To be eligible, you must:  

• Meet UdeM’s specific terms: 
  • Only one GRA per student per project is possible.
  • Maximum of two students per projet. 
  • Students must not have already received a GRA for the same level of study.  

• Meet Mitacs' eligibility requirements, including but not limited to: 
  • Be 18 years of age or older at the time you apply.
  • Be an undergraduate (have completed your second year of study prior to departure) or graduate student, regardless of the discipline.
  • Be enroled as a full-time student for the entire research stay. 
  • Plan for a 12- to 24-week research stay at UdeM. Up to a quarter of the duration of the research project can be carried out at your home university. No courses/seminars may be taken during the research.
  • Come from a university or university-level research centre located in one of the eligible countries. 
  • Be under the supervision of a professor from your home university as well as from UdeM. You will be responsible for finding the person who will supervise you at UdeM.
  • Meet the immigration requirements for Canada.
  • Not begin your research stay until the award has been approved by Mitacs.
  • Not hold more than two GRA per academic lifetime. 

Submitting applications 

To submit an application, follow the steps below: 

• Download the Research Proposal, fill it, and send it to Étienne Pineault, Senior Advisor, Strategic partnerships, International affairs at Mitacs, for a pre-assessment. 
• Fill in the application online on the GRA portal (a link will be sent to you by email upon application review). Then both supervisors and interns must log in and fill in their personal information. There is a research security question that is visible only to each participant. They must log in and respond themselves. The whole $6,000 must be included in the “allocation” budget section. 
• All participants must sign-off on the application once it is filled out. 
• The Senior Advisor will request UdeM international’s signature and will forward the application to Mitacs' review committee.

Then, Mitacs will send you a confirmation number (IT number). Moreover, UdeM international will send you a confirmation of your application, indicating the deadline for receiving the outcome, and the list of steps to follow in order to obtain the award. 

If you have any questions about the program, please contact Étienne Pineault.

Deadline   

In view of the immigration procedures required for a stay in Canada, complete applications must be submitted and signed on the GRA application portal no later than 16 weeks before the start of the research project. To meet these requirements, be sure to start the application process as soon as possible.

Application review and timeframes  

Mitacs will evaluate the scholarship application and may request updates, which may cause the response to take longer. The letter announcing the outcome of the review will be sent to you by email between 8 and 12 weeks after your application has been officially submitted to Mitacs.   

Roles and responsibilities of those supervising the research  

When you apply for a Globalink Research Award, you must mention that you are being supervised by two people: one from your home university and the other from UdeM. Their roles and responsibilities include:   

The person supervising your research project at UdeM must: 

•  Comply with institutional policies applicable to researchers  

• Lead and support your research at all times  

• Ensure that you have the resources, lab or appropriate workspace to conduct your research project 

• Fill out the invitation form with you to determine the immigration process and the time frame for your arrival in Canada  

• When necessary, ensure that you have ethics approval issued by UdeM (or a proof of your exemption) and accompany you in the steps to obtain it

• Have its academic unit work with UdeM international's immigration team to determine if you need a work permit and to provide you with an offer of employment number, if applicable 

The person supervising your research project at your home university must:  

• Adhere to institutional policies for research abroad  

• Lead and support your research at all times 

Understanding your immigration process 

UdeM international will send you information regarding immigration steps necessary for your research stay in Canada only once Mitacs confirms your application has been submitted.

If you wish to begin your immigration process before then, please refer to the academic unit welcoming you at UdeM for more details.

In any case, you will be responsible for taking the necessary steps as soon as possible to plan for your arrival in Canada.   

A minimum of 3 months is required to obtain authorization to come to Canada.    

Depending on the nature of your research project, you may be required to obtain approvals for research involving human or animal subjects, biohazards, or the use of radioactive materials or controlled substances (e.g. cannabis), etc.  It is your responsibility to verify if they are required and to obtain them or provide proof of exemption if applicable.

In accordance with UdeM rules, ethics approval must:  

• List your name

• Be obtained prior to the start of your research project 

• Cover the entire duration of your research (confirmation of renewal must also be sent to us if the ethics approval is not valid for the entire duration of the research stay)  

• Be final (conditional approval are not accepted)

• Be  issued by an UdeM ethics committee (documents issued by another university are not accepted). Ethical approvals from affiliated research centres must be recognized by one of UdeM's ethics committees and you must provide proof. For more information, please refer to UdeM’s Comité sectoriel d'éthique de la recherche avec des humains or Comité d'éthique animale.   

