Experiential Learning, Internship, and Career Development

Explore various fields and areas of work, develop essential skills, connect with future employers and complete resume-building projects with micro-placements through Elevate.

The Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS) provides resources and strategies for finding an internship opportunity, including access to Internship Advisors and listings for Internship and Career Postings. 

Provides Master of Engineering students with paid, career-relevant internship opportunities in engineering, tech, and related industries.

The TTI On-Campus Graduate Internship provides funding and support for paid, UCalgary-based internships where graduate students gain mentorship, build transferable skills, and explore career pathways by working on real projects with UCalgary faculty and staff.

A self-paced D2L program for graduate students providing information on how to plan and connect, reflect, explore, prepare, and take action toward internship opportunities.

We-TRAC is a graduate specialization program in wearable technology for UCalgary students. 

Successful applicants will receive hands-on job experience as well as training in the areas of Human Movement, Data Science and Analytics, Data Visualization, and Knowledge Translation and Entrepreneurship. 

Offered through the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii), these are short-term, part-time, paid research or industry roles for AI Career Accelerator Program (AICAP) participants, offering hands-on experience supervised by Amii experts. 

In partnership with Mitacs, Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation (API)’s Life Sciences Placement Program (LSPP) accelerates and simplifies Mitacs internship approvals to as little as three weeks, connecting emerging talent to academic and industry partners to advance innovation across the life sciences sector. 

With pre-approved Mitacs funding, guidance throughout the process and access to industry and academic networks, LSPP connects students and recent graduates with hands-on opportunities that bridge academic research and real-world innovation. LSPP interns also gain access to API’s programming library, expanding education opportunities without additional costs. 

The Student Work Placement Program (SWPP) helps connect undergraduate and graduate students with paid work placements in Canada's biotech and life science sectors, providing real-world experience and industry exposure. 
 

The Post-secondary Co-op/Internship program is designed to provide post-secondary students with work opportunities related to their field of study and offer them the opportunity to use their academic knowledge in the workplace. The Government of Canada also maintains a list of validated co-op/internship programs at participating academic institutions. 

Enables post-secondary students and post-docs to work part-time in applied research assignments with federal departments, contributing to projects related to their studies.

Mitacs Accelerate creates dynamic collaborations that partner for-profit and not-for-profit organizations with Canada’s brightest academic minds. 

This research award provides leveraged funding of up to $15,000 CAD per four- or six-month internship, where interns will work collaboratively with their academic supervisor and partner organization on a research project. There is also a specific $20k per unit funding option for postdocs which replaces the former Mitacs Elevate program. 

The Mitacs Business Strategy Internship (BSI) program provides students with internship opportunities to apply business skills to real-world challenges faced by companies and not-for-profits. 

The award provides either $10,000 or $15,000 per intern to allow them to undertake a four-month internship project with a partner organization in Canada. 

The FIRST Jobs: TechBOOST Program connects Alberta post-secondary students and new graduates with paid internship roles at local tech small-to medium-sized businesses to build skills and experience. 

Offers post-secondary students and postdoctoral fellows the opportunity to observe healthcare professionals in a clinical or workplace setting to gain insight into healthcare careers.

Canada’s only national bilingual job board focused on careers in the biotechnology and life sciences sectors, connecting talent with employers across the country.

A federal initiative providing wage subsidies to employers to create quality summer work experiences for people aged 15–30.

Open Projects is a live dashboard of available Mitacs-funded research and innovation internship opportunities across Canada for undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral applicants. 

A national job board for exploring Government of Canada employment opportunities, including student, internship, and full-time roles across departments.    

Run by the Alberta Centre for Advanced Diagnostics, APEX Access program empowers the next generation of leaders in health diagnostics through targeted mentorship, hands-on training, and a national network designed to accelerate career growth and professional development. 
 

