Sask Polytech receives top ranking in multiple categories on Canada’s Top 50 Research Colleges list
January 25, 2023 – Saskatchewan Polytechnic ranks first in Re$earch InfoSource Inc.’s latest Top 50 Research Colleges list for number of completed research projects. Sask Polytech completed 350 research projects in 2020-21. Sask Polytech received a second-place ranking for number of research partnerships, with 208 collaborations.
Sask Polytech also received second place for industry research income as a percentage of total research income and NSERC research income as a percentage of total research income. These rankings are significant because it demonstrates that Sask Polytech applied research projects are successful at obtaining financial support from industry and government to turn ideas into practical solutions. Sask Polytech ranked 17 overall on Canada’s Top 50 Research Colleges List for 2022.
“These are impressive institutional milestones for Sask Polytech’s applied research team,” says Dr. Susan Blum, Applied Research and Innovation associate vice-president. “Our team has worked incredibly hard over the past year to increase the number of applied research projects completed from 245 to 350. More projects result in more successful partnerships with industry and communities. Applied research is important because it helps identify and solve real-world problems and leads to the development of innovative new products and services. This creates new and exciting opportunities for faculty and students.”
“Congratulations to our Office of Applied Research and Innovation on their continued success,” says Dr. Larry Rosia, Sask Polytech president and CEO. “Our performance being recognized on the Top 50 Research Colleges 2022 rankings provides direct evidence that we are growing our applied research capacity, which supports industry and communities, and drives economic growth in Saskatchewan and beyond. Sask Polytech will continue to expand our research activities and collaborations that further enhance the exceptional value we deliver to our partners.”
Applied research is an established area of strength, as employers continue to seek out Sask Polytech as a provider of real-world solutions to market challenges. Sask Polytech will continue to assist companies in developing products, enhancing technologies and commercializing the innovations needed for Saskatchewan to be a global economic leader. Intellectual property for applied research projects at Sask Polytech is retained by the industry partner, creating more incentive for future creative engagement and ongoing collaboration.
Some projects of note from 2020-21 include working closely with Cowessess First Nation on a joint initiative, the Remote Sensing of Residential School Cemeteries applied research project. In partnership with Cowessess First Nation, Sask Polytech used remote sensing technologies, specifically unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with imaging sensors, together with traditional ground penetrating radar (GPR) to locate unidentified and unmarked grave sites.
Sask Polytech’s Digital Integration Centre of Excellence (DICE) created a prototype that uses a system similar to GPS technology to identify the positions of people and equipment in an underground mine, within 30 cm of their actual location. This technology enables companies to operate more efficiently by improving mine safety, process optimization and automation.
The Farmer and Rancher Mental Health (FARMh) initiative, a patient-oriented research project, was launched to study key features of a farm-culture friendly mental health support system for Saskatchewan farmers and ranchers. This project continues to receive funding and support our agriculture community.
Sask Polytech also worked on a project to better understand and protect Lake Sturgeon. An applied research team examined spawning cycles and generating demographic data of Lake Sturgeon in the North Saskatchewan River without using invasive sampling procedures. This project collected data to influence fish species management and how to better approach habitat conservation.
Re$earch InfoSource is a Canadian-based research, consulting and publishing firm that specializes in policy, research, business intelligence and analysis on science, technology, innovation, and the Canadian R&D ecosystem. Re$earch InfoSource is widely acknowledged as a respected and leading source of ranking information on research universities, corporations, hospitals and colleges that are used and followed by the research and innovation community, opinion and policy leaders in the government, research, corporate, higher education and non-profit sectors. Its rankings are a leading source of benchmarking information.
To learn more visit saskpolytech.ca/research.