Brock University is among the top 10 universities across Canada that have seen the greatest increases in research funding over the past year, says a national company that tracks the country’s research and development performance.
And, Brock University is among the nation’s top 50 research universities, according to a report released today by Research Infosource Inc.
Brock ranked 9th place on the Top 10 Universities by Growth, having seen a 13 per cent increase in the dollar figure of government and private research grants received last year, reports Canada’s Top 50 Research Universities List.
“That is in comparison with a 1.1 per cent national increase, so Brock has done extremely well this year,” Ron Freedman, CEO of Research Infosource Inc., tells The Brock News. “The rate of increase at Brock was just about double the Ontario average.”
He adds that, overall, Brock’s research intensity went up 11 per cent over last year. “Research intensity” is described as research income per full-time faculty member.
“This notable increase in our funding reflects the hard work of our researchers, students and staff to push the boundaries of knowledge,” says Gary Libben, Vice President, Research.
“We continue to relentlessly pursue investigations that will benefit our community and the world around us,” he says. “Today’s recognition strengthens our position as a research-intensive institution.”
It’s been a year of good news from granting agencies. For example, the success rate for researchers already holding a grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) was 82 per cent, higher than the national average.
And, with this year’s Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) results, Brock saw more than a three-fold increase in last year’s funding.
Research Infosource publishes its annual publication Canada’s Innovation Leaders (CIL) 2014, celebrating research and innovation leaders. Canada’s Top 50 Research Universities List is part of that publication. Brock University ranks 41 out of 50 overall on that list.
“Research in general – and university research in particular – form the foundation for tomorrow’s economy, new ideas, new products and in particular, newly-trained personnel,” says Research Infosource CEO Freedman. “It’s great to see institutions like Brock doing well in the national rankings.”
