Competition

* Unless explicitly noted, all times indicated for deadlines are for the appropriate NL timezone (NST or NDT)

This competitive call responds to recent global shifts in research funding and aims to position Canada as a destination for world-class talent. Through well-funded internships, the program will support the relocation of exceptional postdoctoral researchers to Canadian institutions and companies, helping to address talent shortages, drive innovation, and reinforce Canada’s leadership in strategic sectors. 

The Global Excellence Award is a competitive call providing an enhanced funding package to support the relocation and integration of postdoctoral fellows (PDFs) into Canadian research and innovation ecosystems. This is a two year award valued at $170,000 over the two years, which breaks down to $85,000 per year, with a minimum of $70,000 allocated to stipend and up to $15,000 available for relocation or research expenses.

The call for applications is open until May 1, 2026. Fifty awards will be granted for 2026–27, jointly funded by Mitacs and industry or other partners. Additionally, Mitacs is pleased to partner with The Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) to offer up to an additional 10 fellowships to researchers affiliated with CIFAR for a total of 60 awards.

The call is scheduled to open on March 2, 2026, and closes on May 1, 2026. 

In addition to the external funding agency’s submission procedures, this opportunity must also be submitted for Departmental, HSS Faculty, and Research Initiatives and Services (RIS) institutional reviews and approvals via Memorial's Researcher Portal (RP). In order to facilitate the HSS Faculty’s administrative review, please ensure "Heather C. O'Brien (Grants Facilitator)" and “Matthew Milner (Grants Facilitator)” are added as "Team Members" on your RP file. 

In accordance with University-wide approval protocols, all tabs of the RP file must be completed, the completed application must be uploaded to the “Attachments” tab, all supporting documentation including support for cash and in-kind commitments and/or letters of support must also be uploaded, and “Submit” must be pressed prior to the HSS internal deadline listed below. HSS cannot guarantee completion of an administrative review for application files that are incomplete and/or are submitted after the HSS deadline. For more detailed submission instructions and information, please consult the HSS Research Support Services website.

If you plan to apply to this competition or other research funding opportunities (as either PI or CI), e-mail an HSS Grants Facilitator, Heather C. O’Brien (HSSResearchAdmin@mun.ca or 864-8603) or Matthew Milner (HSSResearchGrants@mun.ca or 864-8050), to notify the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of your intent to apply. E-mailing the intent to apply as early as possible will help to facilitate an efficient review. A Grants Facilitator can answer any questions you may have about internal or external submission procedures and may also be able to help with proposal development.