Research at Trent University
Despite being a smaller university, Trent University consistently produces high-quality research. (Click here to view Trent’s latest “Research News”.)
This ambition is frequently validated by external assessments and reviews, such as Macleans, Re$earch Infosource Inc. and Higher Education Strategy Associates(HESA).
In their most recent national survey, HESA ranked Trent’s research 12th among 55 Canadian universities in impact for Sciences, Social Sciences and Humanities, noting that the university has, “by far the best publication record of any small‐ish school in the country across all disciplines.”
In this index, Trent ranked higher than 8 members of the U‐15 research universities in Canada.
Trent’s size allows researchers to strategically select a small number of research areas in which, through interdisciplinary approaches drawing from the sciences, social sciences and humanities, which has allowed the University to become recognized both nationally and internationally.
Research is central to Trent’s mission. In pursuing this mandate, the University has identified in the Strategic Research Plan a set of principles for research at Trent that includes excellence in research with national and international recognition, diversity of research across scholarly disciplines, an emphasis on interdisciplinary research, and involvement of students in research.
Research organizations like Centres and Institutes are essential tools for Trent’s research mission.
The Office of Research & Innovation supports the university community in its mission to “advance learning through the creative interaction of teaching and research of the highest quality.”
Responsible for the achievement of Trent’s research goals and objectives, the Office of Research & Innovation works in cooperation with other departments to implement the University’s strategic research plan.
In particular, the Office of Research & Innovation at Trent works with local, regional, national and international members of the research community to promote and steward:
- Excellence in research (peer-reviewed, high calibre, with national and international recognition).
- A diversity of research (across a full range of scholarly disciplines at Trent, and of either a basic or applied nature).
- An emphasis on interdisciplinary research (with cooperation between a number of departments/ programs/ disciplines/ centres /institutions).
- Responsible for provision of resources to researchers (infrastructure, staff, space etc.).
- The involvement of students in research.
- Training of highly qualified personnel.
- Open accountable research practices (honest, ethical and open to public scrutiny).