Co. Innovation Centre - St. John's, NL

Mitacs: From Academia to Field
2026-05-14 09:00 - 11:00 (America/St_Johns)
Mitacs can help solve challenges in Defence, Mining, Energy, and Oceans. Stop by COIC on May 14th to discover more.
Mitacs joins COIC to chat about all things related to their program offerings. Dipesh and Heidi will provide an overview of Mitacs programs that help businesses access top-tier research talent, secure funding, and accelerate innovation through industry-academic collaboration. Attendees will learn how to advance R&D projects, reduce risk, and build long-term innovation capacity, along with a clear understanding of program structures, eligibility, and how to get started.
ABOUT MITACS
For over 25 years, Mitacs has connected industry, academia, and global partners to address real-world challenges and build a stronger innovation economy. We support business–academic collaboration through co-funded research internships that provide organizations with access to highly skilled students and postdoctoral fellows.
By enhancing research capacity, de-risking R&D, and supporting commercialization, Mitacs helps businesses turn ideas into market-ready solutions. Our talent-first approach enables organizations to innovate faster, grow strategically, and compete on a global scale.

MEET THE SPEAKERS
Heidi Crummell: Heidi is a Mitacs Advisor for Newfoundland and Labrador. In her role, she supports collaborative research partnerships between industry and post-secondary institutions, helping organizations connect with academic expertise and applied research talent to advance their innovation goals. Prior to joining Mitacs, Heidi worked across innovation, entrepreneurship, and policy environments, supporting business development and startup initiatives, as well as contributing to roles within government. She has also worked in academia supporting teaching and applied learning in business and technology innovation. Heidi holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Memorial University of Newfoundland and a Master of Business Administration from the University of New Brunswick.
Dipesh Maharjan: Dipesh is the second Mitacs Advisor for NL and comes with a background in mechanical engineering and project management. As a licensed professional engineer with PEGNL and a former Mitacs intern himself, he strives to create similar internship opportunities for students wanting to pursue graduate and undergraduate studies in the province. In his role as the Mitacs Advisor, he works closely with the community and industry partners in the province, helping them build collaborative projects with academic researchers at MUN and CNA by leveraging Mitacs programs and available funding opportunities.
