Innovative Projects Realized

Explore thousands of successful projects resulting from collaboration between organizations and post-secondary talent.

13270 Completed Projects

1072
AB
2795
BC
430
MB
106
NF
348
SK
4184
ON
2671
QC
43
PE
209
NB
474
NS

Projects by Category

10%
Computer science
9%
Engineering
1%
Engineering - biomedical
4%
Engineering - chemical / biological

Web-based Goal Management Training™ in older adults with cognitive impairment: a randomized-controlled trial examining feasibility and efficacy – Year two

As the Canadian population is aging, more and more Canadians will show cognitive decline. Aging and certain types of
neurological disorders is often associated with deficits in executive functions: goal maintenance, planning, task
switching and attention. These functions are critical for the maintenance of functional independence. Few validated
rehabilitation approaches for these types of deficits exist. One rehabilitation approach, Goal Management Training™
(GMT), has shown promise. In its standard implementation, GMT is led in small groups. Although this approach is
effective, it has significant practical limitations (limited accessibility and high cost). The goal of the proposed research
is to design an automated, web-based GMT training program that can be delivered remotely, to assess its feasibility in
older adults and patients with deficits in executive functions and to compare its efficacy to an active control group
that would participate in an online activity that we do not expect to improve cognition.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Brian Levine

Student:

Vessela Stamenova

Partner:

Cogniciti

Discipline:

Medicine

Sector:

Information and communications technologies

University:

University of Toronto

Program:

Elevate

Drinking Water Treatment Infrastructure: Responding to Climate Change and Increasingly Variable Source Water Quality – Year two

As a result of climate change and other pressures that result in “extreme events” like wildfire and flooding, many
drinking water utilities are at risk of potentially catastrophic failure and need treatment adaptation strategies to
prepare for increasingly variable and potentially rapid deterioration in source water quality. Currently there are no
recognized tools for evaluating the anticipated impacts of such events on water treatment plant operations. This
research will enable Stantec Consulting Ltd. to become a leader in this area by 1) optimizing the performance of key
processes within a typical drinking water treatment plant facing these risks, 2) identifying water quality parameters of
critical import and their anticipated extremes, 3) optimizing key processes to address deterioration of water quality
while maintaining excellent baseline performance, and 4) developing a process optimization and costing tool to allow
“real time” assessment and process adjustment to maintain treatment plant compliance and performance.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

Monica Emelko

Student:

Ding Wang

Partner:

Stantec Consulting Ltd.

Discipline:

Engineering - civil

Sector:

Information and communications technologies

University:

University of Waterloo

Program:

Elevate

Prototype of a CHP system based on an upgraded gravity-feed wood-pellet furnaceintegrated with a steam-powered micro turbine for small- to mid-scale applications usingCFD simulation and experimental 2

Biomass combustion is used to generate combined heat and power (CHP). The combustion furnace of this study (WiseWay) has been providing heat in small scales using wood pellets. The target of this project, however, is to upgrade the stove’s design (for larger scale purposes and other biomass types) and integrate it with a steam microturbine (NextGrid). The resulting system is attractive to the environment and economy because it provides heat and electricity in one package, at a cheaper price compared with oil and gas, with less pollutants emitted. To meet this goal, computational and experimental investigations of the system will be carried out to develop a versatile combustion model based on solving the equations of flow and combustion. The model will then be used to upgrade the furnace. Our industrial partner will be able to deliver a more environmentally-friendly CHP system, which increases its competitiveness as an alternative to coal.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Stefan Cenkowski

Student:

Mohsen Akbarzadeh

Partner:

Myera Group Inc.

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Agriculture

University:

University of Manitoba

Program:

Elevate

Embedding a Climate Change videogame in High Schools: Towards a Teacher’s Guide for Engaging Students with a Place-based Videogame – Future Delta 2.0

At the moment, BC has no comprehensive climate change curriculum in high schools, and educators lack coordinated materials to support its teaching. In an effort to narrow this gap, the Collaborative for Advanced Landscape Planning (CALP) at the Faculty of Forestry, UBC partnered with the Delta School District, to develop an educational and compelling videogame – Future Delta 2.0 (FD2), which brings together methods from commercial gaming a participatory research to address climate change science in an innovative place-based game environment. The game has been co-designed and evaluated with students & teachers from the Delta School District, as a proof-of-concept learning tool to explore how virtual future scenarios in the students’ own neighbourhoods may motivate interest, awareness, learning and in some cases behaviour change and civic engagement. CALP now proposes to turn the FD2 videogame, currently an experimental research product, into a comprehensive, stand-alone teaching and educational resource on climate change – Future Delta Teacher’s Guide. The Guide will provide a handbook on climate change education, for wider use in the Delta School District, using a community place-based videogame as an interdisciplinary resource to make climate change teaching/learning engaging and fun.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

