A national training initiative preparing trainees across Canada to leverage AI and automation to accelerate scientific discovery and materials innovations.
Artificial intelligence (AI), computational science, and automation are revolutionizing the way science is conducted. This revolution will be disruptive, increasing productivity and reshaping the labour force. If students in traditional science and engineering disciplines do not receive the interdisciplinary training required to leverage AI and automation to advance their research, they will be left behind, and Canada’s innovation economy will lag that of leading global competitors.
CREATE for Accelerated Discovery (AccelD) is a national training program that prepares trainees for a new era of accelerated scientific discovery, where artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and self‑driving laboratories (SDLs) fundamentally change how materials and molecules are designed, made, and tested.
The program brings together trainees from across disciplines and institutions to build technical expertise, professional skills, and interdisciplinary perspectives needed for careers in academia, industry, government, and emerging innovation ecosystems.
Benefits for Participants
AccelD equips participants with the skills, perspectives, and professional networks needed to contribute and lead within research environments shaped by AI, automation, and accelerated discovery.
Participants join a national training network spanning multiple universities, creating opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration and community building across institutions and sectors.
Learning experiences may include workshops, short courses, and activities focused on:
- self‑driving lab concepts and AI‑enabled discovery workflows
- responsible discovery and values‑based research frameworks
- environmental and social sustainability, including lifecycle considerations
- inclusive leadership for diverse and collaborative teams
- science communication and creative approaches to knowledge mobilization
- innovation management and entrepreneurship
In addition, participants may be eligible for:
- mobility experiences with academic, industry, or other sector partners
- co‑curricular recognition on the University of Toronto’s Co‑Curricular Record (where applicable)
Participation in AccelD is possible with or without stipend support, depending on eligibility and availability.
Program Training Objectives
AccelD prepares highly qualified personnel to contribute to and lead in research environments shaped by artificial intelligence, automation, and data‑driven discovery. The program’s training objectives focus on building technical, ethical, and leadership capacities that support accelerated discovery.
Objective 1: Accelerated Discovery
Traditional training often lacks exposure to the integration of AI, automation, and experimental science. AccelDaddresses this gap by exposing participants to research and training activities that link scientific discovery with AI‑and automation‑enabled approaches, helping trainees understand how accelerated methodologies can transform research across disciplines.
Objective 2: Responsible Discovery
As discovery accelerates, it is essential to consider the social, environmental, and economic impacts of research outcomes. AccelD integrates responsible discovery into its training, supporting trainees to consider sustainability, ethics, and broader impacts across the discovery lifecycle.
Objective 3: Leadership and Knowledge Mobilization
Advancing accelerated discovery requires more than technical skills. AccelD supports the development of leadership, communication, and knowledge‑mobilization capabilities so trainees are prepared to support the adoption and integration of accelerated discovery approaches across academic, industrial, and public‑sector contexts.
The program emphasizes value‑added training that complements disciplinary research and supports trainees at different stages of their academic and professional development.
The Four Pillars of Accelerated Discovery
AccelD is designed around a four‑pillar accelerated discovery research framework that reflects how modern scientific discovery can be approached as an integrated, end‑to‑end process.
Program participants are involved in research that addresses challenges across one or more of these pillars, depending on their background, research focus, and stage of training. Together, these pillars support a holistic approach to accelerated, responsible scientific discovery.
Design
The Design pillar focuses on using computational tools, data‑driven methods, and artificial intelligence to propose new materials, molecules, and experimental strategies. Research in this pillar includes model development, hypothesis generation, and responsible use of AI to guide discovery.
Make
The Make pillar addresses how designs are realized experimentally. This includes research related to synthesis workflows, experimental automation, robotics, and scalable or reproducible approaches to creating materials and molecules.
Test
The Test pillar focuses on characterization, measurement, and data generation. Research in this pillar includes high‑throughput experimentation, analytical methods, data quality, and integrating experimental results into iterative discovery workflows.
Functional Materials
The Functional Materials pillar connects discovery workflows to application spaces and real‑world challenges. Research in this pillar explores how accelerated discovery can be applied to areas such as sustainability, energy, health, and advanced materials, while considering broader societal, ethical, and environmental contexts.
Eligibility & Application
Eligible Trainees
Applications are welcome from undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows registered or affiliated with one of the following participating institutions:
- University of Toronto
- Université de Montréal
- University of British Columbia
- University of New Brunswick
- McMaster University
Applicants may come from Natural Sciences and Engineering (NSE) disciplines as well as non‑NSE disciplines that meaningfully contribute to accelerated discovery (e.g., data science, automation, policy, ethics, business, or design).
Graduate students and postdoctoral fellows must be supervised by a Full or Affiliate Member of the Acceleration Consortium at a participating institution listed above. Undergraduate students do not require an Acceleration Consortium‑affiliated supervisor to participate.
CREATE Studentships & Fellowships
Trainees may participate in the AccelD program with or without applying for a program stipend. Graduate students and postdoctoral fellows may apply for a studentship or fellowship through the AccelD CREATE program to provide stipend support of up to $15,000 per year for up to two years. Stipend support is competitive, limited, and subject to institutional allocations.
Trainees holding a Mitacs Elevate Fellowship are not eligible for AccelD stipend support.
How to Apply
Applications for 2026 are now open for a September 2026 program intake. The application deadline is July 7, 2026.
We encourage all trainees affiliated with the Acceleration Consortium to participate in the AccelD training program. To be eligible to participate in AccelD activities, with or without a stipend, you must complete an application form.