Projets novateurs réalisés

Quantifying the role of internal climate variability in snow cover trends over northern Québec and Labrador

The climate of northern Quebec and Labrador is strongly influenced by natural variability on time scales ranging from years to decades. These internal modes of variability superimpose onto the anthropogenically forced global warming trend, thus making local climate variations difficult to anticipate in the short term. The communities living in Nunavik, Nunatsiavut and NunatuKavut are vulnerable to these changes, with food security in particular adversely impacted by diminished snow and ice cover from a warming climate. It is therefore a priority to better quantify natural variability in these regions to provide decision makers with the best available information for developing adaptation strategies. The objective of this project is to quantify the impact of internal climate variability on snow cover in northern Quebec and Labrador, which directly addresses a recommendation from the latest ArcticNet Integrated Regional Impact Study for Nunavik and Nunatsiavut.

Multi-level systems and the fulfilment of international commitments

In the Copenhagen Accord of 2009, 23 parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) committed themselves to mitigating their greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. While the European Union will fulfil its commitment, other parties such as Australia, Canada and the US will not reach their envisaged targets. These four cases face the common challenge that emission mitigation concerns the jurisdictions of different levels of government. Consequently, the successful accomplishment of their commitments requires the cooperation and coordination with and the action of the provinces, States, Member States and regions, respectively. This project seeks to explain the EU’s capacity to fulfil its international climate commitments by especially focusing on the coordination and cooperation mechanisms between the EU, its Member States and the regional level. To better understand the functioning, dynamics and performance of these mechanisms, some 15 interviews with representatives of the EU institutions and of the EU Members States and regions will be conducted. The project will be carried out under the supervision of one of the leading experts in EU environmental and climate policies.

Athlete and Coach Perceptions of the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport

Currently, the staff of the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) is uncertain of

how Canadian athletes, coaches, and members the Canadian sport community perceives

their efforts and programs. This research will identifY if the current

policies and procedures for anti- Voir la description complète du projet

Development of experimental test facilities and rigorous testing protocols to characterize non-linear pitot probe measurements in the vicinity of a deformable bluff body to be used at AeroLab Technology

Prediction of fluid dynamic phenomena is an area of research all on its own. A complete solution to the non-linear Navier-Stokes equations that governed fluid flow has yet to be found using modern mathematics. It is for this reason in order to characterize and test new aerodynamic sensors a test facility must exists where various parameters can be control in order to understand their effect. AeroLab Technology requires an intern with a background in fluid mechanics and experimental design to design and contruct of a wind tunnel to perform preliminary tests on current and upcoming sensors designs. In order to ensure high quality data the intern will additionally develop testing procedures for the new facilities in order to minimize the systematic error in performing experiments.

Industry Case Studies for Forest Biorefinery Design

Transformation of pulp and paper mills to the biorefinery is increasingly

being conSidered by many Canadian forestry companies. In this internship sponsored by the

MITACS Accelerate program, for approximately 4 months of the 8 month internship period,

Cedric Diffo will conduct an internship with West Fraser Timber Company and FPlnnovations

in order to better define issues related to product design and the lignin-based biorefinery. At

the West Fraser mill in Hinton Alberta, Cedric will evaluate the existing process as well as

product-process biorefinery opportunities. At FPlnnovations, Cedric will assist in the

operation of the lignin preCipitation pilot plant.

A Needs Assessment of Community Resources and Services for People with Cancer and Their Families in New Brunswick

This research is aiming to discover the experiences of people with a cancer diagnosis and their families in terms of accessing and receiving medical and support services and resources in New Brunswick, and any perceived gaps and barriers they have encountered during their journey. Additionally, this research will explore what a supportive care centre for people with a cancer diagnosis and their families would ideally look like in New Brunswick. The intern will conduct interviews and surveys to assess the cancer experiences of people with a cancer diagnosis, their families, and their formal/informal caregivers. The intern will then analyze the data through finding common themes and meanings in the participants’ shared experiences. This project will promote community partnerships between the University of New Brunswick and the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS). It will benefit CCS as the research findings will provide insight into the needs and experiences of people with cancer diagnoses and their families, and allow the partner organization to gain a greater understanding provincial resources and support services that can aid people through their cancer journey.

