Research in Canada: NRC-MITACS-RWTH Globalink Research Award Program
The NRC-MITACS-RWTH Globalink Research Award Program serves as a cornerstone of RWTH Aachen University’s collaboration with Canadian universities: Through joint funding provided by the NRC, Mitacs and RWTH, up to 25 RWTH students are given the opportunity to conduct research at Canadian universities each year. Besides providing top-notch research experiences for RWTH students, the program also greatly contributes to deepening relations between RWTH, Canadian universities, and the NRC and to establishing new research ties between Canadian and German scholars.
Key Info
Basic Information
- Target Group:
- Doctoral Candidates
Master’s Students
- Direction / Place:
- Outgoings
Contact
Phone
- work
- +49 241 80 90299
- Send Email
Background
The National Research Council of Canada, NRC for short, is one of RWTH’s key partners in North America and Canada’s largest federal research organization. Mitacs is a Canadian not-for-profit organization that has designed and delivered research and training programs in collaboration with Canadian universities, companies, federal and provincial governments. Together, we have been teaming up since 2021 to exclusively offer up to 25 scholarships for Master’s and PhD students for research stays at Canadian universities.
Who Can Apply?
The program is open to RWTH Master’s students and doctoral candidates who wish to conduct a combined research stay at one of the participating Canadian universities in collaboration with the NRC, working under the joint supervision of an RWTH Aachen professor, a university professor at the Canadian host university and an NRC researcher.
Duration of the Research Stay
Master’s students may opt for a project duration of either six or eight months. For PhD students, the duration of a project is set to six months. A potential extension of the research stay beyond the foreseen duration may be discussed on a case-by-case basis with the respective supervisor. Such extensions are, however, not eligible for additional funding.
Scholarship
Master’s students receive a monthly grant of approximately 1,360 euros* as well as a travel grant of either 1,200 euros* for stays of six months or 1,500 euros* for stays of eight months.
Doctoral candidates receive a monthly grant of approximately 1,800 euros* as well as a travel grant of 2,400 euros* for a stay of six months.
*Please note that scholarship rates may vary slightly depending on the current Canadian dollar/euro exchange rate.
Selection Criteria
- Master’s student or PhD student at RWTH Aachen University
- Excellent academic performance
- For Master’s students: Minimum GPA (German “Notendurchschnitt“) of 3.0
Application Deadlines
- October 1 for research stays starting in April
- February 1 for research stays starting in August
Students who intend to start their research stay at deviating dates are asked to apply by the respective earlier deadline, allowing for at least six months’ time before the intended beginning of the stay.
Open Projects
The following table showcases all projects currently offered by our researchers. Please note that many of the projects are currently listed with a project duration of twelve months. While this is, in theory, still possible, funding for these projects will, as of 2023, be available for six to eight months only. However, project supervisors are usually willing and able to accommodate shorter stays adhering to the adjusted scholarship duration.
| Title | Location | Duration | Level | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced Anode Materials for Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolysis (PEMWE) | Carleton University | Twelve months | MSc or PhD students | see project description |
| Integrated Decision Support System for Health and Safety | Carleton University | Twelve months | PhD students |
Background in biomedical signal analysis, image/video processing, computer vision, machine learning or deep learning |
| Structured-light 3D Tomography | Laval University | Six months | MA or PhD students | Student in Electrical Engineering or Computer Science. Experience in 3D vision, 3D imaging, signal processing and nonlinear regressions |
| Bioinspired Multifunctional Ceramics | McGill University | Twelve months | PhD students |
|
| Alchemical Perturbation DFT Simulations of High Entropy Alloys for Electrochemical Energy Applications | McMaster University | Twelve months | MSc or PhD students | see project description |
| Smart Textiles for Health and Well-being | McMaster University | Six to twelve months | MSc or PhD students | see project description |
| Intelligent Query and Learning System for Logistics | Ontario Tech University | Twelve months | MSc or PhD students | see project description |
| Ultrastructural analysis of neuroinflammation | University of Alberta | Twelve months | MSc or PhD students | see project description |
| Implementation of HR-EBSD and ECCI for advanced microstructure analyses on the Nanoscale 2.0 | University of British Columbia | Six months | PhD students | see project description |
| Virtual Reality Cognitive Rehabilitation for Depression at Home: An Exploration of bWell-D | University of British Columbia | Twelve months | MSc or PhD students | see project description |
| Analysis of Renewable Ammonia Production and Transmission across the Atlantic Ocean | University of Waterloo | Twelve months | MSc students |
|
| Sensitivity analysis on ammonia shipping as a hydrogen carrier | University of Waterloo | Twelve months | MSc or PhD students | see project description |
| Techno-economic analysis of dual purpose NH3+CO2 transport from BC to Asi | University of Victoria | Twelve months | MSc or PhD students | see project description |
Researchers: How to submit a project
- Step 1: Identify a research leadership team: NRC Research Officer, Canadian Academic Supervisor, RWTH Aachen Supervisor.
- Step 2: Articulate a joint project: Describe the project and suitability for Master’s or PhD student, time duration and any knowledge or know-how pre-requisites (template provided). The project description is advertised to RWTH students on the RWTH Aachen website.
- Step 3: Complete Application Documents: Supervisors complete letters of reference (templates provided) and the student completes the Mitacs application.
CDN Researcher/University Information
The Aachen-NRC partnership with Mitacs is a special initiative and follows similar rules and requirements to the Globalink Research Award Thematic call. Please be aware that additional GRA endorsement and co-funding is not required from the Canadian institution. Typical approvals for supporting international students through the Office of Research or International Office are still required. Canadian academic supervisors can contact their local Mitacs Business Development representative for more information on how to obtain this signature. This process may take between two to three weeks and varies in each Canadian university.
Students: How to apply
Express your interest in a project listed below by emailing your CV, letter of interest, and transcripts to: Jan Müller specifying the project number.
Note: Please allow four to six months for the application and travel visa process. A complete application package requires contributions from the student, their supervisor at RWTH Aachen University, a host supervisor at a Canadian university, and a researcher/supervisor from NRC in Canada.
After Your Application is Submitted
Mitacs will review the application, in collaboration with the NRC. After the decision has been made, Mitacs will inform applicants about the outcome of the application.
Please Note
If you are a researcher working at RWTH Aachen University, the NRC, or at a Canadian university wishing to collaborate with RWTH and the NRC, it is also possible to proactively develop new projects with colleagues from the respective partner institutions. If you are interested in doing so, please contact Jan Müller to discuss further.