Strategic Goals

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.