Charmaine Dean
Vice-President
Research and International
Welcome from the Vice-President, Research and International
The research landscape is changing and, in a time of significant disruption, the University of Waterloo is ready to meet the moment with our unconventional, interdisciplinary approach to problem-solving.
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Research thematic areas
Waterloo’s research strengths are aligned with important global challenges and span the continuum from foundational inquiry to the practical applications of new knowledge.
Awards, funding and rankings
In 2025, Dr. Geoffrey Fong was inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame. Dr. Fong is a leading social psychologist who founded the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project (ITC Project) to evaluate the impact of the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) policies. The ITC Project is renowned for its scientific rigour and scope, having conducted studies in 31 countries, covering half the world's population, over the past two decades. Through his highly impactful research and advocacy, Dr. Fong has made Canada a world leader in the fight against tobacco use, improving the health of millions.
2025 Royal Society of Canada Fellows and College Members
The Royal Society of Canada welcomed five new Fellows and one new RSC College member from Waterloo in 2025.
New Fellows
Shai Ben-David
Cheriton School of Computer Science
Susan Elliott
Department of Geography and Environmental Management
John McPhee
Department of Systems Design Engineering
Will Percival
Department of Physics and Astronomy
Norman Zhou
Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering
New College Member
Dillon Browne
Department of Psychology
New and renewed Canada Research Chairs
Announced in March 2025, Waterloo’s Canada Research Chairs (CRC) are among Canada’s leading experts in their fields and join a network of Chairholders working across the University’s interconnected six faculties.
Duane Cronin
Faculty of Engineering
Tier 1 NSERC CRC in Trauma Biomechanics and Injury Prevention
Kerstin Dautenhahn
Faculty of Engineering
Tier 1 NSERC CRC in Socially Intelligent Robotics
David Fortin
Faculty of Engineering
Tier 1 SSHRC CRC in Critical Relationalism and Design
Lora Giangregorio
Faculty of Health
Tier 1 CIHR CRC in Bone Health and Exercise Science
Brian Kendall
Faculty of Science
Tier 2 NSERC CRC in Redox-Sensitive Meal Isotope Geochemistry
Mahla Poudineh
Faculty of Engineering
Tier 2 NSERC CRC in Health Monitoring BioNano Devices
Kate Ratliff
Faculty of Arts
Tier 1 SSHRC CRC in Intergroup Attitudes
Maria Strack
Faculty of Environment
Tier 1 NSERC CRC in Wetland Climate Solutions
Lan Wei
Faculty of Engineering
Tier 2 NSERC CRC in Nanoscale Devices and Circuits
Evelyn Yim
Faculty of Engineering
Tier 1 NSERC CRC in Nanomaterials for Regenerative Medicine
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Research impact highlights
Waterloo’s research strengths are aligned with important global challenges and span the continuum from fundamental inquiry to the practical applications of new knowledge.
10%
increase in total research funding
between 23/24 and 24/25
30%
increase in NSERC Alliance funding
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1
Institute in Canada
for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Chemical Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering
4
in the U15 for NSERC funding
University of Waterloo U15 NSERC ranking
Year
Rank
22/23
5
23/24
5
24/25
4
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