Strategic Research Plan Summary
Introduction
George Brown College has developed a new ten-year strategic plan – Strategy 2020 – as a result of an extensive discussion, research and consultation process both within the college and with our broader community. As part of Strategy 2020, six imperatives have been identified, each of which is associated with a series of specific, measurable goals:
- Prepare diverse learners for job success
- Be an enabler of the innovation economy
- Invest in the creation and stewardship of high value and high performing partnerships
- Leverage state-of-the-art technology
- Build a high-performing organization
- Build a sustainable financial and resource model
Within the Strategy 2020 framework, George Brown’s research mission is to support and advance industry and community-problem solving through excellence in applied research, commercialization and scholarship.
Major Research Objectives
George Brown College’s Research and Innovation engages industry, faculty, students, and the community at large through participation in educationally and economically meaningful research projects and partnerships. As such, George Brown College seeks to:
Contribute to the prosperity of Ontario and Canada by partnering with industry, especially with small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and community organizations to engage in applied research which enhances our partners’ competitiveness, efficacy and sustainability.
Enhance the College’s existing areas of research capacity and foster excellence in emerging areas of research capacity.
Integrate applied research and scholarship tightly within College curricula to promote and integrate innovation literacy1 and applied research and innovation culture throughout George Brown College faculty, staff and students.
Support research that enhances the student learning experience and improves the employment prospects for our graduates by providing them with problem-solving experience in real-world contexts.
Work collaboratively with regional, national and international academic and industry research institutions to develop solutions to real-world industrial and social challenges resulting in regional and global impacts.
Provide leadership at the local, provincial and national levels in applied research, innovation, commercialization and scholarship for the college sector.
Core Commitments
George Brown College is committed to supporting research that provides:
Real World Real-Time Solutions – we respond to the needs of industry and community partners in order to help them find solutions to real-world problems by matching them with expertise throughout the diverse areas of the College.
Quality Student Experience – all research at the College includes students in key research roles. We enhance the student learning experience and the career prospects of our graduates by providing students with quality research experiences and exposure to collaborative partners who are potential employers.
Excellence and Accountability – we provide key applied research services, an administrative framework, training and policies to foster excellence in the delivery of research projects and accountability to our collaborative partners and funders.
Major Research Themes
The College has identified five major research themes, which represent areas of proven applied research capacity at George Brown. Each theme has an established network of partners and collaborators from the industrial, post-secondary, not for profit and public sectors and is supported by applied research infrastructure, and faculty and student expertise. The major themes are not categorized by the College’s academic centres, rather they are interdisciplinary in nature focusing on solving industry and community problems through the many verticals at the College.
The major research themes include:
- Business Innovation and Entrepreneurship
- Community Wellness, Health and Education
- Design for the Smart Economy
- Food and Beverage Innovation
- Sustainability and the Built Environment
Version draft May 2016
1Innovation literacy: the ability to think creatively and apply problem-solving skills to diverse and intangible issues within industrial problems and contexts. Innovation literacy is a transferable skill that enables students to be flexible innovators in the workforce.
