SDG 1: No Poverty

Advancing research through partnership

One of our core research goals is to be a catalyst for advancing research and knowledge. Our Partnerships and Innovation team helps strengthen Queen’s local, national, and global impact by providing the university and regional community a variety of business start-up and accelerator programs. These services offer researchers, students, and professionals the tools and mentorship they need to move big ideas forward as well as strategic guidance, legal and marketing services, physical space, workshops, and events.

Supporting women of all ages

The Ban Righ Centre assists women of all ages, especially those who are returning to university to continue formal or informal education. The Centre offers supports including student advising, workspaces, napping rooms, free meals, and financial assistance, as well as community-building events and programs.

Supports for local and Indigenous applicants

Our Indigenous Students Admission Pathway offers Indigenous candidates an additional and alternative pathway for admission to the first year of a full-time, first-entry undergraduate degree program, known as the Indigenous Admission Policy. Students are also eligible for a need-based Indigenous Admission Award through the Admission Bursary Application.

The Promise Scholars program also aims to reduce financial barriers and increase access to Queen’s for local, first-generation students with financial supports between $60,000 – $100,000 over four years.

Giving back to those in our community who are in need

Our annual United Way campaign supports over 53,000 local citizens through the programs funded by United Way of Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington. Donations from Queen’s staff, faculty, and retirees raise hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.

Supporting community housing

Through the PhD-Community Initiative collaboration with Kingston Community Housing, an interdisciplinary team worked with the City of Kingston to investigate the needs of individuals on the city’s community housing waitlist and make appropriate recommendations on how to meet these needs.

Empowering regional innovation

The Dunin-Deshpande Queen’s Innovation Centre Summer Initiative Program offers local post-secondary students and community members the opportunity to participate in a 16-week incubator program where they receive no-cost training, mentorship, and office space to launch their ventures.

Through our partnership with Ottawa’s startup accelerator L-Spark, Compass North offers a five-month accelerator program for women-led tech-based start-ups in the greater Kingston region as part of the Women Entrepreneurship-CAN (WE-CAN) program at Queen’s.

Opportunities for international students

Queen’s is committed to supporting students from across the globe in accessing quality education. We are proud of our long-term agreement with the Karta Initiative, which enables talented, low-income youth from rural India to study at Queen’s. Our Queen’s University chapter of World University Service of Canada (WUSC) also sponsors eligible students through the WUSC Student Refugee Program, which combines resettlement of young refugees with opportunities for higher education through a peer-to-peer model.

The Principal Wallace Freedom of Opportunity Award, established by Alfred and Isabel Bader in recognition of Queen’s 11^th Principal, Robert Charles Wallace, offers financial support for students from developing countries who demonstrate financial need. Preference is given to refugee students.

Global impact

The Smith School of Business’ Centre for Social Impact empowers current and future leaders to create a better world by providing them with services and programs that support research, foster education, and promote collaboration across sectors.

Ensuring bottom financial quintile student success

Through a range of anti-poverty programs, we seek to support and admit students who fall into the bottom 20% of household income group (or a more tightly defined target) in the country.

Programs include our Admission Bursary, the Queen’s Work Study Program, and Student Academic Success Services.