Innovative Projects Realized

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

31914 Completed Projects

3006
AB
5256
BC
878
MB
703
NL
913
SK
9488
ON
9949
QC
98
PE
629
NB
1215
NS

Projects by Category

Enhancing foreign speech sound learning through transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation

Adults often struggle to learn new languages since their brains are not as plastic as those of children. The vagus nerve is the longest nerve in the human body, and its activity affects a variety of brain areas involved in attention, memory, and perception. By non-invasively stimulating the vagus nerve during language training, it may be possible to increase brain plasticity and accelerate language learning in adults. This project aims to determine whether vagus nerve stimulation with a customized earbud can enhance adults’ learning of new speech sounds. If this is the case, vagus nerve stimulation could provide an inexpensive and effective way to make language learning more efficient, which would have many benefits in today’s multicultural and interconnected world.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Shari Baum;Meghan Clayards

Student:

Partner:

Revai

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Finance and Insurance; Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

McGill University

Program:

Accelerate

Assessments of cortical responses to non-invasive brain stimulation

The proposed research project will aim to measure the reliability of changes in brain activity induced by repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). rTMS is a non-invasive therapy that has been used to evoke changes in local and network-level brain activity in various clinical populations, including stroke and depression. The proposed project will test rTMS effectiveness and reproducibility using both neurophysiological (electroencephalography) as well as functional/behavioural outcomes. Different rTMS protocols will be tested to determine those that are most effective and reliable. Ultimately, by assessing the intra-individual variability of various rTMS protocols, this research will help improve clinical use of rTMS, making it more targeted to each individual.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Chris McNeil

Student:

Partner:

Harvard University

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Education

University:

The University of British Columbia - Okanagan

Program:

Globalink Research Award

Infrasound Data Analysis for Wake Vortices and Maritime Vessel Detection

Infrasonic signatures are long wave acoustic signals in the under 20Hz range (below human hearing). The partner organization has been experimenting with infrasonic sensors to achieve 2 key outcomes: a) detection clear air turbulence to benefit commercial air travel and b) detection of ‘dark vessel’ marine traffic, i.e., illegal fishing.
The ability to detect clear air turbulence from the host aircraft in real time offers a savings to the airline industry (between $500M and $1B per year) in lost time accidents and costly fly arounds for suspected turbulence. “Climate modelling studies have indicated that the amount of moderate-or-greater clear-air turbulence on transatlantic flight routes in winter will increase significantly in future as the climate changes.” (1). The partner organization has an October test campaign planned with the sensor flown on a full-size jet on a transoceanic flight profile.
Each of these campaigns will provide a deluge of datasets that require leading edge analysis from the candidate to understand the relationships between the infrasonic source and the sensor location, be they stationary and/or airborne.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Jean-Pierre Hickey

Student:

Partner:

Stratodynamics Aviation Inc.

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Waterloo

Program:

Accelerate

Optimization of Mont-Wright open pit mineplanning and design using an integratedGeostatistical-Geomechanical approach

This research project aims to develop an integrated geostatistical-geomechanical approach to address the spatial distribution of rock mass mechanical properties, for use in optimization of Mont-Wirght open pit mine planning and design. This approach allows a better understanding of rock mass conditions based on limited sampling locations. The methodology would allow the inherent heterogeneity of rock masses to be taken into account in mine planning and design, on the understanding that more accurate knowledge of the spatial distribution of rock mass mechanical properties promotes safe and economic mine design.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Kamran Esmaeili

Student:

Partner:

ArcelorMittal Exploitation minière (Montreal, QC)

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Mining

University:

University of Toronto

Program:

Accelerate

Investigation of the degradation mechanism of the air cathode in a zinc-air battery by post-mortem analysis

The demand for electricity is growing rapidly and it is expected to double by 2050. Currently, around 12% of this energy is supplied by renewable sources of energy. While wind and solar are the fastest growing energy generation sources, they are dependent on time and weather. To solve the instability of these energy sources, energy storage systems such as redox flow batteries is required. Alkaline zinc-air redox flow batteries, have been reported as promising candidates for energy storage technologies due to high energy densities and cheap raw materials. The success of this technology is related to improvement of electrode materials applied in the air side, which is responsible for most of the losses in the battery. Vancouver-based Zinc8 Energy Solution is pursuing this technology for grid scale energy storage. This proposal aims to help them to evaluate the mechanisms of degradation of the air cathode using post-mortem analysis.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Edward Roberts

Student:

Partner:

Zinc8 Energy Solutions Inc.

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

University of Calgary

Program:

Accelerate

La mobilité durable comme « objet-frontière » : une approche pragmatique et interractionniste

Ce projet consiste à produire un guide méthodologique et conceptuel pour le compte d’une organisation oeuvrant notamment dans la mise en place de projets collaboratifs en mobilité durable (Coop Carbone – filière Mobilité durable et innovations sociales) et qui est impliquée dans des projets inter-organisationnels, dont certains portent sur la construction de programmes de mobilité durable. Ce guide aura d’abord pour fonction de présenter, de simplifier et d’adapter deux cadres conceptuels abondamment discutés dans la littérature académique – la théorie institutionnelle et le socio-constructivisme pragmatique – dans le but de les rendre opérationnalisables dans le cadre de projets de mobilité durable de Coop Carbone. À cet effet, cette opérationnalisation sera possible grâce au concept d’« entrepreneuriat institutionnel » qui sera utilisé pour caractériser la démarche de Coop Carbone. L’entrepreneuriat institutionnel sera donc considéré comme le filon conducteur à partir duquel il est possible de rattacher tant les parties prenantes des projets que les enjeux de mobilité durable que ces dernières portent et promeuvent.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Florence Paulhiac Scherrer

