McMaster ranked #1 for graduate student research intensity

Researcher Ali Ashkar, Professor, Pathology and Molecular Medicine Graduate student Sophie Poznanski PhD Candidate looking at sample. According to the 2021 Research Infosource rankings released today, McMaster placed first in graduate student research intensity.


McMaster University continues to rank among the country’s most research-intensive universities – for both graduate students and faculty members – in the annual ranking of the country’s Top 50 Research Universities.

According to the 2021 Research Infosource rankings released today, McMaster placed first in graduate student research intensity – averaging $68,900 per graduate student, and second in faculty research intensity – averaging $369,400 per faculty member; significantly above the national average for both.

With a total sponsored research income of $353.5 million, McMaster placed third among medical/doctoral schools in the Research University of the Year ranking, which measures research income and intensity, along with publications in leading journals, and publication impact and intensity

David Farrar, McMaster’s president, said it’s the people behind the numbers that truly define McMaster.

“Our world-class researchers continue to attract like-minded and equally-talented graduate students,” he said, noting the influence and impact of their work.

“Collectively, our research teams are making discoveries and advancing knowledge in every discipline, and their contributions are creating fundamental and positive changes for societies the world over.”

McMaster earned the second spot in the corporate research income category – attracting more than $112M from its industry partners.

“The pandemic has made for a bit of a different funding landscape, yet our researchers continue to garner significant funding from all sources,” says, Karen Mossman, vice-president, research.

“It’s a testament to their excellence and a key indicator of the trust our partners place in our research.”

Doug Welch, vice-provost and dean of graduate studies, recognized the contributions of McMaster’s graduate students to the University’s research enterprise.

“Grad students are the heart and soul of our research community,” he said. “It’s their hard work and intellectual energy that drives our innovation and research outcomes.”

Research Infosource figures are based on 2020 financial data obtained from Statistics Canada.

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