List of Interviews
Sincere thanks is extended to the Dean’s Council and Senior Leadership Forum members who provided feedback directly to the study working group. Appreciation is also extended to the members of the Strategic Communications team for supporting story, data, and design requests on behalf of USask’s colleges, schools, and units.
RTI expresses its deep appreciation for the time and input provided by the following individuals who provided data and information for this study. They are listed in alphabetical order below.
Jennifer Beck, Chief Resource Allocation Officer
Shannon Boklaschuk, Advancement Communications Specialist, Green & White Editor
Kris Brown, Associate Vice President, Alumni and Strategic Engagement
Shannon Chinn, Chief Athletics Officer
Liz Duret, Senior Consultant, Diversity and Inclusion
Wade Epp, Associate Vice President, Campus Operations
Terry Fonstad, Associate Vice President, Research
Cheryl Hamelin, Vice President, University Relations
Troy Harkot, Chief Analytics Officer
Alix Hayden, Director, Innovation Mobilization and Partnerships
Marcy Hildebrand, Director, Alumni Relations and External Engagement
Janelle Hutchinson, Chief Sustainability Officer
Angela Jaime, Vice Provost, Indigenous Engagement and Professor, Indigenous Studies
Patricia McDougall, Deputy Provost and Associate Professor of Psychology
Heather Persson, Associate Vice President, Strategic Communications and Chief Communications Officer
Abdur Rehman Ahmad, Talent and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Consultant
Leslie-Ann Schlosser, Director, Research Profile and Impact
David Seibel, Director of Government Relations
Michael Skelton, Associate Athletics Officer-Development
Nancy Turner, Interim Associate Provost, Teaching Innovation and Strategic Initiatives
Lori Verishagen, Graphic Design Specialist
Economic Impact Studies Analyzed
- Deloitte. (2019). University of Waterloo Economic Impact Assessment.
- Deloitte. (2021). Queen’s University Economic and Community Impact Study.
- Ernst & Young. (2022). University of Guelf Economic Impact Report.
- Hanover Research. (2021). Economic Impact Analysis. Prepared for the University of Calgary.
- KPMG. (2014). Western University: Economic Impact Study Final Report.
- Malatest & Associates. (2023). University of Alberta Economic Impact Study 2023.
- Malatest & Associates. (2023). University of Manitoba Economic Impact Study 2023.
- Ministry of Advanced Education. (2023). 2022 Earnings Premium and 2022-23 Economic Impact Results: Institutional Breakout, University of Regina.
- Planning and Institutional Research, University of British Columbia. (2009). The Economic Impact of the University of British Columbia. RTI updated UBC operating expenditures to 2025 using the University of British Columbia Annual Financial Report.
- University of British Columbia. (2025). Annual Financial Statements for Year Ended March 31, 2025.
Technology Transfer Analysis
RTI analyzed data on research expenditures, invention disclosures, patents filed, licences executed, and licensing income for 320 Canadian and U.S. research universities and academic medical centres that reported to the AUTM over the 5-year period 2018/19 to 2023/24. RTI grouped these institutions based upon their reported R&D expenditures in each year.
In 2018/19, the University of Saskatchewan’s R&D expenditures were $205.2 million placing in the lower 20-40% of Canadian and U.S. universities with $88 million to $222 million of R&D expenditures. The median R&D expenditures for this group was $156.5 million. In 2020/21, USask’s R&D expenditures growth moved USask up to the middle 40-60% of Canadian and U.S. universities that reported between $223 million and $395 million of R&D expenditures. USask’s R&D expenditures in 2020/21 were $249.3 million compared to the median of $289 million. The five groups and their associated range of R&D expenditures are presented in Figure 25.
RTI found that in each of the five years analyzed, USask reported consistently higher licensing income compared to the median for its benchmark group, as shown in Figure 26.
