Imagine spending your summer inside a real research lab at a top Canadian university — working alongside professors and graduate students on a project that could end up on your CV forever. That's the Mitacs Globalink Research Internship in a nutshell: a 12-week, fully funded research placement in Canada for undergraduate students from partner countries, including Pakistan.
The 2027 student call has closed (applications ran from 5 August to 16 September 2026), but if you're reading this now, you're actually in the perfect position. You have months to build a competitive profile before the 2028 call opens. Here's everything you need to know, verified against Mitacs' official pages.
In short: The Mitacs Globalink Research Internship is a 12-week fully funded research internship in Canada for undergraduate students from 16 partner countries/regions including Pakistan, the UK, and the US. It covers airfare, housing, food, and health insurance while you work on a real research project. The 2027 call closed on 16 September 2026 — use this guide to prepare a strong application for the 2028 round, which typically opens in summer.
Quick Overview
- Host Country: Canada
- Host Institution: 70+ participating Canadian universities
- Degree Level: Undergraduate (or combined undergraduate/master's programs)
- Program Duration: 12 consecutive weeks
- Funding Type: Fully funded (airfare, housing, food, insurance covered)
- Deadline: The 2027 call is closed — applications ran 5 August to 16 September 2026, 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time. The 2028 call has not been announced yet.
Benefits of the Mitacs Globalink Research Internship
This is one of the genuinely generous programs out there — Mitacs covers the big costs so you can focus on the research:
- Round-trip airfare contribution — Mitacs contributes toward the cost of your flight to Canada (the exact amount varies by country of origin).
- Housing stipend — A stipend for accommodation for the full 12 weeks (amount varies by country).
- Food and incidentals stipend — A living stipend to cover your daily expenses.
- Airport-to-accommodation transport — Funding to help you get from the airport to your housing in Canada.
- Enrollment fees — A stipend toward student enrollment fees, up to a maximum of $300.
- Emergency health insurance — Full emergency health coverage for the duration of the internship.
- Campus student mentor — Support from a mentor on your Canadian campus to help you settle in.
- Professional development — Access to industry events, professional skills courses, and social activities alongside your research.
- Completion certificate — You receive a Globalink Research Internship completion certificate (and invaluable research experience for graduate school applications).
Eligibility Criteria for the Mitacs Globalink Research Internship
The official criteria are strict, so check every point honestly before applying:
- Age — You must be at least 18 years old at the time of application.
- Enrollment — You must be enrolled full-time in an undergraduate or combined undergraduate/master's program at an eligible institution in a partner country/region. (Standalone master's students and PhD students are not eligible.)
- Partner countries — The official 2027 list: Australia, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Mexico, Pakistan, South Korea, Taiwan, Tunisia, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Eligibility details can vary by country, so check your country's page.
- Semesters remaining — You must have one to three semesters remaining in your program as of fall 2027 (for the 2028 cycle, this shifts to fall 2028).
- Academic standing — You must meet the GPA/grade requirements for your country of study.
- Language — You must be fluent in the project's working language (English and/or French) — genuinely able to read, write, and discuss the research.
- Availability — You must be available for 12 consecutive weeks between May 1 and October 31, and you must be able to start between May 1 and July 31. Anything outside those dates is not allowed.
- Project selection — You apply to a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 10 projects, and your selections must span at least 3 different Canadian provinces.
- No repeat awards — If you've already been awarded a Globalink Research Internship, you can't apply again.
- Research security — Applicants affiliated with institutions on Mitacs' sensitive-technology list are not eligible for projects advancing sensitive technology research areas.
How to Apply for the Mitacs Globalink Research Internship
The application is fully online. Here is the official process, step by step:
1. Prepare early — Before the call opens, confirm your eligibility, check your country's specific requirements, and get your passport in order (Mitacs asks that your passport be valid well past the internship year). 2. Get your reference letter — Ask a professor to write your reference letter well in advance, following the official reference-letter instructions in Mitacs' information package. Professors get busy; ask early. 3. Update your CV — Polish your CV (or use the CV template Mitacs provides in its downloadable information package) and gather your academic transcripts in English or French. If your university can't issue transcripts in either language, you must have them translated and notarized yourself. 4. Browse the project database — When the call opens, explore the official project listings and shortlist 3–10 projects across at least three provinces. Read each project's required skills carefully — professors match students whose background fits the research. 5. Write a strong statement of interest — In the application you'll explain your research interests, skills, achievements, and why you want to do research in Canada. This is weighted alongside your GPA and reference letter, so don't rush it. 6. Submit before the deadline — Submit the complete online application before the call closes (for 2027 it was 16 September 2026, 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time). Incomplete applications are not assessed. 7. Matching — If shortlisted, you enter the matching process (September to December). Only Mitacs confirms matches — you cannot arrange your own project with a professor outside the database. Final results are announced in February. 8. Pre-departure preparation — From January to February, successful interns complete preparation (visas, travel) with Mitacs' support before the internship begins in May.