Questions about ethics approval? Contact your UdeM research supervisor, who will be able to help you with these steps. Our team will only send you basic information on the subject.    

Outcome letter 

If Mitacs’ review committee approves your scholarship application, you will be emailed an outcome letter.  

This letter will be accompanied by the International Pre-Departure form that must be completed, signed, and returned to Mitacs as soon as possible, once you have obtained all the necessary immigration documents for your stay in Canada and confirmed your stay dates.

Admission and enrolment in a research stay via the exchange program  

To be admitted under this status, your must have received a positive outcome letter and stay at UdeM for less than 6 months (other conditions may apply). Otherwise, you will need to apply as a Training or Research Intern.   

When you confirm that you have the necessary immigration documents for your stay in Canada, we will send you the information to begin the admission and registration procedure for your research stay via the exchange program.   

This process can be long. It is therefore important to start as soon as possible. Admission and active status are required for payment of the Globalink Research Award.   

Fee amounts  

As a research student via the exchange program, you are exempt from paying UdeM tuition fees and have access to several services offered to regular full-time students (fees may apply). 

A mandatory health insurance fee will be charged to your Centre étudiant (student portal). Please note that people from certain countries may apply for an exemption.  

Extension of stay  

Extending a research stay can be very complex. Doing so can cause delays, costs, and disruption to your research activities. 

If you wish to extend your stay, it is strongly recommended that you plan for this before your arrival in Canada.  

It is not possible to stay longer than 6 months as a research student via the exchange program. If you plan to stay for this length of time or wish to extend your stay beyond 6 months, you must apply for admission and enrolment as a Training or Research Intern through Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.  

This means:  

• Having the necessary immigration documents for this extension  

• Re-applying for admission (some admission fees apply and immigration documents will be requested)  

• Paying administrative fees according to the length of the stay  

• That access to some services might change

Admission and active status are required for payment of the Globalink Research Award.   

Any questions? Email us at international-bourses@umontreal.ca.  

Award Letter  

The award letter sent by Mitacs could be issued after your research stay has already begun.  

We will ensure that all steps are completed before we pay the scholarship to you. We will be able to begin the payment process according to the guidelines of the UdeM's Finance Department and inform you of an expected payment date only after we receive the award letter. 

Payment of the award  

With some exceptions, we pay the scholarship in a single payment. Payment is subject to UdeM Finance Department's scholarships payment schedule and will therefore be processed on the 1st or 15th of the month.  

Payment will only be made after your arrival in Canada and according to the payment option provided: 

• Payment by direct deposit to a Canadian bank account (preferred option)   

• Wire transfer to a foreign bank account (not a preferred option as it can result in significant fees and processing time)  

All details will be provided to you in due course. 

UdeM academic units are not required to open projects or disburse funds to students.   

Official Letters  

An official admission letter and acceptance letter will be available in your Centre étudiant. Even though it is mentioned that the letter of acceptance must be used for immigration purposes, it is best to use a specific letter provided by your academic unit to obtain immigration documents or to cross the border.

Academic Life  

UdeM international will contact your academic unit to register you for full-time status.  

Insurance  

Following registration, you may be required to pay a mandatory medical insurance fee through your student center.

Please note that students from certain countries can apply to be exempt.

For more information regarding insurance

If you have any questions regarding the payment of these fees, please see the details online or contact fraisscol@fin.umontreal.ca.  

Proof of your status in Canada    

You will also need to submit your immigration documents. For more information, please see the details by clicking on the tasks that will appear in your student center:   

Under Permis de séjour: Please upload one of the immigration documents listed above: 

• Work Permit  
• Passport and boarding pass  
• Airline ticket and boarding pass  

Under CAQ/Exemptions: Please upload your invitation letter or form signed by your supervisor at UdeM.  

Note that the UdeM's Registrar's Office will contact you if there is a problem with the documents you provide or if another document is required. If you have any questions about this, please contact their team directly.

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