Innovative Projects Realized

Advanced Building Performance Analysis Tools for Computation Design of Building Envelopes

An early-stage design analysis methodology will be investigated for evaluating preliminary building envelope design alternatives using advanced computation and analysis tools. Design alternatives will be generated based on different envelope materials, structure, insulation types and window-to-wall ratios and evaluated based on selected metrics including energy use, daylighting, life cycle analysis and life cycle costing. A master-planning project in Mississauga, Ontario, will be used as a test-bed for the methodologies explored in this research. Finding will assists in developing design guidelines for efficient and low-carbon building envelopes. The benefits to the partner from this project include expanding expertise in envelope performance analysis, experimenting with expansion of carbon accounting consultation, expanding expertise in computational design and analysis tools, developing tool comparison measures, and testing efficacy of in-house developed analysis tools and improving their efficiencies.

Internationalization strategies in the Canadian cannabis industry.

Cannabis is one of the oldest naturally psychoactive substances known to humans and is globally the most commonly used psychoactive substance under international control. The proposed research work aims to analyze how the international strategy of Canadian companies in the field of cannabis is influenced by factors inherent in the industry in order to develop a sustainable competitive advantage. This work will enable Canadian companies to better understand potential international strategies of Canadian cannabis companies and how they could develop in order to gain a competitive advantage.

Hydroelectric development impact on Marine Ecosystems: Grand Riverkeeper Labrador, Inc. engaging in knowledge sharing with Subsistence and Commercial Fishers

Grand Riverkeeper Labrador, Inc. (GRK) is a federally incorporated non-profit organization that has as its mandate to preserve and protect the water quality and the ecological integrity of the Grand (Churchill) River and its estuaries for present and future users and for posterity through actions of public awareness, monitoring, intervention and habitat restoration. The purpose of this research project is to support GRK in engaging coastal fisher communities (Indigenous and non-Indigenous) in Labrador and other coastal communities impacted by hydroelectric dams and reservoirs, including those on the Grand (a.k.a. Churchill) River. GRK intends to engage with various experts in environmental and water policy, climate, marine environments, ocean environments as well as various other ENGO groups involved in protecting water and oceans to build on the report. The project includes hosting knowledge sharing workshops with subsistence and commercial fishers on the ways in which dams and reservoirs can affect marine ecosystems and in particular how they can affect subsistence and commercial fisheries in coastal communities.

Scaling up Land2Lab:Intergenerational community action research promoting Traditional Mi’kmaw Foodways

The land and its foods are extremely important for the health of Indigenous communities. Throughout Canadian history, however, factors have limited Indigenous people’s ability to be able to go out on the land and harvest their foods according to Traditional ways. To combat this today, Elders have been sharing their knowledge about the land with youth to support the continued health of their communities. COVID-19 has made this increasingly difficult, however, as the health of Elders is of outmost importance and social gatherings have been limited as a result of this. For this research project, therefore, we will be using a virtual approach to bring together Elders and youth to encourage youth to get on the land to learn about their foods. The Intern will help evaluate this approach and develop a program tool-kit for this project to support its continuation within CMM and so that it can potentially be implemented in other First Nation communities across Canada.

Business Development Intern

Flextrapower Technologies Inc. (FTI), Corporation Number 11422197, Business number 792843278, is a Canadian Controlled Private Corporation, founded by Linh Le, a serial startup founder with chemical engineering background from Columbia University and Stevens Institute of Technology. Since founding, FTI has been actively involved with technical consulting as well as strategy work for multiple companies at various stages of development. Most recently and notably, FTI is the winner of the contract with Hanoi University of Science and Technology to provide the graphene-based textile sensors in Electromyography (EMG) in dual-use applications for both consumer and medical markets. Since Covid pandemic, the management team has made the decision to focus in Asia region, which happens to be the best in dealing with Covid and the business has been growing in both service and product offering. Having a chance to work with Abhik will offer a chance for FTI to better understanding the market insights and product requirements, which is crucial for the next stage of business development for the company

