Innovative Projects Realized

Explore thousands of successful projects resulting from collaboration between organizations and post-secondary talent.

30508 Completed Projects

2882
AB
5105
BC
825
MB
681
NL
860
SK
9051
ON
9491
QC
97
PE
586
NB
1141
NS

Projects by Category

Dégradation des micro-plastiques par décharge électrique dans un liquide

Le couplage d’un plasma avec un milieu liquide est un projet de recherche très original, notamment en termes d’applications dans différents domaines et en termes de physique fondamentale.
L’objectif du projet est de réaliser une étude expérimentale de la dégradation de microplastiques par décharges électriques dans ou en contact avec l’eau. Cela permettra d’identifier des caractéristiques physico-chimiques associées aux décharges électriques (composition chimique, température) et les espèces chimiques présentes dans le liquide pouvant interagir avec le microplastique et ainsi le dégrader. La dégradation des microplastiques sera observée par spectroscopie et microscopie électronique afin d’observer des modifications en surface des microplastiques.
Les applications de ce projet sont axées sur l’environnement, et notamment la dépollution des eaux qui est aujourd’hui un enjeu majeur. La réalisation d’un procédé plasma permettrait d’améliorer la dégradation des microplastiques et de ce fait s’appliquer dans des stations d’épuration pour améliorer le traitement des déchets plastiques.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Ahmad Hamdan

Student:

Partner:

Université Sorbonne Paris Nord

Discipline:

Physics

Sector:

Education

University:

Université de Montréal

Program:

Globalink Research Award

Autonomous decision making in materials acceleration platforms

Robotic experimentation platforms can enable faster materials discovery and optimization through automation, high throughput experimentation and standardization. However, an exhaustive search of a vast materials space with varying compositions, formulations, and processing conditions is prohibitively expensive.
Machine learning algorithms are widely used to learn from experiments performed by automated experimentation platforms and suggest the most informative experiments to perform next. This closed-loop approach of automated experiments and machine learning forms the basis of self-driving laboratories (SDLs). The goal of this project, which is embedded into the German Canadian cooperation project FLAIM (Using Flexible Automation, AI & Machine Learning to Commercialize Optic-Electronic Devices) funded by the NRC and BMBF, is to develop materials science specific methods of automated decision making in SDLs. The intern will be trained on how the FLAIM robotic platforms operate at UBC and develop machine learning algorithms specific to the search for optic-electronic devices.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Jason Hein

Student:

Partner:

Karlsruher Institut für Technologie

Discipline:

Computer science

Sector:

Education

University:

The University of British Columbia

Program:

Globalink Research Award

Cubbi Summer Internships

These Interns will work at Cubbi to help fuel the people building tomorrow. Each intern will work on new business ideas to help expand the company into new business locations and sectors helping this startup find product-market fit in Canada. The interns will also help the company track key metrics in order to gain more investment funding.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Tyler Case

Student:

Partner:

Cubbi

Discipline:

Business

Sector:

Transportation and warehousing

University:

University of Saskatchewan

Program:

Business Strategy Internship

Community Food Program Assistant

The Western Environment Centre is a small but very active organization working on environmental education through citizen engagement in Corner Brook NL. This project helps WEC develop its programs to reach a wider audience, and to continue to build their community network. Through the development of social enterprise activities (such as providing services and programs that charge small fees), and by building wider community support, WEC can create a stronger foundation of financial supporters and donors.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Garrett Richards

Student:

Partner:

Western Environment Centre

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Education

University:

Memorial University of Newfoundland

Program:

Business Strategy Internship

Nonlinear quantum optical effects in freeform dielectric waveguides

Dielectric waveguides are key components of photonic integrated circuits (PIC) connecting platforms made of different materials. In this way it is possible to combine the complementary advantages of different integration platforms. The use of PIC allows the transmission of information signals imposed on optical wavelengths. The freeform dielectric waveguides also called photonic wire bonds are fabricated “in situ” by additive nanofabrication techniques once the positions of the input and output are measured and the trajectory is computed. This method can compensate for inaccuracies of the placement of the platforms and so increase the transmission efficiency. In the proposed project we focus on the nonlinear effects which could be present in the waveguides and also describe the transmission of light in quantum regime in order to extend current considerations and understand physical phenomena taking place in these structures. In this way we can develop alternative tools for fast calculation of transmission and optimization of the shape of waveguides.

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Faculty Supervisor:

John Sipe

Student:

Partner:

Karlsruher Institut für Technologie

Discipline:

Physics

Sector:

Education

University:

University of Toronto

Program:

Globalink Research Award

Winter ecology of juvenile Chinook Salmon in the Strait of Georgia

The goal of the study is to investigate the health and ecology of juvenile Chinook Salmon during the winter, a season with supposedly very low levels of survival. We fish throughout the winter on an on-call basis, and sample and release
most fish brought on board; a small portion of juvenile Chinook Salmon are retained for further sampling. The samples we collect in the field include length and weight, diet composition by induced stomach evacuation using water pressure, and scales to determine genetic stock origin. We also measure ocean temperature at depth of capture using a small, scientific instrument. The energy content of prey from the diets and retained fish, along with fat content of those fish, will be determined. These results will fill critical knowledge gaps and contribute to a better understanding of fluctuations in Chinook Salmon survival and productivity in the Strait of Georgia.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Francis Juanes

Student:

Partner:

Pacific Salmon Foundation

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Agriculture; Other services (except public administration); Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Victoria

Program:

Accelerate

Summer Analyst – Impact Investing, Acceleration, and Advisory – University of Calgary

