Today Dr. Sushanta Mitra, Executive Director of the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology (WIN), officially signed a new funding agreement between WIN and Mitacs Inc. The research mobility program between WIN and selected Indian Institutes of Technology will provide research funding for up to five outbound and 10 inbound students.
“These research internship awards will enhance bilateral entrepreneurship and technological commercialization in nanotechnology,” said Dr. Mitra. “WIN is providing $15,000 CAD per year in funding over the course of the three year program. WIN at the University of Waterloo is uniquely positioned to facilitate these knowledge exchanges, because of the innovation ecosystem in the Region of Waterloo.”
Communitech, a staple of the entrepreneurial landscape in Kitchener-Waterloo, will also participate in this research mobility program.
“The rapid growth and support Mitacs provides back to the community will continue to help support the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Waterloo Region, in Canada and beyond,” said Iain Klugman, CEO, Communitech. “Working with Canadian Universities through the program, including the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, will help our startups to progress more quickly by aligning data and data science to what they’re trying to achieve.”
Dr. Alejandro Adem, CEO of Mitacs, reaffirmed the importance of this bilateral partnership.
“Mitacs has a long history with India — the country was an early supporter of our international research internship program nine years ago. Today’s partnership deepens this relationship, and represents a shared commitment between Canada and India to continue to offer university students, like those at the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, with high-quality research opportunities that will foster shared experiences and expand their networks globally,” said Dr. Adem.
The partnerships will support senior undergraduate and graduate students from Canada and India to choose each other as the destination of 12-24 week research internships in the areas of clean energy, access to education, smart cities, and nanotechnology.
Mitacs has partnered with Simon Fraser University, University of British Columbia, University of Toronto, and Waterloo Institute of Nanotechnology to co-fund a total of up to 40 inbound and 100 outbound student mobility annually for the next 3 years.