The IBET PhD Project

The IBET PhD Project was launched in January 2021 to increase Indigenous and Black representation in the academic world. IBET was created to address the atrociously low numbers of Indigenous and Black professors teaching in engineering across Canada, as there is a demonstrated need to create and support a talent pipeline for PhD students. Each university participating in the IBET PhD Project has committed to fund a minimum of 1 IBET Momentum Fellowship valued at $30k per year for four years. These prestigious fellowships will allow the recipients to pursue advanced degrees and undertake both traditional and/or non-traditional areas of research without incurring financial hardship. This fellowship acknowledges that our academic community is racialized, and that Indigenous and Black candidates’ areas of research and accomplishments have not been adequately recognized, supported, or rewarded due to systemic racism. This fellowship is intended to help build and support an equitable environment that is reflective of Canada’s population and reconcile the underrepresentation of Indigenous and Black scholars across Canadian universities. It is also essential to the IBET PhD Project to develop and nurture a robust mentorship ecosystem comprised of academic, industry, and community support. By supporting Indigenous and Black PhD candidates through defined mentoring programs (including youth outreach, access scholarships for undergraduate and graduate programs, online/in person networking, and IBET Momentum PhD Fellowships), we are building a community that respects, values, and promotes Indigenous and Black faculty as well as their research areas. Notably, Mitacs is contributing to the IBET PhD Project by offering work-integrated learning in the form of paid internships for IBET PhD Fellows. Visit our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCweZtsU9msrQKnslclnKrdg/featured