In a year of dramatic change and increased uncertainty, the challenges facing Canada and the world are bigger and more complex than ever. If we are going to meet those challenges, we need to have the best minds, the best tools, and the best supports from across many disciplines and partner organizations working together. U of T, as one of a small group of universities with both depth and breadth of excellence across a broad range of subjects, is uniquely positioned to lead in finding solutions to these challenges.

Walk the halls of any U of T building, or tour any research facility in one of our partner hospitals or research institutes, and you’ll see the evidence of excellence all around you. For example, U of T researchers are at the forefront of the fight against climate change; we’re helping our local communities find ways to manage rapid growth; we’ve forged partnerships with leading healthcare companies to heal damaged heart tissue and bring new regenerative therapies to market; our students are engaged in international debates on the responsibility to protect refugees and other vulnerable populations; as well as re-affirming the value of professional ethics and personal integrity in a new age.

The University, with support from the Division of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation (VPRI), is building on a long legacy of achievement, forging new paths by drawing on our multidisciplinary strengths to produce the knowledge, services, social benefits, products, and companies of the future. We are also preparing the next generation of research and innovation leaders who will be well-equipped to meet upcoming global challenges head on.

This report documents the many successes we’ve helped foster in 2016, but we won’t be resting on our laurels. In the year ahead, the VPRI team has many more challenges to address. For example, we are launching a working group that will examine the programs and initiatives led by the VPRI to ensure that they help to generate and sustain an equitable and diverse research and innovation climate at U of T. We’ll also be helping to implement U of T’s response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission regarding indigenous research, and the recommendations related to research and innovation in the Administrative Response to the Report of the President’s Advisory Committee on Divestment from Fossil Fuels. We are engaging the U of T community in the development of a new University Strategic Research Plan that will serve as the blueprint for how we’re going to support scholarship at U of T over the next five years. Additionally, we are supporting the development of operational links with the new Vector Institute to help make Toronto a world-leading centre for research and commercialization in artificial intelligence.

It is inspiring to work with the immensely talented, energetic and dedicated research community at U of T. Together, we will continue to build upon past accomplishments while also expanding successfully into new areas and enhancing our reputation nationally and internationally as a hub of research and innovation excellence. It promises to be a challenging and exciting year.

Sincerely,

Vivek Goel
Vice-President, Research and Innovation