Mitacs Canadian Science Policy Fellowship

Update: The 2023-24 call for fellows is on hold until further notice.

The Mitacs Canadian Science Policy Fellowship places PhD holders in government host offices for a 12-month immersion into the policy-making process. Fellows apply their academic training, critical thinking, and analytical skills to support evidence-informed decision-making that addresses policy challenges within participating federal host offices. Hosts gain valuable science-based knowledge and build the professional skills of participating fellows.

We welcome application submissions from prospective fellows and hosts on an annual call cycle running from fall throughout winter.  

The fellowship aims to:

• Create mutually beneficial relationships between government decision-makers and academic researchers in support of policy challenges in Canada
• Enhance science communication, collaboration, and capacity in support of evidence-informed policy-making
• Equip academic researchers with skills to address policy challenges while learning about government
• Contribute to a national network of science policy expertise across academia, government, not-for-profit organizations, and industry

By participating in the fellowship, fellows get the training and first-hand experience needed to address challenges of national public importance. Through the fellowship, fellows:

• Work full-time in a participating host office for 12-months (September-August) at an annual salary of $70,000-$80,000
• Attend professional development training and networking opportunities with their peers throughout the year
• Learn about policy-making in the public service through professional hands-on experience
• Apply their academic expertise and skills to public issues of concern 

Host offices provide positions to fellows that support key policy challenges in their departments. By participating, hosts:

• Provide a range of policy tasks to their fellows, such as policy development, stakeholder engagement, and creating and maintaining key policy documents
• Grow their access to specialized expertise and the most up-to-date knowledge available in academia
• Increase the policy capacity within their department
• Support a growing body of researchers uniquely trained to address key policy challenges

Want to learn more about science policy? Download our Science Policy Briefing here

If you have any questions about the Mitacs Canadian Science Policy Fellowship program, please email the Canadian Science Policy Fellowship team.