Strategic Goals

1. Build on Our Solid Foundation

In the context of our disciplinary and methodological areas of expertise (biostatistics, epidemiology, health economics, health services and policy research), we will:

  • Recognize and build on our historical strengths, areas of research success, and emerging areas of excellence by:
    • identifying/refining our research themes of excellence and emerging excellence; (e.g. biostatistical research directed at cluster randomization methods);
    • investing in areas in which we currently have national/international prominence; and
    • identifying and support a small number of emerging research themes (strategies for new hiring).
  • Recognize and build on our tradition of excellence and innovation in graduate education.

2. Continue to Achieve Excellence and Impact in Our Research Programs

In the context that our research programs are directed at either:

  • Research to develop methods (statistical, economic, epidemiologic)
  • Apply methodologically sound principles and conceptual disease models to address substantive questions, we aim to:
    • identify strategic research themes within which our overlapping expertise and interests synergize into unique research themes of excellence; and
    • achieve impact through addressing pertinent questions and transferring/translating findings to achieve impact.

3. Continue to Innovate and Improve Our Educational Programs

In the context of our national reputation for a strong, relevant graduate program, our teaching excellence in undergraduate classes in the medical school and BMSc program, and our particularly strong methods teaching, we aim to:

  • Ensure that the foci for both thesis research and course delivery should map to our themes of excellence and emerging excellence.
  • Enhance our activities and the student experience: e.g. continue to evaluate and enhance our graduate curriculum; enhance student/faculty interaction.
  • Continue to improve teaching skills; incorporate innovative teaching methods.
  • Expand our activities in terms of numbers of students and number of activities (e.g. increased graduate enrolment).
  • Investigate the potential for development of a novel undergraduate program tied to our niches of excellence.

4. Extend Our Impact by Engaging with Others in Strategic within- and inter-disciplinary Collaboration

Aligned with our themes of research and teaching excellence and emerging excellence, we will:

  • Lever the impact and productivity of our research by engagement with others of comparable excellence, and complementary expertise.
  • Provide a “home” for cross appointees aligned with our disciplinary and methodological areas of expertise.
  • Seek opportunities to benefit from, and contribute to, innovative interdisciplinary educational programs.

5. Raise Our Profile Locally, Provincially, Nationally, and Internationally

We seek to be recognized for the value/prominence/excellence of the Department:

  • We will identify additional areas in which we have the potential for national/international prominence (identify/promote areas).
  • We will engage in strategic Faculty initiatives which complement our expertise and synergize with our strengths.
  • Marketing of our graduate program in a competitive environment.
  • We will develop metrics with meaning to our discipline.
  • We will increase our KT activities; transferring our findings to those who will lever our results into impact in their areas of research, practice or policy setting.