This study aims to identify the key challenges faced by artisanal and small-scale miners globally, as well as to provide cases of leading practices taken by governments, international organizations, large-scale mining companies and ASM groups to strengthen the governance capacity within the ASM sector. This study is qualitative in nature and will be conducted primarily […]

Today, quantum computers of any architecture still operate in the noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) regime, with systems composed of tens to hundreds of noisy qubits that are not protected from errors. To meaningfully solve challenging problems from industries using quantum computers, we need to make a system that is large enough in scale and robust […]

Over 5000 rare genetic diseases collectively affect 1 in 12 Canadians. For these disorders about 10% of patients share a common mutation type that introduces a premature termination codon (PTC) in the gene and results in truncated and non-functional protein. The previously found PTC suppressors have limited effect or unacceptable side effects. The goal of […]

The Canadian cannabis industry currently relies on indoor growth facilities where the environment can be carefully controlled to grow ‘bud’, which are actually the flowers of cannabis plants. Indoor plant production is energy-intensive, so switching to high-efficiency LED lights can save energy, reducing costs to the producer and the environment. In this study, the best […]

The MITACS grant will provide initial steps in the identification of organizations in BC that either currently provide, or could potentially provide, services to older adults to foster social connectedness to reduce social isolation and loneliness. The student researcher will collaborate with the Council of Senior Citizens’ Organizations of BC (COSCO) to review and update […]

Indigenous business owners require access to a variety of contacts to grow their company and find peer support who understand the struggle of Indigenous entrepreneurs. Yet insufficient resources and community support exist for this group. The goal of this project is to build a network among Indigenous businesses in Canada/North America by utilizing social media […]

In this project, we will collaborate with Actenum our industry partner tackle the challenges of online analytics processing (OLAP) queries on in-memory databases that are updated frequently. Specifically, we will address the technical research issues about how to conduct effective and efficient OLAP on frequently updated data stored in a large in-memory database, and retain […]

This research aims to enhance the 3-Prong Approach to Psychedelic-assisted Therapy (PAT) Learning System hosted between Vancouver Island University’s (VIU) and Roots to Thrive (RTT) PAT service delivery. The program consists of four parallel research programs, each led by one of the interns, that will benefit the partner organization to: 1) Design a quality system […]

This project centers around what we refer to as “ultra casual” games with the goal of discovering more efficient ways to develop engaging casual video games. The industry partner Victory Square Games has partnered with Microsoft to develop 20 games for the Windows tablet to further expand their Windows 8 app library. The associated internship […]

In efforts to offset carbon emissions, many companies have recently invested in tree planting efforts; planted trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store that carbon as they grow. The amount of carbon a tree can store depends on a variety of factors, including tree size, species, and whether the tree is alive or […]

Snowshoers and winter hikers have received little attention from academic research. As a growing community of backcountry users, it is not well understood to what extent they travel in avalanche terrain, what level of avalanche safety training they possess, and where they get their information for undertaking winter backcountry trips. This study addresses these concerns […]

Looking back at the history of Buddhism in medieval China, more and more scholars believe that the Tang Dynasty was a significant turning point in the development of Buddhist schools. Before the mid-Tang Dynasty, various Buddhist sects developed well.However, the southern Chan and the Pure Land were the dominant sects after the mid-Tang Dynasty. Furthermore, […]