Questions about Queen’s research standing resurfaced during the April Senate question period as external metrics continued to place the University behind several peer institutions.
On April 16, during the Senate question period, Senators asked questions about the University’s position among U15 Canada institutions, particularly in research output and funding intensity. The discussion reflected external metrics indicating shifts in Queen’s research standing.
U15 Canada comprises the 15 leading research universities across Canada and aims to optimize research and innovation policies, but does not formally rank its member universities.
In a statement to The Journal, James Hammond, director of public affairs at U15 Canada, instead describes them as “an association of research-intensive universities.”
Because U15 Canada does not formally rank its members, Senators questioned how Queen’s standing among peer institutions should be evaluated.
In 2021, Queen’s University had dropped to 16th in the Research InfoSource rankings for the 2021-22 academic year, placing it below all other U15 universities. This ranking has not changed in the 2024 data and remains the “most recent publicly available comparative data,” according to Queen’s in a statement to The Journal.
However, Queen’s remains a U15 institution.
One main concern raised during the question period was Queen’s comparison of research output to other U15 universities.
According to data from the Nature Index, which tracks research output in leading science and health journals, Western University — which ranked 10th in the 2024 Research InfoSource rankings — has outperformed Queen’s in 2025 research output. As of publication, Western had published 225 research papers in 2025, while Queen’s had published 179.
During the question period, Senators also sought a clearer explanation of how U15 comparisons are measured, what factors are considered, and where Queen’s stands.
In the statement, Queen’s noted that external ranking systems — such as the Times Higher Education World University Rankings — weigh factors like research output and research impact differently, which may account for discrepancies between measures.
The University acknowledged that Queen’s Research InfoSource ranking relative to other U15 schools requires improvement and it projects that progress is underway.
However, the University also said “we cannot be certain until the comparative research data are released.” They added that the University’s ranking often experiences volatility due to its comparatively smaller faculty size and health research ecosystem.
During a May 19 webinar about the future of universities and higher education, Principal Patrick Deane said Queen’s has “made extraordinary strides in research,” highlighting undergraduate involvement in research activities.
Tags
External rankings, InfoSource, Queen's rank, Senate, U15 rankings
All final editorial decisions are made by the Editor(s) in Chief and/or the Managing Editor. Authors should not be contacted, targeted, or harassed under any circumstances. If you have any grievances with this article, please direct your comments to journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca.