Research funding grows by 110 per cent

Since UBC’s Okanagan campus opened, research funding has more than doubled

Since 2005, faculty and student research funding at UBC’s Okanagan campus has grown by a remarkable 110 per cent—from $6.69 million and 335 grants in 2005-2006 to $14.05 million and 538 grants in 2012-2013.

Research initiatives address many emerging issues of critical importance to our region and Canada, often with application in other parts of the world. Key areas of interest include:

• Water, climate and biodiversity
• Chronic disease prevention, aging, and health care delivery
• Forensic psychology and its application in law
• Civil, electrical and mechanical engineering
• Business management, innovation and economic development
• Homelessness, affordable housing, and urban development
• Cultural and ethnic diversity, Indigenous rights and traditional knowledge

The pace of research has accelerated dramatically among certain faculties. For instance, the Faculty of Applied Science, mainly through the School of Engineering, quintupled its research dollars to $5 million in 2011-2012 and quadrupled its grant total to 137.

The Faculty of Health and Social Development — comprising the Schools of Nursing, Health and Exercise Sciences, and Social Work — has doubled its research funding to $2.1 million. The Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies has tripled its research total and doubled its number of grants.

Okanagan Campus Research Funding by Year