The APEX Access program from the Alberta Centre for Advanced Diagnostics offers a range of training and professional development opportunities tailored to students and early-career professionals in the life sciences. Through a series of focused workshops each year, participants gain practical skills in areas such as collaborative research, grant writing, and career navigation across academic and industry settings.

To learn about their latest workshops and events, follow the program on LinkedIn or subscribe to their newsletter via the website. 

Specialized training modules in fundamental biostatistics and pharmacometrics skills. Through a combination of on-demand lectures, guided assignments and live instructor Q&A sessions, participants gain hands-on experience with real-world tools and approaches used across research and applied life sciences environments.

The BioInnovation Scientist (BIS) Foundations Program, offered by CASTL (Canadian Alliance for Skills and Training in Life Sciences) and developed by adMare, helps early-career scientists transition into industry, focusing on industry context, networking , strategic mindset, and courses in therapeutics development and life sciences. 

The Canadian Alliance for Skills and Training in Life Science (CASTL) is the exclusive Canadian provider of award-winning courses from the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research & Training, covering all aspects of biopharmaceutical manufacturing. A combination of free and paid courses are available. 

A career-launching platform connecting life sciences talent with industry internships, mentorship, and training in regulatory, research, and pharma operations, focused on the Edmonton-based ecosystem.

Empower your future with REALISE, the Research, Education, And Leadership In NeuroSciencE program at the Hotchkiss Brain Institute. 

Designed to elevate your career trajectory, REALISE delivers dynamic training that builds professional skills and expertise in communication, innovation, leadership, technical skills, and neuroscience, plus targeted mentorship that links you to community and industry leaders for tailored guidance, networking, and a confident career transition.

Life Sciences Week is Alberta’s premier life science celebration held in September each year, featuring lab tours, innovation showcases, idea pitches, and industry-student engagement backed by Alberta Health and Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation (API).

During and after your degree, MyGradSkills is your source for academic support and career development. 

MyGradSkills connects you with workshops and resources to help you navigate grad school, internships, entrepreneurial training, and opportunities for personal growth to help you prepare for life after grad school.

NAT is a cross-sector innovation platform that connects researchers, companies, and healthcare systems to accelerate the development and deployment of health technologies.

Organized through the Canadian Universities & NeuroTech Network, this is a national micro-credential initiative offering online and hybrid training in neurotechnology, innovation, and commercialization through Canadian partner institutions.

Hosted by the University of Calgary, Tech Fest is a dynamic event that helps you connect with dozens of leading tech employers and find out about co-ops, internships, and careers.

The Centre for Career & Personal Development (CCPD) is here to help students have an outstanding student experience and to enhance their career and personal journey, with the goal to foster a collaborative and student-centred environment that promotes exploration, self-reflection, and skill development. Their Events page highlights events centred around building professional skills, networking with employers, and discovering career opportunities. 

The Graduate College is a community comprised of Graduate Scholars and Senior Scholars selected from all Faculties on campus, and strive to connect, enrich and energise the various communities they serve. The College will be expanding to serve the community of transdisciplinary scholars as well.

Hosted by Alumni at UCalgary, MentorLINC offers alumni and students the chance to build valuable relationships through guided mentorship, career conversations, and leadership development.

CIEE (Council on International Education Exchange) is a US Department of State-designated J-1 visa sponsor for paid placements in the U.S.A. Students who have identified potential internships who require J-1 visa sponsorship may be eligible to be supported by CIEE.

Offered in collaboration between Mitacs and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), this program provides Canadian undergraduate students the opportunity to participate in a three-month research project at a German institution. Research projects are supervised by German doctoral students. Available research fields include: biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering, earth science, physics.

The International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience (IAESTE) Canada platform lists the internship offers currently available to students at Canadian universities and colleges.

Supports former Globalink Research Interns pursuing graduate studies in Canada by providing funding and connections to Canadian institutions.

Alberta Innovates' Accelerating Innovations into CarE (AICE) program helps health technology innovators validate and integrate their solutions into Alberta's health system by funding collaborations with healthcare providers. 

