For Community
Acadia engages with our local community in a variety of ways: community-engaged research projects & programs; research facility use; public policy analysis and development of community-based projects or business opportunities leading to local economic development.
Community-Engaged Research
Research projects can vary dramatically – from small research or consulting projects involving a faculty member or student, to collaborative projects involving Acadia faculty, students and multiple community and government stakeholders. Field placements & student internships often form part of these initiatives.
Research Facility Use
Acadia is home to a rich research environment that includes state-of-the-art equipment, labs and qualified technicians. See Acadia's Research Infrastructure Please contact us if you are interested in access to our facilities.
Public Policy Analysis
Scholars across the university have made significant contributions to public policy in Canada and abroad and to our understanding of democratic rights, social and economic issues and peace-making.
Development of Community-based Projects or Business Opportunities
Please contact ICE if you have an idea for a community-based project. We would love to hear from you!
Other Programs and Services
In addition to the above activities and services, Acadia offers a diverse number of programs and resources to help communities thrive. ICE works closely with all of these groups to ensure that we can offer you the best all-round solution for your project.
- Acadia Entrepreneurship Centre
- Open Acadia (Acadia’s continuing and distance education unit for professional development and training)
- Events & Hospitality (for booking meeting & sports facilities)
- Career Services (if you are interested in hiring student graduates)
- Cooperative Education (if you are interested in hiring interns or co-op students for your project)
- Student Volunteers (if you are looking for Acadia student volunteers for your project)
Resources at Acadia:
- Acadia Research Office
- Acadia Entrepreneurship Centre
- Open Acadia
- Events & Hospitality
- Career Services
- Cooperative Education
- Student Volunteers
Other Resource Links:
Acadia has a strong tradition of community-engaged research. Acadia’s 100-year history of tidal energy research is just one example of how Acadia faculty, staff, and students have worked closely with community partners to address the environmental implications of harnessing tidal power in the Bay of Fundy. A wonderful example of a community-engaged research and service program is the Sensory Motor Instructional Leadership Experience (S.M.I.L.ETM) program. This program was developed in 1982 in collaboration with educators from Kings County, now partners over 100 Acadia student volunteers with an equal number of Kings County special needs school children to provide an environment of fun and play for children and youth while developing leadership skills and civic awareness for Acadia students.
On a global scale, Acadia faculty, staff, and students are involved in research projects that address global issues such as climate change, cancer, food security, malaria, workplace stress, etc. Acadia Chemistry professor Dr. Amitabh Jha recently received two awards from the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and Cancer Care Nova Scotia for his work on several new compounds designed to fight breast cancer and osteoporosis.
Dr. Michael Leiter, Canada Research Chair in Health & Wellness, is one of the world’s leading experts on workplace stress. As the Director of the Center for Organizational Research & Development (COR&D), Dr. Leiter and his research team strive to enhance the quality of organizational life for people, and have worked with organizations throughout the world, including various healthcare providers in Nova Scotia.
In addition to research activities, Acadia offers a diverse range of programs, services, and resources to enhance regional economic, cultural and social development. By fostering regional development in a number of different ways, Acadia helps to strengthen our community, provide jobs, train highly skilled workers to fill these jobs, and ensure that there is a broad scope of training opportunities to serve the needs of employers and their workforce. Acadia is also deeply involved in our schools, and with various levels of government to develop and improve policies that affect us all. For much of southwest Nova Scotia, Acadia serves as the community hub for a wide variety of cultural, sporting, and scholarly events, including the local farmers market!
Acadia is an integral part of your community. Please contact us to find out more.