Research Infosource rankings highlight strength of research and innovation in Ottawa

December 11, 2024

OTTAWA, December 5, 2024 — The 2024 Research Infosource rankings highlight a strong research and innovation sector in Ottawa, with five local hospitals, two universities, two colleges and multiple corporations making the list of the top institutions in Canada for research and development.

The Ottawa Hospital (TOH) / University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI) ranked as the top research hospital in Ottawa, with $165 million in research activity in 2022-23, up from $153 million the previous year. With their results combined, TOH / UOHI ranked fourth nationally for research activity among comparable hospitals, or sixth when provincial health authorities are included.

“We’re very proud to be ranked as one of the top research hospitals in Canada,” said Dr. Rebecca Auer, Executive Vice-President of Research and Innovation at TOH and CEO and Scientific Director of the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. “I believe we will continue to be successful, not because of what we do, but because we will never lose sight of why we are doing it. Research is our hope for a better future for our patients, and often provides the best treatment option for them today.”

“The University of Ottawa Heart Institute's ranking as a leading research institution in Canada is a testament to the incredible dedication and expertise of our scientific community,” said Dr. Katey Rayner, Chief Scientific Officer and Vice-President of Research at the UOHI. “In bridging the gap between research and its application in patient care, we are helping to save lives and improving the quality of life for patients affected by cardiovascular disease. That’s the power of research and collaboration.”

The University of Ottawa (uOttawa) ranked seventh nationally for research universities, with $495 million in sponsored research income in 2022-23, up from $432 million the previous year. This includes research income administered through affiliated local hospitals such as TOH / UOHI.

“Together, uOttawa and affiliated research hospitals and institutes form the Ottawa Academic Health Network (OAHN), which is the second largest life science research ecosystem in Ontario and among the best in Canada,” said Julie St-Pierre, Interim Vice-President, Research and Innovation at uOttawa. “The OAHN is a research powerhouse that is transforming lives, enhancing health care and creating jobs across Canada, thanks to the financial support our researchers receive from various sources of funding.”

OAHN members are embarking on a number of exciting projects that will further strengthen Ottawa’s life science research ecosystem, including TOH’s new campus and expanded Biotherapeutics Manufacturing CentreuOttawa’s Advanced Medical Research Centre and the Brain-Heart lnterconnectome program, which bring together long-standing areas of priority and excellence from uOttawa and UOHI.

About The Ottawa Hospital

The Ottawa Hospital (TOH) is one of Canada’s top learning and research hospitals where we are guided by our vision to provide the world-class and compassionate care we would all want for our loved ones. Our multi-campus hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, is home to the Regional Trauma Centre and Cancer Centre, and to discoveries that are adopted globally. Backed by generous support from the community, we are focused on reshaping the future of health care to improve the health of our diverse population of patients from Eastern Ontario, Western Quebec, and Nunavut.

About the University of Ottawa Heart Institute

The University of Ottawa Heart Institute stands as one of Canada’s most distinguished heart health centres for the unparalleled care it provides to its patients, a world-renowned research institute that brings science from bench to bedside, and the country’s main influencer when it comes to preventing heart disease. Its promise remains the very pillar on which it was built: Always putting patients first.

Media contacts

University of Ottawa Heart Institute
Leigh Morris
613-316-6409 (cell.)
lmorris@ottawaheart.ca

The Ottawa Hospital
Jenn Ganton
613-614-5253
@email