73 paid internships for GBC students have been funded by Mitacs since December 2022 

This year, George Brown College (GBC) received an award to further support its research and innovation development programs.  

The college is the first in Canada to be awarded the Mitacs Accelerate Umbrella award. This award is valued at $4.5-million and can fund up to 300 paid student internships in the coming two years.  

In other words, there is an increased number of paid student internship opportunities available in the research and innovation faculty. Students who are interested in pursuing the research industries can utilise the program to build connection with industrial partners and gain experience in the field.  

Mitacs is a local company that supports innovation through partnerships with various institutions and organizations. Those partnerships provide funding and opportunities for employment.  

The partnership between Mitacs and GBC started in 2020. As of September 2022, the college has worked on 21 projects.  

Some of the highlighted ones include Lumeca Health, which aims to improve accessibility of digital healthcare and Quantum Robotics System, which focus on stair-climbing technology.  

Mitacs funded internship programs are not only for current students but also for graduates. Graduates can receive funding for up to two years after graduation. 

The GBC research team’s aim is to put students’ experience as their top priority with this funding. The team is dedicated to provide and to ensure that students get the most out of their internship so they can transition smoothly into their research when they graduate.  

“What makes me most excited about this programme is direct funds for student internships. These funds are really specific and targeted that focus on student experience, which is our number one priority in the research office is making sure that students are getting great experiential learning opportunities that can then help them transition into their readers lives post-graduation,” said Krista Holmes, the associate vice-president of research and innovation at GBC.  

The research office connects students, researchers and industrial partners for different projects.    

“We have to match students with industry or community partners who have a project to work on so the students can reach out to the research office if they’re interested,” said Holmes.  

Students can search for internship opportunities on the Mitacs’ website. 

“We can follow up with Mitacs to help connect you with that company and get like we will submit all the paperwork and do all those pieces, so students don’t have to do that directly,” Holmes explained.  

Holmes also suggested students connect with their professors for potential research opportunities.  

To receive funding, the process varies from one company to another. All projects last at least four months and can be extended. Successful applicants would be paid for their whole duration working on their projects.  

The research team at GBC offers various opportunities for students who would like to gain experience in the field. 

“There’s… so much activity happening at the college. So, for any students who are interested in research activities, certainly let’s explore what those are because there’s so much great work happening at the college,” said Holmes.  

To learn about open projects opportunities, visit https://www.mitacs.ca/en/programs/accelerate/open-projects.