MITACS unveils new post-doc program in Ontario

MITACS has launched a new $10-million pilot program in Ontario to fund more than 80 Ontario postdoctoral fellows to undertake research projects in collaboration with industry. Dubbed Elevate, the program received funding from the Federal Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev) and will provide PhD holders from 14 Ontario universities fellowships worth between $50,000 and $70,000. The aim of the program is to increase industrial R&D capacity and encourage PhDs to consider working in Canada. To date, 39 firms have enrolled in Elevate, a two-year pilot that provides customized programs for PHDs to further develop their professional development skills (project management, communication and networking skills). FedDev has also provided $1 million to expand MITACS' Globalink program into Ontario. It will enable undergraduate students from India to spend two months this summer undertaking research projects at Ontario universities, interacting with faculty members and local industry. The program was launched by MITACS in 2009 in British Columbia where 17 Indian students participated. MITACS (Mathematics of Information Technology and Complex Systems) is a Network of Centres of Excellence ….