É«»¨ÌÃ

The Mitacs Globalink Research Award (GRA) program supports research collaborations between Canada and eligible countries and regions through cross-border internships.

Under the joint supervision of a home and host professor, successful senior undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows can undertake an internship (12-24 weeks). Interns must work full-time on the research project abroad (or up to 25% of the research may be conducted at the home institution).

Quick facts

• Each GRA Award is valued at CAD$6000 to support intern travel, accommodation, research-related expenses, and stipend.
• A total of 3 internships will be endorsed by SMU in the FY2026-27 (April 1st, 2026 - March 31st, 2027).
• Mitacs funds may be used to support the direct costs of research as specified in the Tri-Agency’s Financial Administration guidelines and in accordance with Saint Mary’s guidelines for research expenses.

Eligibility (For full eligibility criteria and program information, visit the Mitacs website here.)

Intern must be registered as full-time senior undergraduates, graduate students, or postdoctoral fellows at an eligible Canadian institution or eligible international institution and remain as such throughout their GRA.

• For outbound mobility, all countries except for those classified as “Avoid all travel” or “Avoid non-essential travel” by the Government of Canada.
• For inbound mobility, all countries are eligible except for Russia and North Korea.

The Canadian supervisors and institutions – whether home or host – must support interns with the necessary preparations for travel abroad (institutional travel policy, immigration application support). The home supervisor should be affiliated to the institution where the student or postdoctoral fellow is enrolled full time. In addition, supervisors at Canadian institutions must be eligible to hold Tri-Agency funding.

Call for Expression of Interest

SMU will endorse 3 internship applications. The Canadian supervisor who has identified an international academic supervisor and a candidate for an internship project should submit the Expression of Interest form available via the FGSR's

• 1st round due date: June 26th 2026 (# of applications endorsed: 2)
• 2nd round due date: August 28th 2026 (# of applications endorsed: 1, pending results of 1st round)
• 3rd round due date: October 30th 2026 (held only if allocations remained from 1st and 2nd rounds)

Selection criteria – Expressions of Interest are evaluated based on:

• · Quality/merit of the internship project
• · Benefit to SMU and Canada
• · Benefit to the intern; level of supervision and mentorship committed by the host supervisor
• · Relevance to society
• · Strength of research collaborations/linkages being created between SMU and the institution abroad

Notification of results

The FGSR will communicate results by July 17 (1st round) and by September 18 (2nd round). The successful Canadian academic supervisor will be invited to submit their full application on the Mitacs Application Portal at least 16 weeks prior to the planned start date of the internship project or by December 15, 2026 at the latest.

Questions? Email global@smu.ca or dean.fgsr@smu.ca

Researcher's Responsibilities:

• The researcher is ultimately responsible for grant/contract administration. The researcher's responsibilities include compliance with University and Tri-Agency policies, financial management, supervision of research personnel, and meeting the grant or contract requirements.
• It is standard practice at SMU to notify the Research Grants Officer of your intent to apply for any external research funding at any role or application stage, including External Co-applicant, or Expression of Interest/ Notice of Intent, as soon as you are certain. This advance notice will ensure that you receive the necessary support and institutional approvals for your application on time.
• All external grant applications must undergo a mandatory internal review at least 10 business days before the funding agency's deadline. This process ensures that your application complies with the requirements set forth by the funding body.

Depending on the availability of our group of faculty volunteer reviewers during the regular semesters, our dedicated SMU College of Reviewers can provide expert content advice on your grant proposal. Please send your request for content expert review to your Research Grants Officer, who will then contact the faculty volunteers. Please allow a minimum of two (2) weeks for the reviewer to evaluate your draft application.

• For inquiries regarding Tri-Agency funding programs and the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), contact Marlene Ramos, Research Grants Officer, at marlene.ramos@smu.ca. 
• For questions related to contracts, partnership opportunities, or Mitacs, please contact the Office of Innovation and Community Engagement at oice@smu.ca or reach out to Kevin Buchan, Director of OICE, at kevin.buchan@smu.ca, or Danielle Goodfellow, Industry Liaison Officer, at danielle.goodfellow@smu.ca.