Projets novateurs réalisés

ACT- Action on Climate Team & Saanich Peninsula Environmental Coalition (SPEC) Check-Up Project

The Saanich Peninsula Environmental Coalition (SPEC) and the ACT – Action on Climate Team, SFU are working together to implement a bioregional approach to conservation and sustainability on the Saanich Peninsula on Vancouver Island, BC. SPEC developed a Bioregional Framework in 2021 which outlined a holistic approach to environmental health and management and advocated for its adoption amongst the three municipalities on the Peninsula: Central Saanich, Sidney and North Saanich. The goal of this research is to assess and evaluate the advancements made to date to implement the principles of the Bioregional Framework across these three municipalities. Progress will be measured using performance indicators and outcomes for watershed health and resilience. The goal is to gain a better understanding of the opportunities and barriers to collaborating across municipal governments to advance conservation and sustainability throughout a watershed or bioregion.

Development of a Timing-Enhanced AXI Protocol Tracing Solution for FPGA

The proposed project aims to enhance Ciena’s existing AXI protocol tracing solution for FPGAs by adding a timing feature through synchronized counters. This improvement will allow for more accurate data flow tracking and performance within FPGA systems. By integrating this timing capability, the enhanced module will provide Ciena with better diagnostics and debugging tools, leading to more efficient and reliable product development. This project helps the intern gain valuable experience and offers a significant technical upgrade for Ciena’s FPGA-based solutions.

Anti-Racist Cities: Community-focused Housing in Ottawa

This research champions anti-racist thinking around housing in the city of Ottawa. This project considers the possibility of antiracist cities by examining how racial inequities are produced through housing, how displacement occurs in the city of Ottawa, and how grassroots advocacy for secure, affordable housing may facilitate spatial and racial justice. This research will contribute to an understanding of how racism is experienced through urban space, and how affordable, decommodified housing development can be a crucial step in the building of anti-racist cities.

Temporal and Spatial Dynamics of Nearshore Zooplankton Communities in the Strait of Georgia: Implications for Ecosystem Health

Although zooplankton monitoring is crucial for informed conservation, data on nearshore zooplankton ecology, despite its importance for forage fish, is lacking. This study will use ZooScan image analysis to process samples collected by the Pacific Salmon Foundation Citizen Science Oceanography program in Malaspina Strait (2015 – ongoing) and assess the seasonal dynamics of the nearshore zooplankton assemblages and their relationship to oceanographic properties. One site will then be selected for analysis of interannual variability. Finally, this project will investigate spatial differences in nearshore zooplankton assemblages, and their relationship to environmental conditions including indices of human disturbance. This study will provide new insights into nearshore zooplankton assemblage dynamics and inform drivers of prey fields for juvenile salmon and forage fish. The development of semi-automated imaging technology for use in BC will also provide accessible tools for other organizations who wish to conduct zooplankton monitoring but do not have the knowledge or capacity.

Bilan de carbone dans les marais du barachois de Malbaie, Gaspésie

Les écosystèmes côtiers rendent des services écosystémiques importants dont la séquestration du carbone pour la lutte contre les changements climatiques. Dans le contexte de l’élévation du niveau marin, ces écosystèmes sont vulnérabilisés à la suite d’importantes pertes de superficies avec le recul des côtes. Le littoral de la côte du Golfe du Saint-Laurent vers la baie des Chaleurs est caractérisé par un ensemble de barachois à l’embouchure de plusieurs rivières qui protègent – encore à ce jour – les marais littoraux contre l’érosion côtière. Ces marais ont donc une grande valeur écologique qu’il importe de protéger. Le barachois de Malbaie qui est en partie la propriété de Conservation de la Nature – Québec fera l’objet d’un bilan net de carbone au cours de deux saisons de croissance (2024-2025) afin d’évaluer la capacité de cet écosystème à capter le carbone de l’atmosphère et à l’entreposer parmi les sédiments.

Improving the monitoring of submerged aquatic vegetation in optically complex fluvial ecosystems using optical satellite remote sensing

??Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) are important in aquatic ecosystems as they represent hotspots of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Earth observation technologies (EOT) constitute a cost-effective monitoring tool for environmental variables at large scales but their use in freshwater environmental monitoring remains limited because of the optical complexity of inland waters. This research develops and builds upon an innovative open-source machine learning and geographic object-based image analysis approach to characterize and map SAV. Associated field work performed near the Port of Montreal’s expansion site at Contrecoeur allows for research into how construction disturbances impact nutrients at the landscape level within the project and supports future SAV-related EOT developments. This research benefits the partner organization, Hatfield Consultants, in its work to develop EOT to support environmental variable monitoring in fluvial systems.

Établissement d’une culture d’excellence : mise en place d’une intervention au sein des entraîneurs d’athlètes en développement du Québec

Science du Sport Canada reconnaît l’importante influence des entraîneurs dans la création d’une culture d’excellence, centrée sur la performance et le bien-être des athlètes. Toutefois, la plupart des interventions se concentrent sur les contextes de haute performance, laissant les athlètes en développement insuffisamment étudiés. Cette étude documentera une intervention visant à instaurer une culture valorisant la santé mentale parmi les entraîneurs d’athlètes en développement et évaluera ses effets selon les perceptions des entraîneurs, des athlètes et de l’équipe de soutien intégré (ÉSI). Des entraîneurs participeront à quatre ateliers sur des sujets tels que la sécurité psychologique. Les impacts seront évalués par des sondages et des groupes de discussion impliquant les entraîneurs, les athlètes et l’ÉSI. Ce projet contribuera à comprendre la relation entre culture, performance et santé mentale et mènera à l’élaboration d’un plan d’action pour les athlètes en développement, favorisant ainsi un environnement optimal pour les futurs athlètes nationaux au Canada.

