At the Lassonde School of Engineering, research and innovation are at the heart of who we are. This Strategic Research and Innovation Plan (SRIP) highlights our values and our strengths (including established and new/growing expertise) and outlines why we do the work we do, what we want to achieve, and how we will get there. This SRIP sets out our direction for the years ahead and is our roadmap for growing impact, guiding decisions, and ensuring that our efforts align with the priorities of our community, our partners, and society at large.
We are still a relatively young engineering and science school, launched just over a decade ago in 2013. That makes this an exciting moment. We have the energy and flexibility of a new institution, while also building on strong foundations: long-standing research strengths in computer science, electrical engineering, and earth and space science. Since then, we’ve expanded into civil and mechanical engineering, creating new opportunities for collaboration across York and beyond.
Being part of York University — a large, comprehensive university with deep expertise in the humanities and social sciences — gives us something rare: the chance to weave human perspectives and social impact into our research from the very beginning. We also benefit from our location in the Greater Toronto Area, surrounded by world-class universities, diverse communities, and entrepreneurial talent, with access to global networks that connect us across borders.
In just over 10 years, Lassonde has grown to four departments, 14 undergraduate programs, seven graduate programs, and four Organized Research Units (ORUs). Our researchers are advancing discoveries in cutting-edge facilities such as the Canadian Planetary Simulator, York Microfabrication Facility, High Bay Lab, Climate-Data-Driven Design Facility, and our new High-Performance Computing GPU Cluster. Together, these spaces allow us to attract talent, collaborate with partners, and tackle the world’s most pressing challenges.
This plan is about more than listing facilities and programs. It’s about setting a vision for how Lassonde will grow its research enterprise — building on our strengths, reaching into new and emerging areas, and ensuring that everything we do is driven by creativity, interdisciplinarity, and a commitment to improving life for people and communities, locally and globally.
Lassonde Stats (Data from 2020-2025)
Mission and Vision
Mission
To nurture and empower our community of diverse interdisciplinary creators by fostering creativity and innovation and providing a transformative education along with research and lifelong learning opportunities aimed at cultivating new ideas, knowledge, and contributing towards a more sustainable world for all.
Vision
To be recognized among the world’s best interdisciplinary engineering schools, a home where engineers and scientists collaborate to improve the world for everyone.