New Delhi: The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) on Tuesday opened applications for the AICTE–Mitacs Globalink Research Internship (GRI) 2027, a programme that will send up to 300 Indian undergraduate students a year to Canadian universities for fully funded, 12-week research internships.
The launch, inaugurated by AICTE chairman Prof. Yogesh Singh, follows a Memorandum of Understanding between AICTE and Mitacs, Canada, under which the intake of 300 students annually will run for three years starting in 2027.
The tie-up traces back to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to India this year at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s invitation, during which the two leaders agreed to deepen higher education cooperation — including industry-aligned skilling, joint and dual-degree programmes, offshore campuses of Canadian institutions in India, research partnerships in emerging technologies, and a revived India–Canada Joint Working Group on Higher Education. The expanded GRI programme was announced as part of that agenda.
GRI places undergraduates with Canadian university faculty across disciplines spanning engineering, computer science, physical and life sciences, mathematics, business, social sciences, and the humanities. Internships run in person over 12 consecutive weeks between May and October, and include lab access, international mentorship and professional development components.
“India’s demographic dividend can become a global innovation dividend only when our students are provided opportunities to learn, research and collaborate beyond geographical boundaries,” Prof. Yogesh Singh said, calling the programme a step toward building “global competencies essential for the knowledge economy.”
Key dates and eligibility
Applications for GRI 2027 opened on August 5, 2026 and close on September 16, 2026. Shortlisted candidates will go through screening, matching and selection before being placed with faculty at participating Canadian universities, with internships running from May to October 2027. Selected students will receive pre-departure orientation and support before travel.
To apply, students must:
Be at least 18 years old
Be enrolled full-time in an undergraduate or integrated undergraduate-master’s programme
Have completed at least two years of undergraduate study, or be currently in their second year
Demonstrate English and/or French proficiency as required by the chosen research project
Apply to a minimum of three and a maximum of ten research projects, spread across at least three different Canadian provinces
AICTE has positioned the initiative within the ambit of NEP 2020’s push for internationalisation — citing academic mobility, research collaboration and multidisciplinary exposure as goals the GRI expansion is meant to serve. Applications are being accepted through the official AICTE–Mitacs GRI portal.
