Urgent challenges. Unwavering commitment.
At Queen’s, we believe creating a better future for people and the planet is not only possible — it’s our mission.
From research exploring the building blocks of the universe, cancer care and treatment, and sustainable technologies, to efforts to create and nurture community through societal connections and collaborations, our university is tackling humanity’s most pressing challenges.
Importantly, these efforts align with the global community’s commitment to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — towards which Queen’s is making a demonstrated impact.
For four years in a row (2021-2024), the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings have in the world for advancing the SDGs through research, teaching, stewardship, and outreach.
Learn more about our commitment to these efforts.
What is the universe made of?
In the 1980s, deep below ground in a Ontario nickel mine, Queen’s researcher Arthur B. McDonald and collaborators made a groundbreaking discovery: neutrinos, the tiniest particles in the universe, have mass. This Nobel Prize-winning research fundamentally changed our understanding of the universe and its evolution, paving the way for future work into the mysteries of dark matter and anti-matter.
Today, the connects experts from across the country to advance fundamental science and respond to some of the biggest questions in particle astrophysics, cosmology, and astronomy.
Is nuclear energy critical to Canada's future?
Inside Queen's (RMTL), researchers are seeking to learn more about material interactions within nuclear reactors and examining the lifespans of these critical pieces of energy infrastructure.
Queen's experts are also advancing policy discussions around the role of Small Modular Reactors in Canada’s energy transition towards a net-zero economy.
How can we combat climate change?
Imagining a real-world solution to efficiently capture solar power, Praveen Jain, Canada Research Chair in Power Electronics, developed a novel microgrid platform for renewable electricity generation, electric vehicles, and energy storage.
With over 100 patents to his name, Jain and his team at the Queen’s Centre for Energy and Power Electronics Research are supporting countries around the world to reduce emissions and produce electricity in cost-effective and sustainable ways.
When will we develop a cure for cancer?
While significant strides have been made to increase survival rates, cancer remains a leading cause of death worldwide. In Canada alone, two in five adults will experience cancer in their lifetimes.
The based at Queen’s plays a critical role in the global fight against cancer. The network of more than 2,100 Canadian investigators and 4,200 clinical trial staff at more than 85 member centres designs and administers clinical trials in cancer therapies, supportive care, and prevention. Since 1980, CCTG has supported more than 600 trials involving over 100,000 patients from 40 countries on six continents.
How can we support reconciliation?
Building community, advancing reconciliation, and integrating Indigenous ways of knowing and being into Queen's initiatives and activities are at the core of the work being done by the Office of Indigenous Initiatives.
Queen's also partners with Indigenous communities in research to advance the SDGs and the principles of equality and sustainability, as well as to provide health care access in remote communities. Building on a six-decade relationship in patient care, a recent partnership with the Weeneebayko Area Health Authority (WAHA) on the , will see Indigenous students trained for careers in medicine, nursing, midwifery, and other health professions, using co-created decolonized curricula.
How can we protect critical infrastructure from breaking down?
Metals are in the cars we drive, the bridges we cross, the planes we fly, and in critical infrastructure we can’t live without. But when in contact with oxygen in the air or in the water, most metals grow unstable and break down. Cathleen Crudden, Canada Research Chair in Metal Organic Chemistry, developed novel carbon coatings for protecting metal surfaces that can extend their lifetimes.
This could save billions in infrastructure and manufacturing costs, and be applied to microchips in smartphones and other devices, as well as in medical treatments, including targeted chemotherapy and radiation therapies.
How can we advance wellbeing in our community?
Our university has impacts beyond our campus. Queen's is committed to furthering our local community economically, socially, and culturally. We generate over $1.6 billion in economic and social benefits every year through jobs, health care, and support for start-ups.
Our students, faculty, and staff also work with local partners to address issues like homelessness, , and .