Frequently Asked Questions - Mitacs

PhD Fellowships
Mitacs-Accelerate PhD Fellowship – Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
I currently hold an NSERC/CIHR/SSHRC scholarship. Am I eligible
You are eligible to apply for the program. However, you may not hold a Mitacs Accelerate award at the
same time as any other federal grant or scholarship.
Is Mitacs-Accelerate open to graduate students in any academic discipline
Yes. Any student pursuing a PhD at a BC institution may apply for a fellowship. Medical Fellows are
not completing a PhD and are thus ineligible.
Can my industrial partner be located outside of British Columbia
Although the Mitacs-Accelerate program does support collaborations across provinces, the length of
this PhD Fellowship award and our program requirement for on-site interaction with the company
would require extensive travel if the partner is located outside of British Columbia. Mitacs may not be
able to support the full costs of this travel.
Are travel subsidies available
Yes. Limited travel subsidies are available to facilitate interaction with the industrial partner, including
field work where appropriate. See details at: http://www.mitacs.ca/accelerate/programguide/mitacs-accelerate-travel-subsidies-program
Note that the Travel Subsidies program will not support regular travel over the 3-year period to meet
the full interaction requirement. Potential applicants with partners located outside a regular
commuting distance should contact Mitacs to determine viability of their project.
How many fellowships will be awarded
There are no pre-set limits to the number of awards available. The Mitacs Accelerate Review
Committee will decide the number of fellowship awards at the time of review, dependent upon quality
of submissions and available funding in British Columbia.
Do I need to be already enrolled as a PhD student to apply
No, however, applicants should have been accepted into a PhD program at the time of application.
Awardees must be registered at the time they commence their project, by no later than March 31,
2014.
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PhD Fellowships
Mitacs-Accelerate PhD Fellowship – Frequently Asked Questions
When will the awards be announced
We anticipate announcing the awards in mid-June, 2013.
When can I start the fellowship
Fellowships may begin anytime after the acceptance notice is received, but they must commence by
March 31, 2014. Awardees should allow at least 3 weeks from the date the industry funds are received
for their award to be processed and provided to the university.
I will have defended my PhD before the end of the 3-year fellowship period. Can I still apply
Yes, you may apply. If you are scheduled to complete your PhD in less than 3 years you may apply for a
reduced award of 2 years, or 2.5 years. Contact Mitacs at accelerate@mitacs.ca or speak with a
Business Development Director for details.
My project requires ethics/animal care/biohazard review. Do I have to submit the approval from the
university review committee with my application
No, the report is not required by the application deadline, but must be received by Mitacs before the
start of your fellowship. These forms can be attached as a PDF document at the time of application or
can be sent by email to accelerate@mitacs.ca after the application has been submitted. Please note:
that funds cannot be released until Mitacs has received a copy of the Approval report from the
university (if applicable).
Does the fellow need to be identified at the time of application
No. If you are a Professor and you are interested in a project with an industrial partner but have not
yet identified a PhD student you may apply for the project to be pre-approved. Your partner company
must be willing to commit to the project financially and otherwise. The PhD student’s name and
contact information should be filled in with “To Be Determined”. Students must be identified and
approved by Mitacs prior to March 31, 2014 in order to allow the project to commence. No funds will
be sent for any approved project until a PhD student is approved and has signed our proposal form.
How long does the fellowship last
The Mitacs Accelerate PhD Fellowship program is a three-year program.
If I cannot complete the full term of my Mitacs Accelerate PhD fellowship, what is the procedure for
returning the unused contribution funds to my academic supervisor/industrial partner
If circumstances change and you must terminate your award early, you will need to send a written
notice to Mitacs including the reasons for such action and the effective termination date. Your host
university will be required to return any funds prorated for the remainder of the fellowship. Once the
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PhD Fellowships
Mitacs-Accelerate PhD Fellowship – Frequently Asked Questions
university returns these unused funds to Mitacs, we will issue a refund to your industry partner for the
prorated contribution funds for the remainder of the fellowship.
Can I use my research costs to offset relocation costs
If a PhD student must relocate in order to accept this project, the costs may be eligible. Relocation
costs for eligible research personnel and their immediate family members, via economy airfare or cost
of land travel, up to the equivalent of economy airfare, are eligible expenses. Eligible expenses in
support of the research must be budgeted and agreed upon by all parties (student, academic
supervisor and industrial partner) at the time of proposal and be detailed on the application form.
Is there a template for the CV
Yes, you can find our CV Template in the Downloads Section on our website.
How are the funds for the project reported
The University will provide a Form 300 (separate Form 300 for each account, if applicable) for these
funds received by the supervisor for each fiscal year (April 1 to March 31) and the form(s) should be
sent to Mitacs Inc. no later than May 31. Please also note that if a balance is left in the account as of
March 31, a separate Form 300 for the following fiscal year is required, detailing how the remaining
funds were spent. At the end of the fellowship, Form 300 with a zero balance is required within 30 days
of the award end date, detailing how the remaining funds were spent. The supervisor as well as the
University Finance Officer must sign the Form 300 and this form with original signatures sent to Mitacs.
Can my academic supervisor be an adjunct professor or an assistant professor
Any professor who is eligible to hold tri-council funding at the host university may act as your academic
supervisor. Please contact your university to determine if they have specific regulations in this regard.
Can the industrial partner be a not-for-profit
No. Although the Mitacs Accelerate program in British Columbia supports a small number of
collaborations with not-for-profit organizations, this Call for Proposals is only open to partner
organizations that are Canadian for-profit companies, or a Canadian business location of a foreignowned
for-profit company.
Organizations which are not eligible to be partners include:
Funding agencies, government agencies or ministries
University-based research centers, hospitals, or charities
Foreign companies
Municipalities
Non-government / non-profit organizations
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PhD Fellowships
Mitacs-Accelerate PhD Fellowship – Frequently Asked Questions
When must the partner contribution be received at Mitacs
The partner funds must be received at Mitacs prior to any fellowship funds being sent by Mitacs to the
University. Mitacs will not release any Fellowship funds until the partner funds have been received.
Please note that all industry funds should be sent directly to Mitacs and not to the university.
Can my industrial partner submit payments of their contribution funds in installments
Mitacs will invoice the partner company $12,000 once per year. If requested on the proposal form, 2
invoices for $6,000 per year may be granted.
Is an existing collaboration with a partner eligible
Yes. A fellowship may build on an existing partnership or form the beginning of a new partnership.
However, the partner funds must be received at Mitacs prior to the start date of the fellowship. No
funds will be released until this contribution has been received.
Are funds that are matched by other organizations eligible for Accelerate
No. Accelerate funds cannot be matched by any other federal or provincial agency.
My academic supervisor owns a spin-off company. Is it an eligible partner
In most cases, this constitutes a Conflict of Interest and would not be allowed. Your supervisor must fill
out the Conflict of Interest declaration form, which must be attached to your application, and the
Mitacs Accelerate Review Committee will make the final decision concerning eligibility. However, we
strongly recommend that you seek a different academic supervisor.
The company I want to work with is very small. Is that ok
Small companies are eligible as long as they have an independent site where you can work with
company personnel for approximately 50% (not less than 25%) of the time during your fellowship.
There’s no need for me to go to the company’s facilities, I can do all the research at the university. Is
this allowed
No. Under this program you must interact with the company in person at the company’s facilities for a
minimum of 25% of your time. .
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