Innovative Projects Realized

Coordination Complexes of Amidine N-Oxide (AMOX) Ligands for Energy-related Applications

This project addresses the urgent need for sustainable solutions to address global energy challenges. It focuses on the development of coordination complexes (metal-ions with organic ligands) for energy-related applications, in particular solar energy conversion technologies. More specifically, the design, synthesis, and characterization of Zn(II) and Al(III) coordination complexes of amidine N-oxide (AMOX) ligands are targeted. AMOXs are a versatile ligand platform, used for tuning the properties of their corresponding coordination complexes. Thus, the project aims to systematically evaluate the key properties of these new families of compounds for their use in energy-related applications (e.g., artificial photosynthesis, photovoltaics, optoelectronic devices).

Using advanced analytical techniques (e.g., nuclear magnetic resonance and UV–visible spectroscopy, high resolution mass spectrometry, single-crystal X-ray diffraction), fundamental structure-property relationships will be established for the targeted compounds, contributing to the rational design of functional materials for solar energy conversion. Conducted through a collaboration between the University of Quebec at Trois-Rivières and the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, the project combines specialized research infrastructure with strong academic training. Its outcomes will contribute to the development of innovative materials for clean energy applications, strengthen international research collaboration, and support the formation of highly qualified personnel equipped to address global energy challenges.

Tracking interchain interactions in copolymers.

The research project is the continuation of the collaboration between the Christopher Rowley group at Carleton University in Canada and the Mateusz Brela group at Jagiellonian University in Poland. This research project tackles the continuous need for an accurate description of the chemical structure’s role in the physicochemical properties of the final material. As the copolymers are widely studied due to the ability to combine the properties of their constituents, it is essential to provide additional insight into the structure-property relationship of two analogously built copolymers. It is the first time that multiscale QM/MM simulations will be used to address the thorough description of the morphology and interchain interactions of copolymers. Developing a unique computational protocol for the comprehensive description of non-covalent interchain interactions will enable its application to verify newly designed copolymer materials. Providing the scientific community with the necessary structure-property relations will result in the improved accuracy of physicochemical properties prediction, promoting the application of the newly designed materials in the industry.

Inflation Technique in Fermionic Networks

This project explores how different kinds of quantum systems can produce different patterns of correlations in networks; i.e. when several parties perform experiments on shared resources. A famous result known as Bell’s theorem showed that quantum physics allows correlations that cannot be explained using classical models without communication between the parties. Recent research suggests that systems made of a kind of indistinguishable particles, called fermions, may allow even richer types of correlations than those described by standard quantum models. The aim of this project is to develop new theoretical tools to understand and clearly identify these differences. The expected outcome is a deeper understanding of the foundations of quantum physics and new methods for studying quantum networks (standard or fermionic), while strengthening collaboration between Perimeter Institute and Inria Saclay in the field of quantum sciences.

Music History Exhibition Development in Collaboration with the Festival of the Sound

The West Parry Sound District Museum (WPSDM) is partnering with The Festival Of the Sound (FOTS) to celebrate The FOTS 50th anniversary in 2029. During the project, the intern will be acting as a liason between the two organizations in order to create a roadmap package to set up an exhibit showcasing the history of The FOTS and the surrounding area’s music. This will be achieved through the intern collecting artifacts and their histories, and a detailed history of the organization of the FOTS. The museum will come out of this internship with a complete roadmap to set up an exhibit in 2029, and an archive of information and artifacts that will contribute to the museums research base.

Modeling Electrical Conductivity in Carbon-Filled Polymer Composites – Collaboration Western/KIT

The main objective of the proposed research is to characterize and develop simulation models for carbon-filled polymer nanocomposites, using key morphological properties such as filler orientation and spatial dispersion obtained from molding simulation tools to predict the electrical conductivity of the resulting composite. This type of integrated modeling, where processing simulations inform conductivity predictions, is not yet fully developed or available for electrical conductivity applications. This represents a gap in current knowledge. The proposed research addresses this gap by establishing a link between morphology predicted by simulation and the electrical behavior of the composite. Achieving this level of model fidelity requires a fundamental understanding of the mechanisms governing electrical conductivity in these systems, as well as identification of the key factors influencing them (e.g., filler volume fraction, aspect ratio, orientation). The outcomes of this work will contribute both to advancing scientific understanding and to improving practical modeling approaches for conductive polymer nanocomposites.