A microfluidic platform for clinical sperm selection

We propose to develop a microfluidic device that enables the selection of viable sperm directly from semen via a simple dip approach. The device will feature a chamber incorporating a porous membrane. The sperm selection method involves only two steps – users load the device with a semen sample and place the device in buffer. Motile sperm are selected as they migrate out from the device via the pores to the buffer. This approach enables the selection of viable sperm and provides a user-friendly operation that fits seamlessly within the clinical workflow. The proposed project will modernize and advance the technologies used for sperm selection in assisted reproduction.

Behavior of precast fiber-reinforced concrete tunnel segments reinforced with FRP bars under loads

In this project, three different phases including a series of structural tests on a novel full-scale precast fiber-reinforced tunnel lining segments reinforced with FRP composite materials are proposed. The three different phases include (1) Structural testing of novel precast concrete tunnel lining segments in the structural laboratory, University of Sherbrooke; (3) field implementation, application, and monitoring novel precast concrete lining segments in tunnel project; and the last phase (3) is finite element analysis to be conducted in order to optimize the design parameters concrete dimension and FRP reinforcement ratio for different load scenarios. Different parameters will be considered in the experimental program, (1) type and ratio of reinforcement; (2) concrete type and strength; (3) fiber dosage; and (4) shear reinforcement and closed ties. Also, the finite element analysis will be conducted (using Ansys software) for comparison with the experimental results. Parametric studies will also be undertaken to optimize the design of FRP reinforced concrete segments in order to improve their service life compared to those using steel reinforcing bars. The recommendations of this research project will be used to carry out pilot projects that will be carried out in collaboration with industrial partners.

Assessing the Impact of Environmental Contaminants on Canadian Killer Whale Health: A Metabolomic and Hormonal Perspective

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are harmful chemicals that threaten marine life and ecosystems worldwide, including majestic creatures like killer whales (Orcinus orca). Despite efforts like the Stockholm Convention treaty to control these pollutants, they persist in the environment and continue to harm wildlife. Killer whales, as top predators, face particular risks due to their position in the food chain and their limited ability to rid their bodies of these toxins.

Our research project focuses on understanding how POPs affect different groups, or ecotypes, of killer whales based on their diet and where they live. By studying samples from captive and wild killer whales using advanced scientific techniques, such as analyzing metabolites and hormones (like estrogen or cortisol), we aim to understand how these pollutants impact the health of these whales.

This work is crucial for developing targeted strategies to protect killer whale populations from the dangers of chemical pollution. For this project, I will collaborate with world-renowned experts in whale research and use cutting-edge tools to deep-dive into this issue and contribute to global efforts in conserving marine life and our oceans.

My goal is to raise awareness about the threats posed by pollution and empower communities to take action in safeguarding not just killer whales but also the delicate balance of marine ecosystems on which we all depend.

Enhancing Long-Term Care and Assisted Living Research In British Columbia’s Fraser Health: An Integrated Knowledge Translation Approach

This initiative aims to directly apply cutting-edge health research to improve care in long-term and assisted living facilities, bridging the gap between academic insights and practical healthcare delivery. Through a focused two-year project, facilitated by a Mitacs Business Strategy internship, we will embed a specialist intern to translate research findings into actionable improvements within these settings. The collaboration between Fraser Health Authority and Simon Fraser University is designed to not only raise the standard of care for residents but also enhance the Authority’s innovation capacity. By integrating the latest health research into everyday care practices, the project seeks to deliver advancements in patient-centred care, service quality, and the ability to innovatively address the evolving challenges of long-term and assisted living care environments.

LLM-Assisted Querying and Manipulation of Analytical Resources in Supply-Chain Management

In supply-chain management, organizations rely on a wide variety of structured and semi-structured analytical resources such as task flows and key performance indicators (KPIs) to plan, monitor, and adapt to changes. These resources undergo frequent review and adaptation, often necessitating queries and manipulations in numerous ways. Utilizing Large Language Models (LLMs), this project aims to develop a chatbot that enhances user experience and operational efficiency while querying and manipulating analytical resources in supply-chain management. The project will be conducted in close collaboration with Kinaxis, a world-leading provider of supply-chain management solutions. An important observation underlying the project is that analytical resources in supply-chain management are domain-specific models. Consequently, conversational AI solutions must consider the model-oriented nature of these resources to be able to properly interpret them. Central to the project is the exploration of the interaction between model-based design in supply-chain management and chatbot functions, as a way to enable prompt-driven creation, querying, and manipulation of supply-chain management resources. The results of the project hold the potential for substantial improvements for supply-chain businesses by enhancing their interaction with analytical resources, thus facilitating informed decision-making. By integrating the outcomes into Kinaxis’ solutions, the collaboration aims to provide even more intelligent..