Research Infosource Inc. today released its annual ranking of Canada’s Top 50 Research Colleges, and Oakville's Sheridan College came out on top for number of projects completed and number of partners. The rankings are based on data from the 2014-2015 academic year, and encompass both projects undertaken through dedicated research centres with federal and/or provincial funding support, as well as curriculum-based projects completed by senior students in Sheridan’s academic Faculties. Sheridan ranked first with 444 projects and 298 partners.
“At Sheridan, we are committed to cultivating and supporting a culture of Scholarship, Research and Creative Activities (SRCA) – one that is both inclusive and broad, and that engages our students, staff, professors and the communities we serve,” says Dr. Mary Preece, President and Vice Chancellor. “We’re dedicated to meeting the needs of our industry and community partners, while also providing meaningful learning opportunities for our students.”
Many of the projects highlighted in this year’s ranking were undertaken at four centres of expertise at Sheridan:
- The Centre for Elder Research conducts applied research aimed at improving the quality of life for older adults. The Centre collaborates with industry partners, students and faculty, and older adults in our communities on a range of research projects, networking events and symposiums.
- The Screen Industries Research and Training Centre (SIRT) supports Ontario’s film, television and interactive media cluster with research and training related to digital workflow technologies and processes including virtual production/performance capture, stereoscopic 3D and high frame rate cinema. SIRT was designated a Technology Access Centre in the spring of 2013 through funding support from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).
- The Centre for Advanced Manufacturing and Design Technologies exemplifies Sheridan’s growing role as a hub connecting industry with applied research, acting as a link between leading corporations that provide technology and expertise to the college, and local SMEs that explore how to integrate these new tools into their businesses with the help of Sheridan faculty and students.
- The Centre for Mobile Innovation is focused on addressing challenges related to mobile technology, specifically related to the Internet of Things and context-aware mobile applications.
The range of curriculum-based projects is diverse, and includes:
- The development of integrated marketing and communications plans by Marketing and Advertising students to help community clients reach a new audience;
- A collaborative project with students and faculty from the Faculty of Applied Science and Technology, the Sheridan Centre for Elder Research, and industry partner chumbuggy.com, to create and launch a social platform geared to middle and later-aged adults.
- The Canadian Music Theatre Project, an incubator for new music theatre works that brings professional creative teams together with students to workshop and advance new productions, such as Brantwood, which won a Dora Award in 2015; and Come from Away, which will make its Broadway debut in 2017.
- The creation of EpiGame, an educational simulation game based on a fictitious disease outbreak. The project involved interdisciplinary collaboration by professors in two faculties working with students in the Bachelor of Game Design.
“The wide range of research projects captured in this year’s ranking truly highlights our integrated approach to Scholarship, Research and Creative Activities,” says Cindy Gillett, Director of Applied Research and Innovation. “Whether it’s developing a new computer program or tool, working with writers to develop a musical, or improving a business process for a client, our projects are rooted in teamwork, interdisciplinary thinking and creative problem solving.”