McGill ranked among the top three medical/doctoral research universities of the year
RE$EARCH Infosource Inc., a research, consulting, and publishing firm specializing in policy, research, business intelligence and analysis on science, technology, innovation in Canada, recently released Canada's Top 50 Research Universities List and the Research Universities of the Year (RUY) lists for 2023. McGill is among the three top Medical/Doctoral Research Universities of the Year, in second place behind the University of Toronto and ahead of McMaster University. Research Infosource Inc. is an independent research, consulting and publishing firm that focuses on Canadian research and development. It is known as a respected and leading source of ranking information on research universities, corporations, hospitals and colleges.
RE$EARCH Infosource has been producing the RUY ranking since 2003 but has in recent years changed the methodology substantially. Among the factors determining the rank is sponsored research income. Between 2018 and 2022, McGill’s sponsored research income increased by 23.4%, compared to Toronto’s increase of 20.7%. McGill’s research intensity per faculty ($382,500) also increased from the levels posted in 2018. McGill’s research intensity per graduate student is $69,800, which positions the university as 2nd in all Canadian universities.
Solving global challenges through research partnerships and challenges
Research Infosource has also released its annual digital and print publication, Canada's Innovation Leaders (CIL), which includes editorial content and analysis of Canada's leading research universities, corporations, hospitals and colleges that are enhancing Canada's global competitiveness in the knowledge economy. In her editorial entitled, “To accelerate research, the world needs international collaborations”, McGill’s Vice-President, Research and Innovation, argues that Canada must maintain robust research relationships across borders. “Amid geopolitical complexity, Canada must continue to recognize the enormous benefits of conducting collaborative research that transcends disciplines and national boundaries,” says Crago. “International research collaborations were essential in catalyzing the rapid response to COVID-19, and they remain critical to improving global health.”
“For the development of novel RNA therapeutics, collaboration is clearly essential, both to the progress of research and for the betterment of society,” she added. “This is the ethos of the McGill-led CFREF initiative, DNA to RNA (D2R): An Inclusive Canadian Approach to Genomic-based RNA Therapeutics, awarded $165M from the CFREF in 2023, and bolstered by $188M from industry, academic, government, community, and non-profit partners on four continents.”
Also highlighted in the issue is the Centre for Innovation in Energy Storage and Conversion at McGill University. Established in 2021, the McISCE brings together some 50 researchers and more than 150 graduate students – all exploring solutions related to large-scale energy storage, both for electricity grids and large industrial processes. Speaking to the innovative battery research being conducted at the Centre, Prof. Sylvain Coulombe, physical engineer and Director of McISCE, says, “Now that the electrification of transport is well under way, a huge amount of development work needs to be done in order to make batteries more efficient.”
Consult the Research Universities of the Year list: Research Infosource Inc. :: Top 50 Research Universities List
Read the 2023 Canada Innovation Leaders Publication: Research Infosource Inc. :: Overview