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UNBC makes another list of Canada’s Top Universities

The university was recognized for gains made in research funding
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UNBC is one of Canada's Top 50 Research Universities (via UNBC).

UNBC has made another list of top universities in Canada; this time it's all about research. 

The university has been rising up the rankings in a list of Canada’s Top 50 Research Universities, as UNBC was recognized for making significant gains in research funding.

The rankings are released by Research Infosource, a publication that specializes in research data and highlights research activity within Canadian universities.

UNBC’s research funding for Fiscal 2017 increased by 29.8 per cent, from $7.6 million to $9.9 million, which was the second-largest growth in research income for a primarily undergraduate university. The funding is based on grants, contributions or contracts from external sources.

This percentage in growth outperforms the national trend and has boosted UNBC’s ranking up three spots from 48 to 45 on the Top 50 Research Universities List.

UNBC also recently surpassed its $15 million fundraising goal, raising a grand total of $21.4 million which the university says will support its stature as one of Canada’s best small research-intensive universities.

“This is another example of the commitment by the research community here at UNBC to strive for excellence in their fields,” says UNBC President Dan Weeks in a press release. “My thanks and congratulations to the researchers, support staff and students for continuing to push the boundaries of what is possible at one of Canada’s best small research universities.”

unbc photo(via UNBC Communications)
Research underway at UNBC has potential provincial, national, and even global impacts.

Some of the notable projects over the past year include UNBC’s partnership with Vancouver Island University for the Hakai Cryosphere Node which studies the role of snowfall and glaciers play in the hydrology of key watersheds along B.C.’s central and southern coast.

Dr. Chris Opio and graduate student Chandehl Morgan are also researching harvesting Moringa tree root bark to grind into a powder for use as a potential water treatment in at-risk communities such as rural First Nations in northern B.C. This research also has the potential to impact rural and at-risk communities around the world.

UNBC along with TeejLab Inc. has established a Centre for Excellence in Data Privacy, Security, and Integrity. The centre has a mission to enhance collaboration opportunities for the research community at UNBC with the goal to build commercial solutions that allow businesses to create various data-driven software and services in a more secure and compliant way.

“The past few years have been incredibly productive for research at UNBC, meaning UNBC is entering a significant moment in its history,” says Geoff Payne, UNBC’s Vice President of Research and Graduate Programs, in the press release.

“None of these achievements in research would have been possible without our students, faculty, staff, and many champions and supporters of UNBC, in addition to UNBC’s commitment to being a driving force in the academic research field.”

Previously, UNBC has fared well in Maclean's annual university rankings.