Welcome to the web pages of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research (FGSR), designed for Saint Mary’s University faculty, staff, graduate students, as well as prospective graduate students.
Since 2017, it has been my distinct honour to serve the faculty, staff, and students of Saint Mary’s as the Dean of FGSR, and the Associate Vice-President Research. Before starting my role as FGSR Dean, I also served as professor of physics for 17 years here at Saint Mary’s University, which allowed me to experience first-hand the support of world-class research and scholarship in Arts, Science and Business, at all levels of this University — from individual faculty members to our excellent support staff — right up to the Vice-Presidents’ and President’s Offices.
With an impressive diversity of graduate programs and research activities which continue to grow and expand and evolve in our changing times, Saint Mary’s can confidently stand as one of the most research-intensive small universities in Canada —even as that descriptor “small” ensures that we maintain our uniquely Santamarian advantages, including the benefit of a strong sense of community and accompanying mutual supports. This all ensures that Saint Mary’s University is a great place to pursue graduate studies and engage in research!
The FGSR oversees all graduate programs in the University, as well as provides support for SMU professors to do research and secure external funding for their research activities. SMU professors continue to have great success in securing external funding from Federal granting agencies and through partnership programs and contracts through the private sector and government departments – please find listings of all our externally funded professors at this webpage, showing presentations of our annual Research Recognition Reception.
The administration of our graduate programs are a collaborative effort between FGSR and the individual graduate program and their home Faculty. We work closely together with the Offices of the Deans’ of Arts, Science, and the Sobey School of Business in a model of Joint Governance to ensure a high level of careful oversight and administration for all graduate programs.
Our professors in the Faculties of Arts, Science and the Sobey School of Business offer over 30 diverse graduate-level credentials – spanning the range of PhD, Doctoral and Masters programs, Graduate Diplomas, and one Post-Baccalaureate Certificate. Our Professional and Research-based programs capitalize on the vast range of expertise areas of our professors, and on Saint Mary’s tight community connections to offer high calibre graduate programs across all of the Faculties.
To learn more about our mission statement, and some of the exciting partnerships and research supports of FGSR, please take a look through our FGSR pages.
To learn more about joining our Santamaria community as a graduate student, I invite you to read more here.
I welcome anyone interested in the research and/or graduate programs here at Saint Mary’s University to feel free to reach out and contact a professor, a graduate program coordinator, or any of us in the Graduate Studies and Research Office.
Adam J. Sarty, Ph.D.Dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies and ResearchAssociate Vice President, Research
Dr. Adam Sarty – Biography (opens in new window)Dr. Adam Sarty – full academic CV (updated August 2024)(opens in new window)
Our Mission
Approved by both Senate and the Board of Governors in January, 2001, the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research was officially launched in April of the same year to:
provide a co-ordinating and monitoring agency for graduate programs and graduate students, in order to ensure greater program continuity and foster university wide co-ordination; provide a strong central authority to streamline Faculty grant applications; and generate and disseminate Graduate Studies and Research Policy and Procedures.
Saint Mary’s University Strategic Research Plan Renewal (2021-2026)