MITACS Globalink Research Internship scheme

Students who successfully apply for the scheme will have the chance to:

• participate in an internationally competitive and highly subsidised* mobility opportunity in Canada
• develop research expertise with the assistance of leading professors at Canadian institutions with outstanding research facilities
• enhance vital workplace skills, including critical thinking, cultural awareness, and developing a global outlook
• take part in professional training covering areas such as teamwork, project management, problem solving, communication, and entrepreneurship
• experience educational, social, and recreational opportunities
• join an international alumni community and become eligible for the Mitacs Globalink Graduate Fellowship

 95% of interns spoke positively about their experience in Canada.

*See 'Programme Costs' for details on what the funding will cover.

*EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST for Summer 2024 placements will be published in July 2023*

Please see the MITACS Globalink webpage and Universities UK webpage for further details on the MITACs scheme.

Summer 2024 Applicants must:

• be at least 18 years of age
• be enrolled full-time in the University of Exeter
• have one year remaining in their undergraduate program when they return to the UK OR two years remaining in an integrated master degree when they return to the UK.
• have a minimum weighted average of 60% (for students meeting Exeter's widening participation criteria), or 65% (for students not meeting Exeter's widening participation criteria) equivalent to a 2:1*
• apply to a minimum of three to seven projects and ensure selections are from at least three different Canadian provinces
• be able to spend 12 consecutive weeks during the period 1 May – 31 October 2024 at a university in Canada on a research project related to their area of interest and expertise
• demonstrate oral and written fluency in the language of the project (English and/or French)
• not have been awarded a Globalink Research Internship project in the past

*PLEASE NOTE that the criteria, nomination and application deadlines are set by MITACS.  If you are unsure whether you meet Exeter's widening participation criteria, please contact the Outbound Team. The University of Exeter will determine students' minimum weighted average directly from the Student Record System.  If you are a student who has missing, referred, or deferred marks/examinations but believe you will meet the eligibility criteria by the MITACS deadline, we invite you to express your interest to the scheme.

Programme exclusions:

• Students on Nursing programmes are not eligible for this programme.
• Students 'with study abroad', 'with industrial experience' or 'with Professional Placement' may apply but carefully consider whether this is feasible according to the academic calendar of the multiple placements.

Velizar Kirkow, MMATH Mathematics

“I started my internship on 24^th May, and it has been fantastic so far despite the internship taking place remotely. I have received a lot of support from the staff and students at the university of Alberta and I can tell they are expecting great things from me. For the first few weeks it was a steep learning curve getting to grips with the jargon and the ins and outs of the field but recently I have come into my own with mathematical modelling and I'm feeling comfortable working to deadlines set. 

My only qualm is the student engagement in the sense that we have had little to no opportunities to socialise as interns which is a natural by-product of remote working which is no fault of the program itself. Nevertheless, it is shaping up to be a fantastic experience and I m so grateful to Exeter supporting me in application process!”

Becca Leeland, BA History

“I've had a very good experience with the scheme so far; when I was applying it was all very easy to understand the process, and I was so surprised at the range of research projects that were available, I was spoilt for choice when it came to finalising my decisions.

Exeter was very helpful as well both with providing advice for my CV and promising additional funding.

Obviously the fact that the internships have all been moved online is a massive disappointment, but they are really trying to make up for that as much as they can with online activities, networking opportunities, giving extra funding for ticketed seminars etc.

My personal host professor has been brilliant also, incredibly informative and supportive from the start.”

Summer 2024 placements

The programme costs in the region of $12,000 CAD (approx £7,020 GBP) per student placement. The scheme, however, operates on a subsidised/matched basis.

MITACS will cover two-thirds of this programme cost and the University of Exeter will pay the remaining 1/3 programme fee to the organisers directly.

Please note that MITACS will reimburse costs to the student on arrival in Canada.

The Globalink Research Internship award is subject to change by Mitacs each year, but will typically include: 

• Funding contribution towards the cost of a round-trip airfare (via reimbursement)
• Funding contribution to the cost of transportation from the Canadian airport to accommodation
• Emergency health insurance policy (note: this covers emergency medical needs. Students will be required to purchase an additional health AND travel insurance policy*)
• Stipend for food and incidentals
• Stipend for housing
• Access to industry events and professional development courses
• Stipend towards student enrolment fees at host institution (up to $300)
• Support from student mentors on campus in Canada

Please note that under Mitacs’s funding policy, Mitacs is unable to provide the student with any funds in advance of their internship start date and arrival in Canada - some of these fees will be incurred by selected students upfront. In order to receive funding, all interns must possess a valid immigration permit for the duration of their internship. Interns will be responsible for opening a Canadian bank account, following Mitacs’s instructions, in order to receive funds once in Canada.

Students must ensure to obtain adequate travel and health insurance (including repatriation) in advance of organising travel to the Placement. Policy wording must be checked carefully for any exclusions. Insurance for the placement must cover Personal Accident Insurance and Personal Liability Insurance. At the very least the following should be covered: 

• Travel Insurance (Including damage or loss of luggage)
• Personal Accident/Third Party Liability
• Accident and Serious Illness (including permanent or temporary incapacity)
• Death (including repatriation)

It is a condition of University of Exeter that all students participating in the MITACs scheme complete a Risk Assessment and secure comprehensive travel insurance in advance of organising travel for your Canadian placement. Failure to do so may result in your placement being withdrawn.

Students who may not be able to pay these costs up front may be able to request support via the Hardship Fund.

*Application Process for Summer 2024 has closed*

MITACS is an extremely competitive programme. For a general summary of the application process, please see the MITACS Globalink Research Internship webpage and contact outbound@exeter.ac.uk if you have further questions.

Firstly, congratulations on your acceptance to this highly competitive scheme!

MITACs will contact students with further information to support your preparations in due course. This will include details about accessing the Intern Logistics Platform, along with a GRI Handbook which details the support provided by MITACs (this includes a 24/7 Mentor throughout your placement).

University of Exeter will require students to complete a Risk Assessment in advance of the placement, here you will be asked a number of questions about the health and safety aspects of your placement, including details on insurance policies.

Students must ensure to obtain adequate travel and health insurance (including repatriation) in advance of organising travel to the Placement. Policy wording must be checked carefully for any exclusions. Insurance for the placement must cover Personal Accident Insurance and Personal Liability Insurance. At the very least the following should be covered: 

• Travel Insurance (Including damage or loss of luggage)
• Personal Accident/Third Party Liability
• Accident and Serious Illness (including permanent or temporary incapacity)
• Death (including repatriation)

It is a condition of University of Exeter that all students participating in the MITACs scheme complete a Risk Assessment and secure comprehensive travel insurance in advance of organising travel for your Canadian placement. Failure to do so may result in your placement being withdrawn.

On completion of the Risk Assessment, students placement details will be recorded and you will receive relevant in-country briefings for your placement in Canada.

The Global Opportunities Team will also contact students in March with details of an information session.