The Mitacs Globalink Research Internship (GRI) is a 12-week research placement in Canada for undergraduate students from a list of partner countries, and Pakistan is on that list. You spend the summer working under a faculty member at a Canadian academic institution, with funding for airfare, housing, food and health insurance. It is an internship, not a degree scholarship, so think of it as a paid-for research summer that can strengthen a later master's or PhD application. You can see the full scholarship details on our listing.
The current call is for the 2027 cohort. It suits Pakistani undergraduates in their second or third year who are curious about research and want a Canadian professor who knows their work. It is a poor fit if you have already graduated or are in a master's program, because graduate students cannot apply.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Funding | Fully funded (airfare, housing and food stipends, enrollment fee stipend, health insurance) |
| Level | Undergraduate, or combined undergraduate/master's |
| Length | 12 consecutive weeks, starting between May 1 and July 31 |
| Deadline | Wednesday, September 16, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. Pacific time |
| Country | Canada (more than 70 host universities) |
| Provider | Mitacs |
| Official site | Mitacs Globalink Research Internship |
Because the September 16, 2026 deadline may already be behind you when you read this, check the official site for the status of the current round and the dates of the next one before you start preparing.
What a Globalink summer in Canada looks like
Interns work 40 hours per week on a research project chosen from an online database. Projects span science, engineering, mathematics, humanities and social sciences, with listed fields that include biology, chemistry, computer science, earth sciences, physics and IT. Depending on the project, that may mean lab work or field research.
The internship runs between May and October, and you must be free for 12 weeks in a row. Alongside the research, interns get professional skills training, social activities, industry events, and a local student mentor on campus. For a student who has never worked in a research group, the mentor and the day-to-day contact with graduate students and research associates are often as useful as the project itself.
What the funding actually pays for
Mitacs describes the award as fully funded. The package includes:
- funding to contribute to a round-trip airfare to Canada
- funding to contribute to transport from the Canadian airport to your accommodation
- a housing stipend
- a stipend for food and incidentals
- a stipend towards student enrollment fees at the host institution
- an emergency health insurance policy for the length of the internship
- support from student mentors and access to industry events and professional development courses
Read the wording carefully. Airfare and airport transport are funding "to contribute to" the cost, so plan for the possibility that these do not cover every rupee. Stipend amounts are not listed here, so confirm the current figures on the official site and keep some money of your own aside for the first days in Canada.
The eligibility rules that trip people up
Pakistan is named among the partner countries, alongside others such as India, China, Brazil, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States. Beyond nationality and where you study, you need to meet all of the following:
- be at least 18 years old when you apply
- be enrolled full-time in an undergraduate or combined undergraduate/master's program at an eligible institution
- have completed at least two years of undergraduate study, or be enrolled in the second year
- have one to three semesters left in your program as of fall 2027
- meet the CGPA requirement set for your home country
- be fluent in the language of the project (English and/or French)
- be available for 12 consecutive weeks starting between May 1 and July 31
The semesters-remaining rule
This is where most timing mistakes happen. Count forward to fall 2027 and see how many semesters you will still have left. If the answer is zero (you will have graduated) or more than three, you do not fit this round. For a typical four-year BS in Pakistan, that points to students who are in the right window of their degree around fall 2027, so do the count against your own university's semester calendar rather than guessing.
The CGPA requirement is country specific
Each home country has its own CGPA requirement, and the cutoff for Pakistan is not stated in this guide. Look up the Pakistan figure on the official site before you put hours into the application.
Your university has to be on the list
The application platform has a drop-down of eligible institutions. Search every spelling of your university's name (full name, abbreviation, older names). If it still does not appear, Mitacs asks you to email helpdesk@mitacs.ca so they can check whether your institution is eligible. Do this early, not in the final week.
Picking three to ten projects across three provinces
You do not apply to a single professor. You choose from a minimum of three to a maximum of ten projects, and they must be spread across at least three different Canadian provinces. Mitacs then matches students to projects.
