For only the second time, the University of Northern British Columbia
has been named one of Canada’s “Research Universities of the Year” in a
report that will be published in the National Post and the Ottawa
Citizen. UNBC is second among all small universities, up from its third
place showing last year.
The survey, produced by Research InfoSource Inc, is comprised of two main components:
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A listing of Canada’s top 50 research universities, presenting the
amount of sponsored research income each university received in the
2006-07 fiscal year. UNBC placed 37th overall.
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A scorecard that includes research funding received, the number of
faculty, and the success of faculty in having research results
published in academic journals. UNBC placed second in its category,
which is comprised of 17 small universities in Canada.
“UNBC performs at a level much higher than our size would suggest and
this is fundamental to our ability to attract the best faculty and
students,” says Interim UNBC President Charles Jago. “But there’s a
bigger story here. Between 2002 and 2007, UNBC saw the second-largest
rate of growth in research funding among ALL universities in Canada,
and tops among BC universities. This is an amazing success in a country
where research investment has been concentrated in the biggest cities.
Research is helping this region make the transition to a
knowledge-based economy and these results released today are
vindication for all of those founders and citizens who understand the
value of what a research university brings to this region.”
The results of the Research InfoSource analysis will be published in the National Post on Friday, November 7.
Click here for a preview of the results.
Earlier this year, UNBC surpassed the $100 million mark in research
funding received to date. In the 2007-08 fiscal year alone, the value
of research funding received was $17.7 million. Some of the
University’s research programs have explored aboriginal environmental
health, the genetic factors behind cancer and other diseases, the
mountain pine beetle, climate change, the provision of health services
in northern and rural communities, factors that affect quality of life,
and air quality.
Contact:
Rob van Adrichem, Director of Media and Public Relations, UNBC – 250.960.5622
