Globalink Research Award Thematic Call, 2021

Sponsor

Mitacs

Program

Globalink Research Award Thematic Call

For More Information

For full program details, please visit the Mitacs Globalink Thematic Call web-page.

Interested applicants are encouraged to attend the program information session on Thursday September 16, 2:30 - 3:30pm ET. To register for the session, please visit the Zoom Registration web-page.

Description

The pandemic has shown the importance of international research collaborations to tackle global challenges. To foster future opportunities for researcher mobility, and help plant the seeds for recovery, Mitacs is launching a special initiative in cooperation with several of their international partners: a competitive call for applications to their Mitacs Globalink Research Award program in areas of strategic importance for the Canadian and international research communities. 
 
Under the joint supervision of a home and host professor at the University of Guelph and an institution affiliated with one of Mitacs’s international partners (listed below), senior undergraduate and graduate students as well as postdoctoral fellows included in successful applications will receive a $6,000 research award to conduct a 12- to 24-week research project in the other country. 
 
Although there are limitations on international travel at the present time, research projects selected through this call for applications will have up to a year to begin (February 2023). All potential applicants must check with their institution's policies on international travel prior to submitting an application. Please see relevant research-specific policies and updates at the Office of Research's "Research during COVID-19" page.
 
The themes and sub-themes are as follows. Please note that Mitacs believes there is a great deal of scope in many of the sub-themes for proposals with a focus on the social sciences and humanities and/or interdisciplinary approaches:

1. Advanced computing (Quantum and AI)

• Quantum computing 
• Advanced materials for computing and other advanced computing technologies 
• AI and health 
• AI and climate change 
• Cybersecurity 

2. Achieving Net Zero 

• Sustainable technologies 
• Future cities/IoT 
• Environmental sustainability 
• Circular economy 
• Water 
• Food Security 

3. Global Health

• OneHealth 
• Innovations in therapies and prevention 
• Biomanufacturing 
• Healthy aging 
• Mental health and wellbeing 

Mitacs is pleased to be collaborating with the following international partners in this thematic call for applications.

• Belgium: Wallonie Bruxelles International (WBI) 
• Brazil/Mexico: Agence universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) 
• France: Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS) 
• France: École Polytechnique 
• France: Embassy of France in Canada 
• France: Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies du numérique (Inria) 
• France: Université de Bordeaux 
• France: Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA) 
• France: Université de Lorraine 
• Germany: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) (Helmholtz Association) 
• Germany: Jülich (Helmholtz Association) 
• Germany: GSI Heavy Ion Institute (Helmholtz Association) 
• Germany/USA/Luxembourg/Italy/The Netherlands: Max Planck Society 
• Israel: Council for Higher Education (CHE) 
• Japan: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST)
• Korea: National Research Foundation (NRF) 
• Mexico: Secretaría de Educación Pública (SEP)
• Mexico: Universidad Tecnológica El Retoño (UTR) – Aguascalientes 
• Singapore: National Research Foundation (NRF-Singapore) / AISG 
• South Africa: National Research Foundation 
• Taiwan: National Cheng Kung University, Global Research and Industry Alliance (NCKU GLORIA) 
• Tunisia: Mediterranean Institute of Technology (MedTech) 
• United Kingdom: UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

Eligibility

Students and postdoctoral fellows

• Must be registered as full-time senior undergraduates, graduate students, or postdoctoral fellows at an eligible Canadian institution or eligible institution outside Canada and remain as such throughout their Globalink Research Award.
• Undergraduate applicants completing their first post-secondary degree must have completed their second year of studies prior to departure. All applicants enrolled in an undergraduate degree must have maintained a B average in their two most recent semesters prior to application. This average can be cumulative over the two semesters. 
• Postdoctoral fellows may apply if their date of graduation from a PhD program is no more than five years prior to the proposed start date of the research project and they have postdoctoral status at an eligible institution. 
• Cannot undertake a research project at an institution where they have previously completed a degree. 
  • Cannot undertake a research project in a country where they hold citizenship. 
    • Permanent residents or citizens of Canada who are enrolled in an eligible country other than Canada and who wish to do a project in Canada are eligible to apply. 
    • Applicants who hold citizenship of Canada and another eligible country may apply to do a project in either country.
• Must be the legal age of majority in Canada (18 years of age or older).
• Must meet travel requirements for their intended destination, including visa and/or immigration requirements and associated documentation.
• Cannot hold more than one Globalink Research Award per academic lifetime.
• Cannot have previously held a Mitacs-JSPS Summer Program award. 

