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

Development of Remedial Action Objectives for McKay River Watershed Impacted by Open Mines and Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainages

Since the 1960s, the lands of several indigenous communities such as the Fort McKay Métis have been largely impacted by open mines and steam assisted gravity drainages (SAGDs). Such oil sands operations have disturbed large areas, changed geology, hydrogeology, hydrology, aquatic and terrestrial environment, and created a linear disturbance. This research project will map and analyze the contaminants of particular concern within the McKay river watershed which will be used to develop remedial action objectives (RAOs). Specifically, this project will develop a consistent approach to interpret baseline aquatic environment data collected using indigenous knowledge (IK) and contemporary western environmental science. Besides, areas of greatest risk will be identified through robust watershed models combined by chemical simulation modules. Finally, a decision support system will be developed to help the community develop feasible RAOs. These RAOs will: a) protect human health and the environment from contaminants that may cause significant risk.; b) comply with applicable, relevant, and appropriate regulations; c) be cost-effective; and d) consider a long-term remedy whenever practical while being consistent with planned future land use. The research derived from this project will assist Fort McKay Métis community to adopt sustainable development strategies while strengthening vulnerable areas and increasing resiliency.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Gopal Achari

Student:

Haitham Elnakar

Partner:

Fort McKay Metis Community Association

Discipline:

Engineering - civil

Sector:

Health care and social assistance

University:

Program:

Elevate

Process Development of Atomic Layer Deposition Cobalt and Ruthenium Metal Films

Next-generation integrated circuits require the innovation of new interconnect materials in order to maintain the performance improvements of Moore’s Law scaling. Cobalt (Co) and ruthenium (Ru) are two specific metals that are garnering strong interest for use in the filling of interconnects because of their better electrical performance and reliability at the extremely scaled dimensions required by sub-10 nm technology nodes. Hence, through the collaboration between Synthergy and the University of Alberta, this research fellowship aims to exploit the high conformality and precise film thickness control capabilities of atomic layer deposition (ALD) to deposit thin Co and Ru metal films suitable for these semiconductor applications and Synthergy’s potential end customers. To that end, the main objectives will be to develop improved, robust ALD Co and Ru processes with an emphasis on realising thin metal films with high purity, good conformality, and low resistivity.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Kenneth Cadien

Student:

Alex Munnlick Ma

Partner:

Synthergy Inc

Discipline:

Engineering - chemical / biological

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

Program:

Elevate

Brazing Metallurgies and Processes for Attaching Sintered Carbide Tiles

A two-year study on brazing technologies used for sintered tungsten carbide tiles is proposed to address the following technical objectives: 1) brazing metallurgy for sintered tungsten carbide and substrate high strength steel, 2) adherence mechanisms between different braze compositions and carbide tiles, 3) brazing parameters for optimized brazed joint performance, and 4) the mechanical stresses developed through the brazing process. The goals of the project will be 1) a full understanding of the current technologies used to braze carbide tiles, and 2) recommendations for the selection of braze metallurgies for optimum brazed tungsten carbide performance. The findings in this project will be used as a foundation for a guideline on brazing technologies. InnoTech Alberta, our funding partner, will use the findings to oil companies and equipment manufactures, leading to increased durability and reliability of mining equipment.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Leijun Li

Student:

Rangasayee Kannan;Nitin Kumar Sharma

Partner:

InnoTech Alberta Inc

Discipline:

Engineering - chemical / biological

Sector:

University:

Program:

Elevate

Solar harvesting textiles for self-powered health monitoring and human-machine interactions

Wearable electronics has become one of the most intensive research fields due to the ability to improve human life, enable interaction in the virtual world and the demand for portable electronics. Textiles with embedded electronic elements hold great potential for the next generation of health monitoring and human-machine interaction devices. Flexible sensors built on textiles convert physical movements of the human body into measurable signals, which allows real-time monitoring and precise measurement. However, a power source is needed to support the operation of the devices. Flexible photovoltaic devices fabricated from polymers have the advantages of being light-weight, low-cost, and scalable in manufacturing. By integrating flexible photovoltaic devices with sensors, it is possible to develop a self-powered sensing textile that allows continuous highly sensitive monitoring without external power supply. TO BE CONT’D

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Faculty Supervisor:

Frank Ko

Student:

Zenan Jiang

Partner:

Texavie Technologies Inc

Discipline:

Engineering - other

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

Program:

