AICTE Opens Fully Funded Canada Research Internship for 300 Indian Students, Apply by Sept 16

The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has opened applications for the AICTE-Mitacs Globalink Research Internship (GRI) 2027, a fully funded, 12-week research placement at Canadian universities for up to 300 Indian undergraduates each year for three years, starting in 2027. Applications opened August 5, 2026, and close September 16, 2026, at 1 PM Pacific Time.

What the Program Offers

• Fully funded 12-week research internship at a participating Canadian academic institution, working under the supervision of Canadian faculty.
• There are 300 spots available annually for three years, starting with the 2027 cohort, as part of a Memorandum of Understanding between AICTE and Mitacs, Canada.
• Internships are in-person only and conducted over 12 consecutive weeks, starting between May 1 and July 31, 2027.
• Each applicant’s project shortlist must include at least three provinces and 70+ participating Canadian institutions.
• Broad disciplinary range: engineering, computer science, physical and life sciences, mathematics, business, social sciences, arts, and humanities, though AICTE’s specific criteria for Indian applicants require the program to be in engineering (BE/BTech or equivalent).
• Origin: The initiative follows PM Modi and Canadian PM Mark Carney’s bilateral discussions this year, which named education, research collaboration, and talent mobility as priority areas of the India-Canada partnership.

Who’s Eligible

• Indian nationals who are enrolled full-time in an undergraduate or combined undergraduate-master’s program at an eligible institution.
• 1 to 3 semesters remaining as of Fall 2027.
• Minimum cumulative GPA of 70%.
• No prior Globalink Research Internship award.
• Able to start the internship between May 1 and July 31, 2027.
• Indian applicants are not required to submit a separate English proficiency test under AICTE-specific terms but must be able to communicate in whichever language (English or French) their selected research project requires.
• Additional screening applies for sensitive technology research areas or applicants with certain institutional affiliations or funding sources.

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How to Apply

1. Review the general GRI eligibility conditions plus AICTE-specific requirements for Indian applicants.
2. Browse available research projects and shortlist at least 3, and up to 10, spread across at least 3 different Canadian provinces.
3. Prepare an updated CV (your format or the Mitacs template).
4. Get a reference letter from a professor in the prescribed format.
5. Arrange academic transcripts in English or French; get them translated and notarized if your institution doesn't issue them in either language.
6. Confirm your passport is valid at least through January 2028 (Mitacs's own recommendation).
7. Submit through the official AICTE-Mitacs GRI application portal before the deadline.

Selected students then go through a screening, matching, and selection process before being placed with a specific faculty supervisor.

Why It Matters for Indian Students

This opportunity is a genuinely rare combination: fully funded (no tuition, and typically a stipend plus travel support under Globalink's standard terms), short enough (12 weeks) to fit around a degree rather than derail it, and backed by a direct government-to-government MoU rather than a single university's own outreach. For undergraduates weighing whether a research career or a master's abroad is the right next step, this opportunity is a low-commitment way to get real lab or research group experience in Canada, build a reference from a Canadian faculty member, and test the waters before committing to a full postgraduate application. Engineering students should note the discipline restriction under the AICTE-specific track; the broader Globalink program is multidisciplinary, but the India-specific quota is tied to Engineering (BE/BTech).

The deadline is real and close: September 16, 2026. Given the multi-step preparation required (transcripts, translated documents if needed, a professor's reference letter, and project shortlisting across three provinces), this needs about 2-3 weeks of lead time to do properly, not something to start the week of the deadline.

Have questions about whether this internship fits your research interests and profile? Book a free session with a LeapScholar counselor.