Mitacs is a national, not-for-profit organization that has designed and delivered research and training programs in Canada for 18 years. Working with 60 universities, thousands of companies, and both federal and provincial governments, Mitacs builds partnerships that support industrial and social innovation in Canada.

Mitacs was founded in 1999 as a Canadian Network of Centres of Excellence, dedicated to supporting applied and industrial research in mathematical sciences and associated disciplines. In 2003, they launched a research internship program designed to increase deployment of highly educated graduates into the private sector. Open to all disciplines since 2007, Mitacs has expanded in response to industrial and university needs, including programs in R&D management, professional skills development, and international research training. Fully independent since 2011, Mitacs remains committed to its core vision of supporting research-based innovation and continues to work closely with its partners in industry, academia, and government.

From aerospace systems to childhood literacy rates, Mitacs-funded research helps to strengthen connections, improve economic performance, and create jobs. Over the past 18 years, Mitacs have supported more than 10,000 research internships, trained more than 19,000 student and postdoc career-skills participants, and supported more than 1,300 international research collaborations.

Mitacs provides numerous supporting activities for different stakeholders:

1. Accelarate program– helps to solve research challenges with academic expertise, leveraged funding, and one-to-one support from Mitacs. Mitacs Accelerate internships require the active participation of the intern, professor, and partner organization. All participants should attempt to fulfil their project obligations within minimum of four months. The process of getting support goes through the following tree steps (Fig. 1)

1.  
2. Elevate program – helps to solve business challenges with a top-ranked research expert trained to address business needs. Mitacs Elevate is a postdoctoral fellowship with a customized research management training component. Elevate fellows progress through the program in a cohort, giving them cross-disciplinary networking and peer-learning opportunities, they might not have otherwise in their careers. Over the two-year fellowship, Elevate fellows divide their time between their partner organization project and university-based research with their faculty supervisor. Participating organizations build crucial relationships, oversee development, and access university resources that may otherwise be unavailable. Organizations also inform the creation of a Partner Organization Business Case (developed by the fellow), which outlines the project objectives, benefits, risks, and stakeholder success criteria. The knowledge transfer supported by Elevate increases research quality and overall efficiencies within a research group.
3. Globalink program - supports projects that help to strengthen networks, develop partnerships, create joint ventures, and stay on top of global trends. Since 2009, Mitacs has matched over 1,000 senior undergraduates with Canadian faculty through its Globalink Research Internships initiative. Mitacs Globalink offers two-way mobility opportunities between Canada and Mitacs partner countries for both undergraduate and graduate students. 
4. Mitacs Training - provides professional skills development workshops for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. The workshops are designed to complement the hands-on research skills and experience gained by participants of Mitacs programs such as Accelerate, Elevate, and Globalink. Each workshop is designed to improve upon one or more core competencies and is facilitated by industry leaders.
5. Policy fellowship - Mitacs is committed to fostering policy leadership among Canada’s researchers and has worked to identify ways to integrate academic research and evidence-informed policy-making with federal and provincial governments. The fellowship provides a 12-month immersion into the policy-making process. Working with government decision makers and stakeholders, fellows contribute their research expertise and analytical skills to inform policy actions. Fellows’ participation in policy activities provides them with the direct training and experience to address challenges of national public importance.
6. Career Connect - a wage subsidy program that supports six-month placements for organizations interested in hiring recent post-secondary graduates for jobs that protect the environment, create positive environmental outcomes, or address an environmental or climate change-related challenge. The program aims to create positive environmental outcomes for Canada while enhancing the career readiness of post-secondary graduates.

Mitacs programs are supported jointly by provincial and federal governments and agencies, industry and universities within Canada, as well as governments and universities overseas.

Mitacs strategic plan presents an ambitious blueprint for the future. Through a model of cooperative innovation — a proven and productive approach to research collaboration — it commits to expanding its impact by focusing on three core principles:

1. Deploying talent in the Canadian economy through experiential skills development for Canadian innovators
2. Fostering the creation and application of ideas through cooperative research partnerships
3. Creating and promoting collaborative networks through partnerships between academia, industry, government, and other organizations in Canada and abroad

Mitacs mission is to be Canada’s university-based cooperative innovation platform, achieving goals through research, collaboration, and training.

Mitacs programs and activities are, by their very nature, entrepreneurial. As a key outcome of Mitacs programs is to increase business investment in R&D activities in Canada, Mitacs deploys business development resources, which are critical to achieving this goal.  As a result, industry has invested approximately $127 million in research and development activities through Mitacs over the past 6 years.

Mitacs is committed to keeping overhead costs low and to maximize the impact of funding received.

Mitacs has 25 offices across Canada, a robust leadership team, and a coast-to-coast business development team dedicated to building and supporting new partnerships. To find out more about its history, leadership, and programs, visit:

http://www.mitacs.ca/en/programs

http://www.mitacs.ca/en/about-mitacs