How are industry-academia partnerships advancing research in Canada?

Vancouver, BC — Mitacs’ Accelerate and Elevate programs are advancing research in Canada and providing grad students and postdocs with the professional skills they need to transition to the job market determined a longitudinal survey released this week. Of the university professors surveyed, an overwhelming 92 percent reported they would recommend the programs.

Mitacs’ Accelerate program pairs graduate students from Canadian universities with companies for research internships, while Mitacs’ Elevate program provides research management training for postdocs as they undertake two-year research projects with partner organizations.

Key impacts:

Research advancements

• 81% of Accelerate supervisors and 71% of Elevate supervisors indicated significant progress on a research problem 
• Without Mitacs’ support, 50% of supervisors said their research projects would not have been possible

Improved graduate training

• 70% of supervisors believe the programs prepared grad students and postdocs for a variety of career paths
• 50% recruited new grad students and postdocs

Outcomes for partners

• 33% of partner organizations are commercializing the results of their Accelerate or Elevate research project
• 40% partners developed new or enhanced products

Continued collaboration

• 66% of partner supervisors continued to develop research from their projects after the completion of their Mitacs project
• 63% of Accelerate supervisors and 60% of Elevate supervisors continued to collaborate with their partner organizations after the Mitacs project

Quote:

Alejandro Adem, CEO and Scientific Director, Mitacs

“Mitacs is committed to continually improving our programs so we can deliver the best possible outcomes for all our partners. This survey indicates Mitacs’ Accelerate and Elevate programs facilitate R&D, commercialization, and career advancement through industry-academia collaboration. In addition, we’re pleased to report that these partnerships continue to grow after the completion of the Mitacs projects.”

Survey Background:

The Mitacs Accelerate and Elevate Outcomes: Supervisors Survey collected data from supervisors who participated in the Accelerate and Elevate programs. The survey reached out to 2,127 supervisors. Five hundred twenty-eight respondents completed the questionnaire, providing a 25 percent complete response rate. Mitacs is committed to exploring ways to measure the impacts from its programs for the benefit of the Canadian public.

Links:

• For more information on the impact of Mitacs Accelerate internships, see Mitacs Accelerate Outcomes: Industry Partner Survey and Mitacs Accelerate: Impact on Former Interns
• For information about Mitacs and our programs, see mitacs.ca/newsroom.

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