Expenditures by Canadian universities on scientific research and development accounted for about 40% of all spending on scientific research and development in Canada in 2006. Research in the natural and social sciences in Canada, with a few important exceptions, is almost exclusively funded by the Canadian taxpayer and is distributed to universities by five important federal funding agencies, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). Additional monies are also provided by the Canada Research Chairs organization, which provides financing for the staffing of research personnel at Canadian universities and the Canada Foundation for Innovation, which supports the acquisition of scientific research infrastructure by Canadian universities, colleges, research hospitals, and non-profit research institutions. In 2006, total spending on scientific and industrial research in Canada amounted to C$28.067 billion or about 2 percent of GDP. In 2006, Canadian universities spent C$10.890 billion on research and development, representing about 40 percent of all R&D spending in Canada and about .66 percent of Canada's GDP. Below are the names of those university institutions that carry out both natural and social science research, although the emphasis here is on the former. The largest part of funding from NSERC, is received by 15 universities, not surprisingly the largest in the country, which have formed an association named the U15. The list below ranks the members of this group in order of NSERC grant size. A number of thematically specialized virtual university research organizations, the Networks of Excellence, have been established and are listed here. Also included are the names of some particular research organizations and projects notable for their large size or for other characteristics. This is followed by a brief description of the expenditures on scientific research and development by sector. Finally the list includes those support organizations that fund scientific research at the university level or contribute to its success in other ways.

U15 largest Canadian research universities

University of Toronto

Toronto, Ontario. NSERC Funding 2003: C$M 54,264 Number of Canada Research Chairs – 245

Research institutes

Natural science research Medical research Social science research

University of British Columbia

Vancouver, British Columbia. NSERC Funding 2003: C$M 43,004 Number of Canada Research Chairs – 148

Research institutes

Land & Food Systems Natural Science and Engineering Social Science UBC also operates 65 research centres.

University of Alberta

Edmonton, Alberta. NSERC Funding 2003 C$M 36,291 Number of Canada Research Chairs – 100

Centres and institutes

Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences Engineering Health Sciences Council Medicine and Dentistry Nursing Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences School of Public Health Rehabilitation Medicine Science

McGill University

Montreal, Quebec. Number of Canada Research Chairs – 133 Number of Canada Excellence Research Chairs – 2 NSERC Funding 2003: C$M 34,984

Research facilities

** Downtown Campus – Faculty of Science and Faculty of Engineering** Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Engineering: Downtown Campus – Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Dentistry Macdonald campus Off campus

University of Waterloo

Waterloo, Ontario NSERC Funding 2003: C$M 29,763 Number of Canada Research Chairs – 48

Research centres and institutes

Université Laval

Québec, Québec NSERC Funding 2003: C$M 28,128 Number of Canada Research Chairs – 80

Network of Centres of Excellence

Instituts de recherche

Centres de recherche

University of Saskatchewan

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan NSERC Funding 2006/7 C$M 26.5 All Research Funding 2006/7 C$M 140.6 Number of Canada Research Chairs – 40

Internal Research Centers and Institutes (partial list)

Université de Montréal

Montreal, Quebec. NSERC Funding 2003: C$M 21,759 Number of Canada Research Chairs – 93

Centres de recherche

Groupes de recherche

Institutes de recherche

Laboratoires de recherche

Observatoires de recherche

Réseaux de recherche

Centres de recherche hospitaliers

Queen's University

Kingston, Ontario NSERC Funding 2003: C$M 21,571 Number of Canada Research Chairs – 54

University centres and institutes

Faculty centres and institutes

McMaster University

Hamilton, Ontario. NSERC Funding 2003: C$M 20,694 Number of Canada Research Chairs – 62

Research institutes

Research centres

Research facilities

University of Manitoba

Winnipeg, Manitoba NSERC Funding 2009/10 C$M 19.9 Number of Canada Research Chairs – 44

University research centres, institutes, facilities and groups

Research groups include:

Centres of Excellence

University of Calgary

Calgary, Alberta. NSERC Funding 2003: C$M 19,714 Number of Canada Research Chairs – 75

University research institutes and centres

Partnerships, institutes and centres

Centres of Excellence

University of Western Ontario

London, Ontario. NSERC Funding 2003: C$M 17,288 Number of Canada Research Chairs – 61

Science research centres and facilities

Engineering research centres

Health science research facilities

Social science research centres and research groups

Affiliated research institutes

Dalhousie University

Halifax, Nova Scotia. NSERC Funding 2003: C$M 14,839 Number of Canada Research Chairs – 50

Research centres, institutes, and groups

Technical research facilities

Affiliated research organizations

University of Ottawa

Ottawa, Ontario. NSERC Funding 2003: C$M 14,127 Number of Canada Research Chairs – 49

uOttawa research centres and institutes

Affiliated research institutes

University of Guelph

Guelph, Ontario. Number of Canada Research Chairs – 39 UoG ranks 14th among the top 50 research universities in Canada, but is not a member of U15.

Research Centres, Institutes and Groups

Networks of Centers of Excellence

Health and life sciences

Information and communication

Environment

Natural resources

Manufacturing and engineering

Cross-sectoral

Notable university-related research organizations and projects

Domestic

International

Research and development expenditures in Canada by sector

Canadian Gross Expenditure on R&D (GERD) by Performing Sectors – 2006 Estimates, C$ Millions

Support organizations