UCalgary No. 6 in Canada’s Top 50 Research Universities rankings

The University of Calgary ranked sixth among Canada’s top research universities in Re$earch Infosource Inc.’s latest Top 50 Research Universities list released on Dec. 8, 2020. 

UCalgary’s sixth-place rank among Canadian universities is based on the $487.8 million of sponsored research income generated in 2018-19. This is an increase of 15.7 per cent from the $421.8 million of sponsored research income generated in 2017-18. 

“These research dollars contribute to many opportunities for students, including jobs for our undergraduate students, and research stipends for our grad students. It also funds course-based and individual research projects that enhance the student experience,”  says UCalgary President Ed MCCauley. 

Our research performance also translates into research-based experiential learning opportunities that help our students develop essential skills and enhance their capacity for creativity, innovation, and discovery.

Re$earch Infosource Inc. places Canadian universities into one of four tiers (i.e., medical, comprehensive, undergraduate, and specialized) and then ranks their performance based on the total amount of sponsored research income they generate. This includes all funds to support research received in the form of a grant, contribution or contract from all sources external to the institution.

The gap between UCalgary’s sixth-place performance ($487.8 million) and that of its closest top-five peer ($506.3 million) shrank to just $18.5 million or 3.7 per cent in this latest ranking.

In addition to ranking sixth among Canada’s top universities, UCalgary  ranked at the top or squarely among them for its performance on the two research intensity measures — ranking in first place on research intensity per graduate student measure and fourth place for research intensity of its academic staff.

“Our performance on the Top 50 Research Universities 2020 ranking provides direct evidence that UCalgary is growing its research capacity by focusing on solutions that are beneficial to Canadians,” says Dr. William Ghali, vice-president (research). “Our research community consistently demonstrates excellence, leadership, and transdisciplinary collaboration, which is evident in our increased sponsored research income.”