Supervising professors

• Must hold a faculty position at an eligible institution. 
• Must be eligible to supervise graduate students. 
• Supervisors at Canadian institutions must be eligible to hold Tri-Agency funding.

Funding Availability

$6,000 per award.

Indirect Costs

0%.

Project Duration

12 to 24 weeks.

Special Notes

Please note that research activities carried out in the context of COVID-19 need to adhere to the University of Guelph COVID-19 research principles, policies, guidelines and processes as they may be updated from time to time and communicated on the Office of Research web-page.

There will be more information regarding non-thematic/general opportunities for Globalink Research Awards in a separate Research Alert. The non-thematic applications will be part of an institutional allocation and subject to terms of a Contribution Agreement, including financial contribution to the stipend in some cases. The thematic call applications will not require a financial contribution or a Contribution Agreement and will not counted in the institutional allocation. 

Mitacs Award Guidelines

All parties involved with the Mitacs Globalink program must comply with Mitacs’s Research Ethics Policy and other research integrity policies at the home and host institutions. All parties involved with Mitacs programs should review the following policy statement and guidelines provided by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) and the Government of Canada: 

• ISED “Policy Statement on Research Security and COVID-19” 
• Government of Canada “Safeguarding Your Research” Portal

Intern responsibilities: 

• Make all necessary preparations for travel abroad with the appropriate institution office(s) 
• Obtain appropriate visa, work permit or other immigration documentation required for the destination 
• Attend any mandatory sessions as required by the home institution 
• Work full-time on the research project (at least 75% abroad, and up to 25% at the home institution) 
• Submit a final report and exit survey to Mitacs at the end of the project 

Home supervisor responsibilities: 

• Adhere to institutional policies for research abroad 
• Provide ongoing direction and research support to the participant prior to and during the research project 
• Submit an exit survey and sign the final report prepared by the participant 

Host supervisor responsibilities: 

• Adhere to institutional policies for visiting researchers 
• Provide ongoing direction and research support to the intern prior to and during the research project 
• Advise the intern on appropriate travel arrangements and accommodation 
• Provide the intern with any necessary documentation to support the visa application 
• Ensure the intern has appropriate lab and/or office space and resources during the research project 
• Submit an exit survey and sign the final report prepared by the intern 

Additional responsibilities of the Canadian institution and supervisor: 

In addition to the above, the Canadian supervisors and institutions – whether home or host – have additional responsibilities, specifically: 

• Support interns with the necessary preparations for travel abroad (institutional travel policy, immigration application support)  
• Assume fiduciary responsibility for the Mitacs grant  

How to Apply

Application process:

1. Review general and partner-specific eligibility and award guidelines. 
2. Home or host supervisors are asked to fill out this webform to request an application package. If you are a student at an eligible institution, please contact your supervising professor to request an application package. Mitacs cannot connect interested interns with supervisors. 
3. Home and host supervisors discuss project details. It is the responsibility of the participants to connect with one another. 
4. Complete your application package: in addition to completing all the fields in the application form, applicants will be required to submit CVs, letters of support, and a research proposal. Each application can name up to 5 interns travelling in either direction. Additional information will be provided in the application package. 
5. The Office of Research Services (ORS) or designate signature will be required on all completed applications. Applicants should allow 1–3 weeks to obtain the appropriate signatures.
6. The supervisor at the Canadian institution must submit the completed application package by email to the local Mitacs Business Development representative.