The Social Innovation Academy will be working with a network of Mitacs interns to develop national-scale backend infrastructure resources for impact investing funds across Canada. These resources may include (but are not limited to): initiatives for advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion; impact measurement frameworks; deal flow generation. In addition, interns will provide marketing, research, and financial analysis for social purpose organizations over the duration of the 14-week internship.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Ari Pandes

Student:

Partner:

Propel Impact

Discipline:

Business

Sector:

Social Innovation; Sustainability & the Environment

University:

University of Calgary

Program:

Business Strategy Internship

Smart PV Modules with Laminated On-Cell Energy Storage

Efficient yet simple energy storage schemes and smart electronics will not only boost PV system efficiencies but it will also lead to many innovative applications at the system level such as solid state lighting, active bypass diodes, bifacial configurations etc. This research project seeks to develop a novel and efficient on-cell energy storage scheme. By proper design of materials and processes, traditional lamination sheets will be modified to yield high permittivity dielectric films that could be deployed on the back side of the cell, by the standard lamination process, to provide large area capacitors. The capacitor design will be stacked layers of metal foils and lamination films. Novel cell designs will be implemented and prototyped with the large area capacitor functioning as on-cell energy storage device. Since this process takes place at the module fabrication stage, it doesn’t impose any changes at the cell manufacturing. Finally smart PV systems will be designed employing PV modules with on-cell storage.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Siva Sivoththaman

Student:

Partner:

S2E Technologies Inc

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Construction and infrastructure; Finance and Insurance; Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Waterloo

Program:

Accelerate

Pharos BSI App

Pharos has a data fusion platform for geospatial and spatiotemporal data. This project will extend the platform to cover additional data sources, such as flood risk data, and allow for the on-demand calculation of decision-relevant metrics. This requires an investigation of the underlying data, methods to combine sources, and development of pipelines for efficient automation. Sourcing and ingestion, data management and conversion, bias-correction and transformation, and validation are required to produce a decision-useful data product. By adding these variables, Pharos will be able to access new markets and offer a more complete solution to existing customers who want to incorporate weather and climate data into their analytics workflow.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Karen Smith

Student:

Partner:

Pharos Platforms

Discipline:

Computer science

Sector:

Information and cultural industries

University:

University of Toronto

Program:

Business Strategy Internship

Machine learning methods to accelerate design and synthesis of clean energy materials

The aim of this project is to establish a long term collaboration between researchers at NRC/McMaster University and KIT, in order to develop machine learning (ML) methods to support and boost research on clean energy materials. Initial contact between Canadian and German researchers was established within the German Canadian Materials Acceleration Center (GC-MAC), which aims at the development of materials acceleration platforms (MAPs) for clean energy materials, bringing together expertise in materials science, automation, and machine learning in Canada and Germany.
The main focus of this MITACS visit will be to bring together a postdoctoral researcher working on machine learning methods for materials science with experimental researchers working on the development of MAPs in Canada. The goal is to generate a common understanding of theory and experiment, study the current experimental procedures for synthesis and characterization of electrocatalysts, membranes, and other energy conversion or storage materials, and identify the most promising and impactful ways of applying ML methods developed at KIT in those experiments. For promising areas, we will then create databases to train ML models or design closed-loop workflows where ML methods directly interact with automated experiments.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Robert Black

Student:

Partner:

Karlsruher Institut für Technologie

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Education

University:

McMaster University

Program:

Globalink Research Award

Aroha Meaningful Connections Incorporation

This research project involves creating a mobile and web application to improve the quality of connections between older adults in retirement homes and their families. The intern will be tasked with the creation of the mobile and web application, and therefore is expected to have experience and skills in application design and development. The intern will be asked to create at least 3 consecutive versions of the application and conduct user testing for each version except the very first (with the support of ourselves as the researcher and the academic institution). The partner organization, McMaster University, and more specifically McMaster’s novel Health Innovation and Entrepreneurship Clinic, is interested in advancing evidence-based solutions for Canada’s aging population especially. Aroha will be the first scientifically-backed app that makes emotional connections accessible, rewarding, and ever-present in the daily lives of seniors living in retirement homes and caregivers in Canada. Aroha streamlines communication in a way that is accessible and easy-to-use. With less time dependence on health care workers, the hope is to alleviate stress and reallocate the newfound time to providing the best possible care for seniors in Retirement Homes. In the long-term, meaningful connections made through Aroha can improve the quality of life for seniors in Retirement Homes. Mitigating loneliness and isolation is known to improve senior health outcomes, consequently decreasing costs associated with illnesses.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Roy Eagleson

Student:

Partner:

Baycrest Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation;Aroha Meaningful Connection Inc.

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences & Technology

University:

The University of Western Ontario

Program:

Business Strategy Internship

Health Learning System with Real World Evidence

Although the gold standard for supportive clinical evidence has historically been randomized controlled trials, given their rigid and constrained nature, they rarely describe the effectiveness of an intervention or drug in real-life practice. Therefore, regulators, payers, healthcare providers, and institutions are turning towards real-world data collected at the interface of the patient and the health care system. However, there are 3 challenges to be addressed, including (1) lack of high-quality real-world data from health information systems or electronic medical records in Canadian hospitals; (2) lack of trust and collaborations amongst key stakeholders; and (3) lack of a future working model to facilitate the design and implementation of programs that address the major barriers for the generation of decision-grade real-world evidence in Canada. Therefore, this project aims to co-design solutions from the University of Waterloo’s intern and the partner organization to demonstrate a health learning system using Chimeric Antigen Receptor modified T cells treatment as a case study. Both the intern and the partner organization will benefit from this proposed project to learn strategies and technologies of a learning health system enabled by real-world data and evidence.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Helen Chen

Student:

Partner:

Canadian Personalized Healthcare Innovation Network

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Waterloo

Program:

Business Strategy Internship