Mitacs - Business Strategic Internship (BSI)

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In partnership with Canadian academic institutions, Mitacs is pleased to offer the Business Strategy Internship (BSI). The award provides either $10,000 or $15,000 per intern to allow them to undertake a collaborative internship with businesses or eligible not-for-profit organizations (NFPs). The potential is limitless, whether it’s streamlining processes, commercializing your technology, developing new business models, improving public services or addressing social or environmental issues – students apply their technical expertise to business challenges to support an organization's innovation activities. The award is open to students across all disciplines, from law to STEM to social sciences and humanities. Throughout the internship, Mitacs provides online professional development courses to interns through our e-Campus, EDGE.

In Ontario, submissions will focus on prioritizing:

1. Business schools/programs (MBET and other Conrad programs)
2. Commercialization-focused projects (bringing a product to market)

Initial project ideas must be vetted by the Mitacs team before submission via online portal. 

The details:

• The award is open to college students, undergrads, grads, postdocs, and even recent grads
• Eligible partners include both SMEs and large companies, not-for-profit organizations, municipalities, and hospitals
• Proposals should describe how the planned project will lead to economic, health and/or social benefits to the partner organization and/or the community and society at large
• Each project requires oversight from a supervisor at the partner organization and an academic supervisor
• Projects submitted to Mitacs will be evaluated by Mitacs to confirm eligibility, completeness, and project quality 
• Students are expected to meet weekly with their supervisors to report on the progress of their project. Virtual meetings are acceptable
• Both students and supervisors are required to complete an exit survey at the end of the project reporting on skills developed and providing feedback on the program experience
• Students will deliver a final presentation to their supervisors summarizing the work completed
• Supplemental online training will be available to students through the Mitacs learning management system, EDGE

Applications will take approximately four weeks for review, and approximately three additional weeks for project approval.

To learn more about the program, visit How to apply.

Office of Research application procedure:

1.      UW Academic supervisor completes and submits a Cover Sheet

2.      Copy of all proposal files to Office of Research contact below

3.      Prospective interns and/or academic supervisors apply to the program through the Mitacs Registration and Application Portal (RAP) and complete all sections of the application.

4.     All participants (intern, academic supervisor, partner organization) sign off on the application through the RAP.

5.     A Mitacs Business Development representative will download the completed project proposal and memorandum with the Office of Research (ORS) sign-off template and send to the ORS contact listed below for review and signature.

6.     A Mitacs Business Development representative will upload the ORS signature page to the RAP and submit the application.  

To learn more about the program, visit How to apply.

Please contact Amanda Green if you are unsure of your specific situation or if you have any questions.