Attention: Business Editors, Technology Editors, Education Reporters

Toronto - October 25, 2001 - Research means business for Canada's leading universities. Sponsored research income for Canada's Top 50 Universities was just under $2.8 billion in Fiscal 2000, a jump of 24% over 1999 according to Canada's Top 50 Research Universities List, released today by Research Infosource Inc. (www.researchinfosource.com). Sponsored research income includes government and non-government sources.

In Fiscal 2000, 10 universities reported sponsored research income greater than $100 million dollars. Leading the "$100 Million Club" was the University of Toronto ($372.1 million), followed by the Université de Montréal ($253.1 million), McGill ($234.3 million), University of Alberta ($206.7 million), Université Laval ($168.4 million), UBC ($166 million), University of Calgary ($134.5 million) University of Ottawa ($114.6 million), University of Western Ontario ($109.2 million), and McMaster University ($106.9 million). These 10 universities accounted for 68% ($1.87 billion) of Top 50 sponsored research income.

Twenty-four universities showed stellar increases in sponsored research income in 2000, most were well above the overall figure of 24%. The University of Winnipeg led the charge with a jump of 127.4% followed by St. Francis Xavier at 81.1%, then Université Laval (74%), Dalhousie University (71.3%), with Wilfrid Laurier University (66.3%) rounding out the top 5.

"These impressive figures reflect the impact of increased federal and provincial funding", says Ron Freedman, CEO of Research Infosource. "In the late 1990's programs such as the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the Ontario Challenge Fund were created to boost university research capacity and we are seeing the results now."

Eight institutions saw a drop in their sponsored research income. Decreases range from a modest 0.2% for Ryerson Polytechnic University to a whopping 24.1% for the University of Prince Edward Island.

With 16 universities, Ontario accounted for 38% (a little over a $1 billion) of the Top 50 sponsored research income in 2000. Quebec, with 13 universities took 30% of the total ($815 million). Alberta's three universities put it in 3rd place with 12%. B.C.'s was is in 4th place with it's four universities accounting for 8%. Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba shared 5th position with 3% each. New Brunswick and Newfoundland both accounted for 1%. PEI, with one university was less than 1% of the total.

Research intensity, research dollars per full-time faculty, averaged nearly $86,000 for the Top 50 universities in 2000, up from $69,600 in 1999. McGill tops the list of full service universities with $177,000, followed by Université de Montréal ($154,100), University of Alberta ($151,300), University of Guelph ($150,400), with the University of Toronto ($134,200) holding 5th spot.

Canada's Top 50 Research Universities List is available free of charge on the Research Infosource website (www.researchinfosource.com). The data are drawn from Statistics Canada and Reseach Infosource's own Canadian University R&D Database. The complete Canada's Top Research Universities Report will be available in November. Canada's Top 50 Research Universities List is produced in partnership with GlaxoSmithKline.

Research Infosource Inc., publishers of Canada's Top 100 Corporate R&D Spenders List and Report, is a division of The Impact Group, one of Canada's leading consulting firms specializing in science and technology policy, research, communications, marketing and education.

Information: Ron Freedman, CEO, Research Infosource Inc.(416) 481-7070 ext. 31
Janet Sandor, Director of Communications (416) 481-7070 ext. 25