The Change Lab Action Research Initiative (CLARI) at Saint Mary's University is quietly reshaping how research meets real-world needs. From mapping dementia care gaps and tackling housing insecurity to revitalizing Nova Scotia's wool industry, CLARI-supported projects are as diverse as the communities they serve.
CLARI researchers investigate how therapy animals can reduce isolation
This spring, CLARI marks a major milestone: more than $1 million in provincial funding invested in over 130 projects. The initiative brings together faculty and students from post-secondary institutions across Nova Scotia with community partners to address local social and economic challenges.
"This funding milestone reflects significant investment of post-secondary resources in Nova Scotia communities," says Ray MacNeil, Network Manager at CLARI. "That investment includes not only funding, but also the research expertise of faculty and students. More than 150 students have gained real-world experience working directly with community partners."
At the heart of CLARI's model is a simple shift: community groups not researchers set the priorities. CLARI helps identify faculty collaborators, provides grants and supports the partnerships through to completion.
"These projects show what's possible when we stop asking, What research do we want to do?' and start asking, What support do our communities need?'" says Dr. Adam Sarty, Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research at Saint Mary's. "CLARI flips the usual model. It's not about showcasing expertise, it's about sharing it."
Examples of projects supported through CLARI include:
- Investigating the role of therapy animals in reducing isolation in long-term care
- Creating resources to support men re-entering society after incarceration
- Making arts-based entrepreneurship programs more accessible to rural youth
- Developing trauma-informed responses for survivors of gender-based violence
- Collaborating with Mi'kmaw communities on land-based education and knowledge-sharing
CLARI is a pan-university initiative headquartered at Saint Mary's and built on collaboration between six founding universities: Acadia, Cape Breton, Mount Saint Vincent, St. Francis Xavier, and Université Sainte-Anne, as well as the Nova Scotia Community College. The network builds partnerships together, sharing knowledge, and helping uncover issues.
As CLARI enters its next phase, the focus remains the same: helping Nova Scotians solve problems that matter with research that doesn't stay on the shelf.
For more information on CLARI and its network or how to get involved, visit actionresearch.ca.
