Assiniboine makes top-50 list of research colleges

Assiniboine College has joined Canada’s Top 50 Research Colleges for the first time, placing 47th nationally.

The recognition — which comes five years ahead of the goal set in the college’s 2030 strategic plan — reflects more than a decade of investment in applied research, particularly in agriculture, sustainable horticulture and environmental innovation, college president Mark Frison told the Sun on Friday.

“If you went back more than a decade, we weren’t really a big factor in terms of applied research,” he said. “The shift came through focused growth, stronger partnerships and strategic hiring. Success builds upon success … Developing a track record for the researcher and the institution is important.”

Frison said the ranking demonstrates that the college is “moving in the right direction,” even as fluctuations are normal. But reaching the top 50 ahead of schedule, he added, is validation of the college’s deliberate approach — whether in faculty recruitment, research support or expanding capacity through infrastructure.

One example is the $5-million research greenhouse, supported by the college’s first Canada Foundation for Innovation grant and matched by the province.

The greenhouse will significantly expand opportunities for faculty and students, particularly in horticulture, said faculty researcher Poonam Singh, whose work focuses on developing sustainable growing media and reducing reliance on peat.

“The new facility is transformational,” she said. “One of the biggest challenges is the lack of facilities. Once we have this new space, I’ll be able to do so many more trials simultaneously… and work with more industries in their commercialization journey.”

Singh’s research uses waste materials such as cattails, hemp fibre, wood waste, sheep wool and biochar to partially replace peat in greenhouse production.

The goal is to reduce environmental impact while creating reusable, efficient alternatives, she said. Her projects involve more than a dozen industry and funding partners, from Manitoba Agriculture to national research organizations.

The college’s growing reputation is also raising its profile in Canada’s research community. Singh said being recognized on a national list reinforces the importance of Assiniboine’s contributions.

“We are a small number of researchers, but our contributions are large … It’s nice to see that being recognized,” she said. “Now it’s easy to say we are among the top 50. It emphasizes that we are doing significant research.”

Frison agreed that the ranking will help unlock new partnerships and funding opportunities.

“Profile like this does help,” he said. “When somebody is thinking about doing a project, they think, ‘Maybe there’s somebody at Assiniboine who could be part of our team.’”

It’s great to see Assiniboine join RRC Polytech in being named in the Top 50 Research Colleges in Canada, Manitoba Advanced Education Minister Renée Cable said in a news release issued by the college on Friday.

“We are proud of the leadership our colleges in Manitoba are showing on the national stage when it comes to applied research,” she said. “They contribute to both strong student learning outcomes and industry competitiveness.”

The annual top-50 list is compiled by Research Infosource Inc., a national research and consulting organization that tracks research performance across Canadian post-secondary institutions.

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