Research activities at the University of Lethbridge continue to earn accolades from ranking bodies across the country while furthering discovery and innovation across disciplines.

On Thursday, the U of L was named the third ranked university in the Research Universities of the Year Undergraduate classification by Research Infosource Inc. It marks the fourth consecutive year the University has been ranked in the top three (third in 2016 and second in each of 2017 and 2018) and since being named Research University of the Year in 2012, the U of L has never been ranked outside the top five.

“It is a very exciting time to be involved in research at the University of Lethbridge,” says Dr. Erasmus Okine, the U of L’s vice-president (research). “We have just opened the most advanced science and academic research facility in the country and our faculty and students are now beginning to realize the enhanced opportunities before them.”

The Research Infosource rankings formula measures six key indicators, of which the U of L placed second in two, Research Intensity per Graduate Student and Total Number of Publications.

“We’ve made it a focus to increase opportunities for graduate students and they are responding by producing excellent results alongside their faculty mentors,” says Okine, “All the while, we continue to offer an unparalleled undergraduate research experience.”

The consistency with which the U of L has been among the country’s top-rated research universities over a number of years is testament to the culture of innovation that has been created on campus. Research Infosource also released the Spotlight on University Publication Performance 2013-2017, which shows the U of L second amongst 20 national undergraduate universities in number of health sciences publications created and ninth in natural sciences and engineering publications.

In all, Research Infosource reports that Canada’s Top 50 Research Universities posted combined research income of $7.6 billion in fiscal 2018, a gain of 3.6 per cent over the prior year.

“Fiscal 2018 was a solid year for university research income growth,” says Ron Freedman, CEO of Research Infosource Inc. “Coming on the heels of a decade-high 6.8 per cent increase last fiscal year, this year’s result represents something of a return to form.”

About Research Infosource Inc.
Research Infosource Inc. is Canada's source of R&D intelligence. Drawing from proprietary databases, Research Infosource publishes Canada’s Innovation Leaders, which includes Canada's Top 100 Corporate R&D Spenders, Canada's Top 50 Research Universities, Canada’s Top 40 Research Hospitals and Canada’s Top 50 Research Colleges. As well, Research Infosource publishes specialized reports and The Innovation Atlas of Canada™ – a web-based research and innovation mapping and data information product.