UK-Canada Globalink Doctoral Exchange Scheme Open to Applications

UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) is inviting proposals for UK doctoral students to participate in a UK-Canada research exchange scheme. The initiative is supported by Mitacs, a not-for-profit organisation that has designed and delivered research and training programmes in Canada since 1999. The scheme demonstrates the UK-Canada Memorandum of Understanding, signed by UKRI and the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) in 2018, which seeks to develop jointly funded research partnerships and innovation programmes.

Through the UK-Canada Globalink Doctoral Exchange Scheme, UK doctoral candidates will have the opportunity to develop into global citizens with international competencies during research placements in Canadian universities. A similar number of Canadian students will visit UK universities. This is the first of four funding calls that will fund up to 200 UK doctoral candidates. The scheme covers all areas of the UKRI remit and aims to:

Foster and enhance long-term international research networks.

Establish international research collaborations.

Attract world-class talent to the UK.

Upskill UK-based researchers, making them global citizens with international competencies.

Students should make contact with potential Canadian host supervisors to discuss and design a research project and work out costings for the placement with their home and host supervisors. Applicants should make clear what benefit their research placement will have for themselves, Canada and the UK.

Successful applicants will be required to deliver a programme of collaborative research and network-building activities that will further their studies, enhance their research career prospects and increase links within the research community. Placement projects can be on a topic unrelated to the students’ studies, thereby helping to create multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary researchers.

This UK side of the scheme is open to doctoral students funded by the research councils of UKRI (AHRC, BBSRC, ESRC, EPSRC, MRC, NERC and STFC). Placements are available at 76 universities across Canada in a variety of academic disciplines. On the Canadian side, the scheme is open to Canadian doctoral students working in all areas.

The programme budget is £2.5 million and placements are expected to cost in the region of £10,000 to £15,000. Funding can cover travel, living and research costs for students in their chosen field of study. Placements last for 12 weeks.

Applications must be submitted by the deadline of 12 December 2019 (16:00).

More information about this research funding opportunity and the application process is available on the RESEARCHconnect funding information platform. RESEARCHconnect provides up-to-the minute content, insight and analysis on research funding news and policy. To find out more about how RESEARCHconnect can keep you in the know, and subscription fees, contact us today.