As a living lab where new ideas can be explored and developed, York is dedicated to addressing complex global problems. Our scholars and students contribute positively to our local community and they elevate Canada’s leadership with impactful research and innovation in areas ranging from sustainability and disaster and emergency management to mental health and the development of socially responsible technologies.
Research has always been a cornerstone of societal progress. At this point in history, where the climate crisis, political polarization, and technological advancements are reaching new heights, scientific inquiry and an entrepreneurial spirit have never been more important. I am very proud of the ways that York’s researchers and innovators are working across traditional boundaries to shape policy, mobilize knowledge, foster critical thinking, and ultimately guide the realization of a more just and sustainable future.”
Rhonda Lenton, President & Vice-Chancellor
By the Numbers
Knowledge for the Future Highlights
Opening the ADERSIM Lab
In July 2024, York University officially opened the Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Advanced Disaster, Emergency and Rapid Response Simulation (ADERSIM) Lab – the only multifunctional Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) for research, training and operations at a Canadian university.
The state-of-the-art Lab will manage and coordinate large-scale emergency responses as a primary or support EOC during real emergencies in Canada or abroad. It will also develop emergency management tools and technologies, support impactful research, deliver specialized training, run simulations, and assess rapid response strategies.
Funded by a $2-million donation from philanthropist and York alumnus Victor Dahdaleh and his wife Mona, and $1.45 million from the Ontario Research Fund, the Lab is primed to strengthen disaster and emergency planning and response, both locally and globally.
Establishing a new organized research unit for inclusive mental health
A new Organized Research Unit (ORU) at York University, the Mad Studies Hub, is taking an innovative, interdisciplinary approach to understanding mental health through the lenses of equity and social justice.
Led by Professor Marina Morrow, the Hub reclaims the term "Mad" to empower those affected by psychiatric systems, and brings together researchers from across health, law, education, and the arts to rethink how we understand mental health.
As one of York’s 32 ORUs, the Hub has five core goals: supporting socially engaged research, building high-performing teams and collaborations, shaping policy, transforming pedagogy and professional practice, and mobilizing knowledge across academic and public spheres.
Creating an award-winning generative AI platform
In August 2024, York released its own proprietary, generative artificial intelligence (AI) platform to enhance campus research, teaching, and administrative services and bolster socially responsible innovation.
Built using open-source technology and housed within York’s IT infrastructure, YU AURA (York University Automated University Response Assistant) offers a more secure, cost-efficient, and accurate alternative to commercial AI tools such as ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini. Among YU AURA’s many skills is its ability to accelerate literature reviews for researchers, serve as a tailored AI course assistant, and support administrators across various departments.
YU AURA has received multiple accolades, including a CIO Award in 2024 and the 2025 Canadian Association of University Business Officers’ Quality & Productivity Award. Feedback from the York community continues to guide the platform’s evolution, and future plans include open-sourcing YU AURA to allow universities across Canada to utilize and collaboratively develop the technology.
Partnering in $48.3M innovation networks to drive research to market
In January 2025, York University became a major partner in two national research networks awarded over $48.3 million through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Lab to Market grants.
The Lab to Market program is designed to accelerate the commercialization of academic research and support the creation of interdisciplinary networks that promote entrepreneurial training and support innovation across sectors.
York is a co-applicant in a $32 million Lab to Market project led by Dalhousie University that is building a national network to equip researchers and students with tools to turn ideas into market-ready ventures. The initiative has already reached over 1,000 participants and created more than 25 startups.
York is also collaborating on the $16 million “Sustainable Food Systems for Canada” project led by the University of Guelph, which connects agri-food innovators with partners to transition research into commercialized food technologies.
Connected Minds marks exciting new milestones
Since its launch in 2023, the $318.4-million research initiative, Connected Minds: Neural and Machine Systems for a Healthy, Just Society, continues to advance interdisciplinary research at the intersections of neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and society.
In July 2025, Connected Minds awarded $7.5 million in inaugural Team Grants. Funded by the Canada First Research Excellence Fund, five interdisciplinary teams each received up to $1.5 million to pursue groundbreaking projects in areas ranging from improving workplace inclusion for people with speech impairments, advancing social connection through participatory technologies, developing smart medical devices, and designing intelligent technologies that promote healthy aging, to creating Indigenous metaverses.
Led by York University in partnership with Queen’s University, Connected Minds is a first-of-its-kind research initiative that unites experts across eight York Faculties, three Queen’s Faculties, and over 50 organizations in the mission of creating a more just, inclusive world.
Informing pathways to carbon-neutral economies
In Fall 2024, York University’s Ecological Footprint Initiative released the first comprehensive ecological footprint and biocapacity dataset for Ontario municipalities, offering communities valuable insights to inform local sustainability efforts.
The dataset presents a one-year snapshot that tracks resource consumption and the ecosystem's regenerative capacity for over 550 municipalities. These detailed profiles equip local leaders with evidence-based tools to develop targeted climate strategies and monitor sustainability progress.
A living lab housed within York’s Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change, the Ecological Footprint Initiative also produces annual National Ecological Footprint and Biocapacity Accounts for all countries, spanning from 1961 to the present; tracks York’s institutional emissions and ecological footprint; and generates community-level data.
With a focus on community engagement, the Initiative continues to generate accessible ecological data that informs practitioners, policymakers, and the public, while highlighting both the opportunities and limits communities face on the path to net-zero.
Leveraging art and media as catalysts for ecological change
York University’s Wild Garden Media Centre, located in the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change (EUC), is a dynamic space for environmentally conscious and justice-oriented media and arts production. Funded by a $100,000 grant from the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the newly renovated centre includes a sound recording area, a media space for painting and printmaking, and a digital lab with multimedia editing software.
Professor Deborah McGregor, Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Environmental Justice, led the development of the centre and its vision to support EUC students, faculty, and researchers in their creative and research projects; prioritize Indigenous knowledge and practices; and serve as a hub where art, sustainability, and activism intersect.
