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Welcome to Research & Innovation

Student working on the development of a Scientific Instrument on a table in the Ahmad Barari Lab in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science with two other students in the background on their laptops. 

Modern and forward thinking, Ontario Tech University is a research-intensive Canadian university that advances the discovery and application of research and innovation to accelerate economic growth, technological advancement, regional development, healthy communities and social innovation. At the centre of our approach to research and innovation are partnerships with industry, community and government. Our university's priority of Tech with a Conscience grounds our activities, which is a reflection of the fact that, at Ontario Tech, it is not only about developing the next tech breakthrough, but also about understanding and integrating the social and ethical implications of that technology in our research. In 2024, Ontario Tech University was named as Canada’s Research University of the Year by the premier research ranking organization, InfoSource.

We excel in nimble, collaborative multidisciplinary research in engineering, natural sciences, computer and computational science, nuclear science, health sciences, business, informational technology, social sciences, and education. Our dynamic research portfolio comprises more than 300 members with active research programs and more than 25 research chairs including 8 prestigious Canada Research Chairs.

This entrepreneurial spirit, combined with an unwavering dedication to research excellence and innovation, continues to propel our research agenda, which is detailed in our current Strategic Research Plan 2020-2025 Driving the Future with Research Excellence showcasing our strengths and providing strategic direction through 2025.

Our research strengths include:

  • Advanced Manufacturing and Materials
  • Automotive Engineering, Transportation and Electrification Systems
  • Community Wellness, Human Performance and Health Promotion
  • Crime, Justice and Forensic Sciences
  • Digital Technologies, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence
  • Energy, Applied Bioscience and Environmental Sustainability

Ontario Tech University has six specific strategic research priority areas that will help us to become research leaders by 2025:

  • Autonomous Vehicles and Systems
  • Canada’s Energy and Environmental Future
  • Data Science, Artificial Intelligence and New Technologies
  • Healthy Populations, Community Well-Being and Social Justice
  • Intelligent Manufacturing and Materials Innovation
  • Social Innovation, Disruptive Technologies and the New Economy

I invite you to view our Research Institutes, Centres and Groups and also our Research Infrastructure to learn more about our research entities at Ontario Tech, which include

  • ACE – Automotive Centre of Excellence
  • Brilliant Energy Institute
  • Borehole Thermal Energy Storage System
  • Centre for Small Modular Reactors
  • Centre on Hate, Bias and Extremism
  • Clean Energy Research Lab (CERL)
  • Digital Life Institute
  • Educational Informatics Laboratory (EILab)
  • Energy Research Centre
  • Institute for Cyber Security and Resilient Systems
  • Institute for Disability and Rehabilitation Research (IDRR)
  • Internet of Things Research Laboratory
  • Joint Research Centre in AI for Health and Wellness
  • Silicon Hall (Micro-Nano Fabrication Facility)
  • STEAM-3D Maker Lab
  • The Visualization for Information Analysis lab (vialab)

At Ontario Tech, both undergraduate and graduate students are central to our research and innovation. Our faculty members collaborate with students in the classroom, lab and field, offering undergraduate and graduate students hands-on research experience for our undergraduate and graduate students. Ontario Tech has also emerged in the past five years as a leading Canadian university for providing our students with entrepreneurial opportunities and experience through our Entrepreneurship and Creativity programs lead by Brilliant Catalyst.

Whether you are a community member, business or industry partner looking for innovative research support or a researcher looking for resources and information, this website provides resources regarding the significant research activity taking place at Ontario Tech University. My office serves as the conduit between community or industry partners interested in pursuing research collaborations with the university. At any time please feel free to reach out to me or a member of my team.  Contact us.

We look forward to working with you! 

 

Professor Les Jacobs, PhD, FRSC, ICD.D
Vice-President, Research and Innovation