Research Internships
A research internship at Mila means working in one of the world's leading artificial intelligence (AI) research institutes.
Eligibility Requirements
With a community of more than 1,400 members, Mila brings together some of the most influential researchers in the world in the field of artificial intelligence (AI).
A research internship at Mila is not just an opportunity for scientific advancement, but also a wonderful gateway to pursuing a master's or a PhD. The research internship aims to welcome students enrolled in a graduate program at their home university or institution who wish to conduct a portion of their research at Mila under the supervision of a professor from the institute.
This internship can be undertaken at any time of the year and must not exceed a duration of 12 months.
Students applying for a research internship at Mila must
- be registered in a graduate degree program in a university or institute (affiliated or not with Mila);
- include all the required documents in their request to ensure the validity of their application;
- be invited by a Mila faculty member to conduct the research in their lab;
- following the invitation, register for the research internship at the affiliated university of the Mila professor;
- not take full-time classes during the internship.
International Candidates
International trainees should check with Immigration and Citizenship Canada and the Canadian embassy in their country to find out whether they need a work permit for their research stay in Canada.
Important reminder
- It can take from 6 to 8 months to obtain a work permit.
- It is advisable to obtain confirmation that the work permit has been obtained before taking any steps to stay in Canada (buying plane tickets, renting accommodation, etc.).
Mila is not authorized to provide assistance in the process of applying for an entry permit to Canada. All questions concerning immigration procedures should be addressed to Immigration and Citizenship Canada.
Admission Process
Invitation from a Mila Professor
Once the application has been submitted, the professor/supervisor is responsible for selecting and sending invitations to potential interns to join their lab. Since internships can take place throughout the year, there is no set date or defined timeline for receiving an invitation. Selection and invitations depend on the needs of the lab and the availability of professors, which can vary according to current or upcoming research projects. This flexibility allows potential interns to receive invitations at different times of the year, depending on the opportunities available within Mila's research labs.
As an institution, Mila maintains affiliations with several universities across Quebec. For foreign students, or those from universities not affiliated with Mila, who wish to do an internship at Mila, it is necessary to register temporarily, as a research intern, at their professor’s affiliated university in order to fulfill the requirements of the internship.
This process enables students, regardless of their academic background, to access and benefit from the resources and opportunities offered by Mila by aligning themselves with the academic framework of their supervisor’s affiliated institution.
Required Documents
You will first need to create an account on the MyMila portal to access the application form and submit your request.
Make sure all your documents are ready before you start the application:
- An updated CV
- Letter of motivation
- Transcripts (official or unofficial if ongoing term not yet completed)
- Letter of recommendation (optional)
- An up-to-date list of publications
The first impression I got from Mila as a research intern was that the environment is very friendly and open to follow your interest and do research as well as it is equipped with the high quality resources.
Beheshteh T. Rakhshan, Former Research Intern, Université de Montréal