Innovative Projects Realized

Wisertech Sales and Marketing Accelerator

The objective of this project is to develop and execute a sales and marketing strategy for Wisertech Solutions. Wisertech is a producer of highly advanced sustainable marine equipment. As a start-up company that has been mainly focused on R&D projects since its conception, there is a clear need to develop a sales and marketing strategy for their initial primary product of solar tracking technology, which is a solar panel for ships that rotates to track the sun to maximize power generation efficiency. The marketing strategy will be based on consumer research, which will be conducted as part of the project.

In vitro and in vivo evaluation of silicon-based quantum dot nanoparticles

Silicon quantum dots (SiQDs) are semiconductor nanoparticles with sizes ranging from 1 to 10 nm that show great promise for photonics, microelectronics, and fluorescent bio-imaging considering their ability to fluoresce from blue to near infrared light. In comparison to conventional quantum dots (which can release toxic metals), Si quantum dots are expected to be safer and more stable for use in biomedical engineering applications.

This 24-months project aims at evaluating SiQDs for their toxicity both in vitro and in vivo. The study will focus first on a detailed in vitro study for assessing different parameters such as concentration, compositions, sizes and surface charges of the nanoparticles and their impact on cellular update and viability. Different cell lines, a range of assays and techniques will be used to assess the internalization of the nanoparticles, their distribution within the cells and their cellular toxicity. The mechanism of uptake of the nanoparticles within cells will also be studied. Following this evaluation, the quantum dots will be evaluated for the interactions with human blood and blood components. Subsequently, based on the outcome of in vitro studies, selected SiQDs will be further evaluated in vivo for the acute toxicity and biodistribution in a mice model.

Detection of “Stray Clays” from Borer-Mounted GPR Data in Potash Mining

This project attempts to improve the interpretation of Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) data collected during
active potash mining in the Saskatoon area Patience Lake “A” Zone stratigraphy, to map the salt-beam thickness of the roof for making more informed mine safety decisions. The aim of this project is to identify cofounding geological anomaly that exist within the back of the mining roof through analysis of the GPR data using techniques like signal processing and Artificial Intelligence (AI) on both actual GPR data from the mines as well as simulated data from a GPR simulation software tool.

Do urban environments favour certain plant reproductive strategies?

Urbanization can have a strong impact on biodiversity. In particular, the changes in temperature, habitat fragmentation and pollution are expected to affect the species that are present in cities, both directly and indirectly via their effects on other species. In this proposal, we aim to test if certain plant reproductive strategies are favoured by urbanization. Because urbanization affects pollinators in abundance and in composition, it has the potential to select for plants with specific reproductive strategies. To test this, plant community surveys performed across urbanization gradients in many North American cities will be obtained and plant reproductive traits will be gathered from the literature to test for correlations between plant reproductive strategies and urbanization. The project will help to understand how cities affect plant biodiversity and eventually propose solution to develop more resilient and diversified cities.

Wartime Policy Making and Governance: Ukraine and Canada Higher Education Alliance

Involving some of the smartest students in Ukraine, the research project and partnership will enrich the Master of Global Affairs and Master of Public Policy programs at the Munk School. KSE students will provide Munk community a window into the Ukrainian policymaking process as well as a more general understanding of governance during conflict. Simultaneously, student presentations to senior Canadian officials will offer the Canadian government an in-depth perspective into key policy questions facing Ukraine. This will improve Canadian government capacity to assist Ukraine. The KSE-Munk students – will examine different models of policymaking in wartime and identify appropriate models for the Ukrainian context. For their final output students will make policy proposals and write up a 10-page policy brief.

Development of a tool for analysis of low-frequency oscillation modes in power systems signals

Power systems are subjected to randomly occurring normal and abnormal events that can trigger oscillatory response creating unsafe sustained fluctuations in power, voltages, currents and the frequency. Increasing integration of power electronics interfaced renewable generation contribute to new types of oscillations due to control interactions, sometimes supper imposed on classical electromechanical oscillations. Such oscillations can damage equipment and ultimately results in blackouts due to cascaded tripping if not controlled using appropriate remedial actions. Thus, the response of the power system against oscillatory instability must be monitored routinely through offline simulations (to take preventive measures) and through real-time measurements (to take remedial control actions). Manitoba Hydro International (MHI) is the developer of PSCAD power system simulation program and the accompanied Enerplot post-simulation data processing tool. MHI intends to incorporate an oscillation analysis tool into its PSCAD and/or Enerplot software. The underline purpose of this project is to support this development.

