I am writing to share the University’s new Institutional Strategic Research Plan 2018-2023 (ISRP) with you.

Thank you for your engagement throughout the consultation process this past year. The Research Advisory Board, which includes members from across all our academic divisions and representatives from the affiliated hospitals, was a key venue for discussion, advice, and guidance, as well as providing critical leadership in the consultation process with our community.

The ISRP continues to express our core commitment to supporting excellence in research and innovation across our three campuses and with our community partners. The consultation feedback helped shape the themes and subthemes and align them with current and potential future areas of research and innovation while reflecting the breadth of U of T research within a flexible framework. Feedback also helped to refine our strategic objectives and the metrics by which we will measure our success.

The ISRP highlights the scope of scholarship at U of T and identifies seven thematic areas designed to facilitate excellence and collaboration – both within U of T and with partner organizations – to address issues of local, national, and global importance. It also identifies five strategic objectives to enable U of T to continue to increase its research excellence: demonstrating our leadership in research and innovation; fostering collaborations, partnerships, and engagement; advancing equity, inclusion, and diversity; supporting the integration of research and innovation in the student experience; and, strengthening the institutional supports that foster research and innovation excellence.

The ISRP highlights the environment and approach that will allow our researchers to continue to do their outstanding work. It provides support and direction, but is not meant to limit individual faculty member or divisional research priorities. The Plan, Executive Summary, A User’s Guide, as well as background information can be found online.