Selkirk College climbed from 39th to 33rd in the annual Canada’s Top 50 Research Colleges list.
The 2021 rankings measure sponsored research income across the nation. With a 58 per cent increase in research funding and activity, Selkirk College ranks second in the province to the British Columbia Institute of Technology.
“This signals a level of applied research and innovation maturity and success at our college,” Dr. Terri MacDonald, the director of applied research and innovation at Selkirk College said in a news release.
“Being a national leader puts us in a position to more easily secure funding for applied research which translates into paid applied internships for students and applied research learning in our classrooms. Learning by doing ensures our graduates have the skills they need to successfully transition into the workplace.”
One important component of the Selkirk Innovates department is the Selkirk Technology Access Centre in Trail, which is one of 60 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada facilities across the country.
In a top-50 list dominated by Ontario and Quebec schools — 35 in total between the two provinces —Selkirk College is one of just three from BC. The only others to crack the list, aside from BCIT and Selkirk College, is Victoria-based Camosun College coming in at No. 50.
More than 100 students and faculty worked on 97 different projects last year.