Ranjani Srinivasan and Shweta Venkatesh in conversation with Anwesha Pathi (HS14) on her experience at the MITACS Globalink research internship in Canada during the summer break in 2017.
What is MITACS?
MITACS is a Canadian organization which works in collaboration with the Canadian Government, NGOs, industry and academia towards promoting research and development in Canada. It sponsors and manages programmes at the undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral levels across Canada.
How does one apply for MITACS?
Well, MITACS sponsors multiple programmes. For example, Mitacs Globalink (the one I participated in over the Summer of 2017) is a programme allowing undergraduate students from 10 countries across the world to pursue a 12-weeks long summer research internship in a Canadian University. There are many other programmes, like Mitacs Elevate, Mitacs Accelerate and Mitacs Converge. That being the case, the application procedure and corresponding timelines differ, depending upon which specific programme one wants to apply for.
An important clarification indeed. Let’s talk about the Mitacs Globalink programme then. Can you walk us through the application procedure? Right from registering on the portal to drafting out the umpteenth SOP.
Of course. Student applications for the Globalink Research Internship (GRI) are usually released through a web portal on the official website of MITACS around the end of July every year, for those wishing to intern in Canada over the summer of the upcoming year (that is, say, in July 2017 for the Globalink Research Internship over Summer 2018). The deadline is generally after a month and a half from the date of release. Interested students who meet the eligibility criteria (available on the official website of MITACS) are required to file their applications on the web portal within this period. Applicants need to fill in a form with relevant personal and academic details on the portal. They are also required to submit copies of their official grade transcripts from their home institution in English, Curriculum Vitae (CV), and at least one letter of reference from an academic or research supervisor they may have worked with. Applicants must review the synopses of various projects offered by the various participating Canadian host professors (available on the same portal) based on their research interests and indicate their preference for a select seven projects which they would like to work on (subject to certain guidelines which shall also be available on the portal) in the event of being successfully awarded the GRI for that year. MITACS does not ask for an exclusive Statement of Purpose (SoP) by the candidates. However, there is a section in the application which asks questions pertinent to the motivation behind applying, and this serves as the SoP. The submission of application is followed by rounds of screening and attempts by the MITACS team to match student profiles and preferences to the projects offered. Once there is a match, the Canadian host professor in charge of the said project may request for a brief interview with the applicant. Following this, the applicants receive their results. This happens on a rolling basis, so there is no definite guarantee as to when would a certain applicant receive her or his results.
Does one need to turn in writing samples? Do they need to be related to the project topics we’ve chosen?
No, that is not a part of the application procedure. Although if an applicant happens to be interviewed by a potential Canadian host professor and they request for a few samples of previous writing by the applicant; one might want to send in some samples. Whether they need to pertain to the project topic or not, I believe, depends upon what the professor asks for (if they ask for any in the first place!). Based on my experience, if they do ask for samples, it would be more for gauging the quality of academic writing undertaken by the applicant in the past than those samples’ relevance to the current project.
Speaking of project topics…what if I haven’t done any work in that field before? Can I still list it as a preference?
Having prior research experience in the selected projects is preferable, not mandatory. Given the large volume of applications received by MITACS for GRI every year, an applicant who has engaged in prior work in the fields for which she or he has indicated a preference may provide her or him an edge over fellow applicants without such experience. Nevertheless, it is not compulsory to have worked in the domain in the past to mark at as a preference. However, in case of no prior experience, sufficient attention should be paid towards demonstrating the applicant’s strong interest to pursue research in that field in the relevant sections of the application form.
What if I haven’t done any academic work outside of my curricular coursework? Will that be a problem?
Again, we can only say that additional experience is a bonus. Now, that does not necessarily mean that its lack thereof will be a penalty. As you may guess given the scale at which the programme operates, there are a host of factors which affect selection process – and one of them is the experience and quality of applications submitted by fellow applicants for that year. This adds a huge element of chance into the process, and extra work may help in controlling for its impact. But rest assured that MITACS won’t penalize you for lacking such experience.
Is it fully funded? What sort of reimbursement does the programme offer?
Yes, indeed. The financial compensation provided by MITACS covers all major expenses. This includes reimbursement for travel tickets and visa application, stipend for accommodation, stipend for living expenses, and a health insurance for the interns’ duration of stay in Canada; amid a host of other monetary and non-monetary perks.
Now that the logistics are out of the way, tell us about your project. What did it concern? Do you remember your other project preferences?
Answering the latter part first, I’m afraid I do not recall my choices. But I can tell you about what I worked on while in Canada as a GRI 2017. I worked at the Université de Montréal (UdeM). My project revolved around tracing gender based violence against women, with a special focus on female genital mutilation/cutting as a widely carried out practice across the world. I explored the legal and ethical issues surrounding the practice. The idea was to identify barriers and facilitators of healthcare provision and access for ensuring better informed policy formulation for prevention and treatment purposes for women who have undergone such practices or at risk of the same.
You said you attended summer schools as well – how hectic was the summer? Project – summer schools (in the plural), it sounds like a lot!
It may be useful to clarify that the ones I attended were recommended by my host professor at UdeM. It is not something that every intern might have to do, although MITACS will give access to multiple conferences, workshops and other events throughout the summer which one may choose to attend. I didn’t find it very hectic. The summer schools helped me meet new people and understand my project’s domain in detail – and I got the chance to visit some of world’s most renowned universities! (I attended one each in Concordia University, McGill University and UdeM). If one manages their time well, 12 weeks are enough to ensure successful delivery of expected outcomes from their project and to travel and explore Canada as well. I would say, just know how to capitalize on weekends!
Did you have time to go around? What were some of the places and events you went to?
Yes, I did. It really depends upon one’s zeal to travel and explore the land and the culture. I was in Montreal; and I had the opportunity to travel to Ottawa, Quebec City, Toronto, and London cities. I also explored the eastern townships of Magog and Stanstead in the Quebec province. I visited the Canadian Parliament, the Niagara Falls, the famous CN Tower and a whole lot of other places, including some of world’s most famous churches and museums in the duration of my stay in Canada. It is a beautiful country with warm and welcoming people. Some of the popular events I attended include the Tulip Festival in Ottawa, the Canada Day parade, and the Flag exhibit in the Sherbrooke Street of Montreal among others.
What about accommodation? Did you have your own place? Does one have to share a room? Could you pick whom you lived with?
Most interns who are accepted into the Globalink programme make arrangements for their stay well in advance. All relevant information is provided by MITACS, including contact details of a mentor, contact details of other interns who should be joining you in the same city, and so on. One could choose the type of accommodation they like – in hostels, as paying guests, renting an apartment with fellow interns, taking up an apartment on one’s own. Yes, you could coordinate with fellow interns and look for a place together, if they’re up for it.
What’s the weather like? Do I need to pack all my jumpers? What about the food? Do I have options? I don’t think I can live on sandwiches and pizza all the while.
Summer in Canada is very pleasant, yet unpredictable all the same. One should be prepared for anything and everything under the Sun, no pun intended. Regarding what to pack, there’s no need to fret. MITACS will circulate a handout with a checklist for that too! Of course, there are umpteen options for food. Canada is known for its multicultural and diasporic population – which means one shall find cuisines from all over the world – if they wish to eat out. Alternately, one can choose to cook for themselves too (the feasibility of this depends on the facilities available at the chosen accommodation, but most places will have kitchens, shared or independent). Wait till you fall in love with the Canadian quintessential, Tim Hortons!
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