Mitacs Elevate Research Grants
For over 15 years, Mitacs has assisted the formation of innovative research and development collaborations between leading post-secondary research institutions and Canadian businesses. These collaborations help businesses across the country to access new resources, talent, and technical abilities not possible alone.
Through the Mitacs Elevate program, businesses can collaborate with leading universities to hire a post-doctoral fellow to solve internal technical challenges. These 2-year fellowships help businesses to gain a creative, fresh perspective on the problem while providing $25,000 per year in Canadian government grants to offset the cost of hiring a PhD fellow.
How much funding is available through Mitacs Elevate?
Mitacs Elevate will assist Canadian businesses to hire a postdoctoral fellow for up to two years. Through the program, businesses will be able to find and hire a fellow, then receive government grants to offset the added labour costs.
Partner organizations (Canadian small businesses) are responsible for providing $30,000 per year for the PhD student, while the federal government provides $25,000 annually. This $55,000 is used to provide compensation to the PhD fellow and other research costs. At the end of the two-year program, businesses will have received a total of $50,000 to reduce their project’s research and development costs.
Canadian businesses must be able to provide $30,000 during each of the two years in order to receive a supplemental government funding contribution.
Mitacs Elevate Small Business Grants for Research: Applicant Eligibility
Businesses may apply for Mitacs Elevate if they are a:
- For-profit company;
- Not-for-profit organization; or
- Crown corporation receiving a maximum 50% of revenue from government sources.
Alternately, several groups will be unable to access Mitacs Elevate research grants, including:
- Government agencies, ministries, or departments;
- Municipalities;
- University-based research centres (including hospitals); and
- Companies located outside of Canada.
Industry partners may only collaborate with PhD fellows and post-secondary research institutions in the province that they operate in.
Projects Eligible for Mitacs Elevate Canadian Business Grants
Mitacs’ Canadian government funding for research can be applied to a wide range of collaborative research projects. While all project proposals will be considered, only projects that feature the following characteristics will receive funding. Mitacs will evaluate a series of eligibility criteria, including:
- How broadly applicable the research is;
- How the research contributes to an industry’s body of knowledge;
- The methodology for gathering, cleaning, and interpreting data;
- Extent to which the research can be published/ peer-reviewed; and
- Extent to which the research builds an industry’s existing knowledge.
How to Apply for Mitacs Elevate Canadian Government Grants
The application for Mitacs Elevate consists of multiple phases:
- Letter of Intent: Includes high-level information about the research project, industry partner(s), and researchers.
- Conflict of Interest Documentation: Identifies potential research conflicts that would prevent projects being a good “fit” for Mitacs.
- Submission of Applicant Package: Applicants are required to complete and submit a full package that identifies, in detail, characteristics of the research project and partners. The application is approximately 15 pages and complete submissions (with attachments) are up to 40 pages in length.
Canadian businesses wishing to apply for Mitacs Elevate should consider educating themselves more before getting started. Contact a Canadian Government Funding Planner from Mentor Works to further discuss your research project and need for additional resources. We can help identify additional government grants to support project costs and optimize the application process.
