Source: University of Lethbridge
http://www.uleth.ca/notice/display.html?b=4&s=6604 Research Infosource Rewards U of L With Increase in RankingOctober 24, 2006 The University of Lethbridge is the only Alberta University in a recent ‘Top-three’ national ranking of research institutions. Toronto-based Research Infosource Inc. released their rankings of the top 50 Research Universities in Canada, and placed the U of L in 3rd place in the Undergraduate category, along with Lakehead University (1) and the Royal Military College of Canada (2). Overall, the U of L placed 35th, up from 39th the year previous, and now sits solidly in the middle third of the ranked institutions. The U of L also scored a fifth-pace finish in research income growth, with a reported $12 million in research funding in 2006 – an increase of almost 30 per cent or an average of $43,000 per full-time faculty member. "We are developing clusters of research excellence in a number of areas, and the large increase in our overall ranking reflects the investments we are making in people and resources," said Dr. Dennis Fitzpatrick, the U of L’s Vice-President, Research. "Our Research Services staff and all our researchers have worked very hard to bring in new funding, manage our existing funding, and look for interesting opportunities to help us grow, and this ranking is a direct reflection of their hard work." Fitzpatrick added that in the future, as a new fMRI facility is commissioned in the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, a Water and Environmental Science building is completed and work on other projects begins, significant expansion possibilities are on the horizon. "New space provides new opportunities, and we are confident that once these additional projects are underway – or additional space becomes available -- we can only grow." Complete information from Research Infosource is below. A web link is available here : http://www.researchinfosource.com For more information on the University of Lethbridge Research Services office, please visit their website: http://www.uleth.ca/rch/ +++ Statement about Undergraduate Research at the University of Lethbridge submitted to the Calgary herald as a Letter to the Editor in early October. This letter is in response to the "Advancing education: Making Mount Royal, MacEwan universities will help fill need" editorial published in the Calgary Herald on Thursday, Oct. 12, 2006. Thank you for referring to the University of Lethbridge and its success in establishing a reputation as an outstanding teaching institution. Students are the focus of everything we do at the University of Lethbridge, and we indeed pride ourselves on teaching excellence. But we also pride ourselves on being a world-class research institution. The University of Lethbridge promotes research at the highest level and quality. Since 2000, our research funding has more than tripled, and in 2005/2006 it reached $12,848,000. We have developed centres of research excellence across our Faculties and Schools. We are home to the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, the only research facility of its kind in Canada; the Alberta Terrestrial Imaging Centre, which brings world-class satellite imagery to the province; and a $1 million Community-University Research Alliances (CURA) project, which is preserving the history and cultural heritage of the Blackfoot Confederacy in Alberta and Montana. We have taken a leadership position in water research because of its strategic importance to the economy and our quality of life. We are the Canadian site for the United Nations Water for Life program, and we are a key player in several water research programs including the Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Water Research and the Water Institute for Semi-Arid Ecosystems. We also ensure that we include our students – especially at the undergraduate level – in research. Every day, U of L students work with world-renowned professors and make important contributions in research and discovery. At the University of Lethbridge, we are committed to providing our students with the most vital and engaging learning environment in the country. We accomplish this through superior teaching, creative achievement and, equally important, research. Sincerely, William H. Cade, PhD
President and Vice-Chancellor
Professor of Biological Sciences