Elevate

Radon: Building a BC Based Response

Radon is a cancer-causing radioactive gas produced by the natural decay of uranium in rocks and soils. Radon can enter buildings and reach high levels in indoor air (Khan and Gomes, 2017). It is the second-leading cause of lung cancer (after smoking). killing approximating 3200 Canadians a year (Chen et al. 2012). High radon concentrations can be easily remedied, and doing so is a cost effective way to prolong life and reduce death from disease (Gaskin, et. al. 2018). However, Canada’s legal rights and remedies to respond to radon in Canada are largely inadequate (Dunn and Cooper, 2015). Action has been slow due to a lack of strong policy networks, and clear legal frameworks for change (Quastel, et. al.2018). In response, the British Columbia Lung Association (BCLA) has a new program on Indoor Healthy Environments, which includes scaling up radon education and awareness, building advocacy networks, and promoting legal change. BCLA requires someone with knowledge of law, policy and social science of the built environment for this new program. TO BE CONT’D

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Faculty Supervisor:

Anne-Marie Nicol

Student:

Noah Alexander Quastel

Partner:

British Columbia Lung Association

Discipline:

Kinesiology

Sector:

Health care and social assistance

University:

Program:

Elevate

An Integrated Multi-Case Study Approach to Advancing Business-to-Business (B2B) Online Marketing Strategies

With the growth of the internet, online and social media marketing have replaced tv and print advertising. Many companies have become extremely savvy in the use of online marketing tools to reach consumers. But how should online marketing be used when a company is working within a business-to-business context? Online marketing techniques often do not apply in this context. Developing appropriate strategies for business-to-business companies are important as they will drive brand recognition, acquire new customers and create significant financial returns for the company.
Through a multiple sector approach, this study will create a new series of best practices for how business-to-business companies can use online and social media marketing tools for their context

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Faculty Supervisor:

Renee Majeau

Student:

Alexa Prins;Amy Schoettle;Greg Cassady;Katharine Stratton;Samantha Moore

Partner:

Discipline:

Environmental sciences

Sector:

Construction and infrastructure

University:

Program:

Accelerate

Towards the Development of a Prognostic tool for Harmful Algal Blooms

The Laurentian Great Lakes and many Canadian inland waters have experienced a resurgence of cyanobacteria-dominated harmful algal blooms (cHABs), which negatively impact recreational uses, aesthetics, taste and odor in drinking water. The presence of toxins can also have dire repercussions on aquatic wildlife and human health. The factors that influence the occurrence and magnitude of algal blooms and toxin production (e.g., nutrient enrichment, climate change) vary in space and time and are poorly understood. Thus, our ability to predict cHABs is currently limited and represents a major challenge for the management of our water resources. Founded upon cutting-edge machine-learning and Bayesian inference techniques, this research project aims (i) to identify the factors that regulate the occurrence of cHABs; (ii) to provide predictions of cHABs under different land-use and climate change scenarios; and (iii) to obtain a probabilistic mapping of areas around the Great Lakes that are characterized by an excessively high risk of cHAB formation. To showcase this modelling framework, the intern will use data collected from the Bay of Quinte (Lake Ontario, Ontario, Canada), a system that has been experiencing water quality issues, and where the elimination of cHABs represents one of the major challenges of eutrophication management.

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Faculty Supervisor:

George Arhonditsis

Student:

Carlos Alberto Arnillas Merino

Partner:

AEML Associates Ltd.

Discipline:

Environmental sciences

Sector:

University:

Program:

Elevate

Development of Artificial Intelligence Powered Technologies in Computational Pathology to Enable Automated Slide Screening in Whole Slide Imaging

Advances in Whole Slide Imaging (WSI) and Machine Learning (ML) open new opportunities to create innovative solutions in healthcare and in particular digital pathology to increase efficiencies, reduce cost and most importantly improve patient care. This project envisions the creation of new automated ML tools including the design of a custom Convolution Neural Network (CNN) architecture for whole slide imaging in digital pathology. The custom CNN will be trained to learn different representations of histology tissues so that it can separate healthy from diseased tissues. A substantial database of labeled healthy tissue will be used to assess the performance of the proposed solution. A limited validation of the engineering prototype developed through this project will take place at St. Michael’s hospital in Toronto. The technologies developed through this project have the potential to be integrated in an automated screening process in pathology to improve pathologist time efficiencies and reduce errors in diagnosis of disease. The outcome of this research will be of great benefit to the industrial partner since it serves as a pilot project for developing an advanced, data-driven, digital pathology solution that complements its current line of pathology scanners.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Konstantinos N Plataniotis

Student:

Mahdi S Hosseini

Partner:

Huon Digital Pathology

Discipline:

Engineering - computer / electrical

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

Program:

Elevate

Hearing aid sound quality optimization across different hearing aid styles

Hearing aids are a common intervention for hearing loss and current devices use sophisticated signal-processing to improve speech intelligibility (i.e., understanding words). These functions may also be detrimental to sound quality (i.e., “goodness” of sound) and this detriment can be a significant barrier to hearing aid satisfaction. Increasing the hearing aid bass response can improve sound quality but doing so is not always achievable. Hearing aids do not always seal the ear, which allows for bass content to leak from the ear. Sealing the ear can also be problematic as it tends to overamplify the bass of one’s own voice.
This project will measure how much listeners increase the hearing aid bass response relative to defaults to improve sound quality while listening to speech and music, and while wearing sealed and unsealed configurations. These measures will also be compared to ear canal recordings for each configuration. In addition, listeners will rate own-voice annoyance.
Results will produce behavioural and electroacoustic measures of preferred bass levels for sound quality and own-voice perception. TO BE CONT’D

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Faculty Supervisor:

Frank Russo

Student:

Jonathan Matthew Vaisberg

Partner:

Unitron Hearing Ltd.

