Research

In the face of growing challenges such as global warming, poverty, human rights abuses, disease, and illiteracy, people everywhere have come to recognize the vital importance of securing a sustainable and equitable future, and striving for a just and tolerant society. With these goals before it, the University seeks to improve the condition of life for all through basic research and the discovery, dissemination and application of new knowledge. Through free and ethical inquiry in all disciplines and professions, UBC researchers will enlarge our understanding of the world, address its problems, and seek to enhance the social and cultural aspects of human experience. At the same time, the University recognizes the value and importance of pure research in all areas: that is, research that may not have any immediate application, yet ultimately contributes to the body of human knowledge.

Goals and Strategies

Support the development of outstanding research in all disciplines.

• Continue to build excellence in disciplinary and interdisciplinary research, both basic and applied, through improvements in infrastructure, information technology, and mechanisms for appropriate recognition.

• Remove barriers that impede interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research.

• Ensure that the Library provides appropriate support to enable UBC researchers to achieve excellence in all areas of their research.

• Encourage research that strengthens Canadians’ understanding of themselves and their place in the world.

• Ensure appropriate recognition of research achievement in the creative and performing arts.

• Acknowledge the research accomplishments of partner teaching hospitals and academic health centres, and strengthen support for new health research initiatives at all involved sites.

• Provide opportunities and incentives to incorporate research into undergraduate programs.

Review recruitment and retention of graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and research associates.

• Continually review and enhance the strategies whereby we may recruit outstanding graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and research associates in all disciplines.

• Increase support and recognition of research graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and research associates.

• Increase the ratio of graduate to undergraduate students at UBC Vancouver.

• Build a strong graduate program at UBC Okanagan, with an enrolment of 500 graduate students by 2010.

• Provide opportunities for the development of teamwork, creativity, critical thinking and strong communication skills among graduate students in all disciplines.

Increase research funding.

• Devise strategies to enable UBC to obtain a greater proportion of federal funding for research.

• Nurture relationships with the federal government to maintain and improve its participation in the research enterprise.

• Persuade the provincial government to participate more fully in research through increased funding.

• Invite the private sector to contribute more actively to UBC research through grants and fellowships.

• Increase awareness of international sources of research funding.

Encourage local, national, and international research partnerships and exchanges.

• Collaborate with local, national, and international communities on problems of global interest in such areas as sustainability, health care, law, transportation, alternate energies, education, immigration, culture, and social and economic development.

• Encourage active involvement in international research networks.

• Develop and support co-operative research initiatives with Aboriginal scholars and communities in Canada and around the world.

• Develop partnerships involving faculty, students, staff and community organizations as a foundation for community-based research.

Facilitate and increase knowledge transfer for the benefit of society.

• Encourage and expand technology transfer, and develop new models for knowledge translation.

• Increase public awareness of research through the news media, public lectures, and open houses.

• Ensure that UBC research is conducted according to the highest standards of ethical inquiry and accountability.

• Seek more opportunities to collaborate with government, industry, and organized labour on research strategies to benefit the economy regionally and nationally.