Strategic Areas of Development in Research
In its strategic plan the University pledges to increase research activities, with an aim to place the University among the top five Canadian universities in research intensity. By achieving this, not only will the reputation and status of the University be upheld, but we will proudly fulfill the mandate to further knowledge and contribute to the common good.
The University of Ottawa will invest further in our strategic areas of development, while nurturing the University’s emerging areas of excellence -- 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, “Canada’s University” naturally places a high research priority on issues and themes pertaining to Canada, Canada’s role 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. Included in this area is a broad array of pressing cultural, social and ethical issues, alongside those pertaining to politics and policy. These themes touch on the core endeavours of all faculties at the University:
- Human rights
- la Francophonie
- 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 care
- Neurosciences
- Cardiovascular sciences
- Regenerative medicine
- System biology
- Biopharmaceuticals
e-Society
Over the past 15 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 and Environmental Sciences
The convergence of technologies at the unit level (bits, atoms and genes) has the potential to generate important innovations not only in the treatment of diseases but also to impact the environment through the development of new green processes that will support both economic prosperity and environmental sustainability, among other. Measuring trace substances and understanding the mechanisms by which contaminants alter the environment and human health is also an important aspect of this cluster. At the same time, the ethical, legal and regulatory challenges posed by the power of new technologies need to be addressed in a multidisciplinary approach, involving research in engineering and sciences as well as business, law, humanities and social sciences.
- Catalysis and nanotechnology
- Environmental genomics
- Sustainable Environment
- Renewable Energy
November 2011