Strategic Areas of Development in Research
As the University of Ottawa continues to put the final touches on its Vision 2020 document, which will change our strategic areas of development in research the directions set out in Vision 2010 still apply.
In its strategic plan, Vision 2010, the University pledged to increase research activities, with an aim to place the University among Canada’s top research institutes. By achieving this, not only is the reputation and status of the University upheld, but we proudly fulfill the mandate to further knowledge and contribute to the common good.
Vision 2010 called upon the University to review and renew the strategic areas of development to include emerging fields - key areas that are critically and strategically important provincially, nationally and globally.
These areas are important to attract significant funding in the form of grants, contracts, donations and partnerships; to devote considerable resources to the training of students; and to disseminate knowledge widely within the academic community, to policy-makers as appropriate, and to the broader public.
Canada and the World
Given its bilingualism, its bijural tradition and its location in the nation’s capital, the University of Ottawa naturally places a high research priority on issues and themes pertaining to Canada, Canada’s place in the world, and its response to global challenges. Issues related to francophone communities in Canada, especially in Ontario, are an important priority for the University. These themes touch on the core endeavours of all faculties at the University:
- Human rights
- la Francophonie
- Sustainable environment
- Governance and public policy
- Official languages and bilingualism
- Bijuralism
Health
Health has long been an area of strength in research and education at the University of Ottawa. The themes reflect a multifaceted approach, encompassing research based on four pillars: biomedical, clinical, health systems and services, and population and public health. Traditionally focused in medicine and health sciences, the study of health is rapidly becoming a multidisciplinary pursuit, engaging business and legal expertise, the humanities and social sciences, as well as the natural sciences and engineering:
- Population Health
- Women’s health
- Health promotion and health care
- Neurosciences
- Cardiovascular sciences
- Regenerative medicine
e-Society
Over the past ten years, the University of Ottawa has developed significant strength in information and communication technology. These technologies enable innovation in many fields, such as health, scientific discovery, business, education, Internet law and the visual arts. Understanding the social, cultural and legal impacts of the evolution towards an e-society is an important theme within this area:
- Enabling technologies
- e-transactions
- Digital media and communications
- Safety and security
- Technology and society
Molecular Sciences
The convergence of technologies at the unit level (bits, atoms and genes) has the potential to generate important innovations in health, the treatment of diseases, and the environment, among other areas. At the same time, the ethical, legal and regulatory challenges posed by the power of these technologies are increasingly important, involving research in medicine, health sciences, science, business, law and the arts:
- Molecular and systems biology
- Biopharmaceuticals
- Catalysis and nanotechnology
- Environmental genomics
December 2005