The University of Winnipeg has surpassed $1 million in Mitacs internships for the third consecutive year, allowing undergraduate and graduate students to do research across disciplines.
The Mitacs internships during the 2022-23 academic year gave students the opportunity to take part in research and build their networks, all while receiving on-the-job-training in the private and non-profit sectors in their field of study.
More than 100 UWinnipeg students participated in Mitacs internships in several programs, including the Accelerate program, Globalink Research Internships, Business Strategy Internship (BSI) programs, and in various training and professional development programs. Opportunities in each of these programs have increased from the previous year.
“The University of Winnipeg continues to exceed the national average in funding, thereby offering financial resources to faculty and valuable research opportunities to both undergraduate and graduate students,” said Dr. Jaime Cidro, UWinnipeg’s Associate Vice-President, Research and Innovation. “This is made possible through our participation in a number of Mitacs programs, which effectively equip our students with essential research skills for their future advancement within academia and industry.”
The University of Winnipeg continues to exceed the national average in funding.
Dr. Jaime Cidro
Overall, UWinnipeg’s internship units submitted per 100 full-time graduate students was significantly higher than the national average. UWinnipeg’s submissions ranked in the top two-thirds of all partner universities, with disbursements increasing $170,000 from last year. UWinnipeg interns exceeded the Canada-wide average in the agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting industries – an astounding 37.9 per cent against the 6.7 per cent national average.
At 57.1 per cent, UWinnipeg was also above average in representatives from the disciplines of business, physical sciences, and computer science, when compared to the 15.6 per cent Canada-wide rate.
In addition, Mitacs Globalink program participation increased from 2021-22, allowing 17 applicants to arrive in Winnipeg for internships under the supervision of UWinnipeg faculty.
An example of the success of this program is undergraduate student Andera Mayorga. Arriving at UWinnipeg from Mexico, she is working with physicist Dr. Blair Jamieson as they embark on ground-breaking research in neutrinos at CERN.
The Mitacs BSI program increased by more than 150 per cent in funding this year, providing four-month internships with partner organizations in Canada. Upon graduation, many of the students have been hired by the organizations with which they interned.
“Through paid BSI internships, students have an opportunity to put the knowledge they gain at UWinnipeg into practice while also building networks and learning from the experience of people who work in the private and non-profit sectors,” said Dr. Shauna MacKinnon, Professor and Chair, Department of Urban and Inner-City Studies. “The BSI is an excellent example of a program that adds immense value to student learning while also supporting employers and the broader community.”