Understanding the School Transition Experiences of Adolescents Living in Armed Forces Families: A Service Parent Perspective

The purpose of this project will be to explore the types of experiences that service parents in England are having when moving and transitioning their adolescent(s) into a new school. This project will explore different factors (e.g., the child, the family, the school, etc.) that can influence the school transition process and experience. Individuals who meet the following criteria will be invited to participate in the project: (1) at least one parent in the family is currently serving as a Regular Force member in the Armed Forces, and (2) has an adolescent who is currently in Years 10-13 (Grade 9-12 equivalent in Canada) who has experienced a school transition in England during the past two years. Data will be collected from 8-10 service parents using demographic surveys and in-depth qualitative interviews. Since this project replicates one being conducted in Canada, the findings of both projects will be compared to deepen learning and to inform policy in both countries.

Examining the Washback Effects of TOEFL iBT on the Integrated English Skills for Academic Purposes

A growing number of language tests have been designed to assess four skills of language integratively rather than isolatedly. With the guidance of Green’s (2007) washback model on washback direction, variability, and intensity, this study adopts a two-phase embedded concurrent mixed-method design to investigate the influence of TOEFL iBT on students’ learning of integrated English skills for academic purpose. The findings will (a) inform us the nature of integrated English skills for academic purposes and further support students’ learning. A thorough understanding of the construct of integrated English skills and its washback will (b) add to the validity evidence of the interpretation and use of TOEFL iBT score for high-stake admission decisions. This study will also (c) contribute to the ongoing language difficulties international students experience in the academic contexts.

Robot-Assisted Breast Cancer Surgery

Breast cancer affects 1 in 8 women during their lives and is the second-leading cause of female cancer related deaths. The ideal treatment is breast-conservation surgery during its early stage to remove the cancer while conserving healthy parts of the breast. With current resection methods, on average, one out of every three women undergoing breast-conservation surgery needs at least one additional surgery to remove residual tumor that is left behind. Repeat surgery often leads to full mastectomy among other complications, which is a traumatic experience for a patient who expected a curative treatment with breast-conservation. As early stage breast cancer is not palpable or visible, surgeons tend to apply generous “safety margins” around the target tumor and remove a great deal of healthy breast tissue which can lead to more severe breast deformity. We propose integrative development of a unique robotic surgical navigation system, featuring a multimodal image-guided surgical robot to achieve precise resection of the target. Our project seeks to ensure complete resection of the tumor while also reducing the amount of healthy breast tissue removed, thus yielding significant quality of life benefits to patients and a reduction in health care costs.

Formative Evaluation for Exercise is Medicine on Campus in Guadalajara

The proposed research project is a formative evaluation and pilot-test of the implementation of Exercise is Medicine on Campus (EIM-OC)® at the University of Guadalajara (UdeG), Mexico. EIM® is a global initiative that seeks to make physical activity (PA) assessment and PA promotion the standard of care for the prevention, management, and treatment of chronic illnesses. EIM-OC® is the university- and college-focused arm of EIM®, which aims to engage students, faculty, and staff in PA promotion on campus. This initiative is well-established at many Canadian and American campuses. To ensure that EIM® is relevant to the culture and context of Mexican campuses, it is necessary to conduct a formative evaluation to inform the development, implementation and evaluation of EIM-OC® at the UdeG. The proposed research will include an environmental scan of three UdeG campuses, interviews with faculty and staff, and focus groups with students. Findings will be used to implement and pilot test EIM-OC® at one UdeG campus.

Mine Traffic Optimization

The objective of this project is to optimize traffic in open pit and underground mines, in order to safely

maximize production and minimize costs. The intent is that this will be done by causing vehicles to

move at their maximum safe speed while at the same time choreographing mine traffic to give loaded

vehicles the right of way at intersections, and to slow but not stop other traffic at intersections. By using

this approach, production is maximized and fuel costs are minimized, while ensuring the safety of

personnel. This, in turn, will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions from vehicle operations.

Specific project objectives are:

(1) Speed and traffic optimization achieved by in-cab display of the recommended speed for all vehicles

in the mine.

(2) Speed and traffic optimization achieved by automatic control of speed for all vehicles in a mine, with

appropriate safeguards and over-rides.

This will be done by

..TOBECONTINUED

All you shall see of her is perfect man’: Performing Masculinities in John Dryden and William Davenant’s The Tempest

My research project will explore how playwrights John Dryden and William Davenant used their 1667 adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Tempest to establish a normative model for socially acceptable masculinity in response to the rapidly changing gender dynamics of the Restoration stage. My project hypothesizes that Dryden and Davenant used the supernatural island setting of Shakespeare’s Tempest as a space for processing both the growing agency of women in English drama and the new forms of gendered performance that were taking place during the Restoration. I will be working at King’s College London, where I will be able to carry out archival research at the nearby British Library. By completing this project, I will be able to demonstrate how Dryden and Davenant used their adaptation of The Tempest as an attempt to establish a normative model for socially acceptable masculinity and authentic “maleness”.