Established in 1984, the Ottawa-Carleton Institute of Biology (OCIB) combines the research strengths of the University of Ottawa and Carleton University. The Institute offers graduate programs leading to the master’s (MSc) and doctoral (PhD) degrees in Biology.

Research facilities are shared between the two campuses. Students have access to the professors, courses and facilities at both universities.

The Institute is a participating unit in the collaborative programs in Bioinformatics (at the master’s level), in Chemical and Environmental Toxicology (at the master’s and doctoral levels), in Environmental Sustainability (at the master's level) in Bioinformatics, and in Science, Society and Policy (at the master’s level).

Main areas of research include cell and molecular biology, cell and molecular biology, ecology & behavior & systematics, and physiology and biochemistry.