Discipline:

Psychology

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

Program:

Elevate

Understanding Disengagement from Early Psychosis Intervention Services

While the effectiveness of early psychosis interventions (EPI) for young people with first-episode psychosis has been well-established, research suggests that almost one-third of patients disengage from services. Although lack of family involvement and substance use have arisen as consistent factors associated with EPI disengagement, many other factors remain unexplored. Furthermore, few studies have explored patient and family member perspectives on engagement. The proposed study will address this critical gap by investigating factors associated with disengagement from EPI services and eliciting patient- and family-reported facilitators and barriers to engagement. Expected results include the development and implementation of innovative strategies to keep young people engaged in services and an evaluation of these interventions. The CAMH Foundation is committed to supporting cutting-edge research and patient-centered services at CAMH and will benefit from a project that will increase access to CAMH’s EPI services, engage young people in treatment, and improve their potential for recovery. The fellow will lead analysis and knowledge translation efforts, including engaging knowledge users in using the results to develop interventions to improve EPI engagement.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Nicole Kozloff

Student:

Alexia Polillo

Partner:

CAMH Foundation

Discipline:

Psychology

Sector:

Other

University:

Program:

Elevate

Interfacial Engineering of High Energy Density and Safe Solid-State Li Metal Batteries for Electric Vehicle Applications

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have become a key player in the growing need for electric vehicles (EVs). State-of-the-art LIBs, using liquid electrolytes, still have significant challenges in their safety, lifespan, and energy density. Accordingly, solid-state lithium metal batteries (SSLBs) have recently been attracting increasing research and industrial attention due to their ability to overcome intrinsic disadvantages of flammable liquid electrolytes used in current LIBs. The objective of this proposed research is to engineer the electrode/solid-state electrolyte interface by atomic/molecular layer depositions (ALD/MLD) to achieve the safe and high-performance SSLBs. The project includes two main directions: (1) gradient interface engineering on cathode/sulfide-based SSEs; and (2) design of multi-protective layers for Li metal anode by ALD/MLD. GLABAT SOLID-STATE BATTERY INC. as an industrial partner will support and be involved in this project. The innovative research will help both GLABAT and Canada increase their global competitiveness and create new economic ventures.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Xueliang Andy Sun

Student:

Yang Zhao

Partner:

Glabat Solid-state Battery Inc

Discipline:

Engineering - mechanical

Sector:

University:

Program:

Elevate

Interaction between cannabinoid drugs and sodium channels in diabetes/high glucose induced oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and neurotoxicity

Diabetes mellitus, a common metabolic disorder, exhibits neuropathic complications that can eventually lead to disabling pain (Todorovic 2015). This is attributed to hyperglycemia/high glucose resulting in neuronal hyperexcitability (Todorovic 2015). Importantly, diabetes-evoked neuronal hyperexcitability and neurotoxicity can be caused by alterations in voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSC) expression (Hong, Morrow et al. 2004), resulting in changes in the sodium currents lowering the action potential threshold (Hong, Morrow et al. 2004, Chen, Wang et al. 2018). Interestingly, cannabinoids exert antinociceptive properties. In addition, both cannabinoid receptors, CB-1 and CB-2, are highly expressed in central and peripheral nervous systems, suggesting a fundamental role in nociception (Agarwal, Pacher et al. 2007, Rahn and Hohmann 2009). Also, estrogen (E2) loses its neuroprotective effect, or worsens neuronal injury in diabetic animals (Santizo, Xu et al. 2002). Thus, the current study aims to investigate the role of VGSC in high glucose-induced neurotoxicity, and whether high glucose modulation of VGSC can be altered using cannabinoids. Also, this study will investigate sex-determined modulation of cannabinoid/VGSC interaction in high glucose elicited neurotoxicity. Noteworthy, our results may identify novel molecular targets for alleviating neuropathic pain and solve the sex-specific exacerbation of neurological dysfunction elicited by diabetes.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Peter Charles Ruben

Student:

Mohamed Fouda

Partner:

Discipline:

Kinesiology

Sector:

University:

Program:

Elevate

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