Research income at Canada's Top 50 Research Universities recovered with a solid increase of 6.0%, between Fiscal 2022 and Fiscal 2023 to a combined $9.60 billion. Research income expanded at 35 universities and declined at 15 others. In Fiscal 2023, average faculty research intensity - research income per faculty member - was $229,900, an increase of 5.4% over Fiscal 2022. Graduate student research intensity - research income per graduate student - was $41,500, an increase of 4.4%.
The Fiscal 2023 result was driven by Total Government funding (up 4.1% to $6.02 billion), combined with a sizeable increase in Total Non-Government funding (up 9.5% to $3.58 billion). Research funding received from SSHRC (up 12.4% to $396.2 million), NSERC (up 6.3% to $985.8 million) and Provincial Governments (up 12.5% to $1.44 billion) contributed to the growth of Government funding. Funding from CIHR and CFI dropped in Fiscal 2023, by -2.1% and -7.7% respectively.
Non-Government research funding growth was a result of a turn-around in Corporate research funding (up 4.3%) compared to a -3.2% decrease in Fiscal 2022. Not-for-Profit funding was up 14.9% to $2.02 billion in Fiscal 2023; and research funding from Individuals - although not a large amount - grew by 31.9%, compared to a drop in Fiscal 2022 of -34.0%.
$100 Million Club
Research Infosource salutes the 24 universities that gained membership in the prestigious $100 Million
Club - institutions that attracted $100 million or more of research income in Fiscal 2023. New to the Club this year were Concordia University,
Carleton University and Université du Québec à Montréal. Club members accounted for $8.82 billion of research income, 92% of the Top 50 total; and posted a combined research income gain of 5.9%, just about matching the national gain.
University tiers
The combined research income at the 16 Medical universities increased by 4.8% to $7.65 billion in Fiscal 2023. Combined research income growth at the 13 Comprehensive universities surpassed the national average at 12.9% to $1.45 billion over the period, while research income at 19 Undergraduate institutions posted a combined increase of 5.4% to $373.0 million between Fiscal 2022 and Fiscal 2023.
The top universities in each tier as measured by research income were: University of Toronto (Medical tier, 1st place overall), University of Waterloo (Comprehensive tier, 13th overall) and Université du Québec à Rimouski (Undergraduate tier, 31st overall).
Top Universities by Tier FY2023
Research Income
Rank
Medical
$000
1
University of Toronto
$1,433,636
2
University of British Columbia
$712,601
3
Université de Montréal
$709,640
Rank
Comprehensive
$000
1
University of Waterloo
$224,345
2
University of Guelph
$186,211
3
Simon Fraser University
$150,179
Rank
Undergraduate
$000
1
Université du Québec à Rimouski
$35,252
2
Université du Québec à Chicoutimi
$34,762
3
Laurentian University
$31,439
Research Income Growth (% Change FY2022-FY2023)
Rank
Medical
%
1
McMaster University
26.0
2
Western University
21.0
3
Queen's University
15.2
Rank
Comprehensive
%
1
University of Regina
56.0
2
Concordia University
47.6
3
Carleton University
25.8
Rank
Undergraduate
%
1
Saint Mary's University
34.4
2
University of Prince Edward Island
33.5
3
St. Francis Xavier University
29.8
Faculty Research Intensity ($ per Faculty)
Rank
Medical
$000
1
University of Toronto
$514.0
2
McMaster University
$489.0
3
McGill University
$380.0
Rank
Comprehensive
$000
1
University of Guelph
$224.6
2
University of Waterloo
$181.2
3
University of Victoria
$177.9
Rank
Undergraduate
$000
1
Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue
$158.5
2
Laurentian University
$154.1
3
Université du Québec à Rimouski
$148.7
Graduate Student Research Intensity ($ per Graduate Student)
Rank
Medical
$000
1
McMaster University
$83.3
2
University of Alberta
$74.3
3
McGill University
$68.4
Rank
Comprehensive
$000
1
University of Guelph
$59.4
2
University of Victoria
$44.9
3
University of Waterloo
$36.1
Rank
Undergraduate
$000
1
University of Winnipeg
$57.7
2
University of Lethbridge
$29.9
3
Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue
$28.8
Notes:
Based on full-service universities on the 2024 Top 50 Research Universities list.
Research income growth
Overall, in Fiscal 2023, 35 universities recorded gains in research income versus 15 where research income dropped. This greatly improved on Fiscal 2022 when 24 universities posted research income growth versus 26 where research income fell.
The Medical tier standout on research income growth was McMaster University (26.0%). University of Regina led the Comprehensive tier and was the overall research income growth leader (56.0%) and Saint Mary's University topped the Undergraduate tier (34.4%).
University Partnerships Research Income by Tier FY2023
Corporate Research Income
Rank
Medical
$000
1
University of Toronto
$145,018
2
McMaster University
$99,638
3
Université de Montréal
$88,201
Rank
Comprehensive
$000
1
University of Waterloo
$31,768
2
University of Guelph
$22,238
3
Concordia University
$15,220
Rank
Undergraduate
$000
1
Université du Québec à Chicoutimi
$9,599
2
Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue
$5,934
3
Ontario Tech University
$4,180
Corporate Research Income as % of
Total University Research Income
Rank
Medical
%
1
Memorial University of Newfoundland
30.1
2
McMaster University
21.4
3
Queen's University
19.0
Rank
Comprehensive
%
1
University of Waterloo
14.2
2
University of Guelph
11.9
3
Concordia University
11.8
Rank
Undergraduate
%
1
Université du Québec à Chicoutimi
27.6
2
Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue
24.0
3
Acadia University
18.7
Corporate Research Income Growth
(% Change FY2018-FY2022)
Rank
Medical
%
1
University of Manitoba
149.6
2
Dalhousie University
52.0
3
McMaster University
51.8
Rank
Comprehensive
%
1
Concordia University
111.1
2
Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
66.1
3
University of Waterloo
32.7
Rank
Undergraduate
%
1
Wilfrid Laurier University
96.3
2
Université de Moncton
63.7
3
Lakehead University
49.0
Not-for-Profit Research Income
Rank
Medical
$000
1
University of Toronto
$498,443
2
University of British Columbia
$183,460
3
University of Ottawa
$134,448
Rank
Comprehensive
$000
1
Simon Fraser University
$31,702
2
University of Waterloo
$25,060
3
University of Guelph
$14,407
Rank
Undergraduate
$000
1
Lakehead University
$6,957
2
Université de Moncton
$4,411
3
Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue
$3,835
Not-for-Profit Research Income as % of
Total University Research Income
Rank
Medical
%
1
University of Toronto
34.8
2
University of Manitoba
33.1
3
University of Ottawa
27.2
Rank
Comprehensive
%
1
Simon Fraser University
21.1
2
University of New Brunswick
19.8
3
Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
13.0
Rank
Undergraduate
%
1
Université de Moncton
33.4
2
Lakehead University
25.8
3
University of Prince Edward Island
22.8
Not-for-Profit Research Income Growth
(% Change FY2022-FY2023)
Rank
Medical
%
1
Queen's University
95.6
2
Memorial University of Newfoundland
61.9
3
University of Ottawa
51.8
Rank
Comprehensive
%
1
University of Waterloo
66.6
2
University of Regina
43.7
3
Simon Fraser University
29.0
Rank
Undergraduate
%
1
Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue
88.5
2
Brock University
77.9
3
Trent University
45.5
International Government Research Income
Rank
Medical
$000
1
University of British Columbia
$30,813
2
University of Toronto
$27,528
3
McGill University
$22,244
Rank
Comprehensive
$000
1
Simon Fraser University
$4,058
2
University of Victoria
$3,821
3
University of Waterloo
$2,641
Rank
Undergraduate
$000
1
Ontario Tech University
$669
2
St. Francis Xavier University
$406
3
Lakehead University
$240
International Government Research Income as
% of Total University Research Income
Rank
Medical
%
1
University of British Columbia
4.3
2
Queen's University
3.4
3
McGill University
3.2
Rank
Comprehensive
%
1
University of Windsor
4.7
2
University of Victoria
2.7
3
Simon Fraser University
2.7
Rank
Undergraduate
%
1
St. Francis Xavier University
3.7
2
Ontario Tech University
2.9
3
Lakehead University
0.9
International Government Research Income Growth
(% Change FY2022-FY2023)
Rank
Medical
%
1
University of Manitoba
5,038.9
2
Western University
73.1
3
University of British Columbia
31.8
Rank
Comprehensive
%
1
Carleton University
73.4
2
Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
37.3
3
Simon Fraser University
25.9
Rank
Undergraduate
%
1
Lakehead University
471.4
2
University of Lethbridge
59.6
Notes:
Based on full-service universities on the 2024 Top 50 Research Universities list, and reported research income in the form of a grant, contract or contribution from corporate,not-for-profit and international government sources in Fiscal 2023.
Apparent ties due to rounding.
Faculty research intensity
In Fiscal 2023, faculty research intensity - research income per faculty position - was $229,900, up 5.4% from Fiscal 2022. The leading full-service university winners included: University of Toronto (Medical), which topped the ranking for faculty research intensity ($514,000) and was joined by other tier Leaders: University of Guelph (Comprehensive, $224,600) and Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (Undergraduate, $158,500).
Graduate student research intensity
Graduate student research intensity - research income per graduate student - averaged $41,500 in Fiscal 2023, compared to $39,700 in Fiscal 2022. Category winners among the full-service universities were: McMaster University (Medical $83,300), University of Guelph (Comprehensive, $59,400) and University of Winnipeg (Undergraduate, $57,700).
Provincial performance
In Fiscal 2023, 18 Ontario universities attracted 40% ($3.80 billion) of the national research income total, up 12.1% from Fiscal 2022. Quebec's 13 institutions garnered 27% ($2.64 billion) of the Top 50 total, up 4.3% from the year prior. Three Alberta universities had 12% of research income ($1.19 billion), up 5.9%. British Columbia's four institutions attracted 11% of all research income ($1.02 billion), down -2.2% between Fiscal 2022 and Fiscal 2023.
Research Universities of the Year
Research Infosource has designated 3 institutions as Research Universities of the Year 2024 in their respective categories: University of Toronto (Medical), University of Waterloo (Comprehensive) and Ontario Tech University (Undergraduate). These institutions demonstrated superior performance on key measures of research success.
This year and next
Research income improved on several key measures in Fiscal 2023: Total research income growth (up 6.0%), Non-Government income growth (up 9.5%), and Corporate income growth (up 4.3%) were strong. Research income from Provincial Governments rose by a hefty 12.5%. Support from Individuals saw a robust 31.9% increase. Taken together these data paint the picture of strong across-the-board gains in research income.
This represents a welcome reversal of the Fiscal 2022 result, when research income dropped, in particular Federal Government research income. Combined with inflation trending downward, research income appears to be on a more stable path. The Canadian economy is reasonably strong this year, which is a good harbinger for Fiscal 2024.
