Apply for the Mitacs Globalink Research Award (GRA) Program 2026 - 2027 - a funded research mobility award for senior undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows. GRA is not the same as the Mitacs Globalink Research Internship (GRI). GRA is a joint home - host supervisor project that can move you into Canada or out of Canada, with applications accepted on a rolling basis. Mitacs recommends submitting at least 16 weeks before your planned start date.
Each internship unit is worth CAD $6,000 for a 12 - 24 week project. Two units (CAD $12,000) cover one 24 - 48 week stay or two shorter projects. Funding depends on university allocation and is not a blank cheque for every expense - Mitacs tells applicants to budget carefully and seek extra support if needed.
This Opportunity Station guide is original copy based on the official Mitacs GRA page. It explains streams, eligibility, how to apply through your Canadian university, and how GRA differs from GRI.
Quick Facts - Mitacs Globalink Research Award 2026 - 2027
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Programme | Mitacs Globalink Research Award (GRA) |
| Organiser | Mitacs (with Canadian university partners) |
| Direction | Inbound to Canada or outbound from Canada |
| Level | Full-time senior undergraduate, master’s/PhD, or postdoctoral fellow |
| Duration | One 12 - 24 week project (1 IU) or 24 - 48 weeks / two projects (2 IUs) |
| Award | CAD $6,000 per internship unit (IU) |
| Streams | University allocation stream, plus a quantum stream |
| Deadline | Rolling - apply ~16 weeks before start; university quotas can close earlier |
| Portal | gra.mitacs.ca (link often issued by a Mitacs Advisor) |
| Official guide | mitacs.ca - Globalink Research Award |
GRA vs GRI - Do Not Mix Them Up
Opportunity Station already lists the Mitacs Globalink Research Internship 2027. That GRI call is a summer undergraduate internship into Canadian labs with a fixed student deadline. GRA is a supervisor-backed research award, open to postdocs as well, and it can send Canadians abroad. If you only want a 12-week summer internship from a partner country, use GRI. If you already have (or can find) home and host professors, GRA is the right door.
Two Funding Streams
- Allocation stream - each participating Canadian university gets a yearly number of internship units. Rules and remaining quota differ by campus. Ask the local Mitacs Advisor before you write a proposal. The Vice-President Research (or designate) must sign, and units count against that university’s cap.
- Quantum stream - open to all Canadian universities for quantum-sector work (hardware, algorithms/software, communication/networks/cryptography, metrology, sensing, imaging, materials, and related areas). These projects do not eat the campus IU allocation, and the VPR signature is not required for allocation counting (Office of Research Services still signs).
Who Can Apply
Typical intern rules on the official page:
- Full-time senior undergraduate, graduate student, or postdoctoral fellow at an eligible Canadian or eligible international institution - and you must stay enrolled for the whole award
- Postdocs: PhD awarded no more than five years before the proposed start, with postdoctoral status at an eligible institution
- Age of majority in Canada (18+)
- You cannot do the project at an institution where you already completed a degree
- You cannot do the project in a country where you hold citizenship (with stated exceptions for some Canadian citizens/PRs enrolled abroad or holding dual eligibility)
- At most two GRA or Mitacs-JSPS Summer Program awards in an academic lifetime; you cannot hold two Mitacs internships at once
- You must be able to meet visa/immigration rules for the destination
Supervisors need a faculty post, graduate-supervision eligibility, and (on the Canadian side) Tri-Agency funding eligibility. Mitacs does not match you with a host professor - you find both supervisors yourself.
Travel geography: outbound from Canada is blocked for destinations under Canadian “avoid all travel” / “avoid non-essential travel” advisories. Inbound to Canada excludes Russia and North Korea. Check the advisory list again before you apply and before you fly.
How Applications Move
- Read Mitacs GRA rules and your Canadian university’s intern-unit process.
- Agree a project with a home supervisor and a host supervisor. Get Canadian-institution endorsement before you build the full file.
- Open an application in the GRA portal. Complete the research proposal and Mitacs Pre-Departure form. Every intern and supervisor must log in, answer the research-security question themselves, and sign off.
- Collect university signatures (allow 1 - 3 weeks). Allocation projects need VPR/designate plus ORS; quantum still needs ORS.
- Only the intern who created the file, the Canadian supervisor, or a Mitacs Advisor can click submit. Aim for 12 - 16 weeks before start. Results often take 10 - 12 weeks, then award processing and pre-departure.
Do not travel until Mitacs has issued both an outcome letter and an award letter. The project should start within one year of the outcome letter. Funds go to the Canadian institution as a research grant in the Canadian supervisor’s name.
While on an internship unit you should work full-time on the project (at least 75% in the host country) and not leave that country for the unit. English or French applications are accepted.
Official Links
Programme rules: Mitacs Globalink Research Award
Find your campus advisor: Mitacs Advisors
Related Opportunities on Opportunity Station
- Mitacs Globalink Research Internship 2027 Canada
- Leading Change Fellowship 2026 - 2027 Canada
- One Future Conference 2027 Canada
- Browse all internships
FAQs - Mitacs GRA 2026 - 2027
Is GRA fully funded?
Mitacs pays CAD $6,000 per internship unit toward travel, lodging, research costs, and stipend as set in the approved budget and Tri-Agency rules. Many projects still need extra money. It is funded research mobility, not an all-expenses cash scholarship.
When is the deadline?
Mitacs accepts GRA files continuously. Universities may close their allocation when units run out. Plan at least 16 weeks before you intend to start.
Is this the same as Globalink Research Internship?
No. GRI is a separate undergraduate summer internship programme with its own portal and deadline. GRA is this supervisor-led research award.
Can Mitacs introduce me to a host professor?
No. You and your home supervisor must identify the host.
Can I start travel while the file is under review?
No. Wait for both the outcome letter and the award letter.