University of Lethbridge +++++ Research Infosource Media Release – October 24, 2006 Three Alberta Universities on Canada's Top 50 Research Universities List 2006 University of Lethbridge 3rd in "Research University of the Year" Undergrad Category Toronto- October 24, 2006 -Three Alberta universities are on Canada's Top 50 Research Universities List 2006, released today by Research Infosource Inc. Together they took in $681.1 million in sponsored research income in fiscal 2005, up 9.6% over last year. Total sponsored research income, for Canada's Top 50 Research Universities, which includes government as well as non-government sources, was $5.2 billion in fiscal 2005, a modest increase of 3.2%. This was the smallest increase in 6 years. From fiscal 2000 to 2004, annual increases were in the double digits, 23.9%, 22.7%, 12.1%, 12.6% and 17.7%, respectively. Ranking Alberta's universities: #4 University of Alberta up one spot from 5th posting a 10.2% increase in sponsored research income in fiscal 2005 to $396.9 million. #7 University of Calgary holds on to 7th position with an 8% growth in sponsored research income to $271.5 million. #35 University of Lethbridge moves up from 39th spot with an impressive 29% increase in sponsored research income to $12.7 million. This puts them in 5th position on the list of universities ranked by research income growth. They also came in 3rd in the undergraduate category for Research Infosource's Research University of the Year. "Congratulations to Alberta's universities", says Ron Freedman, CEO of Research Infosource Inc. "They continue to post increases in research income growth above the national average." For the regional picture, in fiscal 2005, B.C.'s four universities took in $498.7 million in sponsored research income, an increase of 2.4% over 2004 for 10% of the overall total. Alberta's three institutions took in $681.1 million, up 9.6% over last year for 13% of the total. Saskatchewan's 2 universities posted a 3.5% increase in sponsored research income with $135.4 million for 3% of the total. Manitoba, also with two institutions on the list attracted $151.1 million, a 15.9% increase for 3% of the total. Ontario's 17 universities took in $2.1 billion, an increase of 12.3%, representing 41% of the total. Québec was the only province to record a decrease. Its 13 universities posted $1.4 billion in sponsored research income, down 12.6%. New Brunswick's two institutions posted $46.8 million, up 10.7%, PEI with its one university having received $9.7 million, up 7.3%, Nova Scotia's five institutions took in $129.4 million, up 11.9% and Newfoundland with one university posted $61.5 million in sponsored research income, up 22.2%. The University of Toronto, University of Waterloo and Lakehead University earned Research Infosource's "Research University of the Year" designation in their respective categories. In the medical/doctoral category: University of Toronto came first with 99.5 points out of possible 100. McGill University was second with 95.7 points and McMaster was third with 92.8. The University of Waterloo was top in the comprehensive category with 76 points, University of Guelph came second with 72.8 and the University of Victoria rounded out this category in third place with 72.3 points. In the undergraduate category, Lakehead University came first with 47 points. Royal Military College of Canada was second with 42.7points and University of Lethbridge was third with 36.5 points. Half the points are awarded on the basis of financial indicators and the other half on publication indicators. The University of Toronto remained in top position on Canada's Top 50 Research Universities List 2006 with $708.6 million in sponsored research income in fiscal 2005, up 13.6% from last year. The Université de Montréal moved in 2nd position from 3rd last year with $429.3 million which represents a slight drop of 3.8% from last year. McGill University drops one position to 3rd with $423 million, a decline of 22.2% and the University of Alberta moves up one spot from 5th to 4th with $396.9 million, up 10.2%. The University of British Columbia is in 5th position, down one from last year with $359.5 million in sponsored research income, a slight 1% drop over last year. McMaster University is 6th, up two spots with $345 million in income, an impressive increase of 40.1%. The University of Calgary holds on to 7th spot with $271.5 million in sponsored research income, up 8%. The University of Ottawa moves from 10th place to 8th posting $238.4 million in sponsored research income, an increase of 25.2%. Université Laval drops from 6th to 9th with a 17.4% decline in sponsored research income. The University of Western Ontario rounds out the top 10. It moved from 9th spot to 10th with $179.9 million in sponsored research income, a drop of 5.9%. Canada's Top 50 Research Universities 2006 and Research Universities of the Year 2006 and analysis are available on the Research Infosource website, http://www.researchinfosource.com. The data were obtained from Statistics Canada and the Research Infosource Canadian University R&D database. An in-depth Canada's Top Research Universities Report 2006, based on 70 universities is slated for publication later this year. Research Infosource Inc., a division of The Impact Group, is Canada's source of R&D intelligence. Drawing from an extensive database, Research Infosource Inc. publishes Canada's Top 100 Corporate R&D Spenders List, Canada's Top 50 Research Universities List, and specialized reports. -- 30 -- Research Infosource contacts: Ron Freedman, CEO, Research Infosource Inc. (416) 481-7070 ext. 31
Janet Sandor, Director of Communications (416) 481-7070 ext. 25 -- U of L Communications and Public Relations Contact:
Bob Cooney, Communications and PR Officer (403) 382-7173
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