U15 (universities)

McMaster University

McGill University

University of Ottawa

University of British Columbia

Queen's University

University of Toronto

Dalhousie University

University of Western Ontario

The U15 is a group of 15 leading research-intensive universities in Canada. The group originally formed in 1991 as an informal group of executive heads of 10 universities. Currently, U15 consists of 15 of Canada's most research-intensive universities. The U15 describes itself as bringing "distinguished minds to bear on the most challenges our nation and our world face."

Membership

University	Location	Founded	Year joined
University of Alberta	Edmonton, Alberta	1908	1991
University of British Columbia	Vancouver, British Columbia	1908	1991
University of Calgary	Calgary, Alberta	1966	2006
Dalhousie University	Halifax, Nova Scotia	1818	2006
Université Laval	Quebec City, Quebec	1663	1991
University of Manitoba	Winnipeg, Manitoba	1877	2011
McGill University	Montreal, Quebec	1821	1991
McMaster University	Hamilton, Ontario	1887	1991
Université de Montréal	Montreal, Quebec	1878	1991
University of Ottawa	Ottawa, Ontario	1848	2006
Queen's University	Kingston, Ontario	1841	1991
University of Saskatchewan	Saskatoon, Saskatchewan	1907	2011
University of Toronto	Toronto, Ontario	1827	1991
University of Waterloo	Waterloo, Ontario	1957	1991
University of Western Ontario	London, Ontario	1878	1991

History

In 1991, representatives from 10 of Canada's most research-intensive universities form an organization called the Group of Ten/Le Group de Dix (G10): Alberta, UBC, Laval, McGill, McMaster, Montréal, Queen's, Toronto, Waterloo, and Western. In 2006, after a lengthy discussion, the G10 invited Dalhousie University, the University of Calgary and the University of Ottawa to join the group, which subsequently became the U13. The group grew again in February 2011, when the University of Manitoba and the University of Saskatchewan joined the organization. The group was renamed the U15 at that time. In 2012, the executive heads created a U15 Secretariat and appointed the organization's first executive director.

Over the years, the U15's purpose has expanded to include developing shared strategies and providing a single voice on behalf of all members on issues including research and development, university funding, accountability, public policy and international and domestic partnerships.

U15 today

The U15 fosters world-class scholarship that shapes and realizes national and global public policy goals, informs strong industry partnerships, creates social, cultural, economic and environmental innovation and advances Canada's international influence and effectiveness. At the same time, U15 institutions affirm and support curiousity-driven research whose aim is to expand knowledge.

Through the member universities' educational programs, the U15 identifies and nurtures talent and seeks to fulfill the potential of the next generation of Canadian and world leaders.

U15 institutions undertake 80 percent of all competitive university research in Canada, rank among the world's premier institutions, and represent a research enterprise valued at more than $5 billion annually. Collectively, they produce more than 75 percent of all doctorates awarded in Canada.

The U15 functions under the direction of university executive heads and has organized itself into four committees: academic affairs, consisting of provosts of member universities; research, consisting of vice-presidents for research at all of the institutions; the data exchange network consisting of data exchange specialists at the institutions; and a data exchange steering committee. The committees' purpose is to advance the cause of Canada's leading research universities in the development of research and academic policies at the national level.