McMaster is one of only six Ontario universities selected by the Council of Ontario Universities to receive an endowment from the provincial government to fund a research chair position in public policy. McMaster's application for Ontario Research Chair in Educational Policy and At Risk Students was one of eight proposals selected from among 37 submissions by 14 other universities.

Chris Bentley, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, announced today the McGuinty government is strengthening Ontario's economic advantage and creating a culture of innovation in the province by establishing these new research chairs.

McMaster's new chair will lead a research program to look at underachievement from a multidisciplinary perspective – bringing together health, education and social policy. The chair will provide essential information to ensure that Ontario's children and youth have the foundation for a successful transition to adulthood.

“Ontario needs to continue to be a world leader in research,” said Bentley. “That's why we are establishing eight new research chairs to not only increase the number of leading-edge researchers at our universities, but also ensure the next generation of graduate students have the skills to help find innovative solutions to problems that affect all of us.”

The government has provided $25 million to the six universities to create the endowments that will fund the eight chairs. Each university will invest the funding and the interest will be used to provide annual support for the research.

“There was significant competition for these research chairs, and McMaster's success in securing one of the chairs speaks to our research strengths, inter-disciplinary innovations and successful track record in working with community groups and other agencies,” says Mamdouh Shoukri, McMaster's vice-president, research & international affairs.

This investment is part of Reaching Higher: The McGuinty Government Plan for Postsecondary Education. Through the plan, the government will invest $6.2 billion more in postsecondary education and training by 2009/10 – the single largest infusion of funds in the sector in 40 years.