UOIT named to list of Canada's top 50 research universities

Research-intensive university earns national recognition five years after inception

The University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) is celebrating another tremendous milestone this week, following the announcement that it has been named one of the top 50 research universities in the country by Research Infosource Inc., Canada's leading provider of research intelligence for business and higher education.

With a market-driven research mandate that is focused on areas of national and provincial priorities, UOIT is the youngest academic institution to be named to the prestigious Canada Top 50 Research Universities List for 2008, a remarkable accomplishment for a university just five short years into its history.

The national list, which is released each fall, ranks universities based on gross research income, as reported by Canadian Association of University Business Officers (CAUBO), and research intensity, as determined by research funding per full-time faculty. UOIT ranked 48^thin total research income and number 32 in research intensity.

"We are very proud of this achievement in such a short time period," said Dr. Kamiel Gabriel, associate provost, Research at UOIT. "This is a reflection of our commitment to our founding principles to pursue the highest level of research nationally and internationally. This is an outstanding achievement and an excellent reflection of the quality of our faculty and researchers."

This impressive achievement joins a growing list of research accomplishments for UOIT, which as of the end of the 2007-2008 fiscal year, has received funding in excess of $18.2 million since its inception in 2003. With 108 core faculty members actively engaged in research, the university has created an infrastructure that resulted in an over 27-fold increase in research over the last five years. UOIT faculty members hold prestigious Canada Research Chairs in the areas of Aquatic Toxicology, Advanced Energy Systems, Health Informatics and Decomposition Chemistry, while a fifth chair has been recently confirmed with more details to come in the near future.

Moving forward, UOIT plans to build on its strong foundation by directly aligning its research agenda with federal and provincial research and innovation priorities in the areas of science and technology, climate change, health and the digital universe. Recently, UOIT's Academic Council approved a new five-year Strategic Research Plan focusing on five key research themes: Community and Social Wellness; Sustainable Energy; Applied Bioscience; Automotive, Materials and Manufacturing; and Information and Communication. All five are supported by funding from several federal and provincial granting agencies and foundations as well as private partnerships with organizations located in Durham Region and beyond.

"Our five-year Strategic Research Plan builds on this strong foundation and our many successes to date," said Dr. Gabriel. "One of our key success factors is our laser-sharp focus on investing our resources in research areas that contribute to the advancement of the economy and social wellness of our region, the province and the country."

For more information on the Canada Top 50 Research Universities List 2008, please visit www.researchinfosource.com.

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