Research by the Numbers
USask research is driving the discoveries, innovations and creative outputs the world needs.
Explore USask's 2023-24 research funding, patents, international contracts and more
Funding
$323.9 million in research revenue
A historic amount reflecting an $85 million increase over the previous year.
$417 million in awarded research
The highest amount ever awarded to USask in a single year.
Innovation
21 new invention disclosures
From across six colleges and schools at USask, these disclosures represent the first time a researcher reports an invention to the OVPR.
172 active patent families
After first filing, a single patent expands into a larger family of patents as it is filed in multiple jurisdictions globally.
61 aspiring entrepreneurs in 24 ventures
Entrepreneurs and their ventures are supported by Opus - USask's pre-accelerator program.
117 active licenses under management
Legal agreements allow an outside party to use a USask invention.
Facilities and People
Four National Research Facilities
USask is home to several industry-leading research facilties, funded by the Canadian Foundation for Innovation's (CFI) Major Science Initiatives Fund (MSIF). These include:
17 Canada Research Chairs
These federally-funded positions attract the world's most accomplished and promising minds in engineering and natural sciences, health sciences, humanities and social sciences.
4,630 graduate students and 324 postdoctoral fellows
USask is proud to be home to an international community of postdoctoral scholars and growing numbers of graduate students, of which 38 per cent are international and nine per cent self-declare as Indigenous.
International
53 inbound visiting delegations from over 20 countries
Hosting international delegations at USask fosters opportunities for cross-border collaboration, research and education.
300 international agreements with over 200 entities in more than 60 countries
International agreements garner meaningful partnerships that accelerate USask's RSAW mission at home and around the world.
Rankings
Times Higher Education (THE) 2025 World University Rankings
USask was ranked in the 351-400 tier, maintaining the university’s best-ever placement in this ranking for the second straight year.
Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) 2025 World University Ranking
USask was ranked 340th in the world, an increase of five positions from the year prior (345th). This marks USask’s best performance in this ranking, improving on the previous best performance last year.
Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) 2025 Sustainability Rankings
USask was ranked 131st in the world in the sustainability rankings, placing the university firmly among the top-ranked universities globally.