Big Questions, Young Thinkers: Combining the Arts and Philosophical Discussions to Help Children Navigate Life’s Existential Challenges

This project brings together researchers from Canada and Switzerland to pilot a school-based intervention designed to support the mental well-being of elementary school-aged children. The intervention combines art-making and philosophical group discussions to create a safe space where children can explore the existential questions they naturally ask themselves — about life, death, meaning, and relationships. Over nine weeks, the Canadian research team will deliver the program to students at a Swiss elementary school in Bienne, while collecting data through questionnaires and interviews to assess how children experience and perceive the program. This collaboration benefits both institutions: the Canadian team gains access to an international population, allowing them to test
whether an intervention developed in Québec translates effectively across cultural contexts, while the Swiss partners build the knowledge and capacity needed to lead future phases of the project independently within Swiss schools.

Etude de structures plasmoniques en réseau et optimisation du dépôt de point quantique

L’amélioration de dispositifs miniatures à base de source d’émetteurs de lumière repose principalement sur un contrôle du positionnement de ces émetteurs dans des endroits clefs du dispositifs. Nous avons récemment développé une méthode qui devrait permettre à termes de positionner avec une précision très fine (nanomètre), des émetteurs et nous souhaitons montrer son contrôle et sa viabilité. La stagiaire recrutée développera des compétences dans le domaine des nanostructures pour l’optique, de l’étude des propriétés de dispositifs avec des nanostructures en réseau et du positionnement d’émetteurs de lumière.

Enhancing Quarter Horse Welfare Through Novel Identification of ß2-agonist Use

A readily identifiable biomarker for ß2-agonist use is desperately needed to maintain competition integrity and ensure welfare of performance horses. Our overarching hypothesis is that chronic ß2-agonist administration induces an energetic switch in skeletal muscle, resulting in impaired mitochondrial function and elevated oxidative stress which, in turn, up-regulates a single or group of metabolites that is unique to chronic ß2-agonist administration. This timely and industry-applicable hypothesis will be tested in the following 2 objectives:
Objective 1: Identify a single or group of metabolites that are differentially expressed following chronic ß2-agonist administration.
Sub-Objective 1: Determine timing of differential expression of metabolites identified in Objective 1 after the onset of drug administration.
Objective 2: Definitively characterize the impacts of chronic ß2-agonist administration on cardiac and skeletal muscle health and responses to acute exercise stress in Quarter Horses.

Metaverse plugin test and deploy

FluidPlanet.org builds and deploys digital twins for use in education, enterprise and entertainment. This project will result in a plugin for game engines (i.e. Unreal Engine) to coordinate different cloud services that bring a digital twin to life based on their geolocation, such as time, weather and other environmental variables.

Measurement-Reduction Strategies for the 2D-pUCC Ansatz-Based Variational Quantum Eigensolver

During his doctoral work, Louis Jourdan developed the 2D-pUCC (2D-block pair unitary coupled-cluster) ansatz, a novel quantum algorithmic framework that adapts and generalizes the classical Antisymmetric Product of 2D-block Geminals (AP2D-BG) method for quantum computing architectures. The overarching objective of the project is to reduce the measurement cost in variational quantum algorithms for molecular electronic-structure calculations by developing, implementing, and benchmarking measurement-minimization strategies for Hamiltonian expectation-value estimation within the 2D-pUCC variational framework. The host group’s expertise in measurement theory and quantum resource optimization provides the methodological framework needed to address one of the most critical bottlenecks of VQE: measurement overhead. By integrating advanced measurement-reduction techniques into the 2D-pUCC framework, the project strengthens the theoretical developments achieved under the supervision of Patrick Cassam-Chenaï while simultaneously advancing the host group’s research on efficient quantum-algorithm implementation.

Development of a Nanopositioning Stage for Ultra-Precision Manufacturing (Mechatronic Systems)

Democratic Ownership and Creator Sovereignty in Independent Film Streaming

This project investigates how cooperative governance frameworks can be applied to the design of creator-sovereign streaming platforms for independent film. It addresses two questions: how do existing cooperative and platform cooperative models handle the governance challenges of creative labour, including revenue distribution and data rights? And what design principles can be developed from the Centre for Decentralized Digital Economy (DECaDE) to inform governance architecture in decentralized streaming contexts?
The project proceeds through framework development. Drawing on cooperative law, platform governance literature, and creative labour economics, it synthesises existing models into design principles for creator-sovereign platform architecture. The output is a governance model that positions creative workers as owners of the infrastructure they depend on.
The research will be conducted at Edinburgh Law School under the supervision of Dr. Morshed Mannan, whose work on cooperative governance provides the legal foundation for this inquiry, and in collaboration with Dr. Caterina Moruzzi at Edinburgh College of Art, both within the University of Edinburgh. Dr. Moruzzi is a DECaDE researcher and Principal Investigator of the Insight and Foresight Unit for CoSTAR, a national creative technology R&D programme led by Goldsmiths in partnership with the British Film Institute, the University of Edinburgh, and Loughborough University.