The B.C. government will invest $50 million to fund more than 10,000 new paid research internships for students across the province.
The internships, facilitated by the non-profit Mitacs, will be available in "priority sectors" including clean technology, life sciences, emergency management, advanced timber and agritech. Students in undergraduate and graduate degree programs, as well as diploma and certificate programs at public post-secondary institutions, will benefit from the opportunities.
Interns will get on-the-job experience in leading and emerging companies, as well as a minimum $10,000 stipend.
Selina Robinson, Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills, announced the funding at Richmond's Dionamix Scientific on Friday morning.
"By supporting internship opportunities, we can attract and retain the best students in science and technology, increase innovation and productivity, and build a stronger, more inclusive and sustainable economy," she said.
The funding will support internships in the 2023-2024 and subsequent fiscal years.
Po-Han Chao, a UBC doctoral student currently interning at Dionamix through Mitacs, said he was able to gain "crucial access to industry exposure" through the experience.
"My project with Dionamix aims to streamline the development of LNP formulations, leveraging automation and high-throughput techniques to increase efficiency and safety for the delivery of genetic materials," he said.
"By combining insights from both academia and industry, I can scale up my research and enhance the impact of my work in addressing unmet medical needs."
