University research funding drops first time in 14 years

University sponsored research income fell for the first time in 14 years, with the Top 50 institutions dropping 1.6% to $6.67 billion, according to the latest data from Research Infosource. Perennially top-ranked Univ of Toronto declined 6.2% to $1.04 billion, while the Univ of Montreal rose 4% to $548.8 million to claim the number two spot. The Univ of British Columbia slipped to third place with $547.0 million, down 3.5%. Overall, 27 institutions in the Top 50 increase their sponsored research income while 23 registered declines. Among the funding sources, federal contributions fell 2.6% while provincial governments collectively reduced their support by 6.7%. Corporate funding was down by 2.3% and individual support dropped 20%. Regionally, only Quebec and the Prairie provinces managed to boost funding, with increases of 3.3% and 8.6% respectively. Atlantic-based universities registered the steepest decline (-18.4%) followed by British Columbia (-5.8%) and Ontario (-5%). Research intensity (research income per faculty) also declined 1.4% from an average of $175,900 to $173,500. FMI: www.researchinfosource.com....