Required Documents
Per the official Mitacs guidance, have these ready:
- Online application form (educational background, research interests, skills, achievements, statement of interest)
- Reference letter from a professor (following Mitacs' official instructions)
- CV (your own or Mitacs' template)
- Academic transcripts in English or French (translated and notarized if your university issues them in another language)
- Valid passport from your home country
- English/French language-proficiency test results — only where required by your country (Mitacs itself doesn't require IELTS/TOEFL, but check your country's section)
Mitacs Globalink Research Internship 2027 Deadline
Applications for the summer 2027 cohort ran from 5 August 2026 to 16 September 2026 at 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time — the call is now closed, and Mitacs confirms on its official page that it is no longer accepting applications for summer 2027. Matches are being finalized, with final results announced in February 2027 and internships taking place between May and October 2027.
If you missed it, don't despair: the program runs every year on roughly the same rhythm. The faculty call goes out in spring, the student call opens in summer (June/July), and closes mid-September. Bookmark the official Mitacs page and start building your profile now — a strong GPA, a research-active professor who can write your reference, and a polished CV are what separate selected students from the rest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Mitacs Globalink Research Internship really fully funded?
Yes. The official award covers a round-trip airfare contribution, housing stipend, food and incidentals stipend, airport-to-accommodation transport, up to $300 toward enrollment fees, and emergency health insurance for the full 12 weeks. You will not pay tuition or program fees, though you should budget a little personal spending money before your first payment arrives.
Can students from Pakistan apply?
Yes. Pakistan is on the official list of eligible partner countries/regions for 2027, alongside the UK, US, France, Germany, China, and 10 others. Check the Pakistan-specific section on the Mitacs site for your country's exact GPA and documentation requirements.
Can master's students apply?
No — not standalone master's students. The program is open only to full-time undergraduate students and students in combined (integrated) undergraduate/master's programs. Graduate students and postdoctoral fellows are not eligible.
Do I need IELTS or TOEFL?
Mitacs itself does not require language test scores, but you must genuinely be able to work in the project's language (English and/or French). Some partner countries do require a language certificate, so check your country's specific requirements before applying.
Can I contact a Canadian professor directly and arrange my own project?
No. You must apply to projects listed in the official Globalink project database. Private arrangements with professors outside that database do not qualify, and only Mitacs confirms matches.
How many projects should I apply to?
A minimum of 3 and a maximum of 10 projects, and your selections must come from at least 3 different Canadian provinces. Choosing projects across provinces genuinely matters — it widens your chances of a match.
Can I apply to a project outside my degree subject?
Yes, and many students do. Projects are often interdisciplinary, and professors sometimes want skills from a different department. Your background must still be relevant to the research topic and the skills the professor listed. Some countries restrict eligible disciplines, so check that first.
Is the internship in person or can I do it remotely?
In person only. Mitacs states clearly that virtual or hybrid arrangements are not permitted. You must stay in Canada for the full 12 weeks — interns are expected to work 40 hours per week on their research project.
How competitive is it?
Very. It is a competitive program assessed on your GPA, the quality of your statement of interest, the quality of your reference letter, and how well your background matches the projects you chose. Incomplete applications aren't assessed at all, so treat every field seriously.
If I'm not selected, can I reapply next year?
As long as you still meet the eligibility criteria (enrollment status and semesters remaining), you can apply in a later cycle. The only hard ban is on students who have already been awarded a Globalink Research Internship.
Final Words
The Mitacs Globalink Research Internship is one of those rare programs that gives undergraduates a genuine foot in the door of international research — funded, mentored, and respected by graduate schools worldwide. The 2027 call is closed, but the 2028 one will open before you know it. Start now: keep your grades up, get to know a professor who can vouch for you, and keep an eye on the official page.