Student:

Partner:

Coop de solidarité Carbone

Discipline:

Business

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Université du Québec à Montréal

Program:

Accelerate

Microgeneration Wind Turbine Tower system – Advanced Civil Engineering

Advanced civil engineering research, design and simulation related to a microgeneration wind turbine guyed wire tilt tower system suitable to be install anywhere in Canada.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Dipanjan Basu

Student:

Partner:

Borrum Energy Solutions Inc

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

University of Waterloo

Program:

Accelerate

Controlling inhaled gasses for novel clinicalapplications

The general objective of this MITACS project is to introduce RespirAct (TM) as a unique device that provides a precise, repeatable vasoactive stimulus to extend the capabilities of imaging modalitites such as PET, CT, MRI and ultrasound. In the first project, the development and standardization of the cerebrovascular stress test will provde a means to assess impaired cerebrovascular control in clinical as well as research settings. In the second project, the mechanism of cerebral white matter injury will be explored using the RespirAct technology. THe third project will focus on demonstrating the efficacy of hydrogen gas in DNA protection and to standardize a gas delivery technology for safe hydrogen gas inhalation during diagnostic imaging tests. The studies the interns will be performing are indespensible to enable the RespirAct (TM) to be applied to patients. The experience in this validation will both guide the development of the clinical device and provide validation for its clinical adoption.

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Faculty Supervisor:

David Mikulis

Student:

Partner:

Thornhill Research Inc

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

University of Toronto

Program:

Accelerate

Design and Development of the Smart Friction Pendulum System (FPS) for High-Rise Buildings to cope with seismic loads

Buildings are vulnerable to moderate and powerful earthquakes. In order to keep their functionality during and after the seismic events, structural control systems are the promising candidates to be embedded in the buildings in which they dissipate the energy towards the building and separates the movements between the soil and the infrastructure. One of the common systems for this protection is the friction pendulum system (FPS), but it has the disadvantage of losing position once an earthquake happens. Then to improve this device a new material is implemented in the design, called shape memory alloy (SMA). This improvement allows us to have a smart FPS system that can support up to 14% of deformation in length and dissipate the energy while shaking.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Rafiq Ahmad

Student:

Partner:

North Forge

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Education; Management of companies and enterprises; Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Alberta

Program:

Accelerate

Exploring the antidepressant response to 2-Bromo-LSD in female mice

Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and other psychedelic drugs have been shown to have therapeutic effects, including for the treatment of depression. However, their hallucinogenic effects may represent an undesirable side effect. Non-hallucinogenic derivatives of these drugs represent a promising alternative; one such alternative is 2-bromo-LSD (BetterLife drug TD-0148A), but data on its effectiveness as an antidepressant and mechanism of action is lacking. Depressive disorders are more frequently diagnosed in women across different cultures, suggesting a biological susceptibility mechanism. Therefore, we seek to determine whether TD-0148A has antidepressant effects in female mice and whether it promotes the formation of synaptic spines in neurons, as other rapidly acting antidepressants do. Furthermore, we will evaluate the effect of TD-0148A on global brain gene expression to determine how does it exert its therapeutic effects.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Argel Aguilar Valles

Student:

Partner:

BetterLife Pharma Inc

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Carleton University

Program:

Accelerate

False Data Injection Attacks Targeting Power System Generation Control/Scheduling and Their Mitigations

Electric power systems are subject to cyberattacks. In this project, we intend to investigate false data injection attacks (FDIAs) targeting the automatic generation control (AGC) and the economic dispatch (ED) of electric power systems. Such a class of attacks may significantly affect the system frequency stability and result in huge economic loss and even catastrophic blackouts. Particularly, we will develop novel FDIA models targeting AGC and ED from the intruder’s perspectives, evaluate the impacts of developed FDIAs on benchmark test systems, and then design effective mitigation methods against those FDIAs from the defender’s viewpoint to reduce the negative impacts of the FDIAs and ensure the secure operation of power grids. The research outcomes will shed light on how we can better defend Canada’s power grids and minimize catastrophic consequences on the security and integrity of the country’s critical infrastructures against potential cyberattacks that are increasing both in frequency and severity.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Xiaozhe Wang

Student:

Partner:

Institut de Recherche Hydro-Québec

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services; Utilities

University:

McGill University

Program:

Accelerate

Transition model for insurance risks

Car (automobile) insurance is a very common type of insurance: policyholders pay a premium to get financial compensation in case an accident happens with their cars. Insurance companies use complex calculations and a lot of information to determine the value of these premiums. More specifically, they must also consider their expectations of the future. Predicting the future is impossible but with the help of artificial intelligence, the current project aims to improve the understanding of how a portfolio of insured cars can evolve in the upcoming years. The idea consists of identifying which factors contribute to the future behavior of the policyholders. By being more aware of the future, insurance companies would be able to charge more realistic premiums to their customers and improve the long-term value of their portfolios.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Ioannis Mitliagkas

Student:

Partner:

Intact

Discipline:

Computer science

Sector:

Finance and Insurance; Technology

University:

Université de Montréal

Program:

Accelerate

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Mitacs — Return on Innovation

Mitacs is funded by the Government of Canada, the Government of Alberta, the Government of British Columbia, Research Manitoba, the Government of New Brunswick, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Government of Nova Scotia, the Government of Ontario, Innovation PEI, the Government of Quebec, the Government of Saskatchewan, and the Government of Yukon.