Research in the Community

Researchers in the Faculty of Science collaborate with off-campus partners and volunteers every day. Below are a selection of the groups whose research benefits from community involvement and the projects that provide a better understanding of the world around us.

Research Facilities

• McMaster Weather Station and Hamilton High School Weather Network

  The McMaster Centre for Climate Change maintains an on-campus weather station which produces real-time weather information for McMaster and the local community. The website also maintains a data archive, where researchers, students and the public can download high quality weather data for the past several years. The Centre has also established a weather network across local high schools, where local weather data are available to students and teachers for teaching and lab exercises at four Hamilton regional high schools.

• McMaster Institute for Music and the Mind (MIMM)

  MIMM features LIVE, our Large Interactive Virtual Environment, a unique 100-seat performance laboratory with the ability to mimic specific acoustic environments ranging from a concert hall to a subway platform. This unique facility helps researchers to explore areas as diverse as hearing impairment and the development of better hearing aids, tinnitus, autism and how people learn to play music, among other exciting research projects. You can even volunteer to be a research participant.

• McMaster Institute for Transportation and Logistics (MITL)

  The MITL is a non-profit organization of private and public sector partners who work together to improve the efficiency of transportation systems and the competitiveness of the logistics and manufacturing sector. Addressing the challenge of climate change, this group recognizes that climate change and environmental emissions are intertwined with economic prosperity and must be considered for the future sustainability of both industry and the planet. MITL is supported by its partners in industry, government and academia.

• PACE – Physical Activity Centre of Excellence

  Located in the Department of Kinesiology, the Physical Activity Centre of Excellence (PACE) is a state-of-the-art, exercise research and training centre. There, scientists, students and staff work together to improve the health and well-being among older adults and people with chronic disease or disability. Currently, PACE offers evidence-based exercise programs for seniors, and people living with cardiac conditions, multiple sclerosis, cancer, and spinal cord injuries.

Select Research Projects

• Impacts of Wastewater on Aquatic Organisms in Cootes Paradise Marsh

  Supported by the RBC Blue Water Initiative, made possible by a generous gift from the RBC Foundation, this project is studying the possible effects of pharmaceuticals and other contaminants that pass through water treatment plants. Click to see a video summary of the work to date.

• Social Cost and Benefits of Electric Mobility in Canada

  This five-year research project is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) through the Automotive Partnership of Canada (APC). Aimed at developing a clear understanding of the wide range of costs and benefits associated with the adoption of electric mobility, it will help prepare the automotive sector, electric utilities, government and other stakeholders for the future.

For more information on McMaster's work with the community and the University's community engagement initiative, consult the McMaster Community Engagement site, MacConnector .