Our research strengths enhance our academic mission

The University of Guelph has earned the distinction of being named Canada’s top comprehensive research university. We are proud of this accolade because it represents an independent assessment of our efforts to pursue an aggressive research agenda.

The research survey published by the National Post considers factors such as financial support for research, publications and the magnitude of work. Indeed, these are important indicators of quality, and Guelph’s researchers and students are engaged in groundbreaking work across a wide spectrum.

But why do we pursue research, and what will keep us on the cutting edge?

One of the unique features of research at the University of Guelph lies in our roots. We have always been an institution with a focus on the application of research results. Since our early days, we have focused on research questions that attempt to solve important social, cultural and scientific problems — and we continue to do so. In fact, we have a moral responsibility to be engaged in understanding many of the challenging issues that face the world and in leading the way to find cures or solutions that are critical for the health and wealth of Canada and beyond.

Some of the most complex issues facing society today are those associated with human, animal and environmental health, and Guelph is uniquely placed to attract the best faculty and earn research grants to help them answer the most fundamental questions in these areas. When 70 per cent of all emerging diseases affecting humans across the world come from animals, when much of the environmental degradation can and must be avoided, when we have national commitments to meet under the Kyoto Protocol for environmental and human health, it is essential that we have an integrated and interdisciplinary team to be able to carry out this important work.

To do this, we need the facilities and technologies that will allow our researchers to explore the frontiers of knowledge. We are building a new science complex and planning a major redevelopment of facilities at the Ontario Veterinary College to enhance our traditional research strengths in the life sciences and stimulate the sharing of ideas.

Blending the physical and biological sciences, for example, may lead to new bioproducts for the efficient and effective use of natural resources. Combining our knowledge of food production, animal health and environmental issues could produce advances in critical areas that have a direct impact on our health and well-being, such as the diagnosis and prevention of disease, the development of precisely targeted pharmaceuticals and the identification of toxins in the environment.

The University has developed a strategic research plan that guides our participation in major research initiatives such as those supported by the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the Canada Research Chairs program. This plan articulates those flagship areas where Guelph’s research strengths are internationally recognized, including our long-term partnership with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, but it also acknowledges that the value of our research and scholarship to society emerges from all areas of our campus and is actively encouraged.

Our research-intensive programs also have a direct impact on our academic mission through the training of graduate students and through the creation of undergraduate opportunities to learn about and share in the excitement of research.

The provost and I recently launched an integrated planning process for the University. One of the central components of this planning process will be the importance of scholarship as an essential part of the University’s core mission and the value of integrating research and teaching. My hope is that we emerge from this process with renewed commitment to scholarship and future researchers, guided by the underlying principle that the knowledge produced will benefit this nation and the world.

That is what being a No. 1 research university is all about.
Alastair Summerlee, President

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