Examining opportunities to increase the impact of Innovations through Internships and other collaborative research programs
Presentation Purpose Leverage Collaborate Learn
Summary of the Presentation 1. IRDI Program Overview 2. Examining the benefits to using IRDI funding for NCEs 3. Examples of Successful IRDI Internships 4. Program Delivery Models – Connect Canada, Mitacs- Accelerate 5. Questions
The Question Why would an NCE with Current Research Funding want to participate in an IRDI internship outside of their NCE Funding?
IRDI Program Overview Federally funded R&D Internships One-to-One Matching All industry sectors, all academic fields, Canada-wide Graduate and Post-doctoral level candidates Goal Introduce graduate students and post-doctoral fellows to practical business problems Increase private investment in research and development
IRDI Program Overview (Contd) Outcomes Increased private sector investment in S&T Increased funding to Canadian universities Increased opportunities in the Canadian job market Change in business culture towards increased long term R&D endeavours Strengthened relationship between Academia and Industry
Benefits of IRDI funding for NCEs 1. Expanding Current Funding
2. Explore Benefits of IRDI funding for NCEs contd
3. Complement Benefits of IRDI funding for NCEs contd
4. Train Benefits of IRDI funding for NCEs contd
5. Commence Benefits of IRDI funding for NCEs contd
Connect Benefits of IRDI funding for NCEs contd
Benefits of Interns in Industry - Innovation
Past Projects: GRAND NCE The Burn: Location - Ignited Storytelling using Augmented Reality Industry Partner: WithWonder Current mobile augmented reality (AR) technologies were surveyed and investigated. This helped the intern to develop a prototype of a hybrid mobile AR system for location-based storytelling in mobile games. Prototype was successfully developed $800, 000 funding secured by company to continue
Past Projects: AFM Net Detection of Listeria by nanoparticle-based technology coupled with a novel fluorescence device Industry Partner: INO Medical Devices Listeria monocytogenes is a common food-borne pathogen that is the causative agent of listeriosis, a severe and potentially fatal condition. This project aimed to make use of new nanoparticle technology to provide a faster, more sensitive and cost- effective method to detect L. monocytogenes in food samples
Past Project: NeuroDevNet A Link or a Tangle: The Internet at the Intersection of Parents, Advocacy & Health Information for Neurodevelopmental Disorders Industry Partner: The Vancouver Sun Using journalistic methods, the project examined how parents rely on, & are influenced by information published on health advocacy websites. Articles were published in the Vancouver Sun on disorders including autism, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and cerebral palsy. Using terms the general public could appreciate the readership became more familiar & better informed about scientific and neuroethical issues.
Delivery Model Commonalities Internships run 4 to 6 months No deadlines Support through process Not a competition No overhead deducted Travel subsidies available Proposal reviewed by Experts High approval rate & Quick turnaround
Delivery Models Variances Connect Canada $10,000 stipend $5,000 Industry Partner $5,000 Connect Canada Database to facilitate new collaborations Continuous support throughout the process Vetted by a panel of Industry and Academic experts IP Protection
Delivery Models Variances Mitacs $7,500 each industry & Mitacs $5,000 in flexible funds Extra stipend Reagents / supplies Prof/intern travel Peer-review (expert feedback) We help with applications
Contact Us Laurence Meadows, Ph.D. Acting Director, Accelerate Mitacs Suite 301, Technology Enterprise Facility 6190 Agronomy Road Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3 Cell: Web: Connect Canada 401 Sunset Avenue Windsor, Ontario N9B 3P4 Telephone: ext Visit: