Celebrate Research Week, a series of events that celebrates innovation in all areas of research, runs from Mar. 3-10

UBC Reports | Vol. 53 | No. 3 | Mar. 1, 2007

Celebrating Research

By John Hepburn, Vice President, Research

Research is the heart and soul of a great university. Universities are the only institutions where research is valued for its own sake, and where researchers have the freedom to pursue any questions. The result is that university research has a wide-ranging and important impact on the world, affecting everything from our understanding of culture to the prevention and treatment of disease. Furthermore, because research at universities involves collaboration between students and faculty, research is an important part of our teaching.

UBC is one of Canada’s leading research universities, consistently ranked amongst the top 40 universities in the world, and we are justifiably proud of our impressive research accomplishments: research funding for more than 5,700 projects totalled upwards of $485.6 million in 2005/06.

UBC ranked ninth among North American research universities as a “patent powerhouse” in a 2005 U.S. survey of the life sciences conducted by The Scientist, and was the only Canadian institution in the survey.

In addition, UBC holds the top position for overall Canada Foundation for Innovation funding among the country’s research universities, and ranks second nationally for Fellowships of the Royal Society of Canada, Steacie Fellows and Guggenheim Award recipients.

While we celebrate the impressive accomplishments of individual researchers, important research accomplishments usually result from a team effort. In addition to the local collaborations amongst faculty and students at UBC, UBC researchers work with investigators across Canada and around the world, extending the scope and impact of UBC research, and ensuring that it serves the citizens of British Columbia, Canada, and the world.

The fact is, research matters. It enriches our lives, drives our economy, and contributes to greater global understanding. We are proud to have researchers spanning all disciplines, fuelling important, meaningful and inspirational research that advances knowledge and informs teaching. And we have recruited top talent to keep that momentum going -- new faculty members, graduate students and post-doctoral fellows. They form, along with our curious and accomplished undergrads, the next generation of researchers.

This issue of UBC Reports is published on the eve of Celebrate Research Week. As you will see from the stories that follow, we have much to celebrate. I congratulate all our investigators, thank them for their contribution to this university and encourage them in their pursuit of new knowledge.