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Government institution · Ottawa · Canada

Defence Research and Development Canada

In research, Defence Research and Development Canada stands highest in Physical Sciences (#8,258 of 12,888 worldwide), Engineering (#5,044 of 6,636 worldwide) and Computer Science (#3,837 of 4,667 worldwide), 2022–2025. Relative to its size it is most specialised in Aerospace Engineering — Aerospace Engineering is 10.0× its share of world research.

drdc-rddc.gc.ca/en/index.pageROR OpenAlex
World rank, 2022–2025
#12,153
of 28,054 · #3,493 all time
Rank in Canada
#200
of 403
Research works
3.4k
▼ 20% vs 2013–17
Citations
57k
16.5 per fractional work
Top-10% rate
13.9%
record average 16.5%
Open access
16%
world 28%

What is Defence Research and Development Canada known for in research?

The fields where it stands highest, 2022–2025, ranked among every institution above the floor in each field.

FieldWorld rankWhere that sitsTop-10% rateWorksAll time
Physical SciencesDomain #8,258 of 12,888 13.3%215 #2396
EngineeringField #5,044 of 6,636 13.8%107 #1015
Computer ScienceField #3,837 of 4,667 14.8%62 #1846

Each strip is that field’s whole ranked pool, with the notch where Defence Research and Development Canada sits in it, in the colour of the band that rank falls in. The track under the rate is the rate itself: it carries no world mark, because the world rate differs by field (from about 6% to 21% in this record).

Which of those standings moved

The same fields on both windows: where it stood over the whole record, and where it stands in 2022–2025. The distance is the story, and it is the one thing the two rank columns above cannot show.

  1. Physical Sciences#2,396 #8,258
  2. Engineering#1,015 #5,044
  3. Computer Science#1,846 #3,837
all time2022–2025, better2022–2025, worse

A dot further right is a better standing. Fields it was not ranked in over the whole record are left out.

What does Defence Research and Development Canada specialise in?

Where its research is concentrated relative to its size: Aerospace Engineering takes 10.0× the share of its output that it takes of world research.

  1. Aerospace EngineeringSubfield · 36.7 works10.0×
← less than its size predicts1×more →

Location quotient, a volume reading rather than an impact one. It surfaces small, lopsided specialities.

Field profile

Location quotient across every field it publishes in: outside the ring is more than an institution of this size would be expected to publish, inside it is less.

Agricultural and Biological Sciences: 0.18× its world share, 3 worksAgricultural and Bio…Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology: 0.21× its world share, 4 worksBiochemistry, Geneti…Immunology and Microbiology: 0.23× its world share, 1 worksImmunology and Micro…Neuroscience: 1.02× its world share, 5 worksNeurosciencePharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics: 0.48× its world share, 0 worksPharmacology, Toxico…Chemical Engineering: 0.61× its world share, 1 worksChemical EngineeringChemistry: 0.47× its world share, 2 worksChemistryComputer Science: 2.53× its world share, 62 worksComputer ScienceEarth and Planetary Sciences: 2.59× its world share, 13 worksEarth and Planetary …Energy: 0.15× its world share, 0 worksEnergyEngineering: 2.26× its world share, 107 worksEngineeringEnvironmental Science: 0.79× its world share, 12 worksEnvironmental ScienceMaterials Science: 0.61× its world share, 7 worksMaterials ScienceMathematics: 0.24× its world share, 1 worksMathematicsPhysics and Astronomy: 1.38× its world share, 10 worksPhysics and AstronomyDentistry: 0.22× its world share, 0 worksDentistryHealth Professions: 0.91× its world share, 8 worksHealth ProfessionsMedicine: 0.46× its world share, 28 worksMedicineNursing: 0.31× its world share, 0 worksNursingVeterinary: 0.39× its world share, 0 worksVeterinaryArts and Humanities: 0.09× its world share, 1 worksArts and HumanitiesBusiness, Management and Accounting: 0.50× its world share, 5 worksBusiness, Management…Decision Sciences: 3.92× its world share, 12 worksDecision SciencesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance: 0.30× its world share, 2 worksEconomics, Econometr…Psychology: 1.39× its world share, 13 worksPsychologySocial Sciences: 0.46× its world share, 18 worksSocial Sciences1×world share
more than its size predictsabout as predictedless

Rings at 0.5×, 1× and 2×. Widest outward: Decision Sciences, 3.9×. Every wedge is a field page.

Who are the top researchers at Defence Research and Development Canada?

Ranked on the composite score, P.W. Vachon, Megan M. Thompson and John A. Fawcett lead among researchers whose main affiliation is Defence Research and Development Canada.

  1. 1 P.W. Vachon Canada · #69,071 worldwide 339 citations · 52 works
  2. 2 Megan M. Thompson Canada · #169,888 worldwide 201 citations · 21 works
  3. 3 John A. Fawcett Canada · #214,350 worldwide 87 citations · 22 works
  4. 4 Jean Berger Canada · #223,332 worldwide 150 citations · 22 works
  5. 5 Stergios Stergiopoulos Canada · #324,416 worldwide 73 citations · 27 works
  6. 6 Simon Banbury Canada · #364,366 worldwide 72 citations · 26 works
  7. 7 Sean Pecknold Canada · #391,163 worldwide 87 citations · 19 works
  8. 8 C.A. Rabbath Canada · #398,771 worldwide 178 citations · 42 works
  9. 9 Bhashyam Balaji Canada · #434,420 worldwide 115 citations · 40 works
  10. 10 Eric Rouleau Canada · #484,729 worldwide 16 citations · 22 works
All ranked researchers at Defence Research and Development Canada

Which keywords describe research at Defence Research and Development Canada?

