AICTE – Mitacs Globalink Research Internship (GRI) Scheme

What is the AICTE – Mitacs Globalink Research Internship (GRI)?

The AICTE – Mitacs Globalink Research Internship (GRI) is an international research-mobility programme offered under the Ministry of Education, with the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) acting as the Indian partner organisation and Mitacs, a Canadian not-for-profit that funds research and training; running the placements. Through this partnership, high-performing Indian engineering undergraduates spend a summer doing hands-on research at a Canadian university, mentored by a faculty supervisor.

According to Mitacs, the Globalink Research Internship is a 12-week, fully funded placement that takes place between 1 May and 31 October each year, with interns working 40 hours per week. It is designed to give students early exposure to graduate-level research abroad, build international academic networks, and encourage them to consider higher studies. For India, the programme is limited to Engineering and Technology students at AICTE-approved institutions.

Key features

• A structured 12-week research internship at a Canadian academic institution.
• AICTE as the Indian nodal partner; Mitacs as the funding and placement body.
• Open only to Indian nationals studying at eligible AICTE-approved institutions.
• Application and matching handled entirely online through the Mitacs Globalink Student platform.

What does the programme fund?

Mitacs provides a support package rather than a conventional salary. According to the Mitacs Globalink Research Internship page, the award includes:

• A contribution towards the cost of round-trip airfare to Canada.
• A housing stipend, which varies depending on the host city.
• A stipend towards student enrolment fees.
• Support for food and incidentals.
• Emergency health insurance coverage for the duration of the internship.
• Campus mentor support and access to professional-development activities.

Because the housing stipend and some costs depend on location, students should confirm the current amounts for their host city on the Mitacs platform before accepting an offer. The programme is structured so that a selected student can travel and live in Canada for the internship without needing large personal funds up front.

Who is eligible for the AICTE – Mitacs GRI scheme?

You can apply if:

• You are an Indian national.
• You are a full-time undergraduate: or in a combined undergraduate–Master's programme — pursuing Engineering (B.E.) or Technology (B.Tech.).
• You study at an AICTE-approved institution that appears on the eligible list for the programme.
• You have a minimum 70% cumulative GPA.

You cannot apply if:

• Your institution is not on the eligible list; unlisted institutions are not accepted, even if AICTE-approved in general.
• You are not an Indian national, as the AICTE route is reserved for Indian citizens.
• Your cumulative GPA is below 70%.
• You are in a discipline outside Engineering and Technology under the AICTE partnership.

No English-language proficiency examination is required, which lowers a common barrier for Indian applicants. Selection is competitive and based on academic record, the strength of your reference letter, and the fit between your profile and the research projects you apply to.

What documents are required?

How to apply for the AICTE – Mitacs GRI scheme

The entire application is done online through the Mitacs Globalink Student platform. The steps are:

1. Check that your institution is on the eligible list and that you meet the 70% cumulative GPA and discipline requirements before you begin.
2. Create an account on the Mitacs Globalink Student platform when the annual call opens.
3. Build your profile and prepare your CV using the Mitacs template, arrange your professor reference letter, and gather your official transcripts.
4. Apply to between 3 and 7 research projects spread across at least 3 Canadian provinces, completing all mandatory fields.
5. Submit before the deadline. Applications are matched with supervisors, and selected students are notified with an offer.

Because the annual call opens and closes on a fixed schedule, and the specific eligible-institution list can change each cycle, applicants should watch the AICTE and Mitacs portals for the current-year call, deadlines and eligibility list rather than relying on last year's dates.

Why this internship matters

The AICTE – Mitacs GRI scheme gives Indian engineering students something that is otherwise hard to arrange as an undergraduate: a funded, supervised research experience at a foreign university, with the logistics and most costs handled by the programme. For students considering a Master's or PhD, a Globalink internship is also a recognised pathway: Mitacs runs follow-on graduate-fellowship options for alumni who later study in Canada. As with any government-linked programme, students should apply directly through the official Mitacs platform and never pay a private agent to "secure" a place.

How to check your application status

There is no separate AICTE tracking number for this programme. Because the entire application, matching and offer process runs on the Mitacs Globalink Student platform, that platform is also where you check where your application stands.

1. Log in to your Mitacs Globalink Student account using the credentials you created when you applied. Your dashboard shows each of the 3 to 7 projects you applied to and their current stage (submitted, under review by the host supervisor, shortlisted, matched or closed).
2. Watch for status changes against each project you applied to, not a single overall application number. Since you apply to multiple projects across different provinces, one project can move to "matched" while others remain "under review" or are closed out once the supervisor selects someone else.
3. Check the email linked to your Mitacs account regularly. Supervisor matching and offer notifications are sent by email, and Mitacs and AICTE do not run a phone-based or SMS status-check service for this programme.
4. If your dashboard has not updated within the timeframe stated for that year's call, contact Mitacs support through the contact option on the Globalink Student platform, since there is no dedicated GRI helpline number published by AICTE for this scheme.
5. Once matched, confirm your offer promptly on the platform. An offer that is not accepted within the response window shown on your dashboard can be withdrawn and reassigned to another applicant, which will show as a status change even though you did not decline it yourself.

Because eligible-institution lists and call timelines change every year, always rely on your live platform dashboard and the current-year Mitacs/AICTE announcements rather than assuming last year's status-check process still applies.

Common reasons for rejection

• Institution not on the eligible list for that year. AICTE recompiles the list of participating institutions annually, and being AICTE-approved in general is not enough; if your specific institution is absent from the current cycle's list, your application is rejected regardless of your GPA. Fix: confirm your institution's name appears on the current year's published eligible list before you start an application, not after.
• Cumulative GPA below the 70% threshold. Applications are screened on this cut-off, and a GPA calculated on a different scale or rounded up from an institution transcript that actually shows below 70% will be rejected once verified against the official transcript. Fix: calculate your cumulative GPA exactly as your institution reports it and only apply if it genuinely clears 70%.
• Applying outside Engineering (B.E.) or B.Tech. Students in other technical or science disciplines at AICTE institutions sometimes apply believing general AICTE approval is sufficient; the India-specific GRI route is limited to Engineering and Technology undergraduates. Fix: check the discipline restriction for the India stream before applying rather than assuming any AICTE-recognised course qualifies.
• Weak or generic professor reference letter. A reference letter that does not follow the Mitacs reference guidelines, or one written in vague terms without specific comments on your research aptitude, is a common reason a project match falls through even when the applicant is otherwise eligible. Fix: request your reference well in advance from a professor who knows your work directly, and share the Mitacs reference guidelines with them.
• CV not prepared on the Mitacs template. Submitting a personal or institution-format CV instead of following the Mitacs CV template makes it harder for supervisors to compare applicants and can result in your profile being screened out before matching. Fix: rebuild your CV strictly on the Mitacs template before uploading it.
• Applying to too few projects, or projects clustered in one province. Applying to fewer than 3 projects, or to projects that are not spread across at least 3 Canadian provinces as required, narrows your matching chances and can cause the platform to flag the application as incomplete. Fix: apply to the full permitted range of 3 to 7 projects and spread them across at least 3 provinces.
• Missing or late transcript submission. Transcripts submitted after the supervisor has already started shortlisting, or transcripts not in English or French, are not considered for matching. Fix: have your official transcript ready in English or French before the call opens so there is no delay once you start applying.
• Applying after the annual call closes. The Globalink Student platform closes to new applications on a fixed date each cycle, and late submissions are not accepted. Fix: track the AICTE and Mitacs portals for the current year's opening and closing dates rather than assuming the schedule repeats exactly from the previous year.