UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

Their core work

UBC is a major Canadian research university that serves as a transatlantic bridge for European researchers through extensive Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowship hosting. Across its 27 H2020 projects, UBC contributes deep expertise in biomedical sciences (nanomedicine, cancer therapeutics, infectious disease data), environmental and climate science (Arctic systems, aerosol chemistry, climate impacts), and ecology/evolutionary biology. As a non-EU institution, UBC's primary role is hosting European fellows and providing Canadian research infrastructure, datasets, and field access that complement EU-based consortia. Their breadth spans from quantum thermodynamics to ruminant microbiomes, reflecting the diversity of a large comprehensive university rather than a single focused lab.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In 2015–2018, UBC's H2020 involvement was almost exclusively MSCA individual fellowships in fundamental science — Arctic ocean geochemistry, nanomedicine for prostate cancer, cosmological halo modelling, and international politics. From 2019 onward, the profile shifted toward larger collaborative research actions (RIA) in applied domains: infectious disease data sharing (RECODID), climate services and Paris Agreement impacts (PROVIDE), bioenergy with carbon capture (EUCANwin, BIOMASS-CCU), and sustainable fisheries (EcoScope). This marks a transition from purely hosting individual visiting researchers toward substantive participation in multi-partner applied research consortia.

UBC is moving from passive MSCA host toward active RIA partner in climate, bioenergy, and health data — expect growing engagement in applied EU research consortia linking Canadian resources to European policy challenges.

How they like to work

UBC has never coordinated an H2020 project, which is expected for a non-EU institution — they consistently join as partner or third party. With 164 unique consortium partners across 38 countries, they are a high-connectivity node that does not repeat partnerships frequently, instead bringing Canadian research capacity to diverse European-led consortia. Their role is typically providing complementary expertise, field sites, or datasets rather than driving project management, making them a low-overhead collaboration partner.

UBC has collaborated with 164 unique partners across 38 countries, giving it one of the broadest geographic networks for a non-EU institution. Their connections span virtually all of Europe plus international partners, reflecting their role as a global fellowship destination and RIA contributor.

What sets them apart

As a top-ranked Canadian university, UBC offers EU consortia something few European partners can: access to North American research infrastructure, Arctic and Pacific field sites, Canadian forest biomass resources, and a bridge to the North American research ecosystem. Their MSCA track record (18 fellowships hosted) demonstrates proven administrative capacity for EU projects and a welcoming environment for European researchers. For consortium builders needing a credible non-EU partner with broad disciplinary coverage, UBC is a well-tested choice with minimal coordination risk.

Highlights from their portfolio

• Quantropy
  Largest single EC contribution to UBC (EUR 2.66M) for quantum thermodynamics research — signals UBC's capacity to attract significant ERC-level funding.
• EUCANwin
  Dedicated EU-Canadian bioenergy partnership combining forest biomass CHP with CO2 capture — directly ties UBC's Canadian forestry resources to European energy transition goals.
• RECODID
  Large-scale infectious disease data repository project focused on data sharing governance and harmonization — positions UBC in the growing EU health data infrastructure space.