By fractional works in 2022–2025, weighted toward what it does more of than the world: Deep Learning, Machine Learning, Signal Processing, Neural Networks, Wireless Sensor Networks, Acoustic Techniques, Seafloor Mapping and Convolutional Neural Networks.

▲ more of its work than of the world’s◆ about the world’s share▼ less than the world’s

Size is fractional works in 2022–2025 in the topics tagged with each word; colour is the word's share of this institution's work against its share of the world's. The 40 words are chosen for being large and distinctive. Each links to the topic it comes from most.

All 40 words, with their numbers
  1. Deep Learning31▲ 2.9×37 topics
  2. Machine Learning26▲ 2.5×31 topics
  3. Neural Networks14▲ 3.0×21 topics
  4. Signal Processing11▲ 26×3 topics
  5. Convolutional Neural Networks9▲ 4.0×8 topics
  6. Wireless Sensor Networks9▲ 6.3×4 topics
  7. Risk Assessment8▲ 3.9×9 topics
  8. Remote Sensing8▲ 2.1×17 topics
  9. Security8▲ 3.9×10 topics
  10. Acoustic Techniques7▲ 68×1 topic
  11. Seafloor Mapping7▲ 68×1 topic
  12. Data Mining7▲ 3.0×6 topics
  13. Human Factors7▲ 28×2 topics
  14. Doppler Radar7▲ 27×2 topics
  15. Micro-Doppler Effect6▲ 71×1 topic
  16. Synthetic Aperture Radar6▲ 71×1 topic
  17. Detection6▲ 6.5×5 topics
  18. Autonomous Vehicles6▲ 8.9×3 topics
  19. Anomaly Detection6▲ 6.3×3 topics
  20. Collision Avoidance5▲ 9.4×4 topics
  21. MIMO Radar5▲ 51×2 topics
  22. Decision Making5▲ 5.4×6 topics
  23. Time Series5▲ 9.1×3 topics
  24. IoT Security5▲ 5.0×3 topics
  25. Multi-Agent Systems5▲ 8.4×4 topics
  26. Cognitive Radar5▲ 61×1 topic
  27. Trust5▲ 5.3×3 topics
  28. Waveform Design5▲ 40×1 topic
  29. Genetic Algorithms4▲ 9.8×5 topics
  30. Cognitive Load4▲ 31×2 topics
  31. Sensor Fusion4▲ 13×3 topics
  32. Sparse Representation4▲ 7.1×4 topics
  33. Acoustic Communications4▲ 31×1 topic
  34. Automation4▲ 20×1 topic
  35. Driver Distraction4▲ 35×1 topic
  36. Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks4▲ 31×1 topic
  37. Heuristic Algorithms4▲ 28×3 topics
  38. Agent-Based Modeling4▲ 8.5×4 topics
  39. Path Planning4▲ 9.0×2 topics
  40. Reinforcement Learning4▲ 10×3 topics

Which research topics does Defence Research and Development Canada publish most on?

By volume in 2022–2025: Underwater Acoustics Research, Advanced SAR Imaging Techniques, Radar Systems and Signal Processing and Human-Automation Interaction and Safety.

Underwater Acoustics Research: 7 fractional worksAdvanced SAR Imaging Techniques: 6 fractional worksRadar Systems and Signal…5Radar Systems and Signal Processing: 5 fractional worksHuman-Automation Interac…4Human-Automation Interaction and Safety: 4 fractional worksUnderwater Vehicles and Communication Systems: 4 fractional worksAnomaly Detection Techniques and Applications: 3 fractional worksSynthetic Aperture Radar…3Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Applications and Techniques: 3 fractional worksMaritime Navigation and Safety: 3 fractional worksMicrowave Engineering and Waveguides: 3 fractional worksSimulation Techniques and Applications: 3 fractional works
OceanographyAerospace EngineeringSocial PsychologyOcean Engineering3 others

Area is fractional works; colour is the subfield each topic belongs to.

  1. 1 Underwater Acoustics Research Oceanography 7 works
  2. 2 Advanced SAR Imaging Techniques Aerospace Engineering 6 works
  3. 3 Radar Systems and Signal Processing Aerospace Engineering 5 works
  4. 4 Human-Automation Interaction and Safety Social Psychology 4 works
  5. 5 Underwater Vehicles and Communication Systems Ocean Engineering 4 works
  6. 6 Anomaly Detection Techniques and Applications Artificial Intelligence 3 works
  7. 7 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Applications and Techniques Aerospace Engineering 3 works
  8. 8 Maritime Navigation and Safety Ocean Engineering 3 works
  9. 9 Microwave Engineering and Waveguides Electrical and Electronic Engineering 3 works
  10. 10 Simulation Techniques and Applications Management Science and Operations Research 3 works

How open and international is its research?

Against the world’s own shares — the tick on each track. Both are shares of its output, so they sit on one scale and can be read against each other as well as against the world.

openly available16.3%not open83.7%

World: 28% of research is openly available.

with international co-authors14.4%domestic only85.6%

World: 19% is written across borders.

How has Defence Research and Development Canada's research output changed?

Output in 2018–2022 was 20% lower than in 2013–2017.

1990200020102020
grewheldshrank

The same series as a ribbon — one cell per year, darker for more. The line above answers how much; this answers when.

Other research institutions in Ottawa

All research institutions in Ottawa

Research measures only: rankings here say nothing about teaching, admissions or student experience. Comparable institutions and collaboration partners are in the interactive view on the map.