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More graduate students in British Columbia will now benefit from internship opportunities in applied research and business, thanks to a Government of Canada investment toward the expansion of the Mathematics of Information Technology and Complex Systems Inc. (MITACS) ACCELERATE B.C. internship program.

Federal funding of $430,000 was announced today by Nina Grewal, Member of Parliament for Fleetwood—Port Kells on behalf of the Honourable Rona Ambrose, President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of Western Economic Diversification Canada. 

“We are proud to support this program which exposes students to research opportunities and careers in the private sector,” said MP Grewal.  “Investments such as this enhance our workforce and productivity, the training our students receive, and help to maintain British Columbia’s leadership in innovative technologies.”

The MITACS internship program was founded in 2004 as a two-year pilot project focused on mathematical science thanks in part to funding from the Government of Canada.  ACCELERATE B.C. expands upon the original program, helping more students undertake internships focussed on a broader variety of disciplines and adds an emphasis on the participation of graduate students from rural areas and First Nations communities. 

Since inception, the success of the program has garnered additional funding from the federal government, the Province of B.C., as well as private industry, and is a model for linking graduate students to applied research and business. 

This funding from Western Economic Diversification Canada will enable ACCELERATE B.C. to provide the internship experience to even more of B.C.’s graduate students,” said Dr. Arvind Gupta, Scientific Director of MITACS, a research network based at Simon Fraser University which manages the program. “The resulting industry-academia connections will definitely enhance the competitiveness of companies in the province.”
 
“With this government funding I felt privileged and excited to have the opportunity to apply my academic knowledge to real life industry situations,” said graduate student David Humphrey.  Humphrey’s internship at Emily Carr University, in partnership with an industry partner, has him developing a user-friendly interface for an exciting new social software application.

Western Economic Diversification Canada is a department of the Government of Canada that works in partnership with the provinces, industry associations and communities to stimulate and encourage diversification of the western economy, as well as to represent the interests of the West in national decision-making. 

For additional information, contact:

Jackie Stewart
Communications Officer
Western Economic Diversification Canada
Vancouver, British Columbia
Tel:   (604) 666-7543
Cell: (604) 671-9031

Megan Airton
Director, Communications
MITACS, Inc.
Burnaby, British Columbia
Tel: (778) 782-6658