In collaboration with Mitacs, Lakehead’s Faculty of Business Administration is pleased to offer six Business Strategy Internships to returning Lakehead students, for Fall-Winter 2020-21.  Awards are in the amount of $10,000 for students to undertake a strategic project with a small or medium-sized company (SME) or not-for-profit organization. The partner organization and the Faculty of Business Administration will each contribute $2,500 toward the award.

Interns will undertake a strategic analysis of the SME to help them restore or modify their business operations in a new business environment disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Projects should be for 4 months (full-time) up to 6 months (part-time, total of 480 hours) in duration. Projects may begin as soon as approved by Mitacs, but must begin no later than August 31, 2020. 

Application and selection guidelines

Student Eligibility.  Full-time undergraduate and graduate students in the Faculty of Business who are returning to studies in Fall 2020 are eligible (including international students). Students must be registered during the award period. Students who are actively working on another Mitacs-funded project are not eligible.

Faculty and Partner Organization Supervisors. The student will have two supervisors, one at Lakehead and one at the partner organization. A Lakehead Faculty member (must be Tri-Council eligible) must agree to supervise the student research project. The participating organization will also appoint a supervisor. Both supervisors are expected to meet with the student at least once a week – meetings can be virtual.

Partner Organization.  Small-to-medium sized businesses (fewer than 500 employees) are eligible, as are not-for-profit organizations. Partner organizations will contribute $2,500 toward the award.

Projects.  Projects will be designed to address one or more business strategy components (i.e., marketing strategy, operations strategy, finance strategy, etc.) dependent on the need of the partner organization.

Because of safety measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic, students should propose projects that can be conducted remotely.  If the campus re-opens while the project is underway, the project can continue on campus, provided it can be safely conducted under the guidelines in place at that time. 

Program Coordinator:  Maryann Kleynendorst, Experiential Learning Navigator, Faculty of Business Administration, Tel: 807-628-4166, Email: [email protected].

If you would like to participate and have a research project idea:

  1. Download and review the Primer and the Toolkit.
  2. Contact a Faculty member who might be your supervisor, and discuss your project idea.
  3. Complete the preliminary application online at https://forms.gle/Yms7zqJDKcS15wjz8 and submit it by Monday, July 6, 2020.  If you have questions about completing the application, you can contact the Program Coordinator.
  4. The Faculty of Business will work to match student applicants with available projects. 
  5. If selected, you will then work with the Program Coordinator to complete and submit your application to Mitacs. Mitacs will give a decision on your application within 1-2 weeks.
  6. At the end of the project, you will be required to participate in an exit survey and prepare and deliver a final report and a presentation to the supervisor during the last week of the award period.

For Student Applicants:

 For interested SMEs / Partner Organizations:   https://forms.gle/QtmQvkgT2pK3kaDY8

CONTACT:

Maryann Kleynendorst

Experiential Learning Navigator

Faculty of Business Administration

Tel: 807-628-4166

Email: [email protected]


Source: Lakehead University