This project aims to analyze the effectiveness of existing oscillation mode analysis algorithms and propose methodologies to improve their performance. These methodologies will be enhanced to perform analysis considering both single-variable and multi-variable input data.

dCBT for Insomnia app

Tranq Sleep Care is focused on providing high-quality sleep care and creating new innovative solutions to diagnosing
and treating sleep disorders. Tranq is currently developing an online web app that aims to help people suffering from
insomnia. The challenge in delivering the treatment through an app is that it must be made such that patients get a
level of care comparable to traditional treatment. Tranq has recruited video editors, IT technicians, and data analysts
to try to make the app easy to use and entertaining. This is part of ongoing research on how to make behavioral
treatment more accessible to the public.
With the web-based version being in the final stages, the intern will be working on making the app android/iOS accessible.
Tranq does not only want its app to be informational and helpful to insomniacs but also engaging and easy to use.

Process Improvement and Marketing Project

The goal for this project is to obtain partial funding for our intern student who we will have until the end of December 2022. Their duties will consist mainly of process improvement, as well as marketing, advertising and business acquisition. This approach will be to not only increase our current market of cliental, but also allow us to add new streams of revenue by advertising additional services that will be offered as well as help us advertise to larger business’ and corporations.

Improving Access to Detached Additional Dwelling Unit Data

The “Improving Access to Detached Additional Dwelling Unit Data” project will help ensure the successful scaling of the ADUSearch.ca tool, an online interactive mapping tool that allows users to determine the physical feasibility of building a detached ADU in compliance with the local zoning bylaws on both a lot-by-lot basis and at an aggregated geographic level. By understanding and analyzing existing and potential ADU development, property owners and policy makers alike are able to improve decision-making on both a lot-by-lot and aggregate level in order to make individual development decisions, in addition to understanding the broader policy implications to create, incentivize, or restrict ADU development.

Developing a Voice Interface for Music Searching

The search for music for a video is time-intensive. Video creators and bloggers listen to hundreds of tracks in music libraries, yet barely find the perfect one because of the difficulty of communicating their vision to the computer. Thus, the question we address in this research project is on the role of the modality, in which information is presented (e.g. voice, text, music, video), on the interpretation of this information. In particular, the project focused on the exploration of the music searching for video and comparison of two communication contexts: computer-mediated communication between human users and human-agent communication. The research project will involve preparing and conducting user studies, data analysis, and writing the research paper. The preparation of the user study might involve the design and implementation of a conversational agent prototype for capturing the context and idea of the user using modern artificial intelligence and deep learning techniques.

Un cinéma à l’ère du numérique : technique, pratique et esthétique dans l’oeuvre d’Abdellatif Kechiche

Le présent projet de recherche vise à établir le rôle essentiel que jouent les techniques cinématographiques numériques récentes dans la méthode de travail du cinéaste Abdellatif Kechiche, et leur impact sur l’esthétique de ses films. Par sa pratique unique, le cinéma d’Abdellatif Kechiche constitue une étude de cas exemplaire pour continuer à comprendre les mutations du cinéma à l’ère de sa transformation numérique et participer à construire un mode d’appréhension des technologies numériques.

Radiochemistry for the Pharmacokinetic Evaluation of Novel Bone-Targeting Peptide Hormone Derivatives Year Two

This proposed research project is about development of new bone-targeting drug called PTHPEG- BP, this new compound will overcome shortages of current clinical peptide hormone PTH, and show better treatment efficacy and lower price then the latter; several new technologies will be used on research of this PTH, such as micro Positron Emission Tomography (PET/CT), and several of its characteristics will be identified such as structure, bioactivity, and metabolism inside body. After preparation of this compound, its production will be scaled up for commercialization by our partner organization Osteometabolix Pharmaceuticals Inc., which in collaboration with big Pharma, will undertake clinical trials of PTH-PEG-BP in human patients; our ultimate goal is to develop PTH-PEG-BP towards investigational new drug (IND) status.