The Alberta Catalyzer Velocity is a hybrid, 8-week program supporting early-stage tech startups across Alberta with developing a comprehensive go-to-market strategy, scaling, and attracting investments. 

Every year, the Amplitude Fellowship brings a number of outstanding fellows together for the summer so that they can connect with leaders from the Amplitude Ventures fund and biotech venture creation studio (Pre-Amp) to conduct a series of in-depth, one-month explorations to identify hypotheses for novel healthcare ventures. 

Amplitude fellows have comfort with scientific uncertainty and ambiguity of outcomes, a self-starter mentality, demonstrated leadership and communication skills, and are strong team players. An existing venture idea is not required to join the program. 

The Calgary Innovation Coalition (CIC) is a network of over 95 organizations serving as the Alberta Innovates' Regional Innovation Network for the Calgary Region. Their programs focus on connecting entrepreneurs to supports and facilitating collaborations with innovation organizations.

A competitive seed-stage program that supports scalable neurotechnology ventures with mentorship from scientists, investors, and entrepreneurs.

The CDL-Rockies Prime stream supports innovative science and technology ventures tackling some of the world’s toughest challenges with the potential for massive scale. Industry-agnostic and globally connected, Prime links ambitious founders with a world-class community of seasoned entrepreneurs, investors, and scientists who draw on deep domain expertise across multiple sectors.

ElevateIP Alberta provides access to opportunities to learn about IP through online educational modules, webinars, and collaborative engagement with Alberta’s Business Accelerators and Incubators (BAI) ecosystem.

The Student Entrepreneur National Competition is one of the largest national programs to focus solely on full-time post-secondary student entrepreneurs in Canada. It recognizes and rewards student entrepreneurs from across the country for their dedication and ambition, while offering support to ensure the success of their businesses.

Offered by Alberta Neuroscience, EntrepreNeuro is a free neuro-entrepreneurship course that equips neuroscience trainees with the tools, mentorship, and network needed to develop research-based ventures. 

Experience Ventures, powered by the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking at the University of Calgary, enables college and university students to make an impact alongside real-world innovators through entrepreneurial thinking placements. 

The program offers five different types of placements, in addition to a 40-hour, semester-based Solutions lab. 
These are structured, short-term opportunities (with honorarium) with a startup or social venture that has partnered with a student’s school. 

• 1-2 day Hackathons
• Multi-week Challenges
• Venture-specific Projects
• Student-in-Residence Incubator placements
• Interdisciplinary Team Projects

An academic certificate that teaches entrepreneurial and creative problem-solving skills, designed to be completed alongside any undergraduate degree, offered by the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking. 

An 8‑month experiential innovation curriculum with workshops, mentorship, and a $1,500 cash award for each unit and micro-credential, offered by the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking. 

A space and support program for UCalgary innovators to prototype, build, and test ideas with access to tools, training, and mentorship, offered by the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking. 

A 10-week hands-on program that guides aspiring entrepreneurs through the process of validating and building an early-stage venture, offered by the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking. 

A 10-week summer program supporting UCalgary-affiliated entrepreneurs in launching or scaling their ventures through funding, mentorship, and training, offered by the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking. 

Connects UCalgary-based innovators and entrepreneurs with seasoned advisors to receive guidance on business strategy, IP, investment, and commercialization.

Supports emerging UCalgary innovators in exploring the commercial potential of health, life sciences, and medical research projects.    

A mix of custom developed and curated online learning content to help those seeking a practical application of their technology.

Supports postdoctoral fellows in transforming life sciences innovations into commercial ventures through mentorship and entrepreneurial training.    

Supports UCalgary-affiliated startup founders with operational services and strategic support to help early-stage ventures scale.   

The i2I Skills Training is designed to help participants build a compelling plan to take their own research to impact while building a national network of peer-learning and expert mentoring. This is the first step in the i2I suite of programs.

