Research Infosource Inc. released its 2005 report ranking Canada's top 50 research universities and McMaster, once again, placed among the country's best.

McMaster placed third in the Research University of the Year category based on its ability to attract and capitalize on its research income. McMaster is the only Ontario university to have placed in this category every year since the ranking's inception in 2003. The rating, based on Statistics Canada data, reflects total sponsored research income, faculty and graduate student research intensity, and the number of publications in leading journals.

The University also placed high for its total sponsored research income, coming in at eighth in the country for bringing in $246,173,000 — nearly 13 per cent more than last year's income. In terms of research intensity — a measure of research income per full-time faculty — McMaster placed fifth, averaging $233,600 per faculty member; representing a 5.5 per cent increase over last year.

Mamdouh Shoukri, vice-president of research, said the ranking speaks volumes about the people who call McMaster home. “Our research income has continued to climb over the last decade, and it's a direct result of the people who choose to conduct their research at McMaster. We've recruited and retained some of the finest reseachers in the world, and the University — particularly our students — benefit from the fruits of their labour.”