Research Infosource Inc. has released its 2009 list of Canada's top 50 research universities and McMaster University has again been named one of this country's best.

With a total sponsored research income of $373.3 million – up more than $27 million from last year – McMaster maintained its sixth position in the rankings.

In terms of research intensity – a measure of research income per full-time faculty member – McMaster placed second in the country, up from third place last year. In total, the University averaged $312,800 per faculty member, far above the national average of $165,000.

“It's further proof that McMaster has the research capacity to compete with institutions substantially larger than ours,” says Mo Elbestawi, vice-president of research and international affairs. “The move up to second place in research intensity speaks volumes to our talented faculty and their ability to attract research funding at an unprecedented rate. The numbers tell the story, but it's the people behind the numbers who truly make the difference.”

Research Infosource gathers its data from Statistics Canada and the Research Infosource Canadian R & D database.