Saint Mary's has the largest Faculties of Arts and Commerce in the Maritime Provinces and our Faculty of Science is growing rapidly. Within these Faculties are hundreds of researchers (professors, post-doctoral fellows, research associates, technicians, graduate students and senior undergraduate students) working on a hundreds of research topics. Saint Mary's prides itself on a vast array of theoretical and basic research, but also research activities that links the University in practical ways to communities beyond our campus (e.g. government departments and ministries, private companies, industrial associations, citizen groups and associations, and international agencies and organizations).

In January 2005, the FGSR founded the Office of Innovation and Community Engagement (OICE) to help facilitate research relationships between our Faculty members and these communities, and to aid in the transfer of technology and other knowledge. The OICE is meant to be the initial contact point for Faculty members and parties external to the University in regard to developing research relationships / collaborations / contracts and for transfer of technology and knowledge arising from the research activities at Saint Mary's.