Stephen Sheppard

Student:

Emme Lee

Partner:

Telus

Discipline:

Urban studies

Sector:

Information and communications technologies

University:

University of British Columbia

Program:

Accelerate

Sustainable Capacity Building in the North by the North

This unique research project, undertaken by Master of Northern Governance and Development (MNGD) students, contributes significantly to our understanding of the North. The research focuses on community-based responses to rapid economic, social, and environmental changes and the development of the local capacity to respond. The analysis is collaborative, involving key stakeholders at the community and multi-community levels, and is informed by their values and interests. This project is aptly named as it is truly by the north with the north, with a focus on the north’s interests in building sustainable, healthy, educated communities with improved economic and social outcomes.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

Ken Coates

Student:

Gail Noltcho-Clarke

Partner:

Cameco Corporation

Discipline:

Political science

Sector:

Management of companies and enterprises

University:

University of Saskatchewan

Program:

Accelerate

Smart fusion of multi-sensors for UAVs Navigation

Nowadays, there is a rapid increase in the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for commercial and civil applications. Fully autonomous or remotely controlled UAVs requires a reliable and continuous navigation system providing meter level accuracy. The cost, size, and power demand of navigation systems providing this level of accuracy preclude their use on commercial UAVs. To provide a viable and alternative option, this research will focus on developing a navigation system for UAVs that minimizes costs, while maintaining reasonable performance standards. More specifically, the applicant intend to create new navigation algorithms and methods for both data acquisition and processing while considering using low cost sensors. The main outcome of the proposed research will be a robust navigation software capable of providing accurate navigation solutions for commercial UAVs. Such a software will further elevate the industrial competitiveness for the partner corporation.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

Steve Liang

Student:

Haiyu Lan

Partner:

Profound Positioning Inc

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Information and communications technologies

University:

University of Calgary

Program:

Elevate

Development and Validation of Software for the Three-dimensional Quantification and Visualization of Blood Flow Hemodynamics in Patients with Aortic Insufficiency using 4D flow MRI.

The most common cause of chronic aortic insufficiency (AI), a backwards leaking of blood through the aortic valve, are congenital valve disease, degenerative valve disease, and primary diseases of the surrounding aorta. Current management of severe AI is to surgically replace the valve based upon generic 2D imaging measures of severity and progression. However, 4D MRI flow has been recently introduced and may offer a paradigm shift in the ability to characterize AI, particularly due to different disease states. As such, improved decision-making regarding the need and the timing of surgical intervention may be feasible. In partnership with Circle Cardiovascular Inc., we aim to: a) establish a novel software environment for the pre-processing and analysis of 4D flow MRI data; b) validate flow quantification using an in-vitro model of AI; and c) validate in-vivo accuracy and reproducibility of 4D MRI flow in patients with severe AI across various disease states.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

James White

Student:

JULIO GARCIA FLORES

Partner:

Circle Cardiovascular Imaging Inc

Discipline:

Engineering - biomedical

Sector:

Information and communications technologies

University:

University of Calgary

Program:

Elevate

Genetic evaluation of sow efficiency traits using single step genomic evaluation methods

Most economically important traits associated with lactation and reproduction in pigs are either less heritable, sex-limited, expressed later in life, or difficult to measure on a routine basis. Genomic predictions using single step best linear unbiased prediction (SSBLUP) methodologies, which utilizes information on phenotypes, pedigree and markers from genotyped and non-genotyped animals simultaneously, is an alternative to phenotype and pedigree based (BLUP) methods. The goal of this project is to develop genome enhanced estimated breeding values (EBVs) for sow reproductive traits using single step methodologies. The objectives are to 1) develop single step EBVs for sow traits associated with lactation and reproduction 2) to estimate the accuracies of prediction using SSBLUP and compare it with the pedigree based estimates and 3) to incorporate single step methodologies into routine genetic evaluations. The overall outcome is to demonstrate and integrate SSBLUP genomic selection methodologies to improve key economic reproductive traits.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

Graham Plastow

Student:

Dinesh Moorkattukara Thekkoot

Partner:

Genesus Inc.

