Research

Sustaining Research Excellence

Every great discovery or innovation begins with research. Whether it is basic investigation in the sciences or arts, or developing applied solutions to meet the needs of society, research is a central component of UBC’s mandate as a public university.

UBC ranks among the top 40 research-intensive universities in the world. This international reputation for excellence is founded on the amazing discoveries and inspired ideas of our researchers, and is supported by strategic efforts to promote funding success, research infrastructure, the recruitment and retention of talented faculty members, and knowledge mobilization.

Funding Success

UBC consistently ranks among the top three Canadian universities by research funding. This funding comes from a wide range of sources including competitive government grants, awards from non-profit foundations, and contracts with industry or government for prescribed research. In 2008-09, UBC earned more than $475 million in research funding from all sources (see detailed figures).

UBC researchers are awarded significant funding from Federal granting agencies through peer-reviewed competitions. These agencies include the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), and Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR). Their continued support makes possible much of the research at UBC.

In 2008-09, over 40% of UBC’s total research funding was awarded to health researchers based at UBC-affiliated hospitals and research institutes, who play a critical role in UBC’s extended research community.

Research Infrastructure

Infrastructure refers to the capital costs of conducting research, such as buildings, equipment and facilities. Since 1997, UBC has been awarded considerable infrastructure funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), a federally supported foundation that funds approved research infrastructure projects.

Since 1997, UBC research projects have received $406 million from CFI and $380 million in matching funds from the B.C. Knowledge Development Fund, an agency of the Government of British Columbia. These funds have supported a number of iconic UBC (and affiliated) facilities including the Museum of Anthropology, the Beaty Biodiversity Centre, and the BC Cancer Agency.

Research Talent

UBC supports a thriving community of talented research faculty and staff, and helps to advance their ideas, discoveries and innovations to our community and our society. This community includes over 12,000 faculty and staff members, 8,000 graduate students, and a growing number of undergraduates. Our researchers are based at the Vancouver and Okanagan campuses, as well as in affiliated hospitals and research institutes around the province.

Many new faculty members are drawn to UBC – and choose to stay here – because of UBC’s well supported and open-minded research environment. We encourage interdisciplinary collaboration and allow investigators the latitude to respond to emerging lines of inquiry or to ask fundamental questions about the world, while providing the infrastructure they require to pursue answers.

UBC is a highly visible supporter of interdisciplinary research through the Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies, Green College, and the College for Interdisciplinary Studies. Collaborations between faculties and departments are encouraged in order to break down traditional disciplinary boundaries and to promote discovery and innovation.

Knowledge Mobilization

Academic researchers publish books or journal articles in their fields of expertise that are cited in subsequent literature, and which serve to further new avenues of research. UBC research is consistently published in the most widely read academic journals in the world, including Science and Nature. UBC Press, the University’s publishing branch, is acknowledged as one of the foremost publishers of books in political science, Native studies, and forestry.

UBC is also among North America’s leading universities in the area of technology transfer. Many of our 130+ spin-off companies are based in British Columbia and have made a significant contribution to the provincial economy, as well as providing numerous societal benefits in the areas of health care and technology. The processes of commercialization and patenting at UBC are stewarded by the University-Industry Liaison Office.

International Activities

Internationally, UBC is focused on promoting collaborative research programs and exchange opportunities for graduate students and faculty members with peer institutions worldwide. We maintain a wide range of formal and informal agreements with universities around the world. UBC is also a founding member of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities and a member of the Universitas 21 international association.

For information about international exchange opportunities, please visit the Faculty of Graduate Studies, Go Global, or the Office of the Vice President Research & International.

To learn more about research in a specific area, please contact the relevant faculty, school or department.

The University of British Columbia