Striving for excellence
U of O makes it into top 10 in national research rankings
THE UNIVERSITY OF Ottawa has recently been honoured as one of the top 10 research universities in Canada by Research Infosource Inc. The U of O was ranked eighth in the nation and has improved its ranking since 2007, when the university placed tenth.
The U of O has invested many resources in research development, and in particular has increased financial support to an impressive $245 million for 2008. Main areas of research at the U of O include Canada and the world, health, e-society, and molecular science. The U of O currently has 676 research laboratories and 275 teaching laboratories for research purposes.
“It all comes down to innovation and beginning to explore real problems with real answers,” said Edward Lemaire, an associate professor in the Faculty of Medicine. “I know from personal experience that we have so much expertise [at the U of O].”
Lemaire is currently involved in research that focuses on improving life for people with disabilities. Specifically, Lemaire is investigating the biomechanics of how people in wheelchairs use ramps in winter conditions, in order to analyze, select, and make decisions on how to improve devices. He is looking to program smart phones to analyze mobility in the future.
“We are really working on relevant things because we have the direct link between the university, the academics, the basic research, and the applied [research]. These collaborations between the clinical, engineering, computer science, and human kinetics [departments pull] it all together to answer complex problems. It is hard for any one industry to do such a thing,” explained Lemaire.
Research at the U of O is not limited just to full-time professors and post-graduate students, as Lemaire points out. There are numerous opportunities available for all students to contribute to research.
U of O chemistry professor Christian Detellier, who is currently conducting research on mechanisms of molecular recognition, the organization of supramolecular assembly, and their applications, also believes that research is an important aspect of learning.
“Students are core to the research enterprise. If research is done at the university it is for the purpose of training students on front-line projects,” he explained.
Making the top five on the list of Canada’s top research universities is listed as one of the goals in the University of Ottawa’s strategic plan, Vision 2010. The U of O already ranks third in the province for research universities, closely trailing the University of Toronto and McMaster University.
