this record
Mitacs is moving applications to its Mitacs Plus portal; during the transition an Advisor says which platform to use.
Apply
Apply on the funder’s site and confirm current terms there: