Applying for Grants to Hire Ph.D. Fellows: Mitacs Accelerate Ph.D. Fellowship
The Mitacs Accelerate Ph.D. Fellowships grant is a small business funding program that provides companies with access to a Ph.D. fellow for up to three years. This program is designed to assist small businesses in Canada meet technical and research challenges through partnership with academia. Research fellows are assigned to the project for three years and work with the company and their Ph.D. supervisor.
Are you Eligible to Apply for Mitacs Business Grants?
Any existing for-profit small or medium enterprise (SME) or start-up may be eligible for funding through this program. Businesses applying for the program and will be evaluated based on the technical challenge, research project, and project outcomes.
Any Ph.D. candidate at a Canadian university who is a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or foreign student may be eligible for the project. Ph.D. candidates can come from any discipline and can have expertise in a wide variety of areas. Eligible candidates must commit to completing all three years of the research project.
What Type of Mitacs Funding is Available?
The Accelerate Ph.D. fellowship program provides businesses with access to a Ph.D. fellow for up to three years to meet technical and research challenges. Businesses will be provided with access to a Ph.D. fellow for up to three years, valued at up to $54,000 in in-kind contributions. Businesses must commit to contributing $12,000 per year towards the project up to a maximum of $36,000
What Activities are Eligible?
As this program is suitable for existing SMEs and start-ups, the funding can be used for a wide range of research challenges. This small business funding can be used for research projects that address:
- Manufacturing
- Technical Innovation
- Business Processes
- Information Technology
- Design
Other Small Business Loans Support Services:
Learn more about small business grants and loans programs, like Mitacs, that are available to help your business overcome financial obstacles to faster, and safer growth. Connect with Mentor Works small business grants and loans experts today. And don’t forget to sign up for our weekly government funding e-newsletter.
Hi,
I am a PhD student at McGill university in my senior years. I have formed a startup with the Technology that I have developed during my PhD, pending multiple patents. The technology is in a high impact field related to Artificial Intelligence processing, low power chip developed one of the first of it’s kind in Canada. As an entrepreneur, I have been looking at various sources of funding. Mitacs has number of programs that I could benefit from from both an entrepreneur and a PhD student stand point. Though my situation is a little different than the usual case of either an entrepreneur or just a PhD student. I happen to wear both the hats. Any guidance from your end as to which program from Mitacs would be best suited for my position is very much appreciated.
I look forward to your reply.
Regards,
Pavel Sinha
Hi Pavel, thanks for your inquiry. Mitacs offers a few funding programs that can support your business/project, but there are also others that you may want to consider. Ultimately, the decision of what funding program to use will come down to what you hope to achieve from the project, how long the project will last, and how much capital you need.
I’ve asked a colleague to follow-up with you individually to learn more about your business/technology and make some funding recommendations. Please expect an email within the next 1-2 business days!