Research Advisory Council

Terms of Reference

Research Advisory Council
(established March 2022)

Mandate 

Provide expert advice directly to the Associate Vice-President Research (AVPR), and indirectly to the Provost and Vice-President Academic and Research (VPAR), on strategic issues related to the research mission and associated supports for research at Saint Mary’s University.

Role and Responsibilities

  • Related to the SMU Strategic Research Plan:
    • Provide regular feedback, from the variety of stakeholder perspectives represented on the Council, regarding progress on meeting the objectives
    • Assist in developing tools for assessing progress, and interpretation of results from such tools
    • Provide direction, and assistance as required, on implementing the Actions outlined in the Plan
    • Provide direction and assistance, as required, on periodic Renewal of the Plan
  • Related to the Canada Research Chair program:
    • Provide first review of applications received from a Call to fill an open Chair vacancy (per the CRC EDI Action Plan), and make recommendations for consideration by the Deans and Provost/VPAR
  • Related to the Canadian Foundation for Innovation program:
    • On occasions when the requests/expressions-of-interest from SMU faculty for a given CFI program call exceed the ability/envelope of SMU to put forward all requests, review requests and make recommendations to the AVPR regarding which to support
  • Provide direction and assistance as needed for nominations of SMU faculty for external research awards/recognitions and/or internal research chairs or professorships outside of the CRC program.
  • Provide direction and assistance on other matters of strategic importance for the university’s research mission.

Current Members

• Associate Vice-President Research (AVPR) – Chair: Adam Sarty
• Associate Dean – Arts: Sara Malton
• Associate Dean – Science: Rob Thacker
• University Librarian: Suzanne van den Hoogen
• Canada Research Chair: Karly Kehoe
• Faculty researcher – Arts: Gavin Fridell
• Faculty researcher – Science: Luigi Gallo
• Faculty researcher- Sobey School: Vasiliki Athanasakou
• Ph.D. Student: Mal Hedrick

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