Discipline:

Agriculture

Sector:

Life sciences

University:

University of Alberta

Program:

Elevate

Statistical Modeling of Infarct Growth in Acute Ischemic Stroke

Perfusion imaging with a CT scanner provides important information about blood flow and, in acute ischemic stroke, highlights regions of brain infarct, where tissue has died because of a lack of blood flow. This infarct region continues to grow over time until blood flow is restored. Being able to predict the rate of infarct growth would provide doctors with a key piece of information (currently unavailable) that would help them decide on a course of treatment. The project proposed here will use advanced statistical methods to both determine and characterize the factors that affect infarct growth and model the relationship so that it can be applied prospectively in acute ischemic stroke cases. QuikFlo Technologies will be able to incorporate Dr. Pordelli’s results into their automated stroke triaging support tool that will provide doctors with the information needed to make the best possible choice of treatment for individual stroke patients.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

Michael Hill

Student:

Pooneh Pordeli

Partner:

University of Calgary

Discipline:

Medicine

Sector:

Life sciences

University:

University of Calgary

Program:

Elevate

A systems biology approach to investigate chemoresistance in urothelial carcinoma of the bladder.

To perform a complete molecular analysis of muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) before and after pre-operative chemotherapy to find changes responsible for resistance to treatment. Analysis will include a combination of DNA sequencing, RNA expression analysis and quantification of protein. Together this information will reveal the molecular landscape for these tumors. We will use these complex datasets to address two specific comparisons: 1) chemotherapy responders versus chemotherapy non-responders (defined by extent of tumor remaining in bladder after chemotherapy); and, 2) tissue before and after pre-operative chemotherapy in non-responders, in order to assess for enriched molecular pathways that are indicative of resistance. Specific computer tools will be used to test the biologic functional of the changes described. The proposed methods include protein-protein interactions, gene-regulatory network and pathway-enrichment analysis. Novel analytic algorithms will also be developed to benefit the partner organization for day-to-day processing of clinical data.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

Peter Black

Student:

Akshay Bhat

Partner:

Genome Diagnostics

Discipline:

Medicine

Sector:

Life sciences

University:

University of British Columbia

Program:

Elevate

Predicting noise impact on fish communities in the western Canadian Arctic using Passive Acoustic Monitoring.

Several fish species produce species-specific sounds that can be identified in the wild using Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) (i.e. dataloggers configured with underwater microphones). Our project will use existing and new PAM recordings to monitor the distribution of several fish species in the western Canadian Arctic, with particular focus on a keystone Arctic species, the Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida). Acoustic signal detection techniques will be implemented to identify different fish species from large acoustic datasets. Statistical modelling will be used to predict the potential impacts of anthropogenic noise and environmental changes on fish distribution. Timing is critical as the Arctic is undergoing increasingly rapid changes. Our investigation will be the first to investigate the ecoacoustics of Canadian Arctic fish and the potential impacts of anthropogenic noise. It will provide direct and indirect data relevant to indigenous food security and will provide long-term data and predictions needed to inform effective management.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

Francis Juanes

Student:

Marta Bolgan

Partner:

JASCO Research Ltd.

Discipline:

Biology

Sector:

Life sciences

University:

University of Victoria

Program:

Elevate

Development and application of molecular tools to assess the acute and chronic impacts of petroleum hydrocarbons on birds

The Northern Gateway Pipeline and similar projects propose to transport oil from Alberta to tidewater terminals in British Columbia and eastern Canada. Accidental release of petroleum distillates and related by-products would have consequences on the marine ecosystem. To evaluate spill implications for seabirds, we propose to develop and apply molecular tools to assess toxicological and health endpoints in selected seabird monitoring species, using a combination of laboratory and field research. This study will inform regulators about baseline molecular responses in seabirds to current levels of petroleum hydrocarbons in proposed shipping channels and to those anticipated in the unlikelihood of a spill. Results from this study will provide insight into the toxicology of oil in seabirds, will advance our ability to evaluate a change in the health of seabirds due to a spill and will enable our partner organization as they conduct risk assessments for proposed oil transportation.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

John Edward Elliott

Student:

Tanya Brown

Partner:

Northern Gateway Pipelines

Discipline:

Biology

Sector:

Management of companies and enterprises

University:

Simon Fraser University

Program:

Elevate

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