I am pleased to share with you the University of Alberta’s first-ever annual report on research and innovation.
One year ago, we launched both Shape: A Strategic Plan of Impact and Forward with Purpose: A Strategic Plan for Research and Innovation. Together with Braiding Past, Present and Future: the University of Alberta Indigenous Strategic Plan, these plans have set us on a trajectory to be known as a university of transformational impact by 2030.
Since the launch of these long-term strategies, we’ve achieved some exciting early results:
- $597 M total research revenue (5th in Canada)
- $68 M industry-sponsored research revenue
- 6th globally for sustainability impact in Times Higher Education
- 109 Canada Research Chairs (5th in Canada)
- 36 patents issued
A story of impact
However, these numbers don’t present the full picture, and the report also showcases stories from across the university community. Focused within each of our three areas of global excellence and three areas of growth, the report demonstrates some of the reasons the U of A is known as a leader in research and innovation and partner of choice for collaborators seeking to address the most pressing challenges of our time.
And there have been many exciting steps forward. U of A researchers continue to advance Alberta’s place as a top destination for energy research and innovation, to explore the technical and societal implications of artificial intelligence and to prepare Canada for the next pandemic. Teams from the U of A are also helping to revitalize Indigenous languages, boost crop yields and restore African philosophy that has been eroded by colonization.
These projects – and so many more that we did not have space to feature – all contribute to the U of A’s leadership in research and innovation, including within our areas of global excellence and growth.
Areas of Global Excellence
- Energy & Environment: #2 in Canada & #20 globally for Environmental Science and Engineering (ARWU)
- Artificial Intelligence: #1 in Canada for Artificial Intelligence (US News)
- Health & Well-Being: #5 in Canada for Life Sciences and Medicine (QS)
Areas of Growth
- Indigenous Research: 1st and only Faculty of Native Studies in North America
- Agriculture & Food: #2 in Canada and #37 globally for Agriculture Sciences (US News)
- Social Transformations: #1 in North America and #6 globally for progress toward UN Sustainable Development Goals (THE)
Centred in collaboration
People sit at the heart of these successes. The U of A is a place where diverse and unique individuals bring together their expertise and perspectives in service of a larger vision for the world. Working together in an interconnected and multidisciplinary network, researchers, students, staff, industry partners, public sector collaborators, and community members drive new knowledge and innovations that address the grand challenges of our time.
As I read through the stories we selected for this year, I am inspired by the commitment, dedication and brilliance of our teams and individual contributors. I hope you will read them with the same sense of pride. These successes are all of our successes, and I invite you to share them widely with your colleagues and contacts.
Looking toward the future as we continue to grow our place as a university with transformational impact, we know that collaboration will be key to unlocking new possibilities.
Our door is open. Our eyes are on the future. We are ready to move Forward with Purpose.