NSERC Discovery Grant Workshop
When: Thursday, August 27, 2026, from 10 am to 12 pm
Where: CLARI LAB, AT340
Facilitator: Dr. Jacob Hanley, Professor, Dept. of Earth Science
The NSERC Discovery Grant workshop is intended for NSERC-eligible faculty planning to apply for Discovery Grant funding. The session will provide an overview of program requirements and adjudication criteria, along with practical guidance for developing a competitive, feasible, and well-justified research proposal. Participants will explore strategies for articulating research excellence, training plans, EDIA, and the significance of their research program while avoiding common pitfalls that can weaken an application.
SMU Research Support Faculty Info Session
Date: Monday, August 31, 2026Time: 1:00 pm to 3:00 pmLocation: CLARI Hub (AT 340), Atrium BuildingTarget Audience: Faculty engaged in research
Session Facilitator: Dr. Adam J. Sarty, Associate Vice-President, Research & Dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research
SMU Research Spotlight: Save-the-Date
Topic: Moving Beyond Anecdotes- Student Experience Research in Action
Presenters: Dr. Steven Smith, Professor, Dept. of Psychology and Mr. Tom Brophy, Associate Vice-President, Student Affairs and Services
When: Thursday, September 17, 2026, from 12 pm to 1 pm
Where: CLARI Hub, AT 340
Abstract: Student transitions into and through university are challenging. This is true across the Canadian post-secondary landscape, but is especially true at SMU. Often, decisions about support services are made based on student and staff anecdotes. In this session, we will explore the academic and student services supports that have been put in place at SMU and beyond, and how our team of researchers has conducted empirical research to demonstrate the effectiveness of these initiatives. We will cover student experience, first-year experience programming, and our regional and national benchmarking surveys. We will also discuss how our work has led to over $250,000 in SSHRC funding, publications, and presentations at domestic and international conferences by our faculty, staff, and students.