Figures 25-28
FIGURE 25. University Groupings Based on R&D Expenditures
| Group | Range of R&D Expenditures |
|---|---|
| Bottom 20% | < $87M |
| Lower 20-40% | $88M to $222M |
| Middle 40-60% | $223M to $395M |
| Upper 60-80% | $396M to $748M |
| Top 20% | $749M+ |
Source: RTI analysis of AUTM survey data, 2019-2024
FIGURE 26. Comparison of Performance on Key Tech Transfer Indicators: University of Saskatchewan and a Benchmark Group of Canadian and U.S. Universities with Similar Levels of R&D Expenditures, 2018/19 to 2023/24
| Institutions | Count of Institutions | R&D Expenditures ($M) | Invention Disclosures | New Patent Applications | Licences /Options Executed | Gross Licensing Income ($M) | Startups Created |
| 2018/19 | |||||||
| USask | 1 | $205.2 | 42 | 26 | 12 | $8.3 | 0 |
| Lower 20-40% |
45 | $156.5 | 45 | 30 | 13 | $1.0 | 2 |
| 2019/20 | |||||||
| USask | 1 | $213.5 | 67 | 22 | 12 | $3.1 | 2 |
| Lower 20-40% |
43 | $167.0 | 51 | 27 | 11 | $1.2 | 3 |
| 2020/21 | |||||||
| USask | 1 | $249.3 | 33 | 23 | 17 | $4.8 | 2 |
| Middle 40-60% |
38 | $289.0 | 64 | 46 | 21 | $2.9 | 3 |
| 2021/22 | |||||||
| USask | 1 | $247.9 | 26 | 17 | 22 | $3.8 | 0 |
| Middle 40-60% |
41 | $269.0 | 54 | 41 | 16 | $2.9 | 2 |
| 2022/23 | |||||||
| USask | 1 | $269.7 | 17 | 22 | 36 | $6.9 | 5 |
| Middle 40-60% |
44 | $279.9 | 59 | 35 | 13 | $1.6 | 1 |
| 2023/24 | |||||||
| USask | 1 | $274.6 | 41 | 17 | 32 | $3.9 | 5 |
| Middle 40-60% |
47 | $281.7 | 60 | 39 | 13 | $1.4 | 2 |
| All Institutions | 320 | ||||||
Source: RTI analysis of AUTM survey data, 2019-2024
FIGURE 27. University of Saskatchewan and the Benchmark Group of Canadian and U.S. Research Universities and Academic Medical Centres in the Lower 20-40% (Second Quintile) of R&D Expenditures, 2018/19
| Canadian and U.S. Institutions | R&D Expenditures ($M) |
|---|---|
| Clemson University | $218.8 |
| Kansas State University | $218.6 |
| University de Sherbrooke | $213.3 |
| University of South Carolina | $212.0 |
| Washington State University | $211.9 |
| University of Saskatchewan | $205.2 |
| University Hospitals | $204.0 |
| H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute | $202.6 |
| Nationwide Children's Hospital | $195.8 |
| Georgia State University | $195.6 |
| University of Houston | $195.4 |
| Dartmouth College | $195.3 |
| Cedars-Sinai Medical Center | $194.0 |
| Oklahoma State University | $193.8 |
| Tufts University | $190.7 |
| Florida State University | $188.9 |
| University of Manitoba | $183.4 |
| Albert Einstein College of Medicine | $182.2 |
| Northeastern University | $178.8 |
| University of Louisville | $173.5 |
| Dalhousie University | $168.3 |
| University of Delaware | $160.8 |
| Tulane University | $156.5 |
| University of Guelph | $156.2 |
| Seattle Children’s Research Institute | $156.0 |
| North Dakota State University | $152.4 |
| University of Nevada at Reno | $152.1 |
| Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory | $149.0 |
| University of New Hampshire | $149.0 |
| Georgetown University | $148.3 |
| University of Louisiana at Lafayette | $144.2 |
| Rice University | $141.9 |
| Montana State University | $138.8 |
| Drexel University | $122.5 |
| University of Alaska Fairbanks | $118.0 |
| Salk Institution for Biological Studies | $115.7 |
| University of Idaho | $113.1 |
| University of Nevada at Las Vegas | $99.4 |
| University of Victoria | $97.4 |
| Augusta University | $96.5 |
| University of Alabama in Huntsville | $94.3 |
| University of Arkansas Fayetteville | $91.4 |
| University of Oregon | $88.4 |
| University of South Alabama | $87.1 |
| University of Mississippi | $87.0 |
Source: RTI analysis of AUTM survey data, 2019-2024
FIGURE 28. University of Saskatchewan and the Benchmark Group of Canadian and U.S. Research Universities and Academic Medical Centres in the Middle 40-60% (Third Quintile) of R&D Expenditures, 2023/24
| Canadian and U.S. Institutions | R&D Expenditures ($M) |
|---|---|
| University de Montreal | $395.2 |
| University of Cincinnati | $395.2 |
| University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston | $394.7 |
| Auburn University | $393.6 |
| George Washington University | $381.6 |
| Georgetown University | $376.6 |
| McMaster University Hamilton Health Science & St. Joseph's Healthcare | $375.2 |
| Oregon State University | $371.9 |
| Carnegie Mellon University | $368.0 |
| University of New Mexico/Sci. & Tech. Corp. | $354.9 |
| University of Oklahoma all campuses | $349.8 |
| Mississippi State University | $340.0 |
| Clemson University | $334.0 |
| Washington State University | $324.6 |
| University of California Santa Barbara | $303.4 |
| Cedars-Sinai Medical Center | $300.0 |
| Brown University | $299.4 |
| The Hospital for Sick Children | $297.7 |
| Wayne State University | $293.7 |
| Nationwide Children's Hospital | $293.7 |
| University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School | $291.5 |
| University of Central Florida | $284.9 |
| The University of Western Ontario | $282.7 |
| University of Massachusetts Amherst | $281.7 |
| University of South Carolina | $279.3 |
| Tufts University | $278.3 |
| H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute | $277.9 |
| University of Saskatchewan | $274.6 |
| University of Delaware | $269.2 |
| Kansas State University Research Foundation | $265.0 |
| Medical University of South Carolina | $263.1 |
| Northeastern University | $260.3 |
| University of Waterloo | $259.9 |
| Dalhousie University | $258.1 |
| Montana State University | $257.0 |
| University of Manitoba | $255.0 |
| Oklahoma State University | $253.8 |
| University of Maine | $249.3 |
| Albert Einstein College of Medicine | $247.9 |
| University de Sherbrooke | $247.7 |
| Georgia State University | $241.1 |
| University of Houston | $239.0 |
| Seattle Children's Research Institute | $237.8 |
| University of California Riverside | $231.6 |
| University of Arkansas Fayetteville and Division of Agriculture | $225.5 |
| University of Notre Dame | $225.0 |
| University of Louisville | $225.0 |
Source: RTI analysis of AUTM survey data, 2019-2024