Research Highlights

UNIVERSITÉ D’OTTAWA / UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA
POINTS SAILLANTS DE LA RECHERCHE / RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
Grant funding continues to be a main driver of research growth at the University of Ottawa
with total grant funding growing by approximately 15% over 2003-04. Support from the
three federal peer-reviewed granting councils, namely the Natural Sciences and
Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR)
and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), is an important
indicator of the quality of our research activities. The University of Ottawa, in association
with its affiliated hospitals, maintains a very high level of research intensity at the
Canadian Institutes of Health Research which now provide us with support in excess of
$34 million/year. We are strengthening our presence at NSERC with growth of
approximately 11% last year. The University of Ottawa continues to show a particular
success at the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, including the award of a
five year, $2.5 million Major Collaborative Research Initiatives award to Dr. France
Martineau of our Département des Lettres Françaises for her project entitled “"Modéliser
le changement: les voies du français". Our collective ability to improve our presence at
the granting councils, or to maintain our position where we are already very strong in the
face of stiff competition, reflects a strong commitment to research throughout our
University and in our Faculties, Departments and Institutes.
Research Infrastructure Funding of new awards has been dramatically affected by
changes to provincial funding programs in 2004-05. In the summer of 2004 the Ontario
Innovation Trust did not receive an infusion of $300M from the Provincial Government and
ceased to fund new projects leaving many projects without a matching fund component.
Later that year matching support for recent CFI projects was announced by the Ministry of
Economic Development and Trade but by that time a significant delay in the finalization of
CFI awards had already taken place. The Premier’s Research Excellence Awards Program
also experienced a brief hiatus in mid competition. In May 2004 the University of Ottawa
submitted a comprehensive slate of proposals to PREA for review. The review of these
proposals was temporarily delayed until May 2005 at which time the review was reinstated. A decision on these new awards is expected by August 2005.
In early 2004 the University of Ottawa utilized the remaining funds in it’s $13.2M CFI New
Opportunities allocation which culminated in a significant decrease in the number and size
of requests for this program over the past year. However it should be noted that the
overall success rate of the University remained well above the national average and clearly
indicates the quality of recruitment of new faculty. A new allocation of $6M will be
available for new University of Ottawa researchers in 2006.
The University of Ottawa also received a significant infusion of computing equipment into
the Faculty of Medicine via an IBM Shared University Research (SUR) grant (the first ever
awarded to the University of Ottawa). The amount of this award was in excess of $250,000.
Technology Transfer & Business Enterprise (TTBE) administers the contract research and
manages the intellectual property activities of the University research enterprise. In FY05
TTBE provided services across the research spectrum from basic research (knowledge
creation) to technology commercialization (value creation) to further the growth of
research at the University of Ottawa. To facilitate research support, TTBE develops,
negotiates and administers contract research with government agencies, industry and
specialized research sponsors. In FY05, the University of Ottawa saw growth in contract
research from government and from industrial sponsors. The value of the 366 research
contracts signed in FY05 was $18.7M. Examples of the research contracts signed in FY05
include:
→ The Efficacy and Safety of Vitamin D (Moher; Medicine; Provincial Government): A
systematic review of research and technology reports relating to the circulating
levels of Vitamin D in various populations and the effects of diet, supplements and
sunlight on Vitamin D levels and risk of disease.
→ Examining the Private Rights of Action against Spammers (Lawson; Law; Federal
Government): An analysis of the current state of law regarding private rights of
action against spammers and the implications of alternate approaches in Canada
when compared to the US and Australia.
→ Photonic Microwave-Millimeter-wave Signal Generation (Yao, Engineering; Fourth
Pillar Organization) In collaboration with Dr. Roy (Carleton), this study aims to
improve the performance of a microwave signal generation system and to develop
high-speed photodetectors.
→ The Preparation and Analysis of Extracts from Curcubitacea maxima (Arnason;
Science; Industry): An examination of the anti-inflammatory and analgesic
properties of a plant extract that may be a potential natural health product; and
→ Predicting and Managing Board Performance (Lapierre; Management; Industry):
Development of performance criteria for Board members and assessment of the
use of management tools in Board selection.
Technology transfer services include the identification and protection of intellectual
property combined with technology development and commercialization. TTBE supported
the disclosure of 31 new research discoveries with another 9 at affiliated institutions. Each
innovation is assessed for commercial potential. TTBE worked with University of Ottawa
researchers to obtain $733,000 in pre-commercialization funding during FY05 to enable
these discoveries to advance their development and to establish new partnerships
between University researchers and industry. FY05 also saw the largest investment to
date by the University in intellectual property protection. TTBE continues to manage and
promote technology partnerships resulting from these innovations and has just been
awarded a three year Tri-Council grant for a Regional Alliance program with Carleton,
Algonquin College and Université du Québec en Outaouais (Gatineau) to build on the
success of these efforts.