Attention: Business Editors, Technology Editors, Education Reporters

Toronto - October 25, 2001 -Université de Montreal, McGill University, and Université Laval occupy 2nd, 3rd and 5th position respectively in Fiscal 2000 on Canada's Top 50 Universities List published by Research Infosource Inc. (www.researchinfosource.com). The listing ranks Canada's leading universities by sponsored research income government and non-government sources. The Top 50 total was nearly $2.8 billion for Fiscal 2000.

The University of Sherbrooke, the only other Québec institution with a medical school, ranked 17th, UQAM came in at number 18, the Institute national de la recherche scientifique was 22nd, Concordia held on to 26th place, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières placed 29th, École de technologie supérieure 33rd, Université du Québec à Rimouski wasn't far behind at 35, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscaming was 37th, Télé-université was 40th, and École nationale d'administration publique squeezed onto the list in 49th position. Together these universities accounted for $815 million in sponsored research income in Fiscal 2000, up from $635 million in 1999. This represents an increase of 28.2%, above the average for the Top 50 of 24%. The universities of only two other provinces reported above average increases: Nova Scotia (67.7%) and Saskatchewan (42%).

Six provinces reported a growth rate below the Top 50 average of about 24%: British Columbia (19.6%), Alberta (20.8%), Manitoba (14.4%), Ontario (20.4%), New Brunswick (6.5%) and Newfoundland (21.9%). Prince Edward Island was the only province to show a decrease as UPEI's sponsored research income dropped by 24.1% from 1999 to 2000.

McGill leads the top 10 universities ranked by research intensity (dollars per full-time faculty), reporting $177,000 per full-time faculty in sponsored research income. UdeM holds 2nd place on the list with $154,100, and Laval ranks 8th with $112,400. The average for the Top 50 is $85,900.

Posting an increase of 74% from 1999 to 2000, Laval placed 3rd on the top 10 universities ranked by research income growth. Three Québec institutions did report decreases in sponsored research income: Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (-4.5%), Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscaming (-11.5%), École nationale d'administration publique (-17.0%).

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.

"The Québec government's new policy direction and increased investment in its institutions of higher learning is bearing fruit", says Ron Freedman, CEO of Research Infosource. "These funds coupled with the federal grants have helped Québec's universities."

The top 10 universities on the Research Infosource List all reported sponsored research income greater than $100 million dollars. Leading the exclusive "$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 in Fiscal 2000.

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