Lab2Market (L2M) is a National suite of programs helping Canadian researchers foster innovation and commercial success through training, mentorship, and customer discovery. L2M’s four program streams – Discover, Validate, Launch, and Build – are offered throughout the year.

Accelerate Entrepreneur is a flexible initiative that helps start-ups better optimize their budgets, and provides financial support to pilot test, refine, and commercialize through internships valued at $15,000 each.

The National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) provides financial support and expert advice to help small and medium-sized businesses grow through innovation and R&D projects. This includes funding support for hiring young graduates. 

The Neurotech Entrepreneurship to Validate Emerging Innovations (NERVE) from the Ontario Brain Institute awards up to 5 Canada-base, early-stage entrepreneurs with $100,000 in non-dilutive funding and provides a full year of training opportunities, workshops, and mentorship to support growing neurotech companies.

Funds applied research projects that align with health system priorities and are co-led by Alberta Health Services to improve care and reduce costs.    

Nucleate Canada is a student-run life science venture accelerator, that connects scientific trainees with business students to build early-stage companies. The flagship Activator Program is a free venture-building support program for early stage, life sciences trainee entrepreneurs. 

A six-month incubator through Platform Calgary designed to help early-stage tech startups build traction, grow their business, and prepare for investment.

Located at UCalgary through the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking, SPARK is a 10-week innovation training program helping teams advance early-stage health technology solutions with mentorship, expert feedback, and commercialization guidance.

Startup TNT organizes local angel investors in Western Canada to invest in new and existing start-ups.

The Labs4 Technology Readiness Level-Up (TRL) Program offers training in commercialization and innovation, helping postsecondary entrepreneurs take their work to market. Participants receive a $10,000 stipend to support their full-time work during the program.

Workshops for students, researchers, faculty, founders, non-profit leaders or community members with a curiosity about social impact. Learn about how to connect with community, effectively share your ideas, and build your skills with other aspiring change-makers. 

UCeed funds, trains, mentors, and supports startup companies during the critical transitional stage between innovation demonstration and commercialization. 

UCeed has launched a series of funds focused on strategic priority areas for the university, Calgary, and Alberta - including Child Health, Health, Social Impact, Neuroscience, Energy, Engineering and Science. 

The Fellows Program is a strategic initiative designed to embed emerging postdoctoral leaders directly into high-impact, project-based work at the frontier of global innovation, offering a unique bridge between academic research and real-world systems change.

Provides multi-year funding to Alberta-based graduate students conducting research in emerging technology areas.

Branch Out offers a number of grants for students and researchers at Canadian universities working on innovative approaches to neurological disorders. 

Offered through the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking, this is an award for students who embody ingenuity and entrepreneurial thinking in their academic and personal pursuits.

The Hotchkiss Brain Institute Trainee Organization (HBITO) offers insight on funding opportunities available for graduate students and postdocs.

The Hopewell M.I.N.D. Prize (Maximizing Innovation in Neuroscience Discovery) is an annual, philanthropic-funded award to launch innovative, bold, high-impact brain and mental health research at the University of Calgary. The unique Prize offers up to $1 million per year to high-risk, high-reward research projects that have potential for significant community impact.

Supports graduate students conducting patient-oriented health research, with focus on training, career development and collaboration.

Provides undergraduate students with hands-on summer research experience under the supervision of UCalgary faculty in health-related fields.

APEX supports professional growth of undergraduate students through summer research awards, helping emerging professionals to pursue research and leadership roles in cutting-edge healthcare diagnostics technology development. 

Offers undergraduate students in Biomedical Engingeering (BME) the opportunity to gain hands-on research experience and explore biomedical innovation through summer research placements.

Offers funding, mentorship, and research opportunities for students interested in aging and older adult health through summer studentships, scholarships, and interdisciplinary initiatives.

Learn from on-campus experts about how research projects are developed and how your results can contribute to new knowledge and have an impact in the world.

Offers research studentships to support hands-on experience in health systems innovation, human factors, clinical trials, and digital health.