We hope to bring together faculty across disciplines in the social sciences, who bring unique perspectives to the study of mental health.

ARMS will take an interdisciplinary approach and aim to recruit faculty into our intiative from across the Faculty of Social Sciences’ departments as well as the department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences in the Faculty of Health Sciences. There will be a central number of selected faculty whose research is focal to our initiative's identity.

Each members’ research program will be featured on a rotating basis to establish the core themes of the initiative. Every week, a website and newsletter will highlight the work being done by one of the initiative's core members. These spots may address recent publications, research efforts, and grant proposals.

Core members will also engage in leading grant applications for future events that will focus on their respective research program.

 ARMS hopes to recruit prominent members of the community across various sectors including public and private organizations.

These variation in ARMS's membership will help facilitate community and academic collaborations around mental health issues. By partnering with the community in a cooperative effort to address mental health issues, we open opportunities for community engaged research opportunities. As well, the association’s network of advocacy, programs, and resources will help extend the reach of the initiative's impact outside of McMaster to the broader Hamilton community.

Graduate and undergraduate students will be integral to ARMS and its activities. 

Not only will they help facilitate the initiative's operations through research assistantships, they will also participate in and advance our pedagogical goals.

To this end, student members will be invited to have meaningful learning and teaching opportunities to advance mental health research in their individual fields, including participation in an annual graduate student conference hosted by ARMS.