My advice: use more of the ten slots than the minimum. Students who pick three projects in their exact niche limit their chances of a match. Read each project description, pick ones where your coursework or a past project gives you a real connection, and make sure the language of the project matches the language of your transcripts. If your transcripts are in English, French-language projects are a risky choice.
Do not treat the province rule as a box to tick with random picks. A professor reading your file will want to see why their project in particular fits you.
Documents to prepare from Pakistan
- At least one reference letter in English or French from a professor who has supervised or co-supervised your work, on official institutional letterhead and signed.
- Official academic transcripts in English or French, or translated and notarized copies.
- A CV or resume.
- A valid passport (or proof of valid passport information if you are approved).
- Language test scores, only where your country partner specifically requires them.
The reference letter causes the most rejections of otherwise good files. It cannot come from a university staff member, a department clerk, or a lecturer who only taught you in a large class. It has to be a professor who supervised your academic work, such as a semester project or final year project supervisor. Ask early and give them your CV and the projects you chose so the letter can be specific.
For the language test question, check the Pakistan-specific rules on the official site. Some partner regions require English or French certificates and some do not. For general paperwork, our scholarship documents checklist covers transcripts, CVs and reference letters in more depth.
How the application platform works
- Create a personal account on the Globalink Student Platform.
- Search the project database and select three to ten projects across at least three provinces.
- Upload your transcripts, CV and professor reference letter.
- Fill in every mandatory field before the deadline.
- Let the system submit for you. There is no submit button. Your application goes in automatically at the deadline as long as your profile status shows Complete.
- Watch your email for results between mid-December and mid-February.
The missing submit button catches people out. If one mandatory field is empty when the clock hits 1:00 p.m. Pacific time on deadline day, your profile will not show Complete and nothing goes through. Pacific time is many hours behind Pakistan, so convert it carefully, but better still, finish days ahead. Mitacs notes that technical support can take up to five days to reply, so a problem found on the last day may not get fixed in time.
How the 2027 cycle runs
| Stage | Timing |
|---|---|
| Applications open | Summer 2026 |
| Application deadline | September 16, 2026, 1:00 p.m. Pacific time |
| Results by email | Mid-December 2026 to mid-February 2027 |
| Internship period | May 1 to October 31, 2027 (12 consecutive weeks within this window) |
Dates can change between cycles, so confirm the exact deadline on the official portal for whichever round you are applying to. If you are matched, the gap between results and a May start is not long, so get your passport sorted well in advance. Our guide to common visa rejection reasons for Pakistani students is worth reading before you deal with Canadian paperwork.
Who should apply, and who should wait
Apply if you have a strong CGPA by your university's standard, a professor who has actually supervised you, and a genuine interest in research. A Canadian supervisor's letter after 12 weeks of real work can carry weight in later graduate applications.
Wait or skip if you are in your first year, if you will graduate before fall 2027, or if you cannot commit to 12 straight weeks in the window (for example, because of summer exams or a mandatory local internship). If you want funding for a full degree instead, look at our list of all Canada scholarships.
Frequently asked questions
Can Pakistani students apply for Mitacs Globalink?
Yes. Pakistan is listed among the partner countries and regions. You still need to meet the Pakistan-specific CGPA requirement and study at an eligible institution.
My university is not in the drop-down list. What should I do?
Try every variation of its name first. If it is still missing, contact helpdesk@mitacs.ca so they can determine whether your institution is eligible.
Is there a submit button?
No. The application is submitted automatically at the deadline, provided your profile status shows Complete. An incomplete profile is not submitted.
Can a staff member or lab technician write my reference?
No. The letter must be written and signed on institutional letterhead by a professor who supervised or co-supervised your academic work.
Can I apply if I am already doing a master's?
No. The program is only for undergraduate and combined undergraduate/master's students.
Do I need an English language test score?
Only if your country partner specifically requires language test scores. Check the requirements for Pakistan on the official site rather than assuming either way.
Before you apply, check the current round's dates and Pakistan's CGPA requirement on the official Mitacs website, and keep the Mitacs Globalink scholarship page handy for the summary.