Metropolis British Columbia - Accelerate Graduate Research Internships

CALL FOR INTERNS: Deadline- January 20, 2012

Introduction

Issues related to immigration, settlement, and diversity are ever-changing. Policy priorities are constantly shifting, and at the same time approaches to serving immigrant communities evolve quickly. Similarly, research into these areas is dynamic. Government agencies and community organizations need focused information to frame the direction of their future operations, and graduate students and postdoctoral fellows need exposure to situations and challenges faced by these organizations in order to sharpen their research (including its policy relevance and, in some cases, prepare them for employment in these fields). The partnership between MITACS, the administrator of Accelerate, and Metropolis British Columbia aims to address both needs by facilitating the exchange of knowledge through a rewarding internship program. In addition to contributing to the goal of training new researchers, the program will provide a foundation for future collaboration between academia and the wider community.

MITACS - previously funded projects with their abstracts

2012-2013 Project Descriptions

Benefits

The potential benefits of the internship program are numerous. Partner organizations have the opportunity to expand their research capacity through access to highly-qualified researchers who use the latest trends in immigration research. Graduate students and post doctoral fellows, on the other hand, are better connected to the needs of organizations that deal with immigration and diversity issues, while developing professional relationships with, and gaining exposure to, non-academic institutions. Interns l also benefit from having access to administrative data and, potentially, subjects for research. The academic supervisor benefits through applying his or her expertise to the project. All parties profit from sharing best practices and methodologies, and from collaborating on issues of mutual interest.

How it works

Standard internships are valued at $15,000 and entail four months of research that can be spread out over a 6 month period. In these internships, the students or post-docs carry out innovative research to enhance policy and practice, assisting the partner organization as well as forwarding the student's research. Metropolis BC and MITACS support four interns per year, providing a total budget of $15,000 for each internship position. Double internships are also available, and are from 8-12 months in length.

Partner Organizations will:

Identify areas within the organization in which research is needed
Contribute $7,500 (government or industry) or $3,750 (NGO) towards the internship
Appoint an individual to act as a supervisor to the intern (who will work with the academic supervisor)
Assist in the development of the proposal and research plan
Complete an exit survey at the end of the internship

Interns will:

Complete the internship research proposal in collaboration with their supervisor and the non-academic partner
Spend approximately 50% of their time over the four-month internship on site with the partner organization
Spend 25% of their time at their host university, working with their supervisor
Submit regular update reports to MITACS as required
Have the opportunity to apply for separate funds if their internship involves travel outside their home university
In addition to the final report for MITACS, prepare a Working Paper for publication in our online series
Complete an exit survey at the end of the internship
Receive a minimum stipend of approximately $10,000 for the internship

Academic Supervisors will:

Become affiliated members of Metropolis BC
Assist in the development of the proposal and research plan
Receive funds as a research grant, ensuring that a minimum of $10,000 be provided to the intern as a stipend, with the remaining $5,000 supporting other costs related to the project
Act as mentors to interns
Be responsible for monitoring spending in accordance with the rules defined by MITACS (see below)
Complete an exit survey at the end of the internship

Metropolis BC will:

Contribute $3,750 in matching funds if the partner organization is an NGO
Coordinate and receive applications
Assist with the administration of the partnership

MITACS will:

Contribute $7,500 to each internship
Perform final adjudication of proposals
Offer assistance in the development of research plans
Monitor and report on projects at all stages

Proposals will be developed collectively by the intern, their academic supervisor, and the partner organization. Metropolis BC, in consultation with MITACS, will be responsible for coordinating and receiving proposals and ensuring that they meet the requirements of the program. An effort will be made to ensure that an appropriate mix of partner organizations is represented.

The intern will then submit the proposal to MITACS, and if successful, a research plan will be developed with input from all stakeholders. Academic supervisors are responsible for ensuring the funds are spent appropriately, according to the guidelines set out in the Tri-Council funding guide which can be found here

A major outcome of the project will be the submission of a manuscript by the intern for potential posting as a Working Paper on the Metropolis BC website.

This partnership will allow for more direct dissemination of knowledge, and empowers interns, government, and communities to adapt to an environment in which questions about immigration are constantly being redefined.

Application forms for partners are available from the menu on the left side bar

For more information, please contact:
Vicky Baker, Project Coordinator, UBC, Metropolis British Columbia
Telephone: 604-822-3188
Email: vicky.baker@ubc.ca

MITACS (The Mathematics of Information Technology And Complex Systems), is a Network of Centres of Excellence (NCE) for the mathematical sciences. Due to the success of the MITACS Internship Program when focused exclusively on the mathematical sciences, the program has been expanded to include all disciplines within BC universities and renamed Accelerate. For detailed program information about the Accelerate program, visit www.mitacs.ca/accelerate

http://www.mitacs.ca/accelerate