Évaluation d’un programme de saines habitudes de vie basé sur les traditions autochtones: approche participative et analyse qualitative ancrées dans le paradigme autochtone

Le diabète de type 2 (DT2) frappe plusieurs communautés autochtones au Québec comme ailleurs dans le monde. Cette maladie non-transmissible peut être bien gérée par l’adoption de saines habitudes de vie. Par contre, les programmes habituels de saines habitudes de vie offerts aux autochtones ne tiennent pas compte de leur contexte culturel. Le projet vise donc à proposer une intervention en saines habitudes de vie centrée sur l’alimentation traditionnelle, la médecine traditionnelle et l’activité physique culturelle. Il s’attarde notamment au vécu des participants qui s’impliquent dans une telle intervention culturellement appropriée. À travers des entrevues individuelles et de groupe, le projet cherchera à comprendre les mécanismes de changement de comportements durant l’intervention et la perception des participants au niveau des impacts sur leur bien-être, la gestion et la prévention du DT2, ainsi que le sentiment de connexion à l’identité culturelle que procure la participation à des programmes culturellement pertinents.

Moving to musical groove: Modulatory effect of emotions, and individual differences

Rhythmic music naturally urges us to move. This is visible when they spontaneously move or dance with music, even without being consciously aware of aligning movements to the musical pulse. Moving to the beat of the music (Auditory-Motor Synchronization – AMS) is a widespread behavior involving the fine coordination of a motor rhythm with an external rhythm which involves a complex neuronal network including both cortical and subcortical areas (such as the basal ganglia and the cerebellum) and cortical regions (such as the SMA and the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex). Previous researches have shown that there is a tight link between brain networks subserving in processing emotions and motor control as well as duration perception. In this regard, The main goal of this project is to examine whether emotions conveyed by complex auditory stimuli, namely rhythmic music, affect AMS and if so, what are the underlying neurophysiological mechanisms supporting this effect. To reach this aim, we designed a project to investigate the behavioral aspects of emotional conditions and their relationships with AMS abilities.

Conception et fabrication d’une matrice de micropropulseurs à combustible solide

L’utilisation de plusieurs petits satellites à faibles coûts envoyée en orbite plutôt qu’un seul comporte de nombreux avantages, autant au niveau financier que logistique. Cependant, le placement sur les bonnes orbites de ces petits satellites amène un problème important, soit la conception d’un système de propulsion assez puissant, compact et à faible coût. C’est l’objectif de ce projet, qui sera de concevoir et fabriquer une matrice de micropropulseurs à combustible solide. Le combustible étant limité à ce qui a été inséré dans les chambres, une plus grande quantité de micropropulseurs équivaut à un plus grand nombre de poussées disponibles. Par l’entremise de la compagnie Numérica Technologies inc. un prototype fonctionnel sera conçu et testé en laboratoire afin de recueillir les données nécessaires pour mieux caractériser le système, et ainsi l’améliorer.

Formulating and solving the multi-calendar resumable and non-resumable Naval Surface Ship Work Period Problem

This project deals with the development of a new mathematical model and a fast solution method to optimize the multi-calendar naval surface ship refit scheduling problem with resumable and non-resumable operations. The Naval Surface Ship Work Period Problem (NSWPP) is a highly complex resource-constrained project scheduling problem (RCPSP) with many work orders that are equivalent to small projects. Planning, scheduling, and executing NSWPPs are very challenging, and a large volume of planned and scheduled work is typically never achieved for a variety of reasons such as unexpected discovery of damages, high variability in work scope and duration, unavailability of human resources or equipment, logistical delays.
This project will extend the existing formulations and matheuristic solution methods to the more realistic case of activities following different calendars such as 8-hour shifts 7 days a week and 12-hour shifts 5 days a week. Activities that span the weekend can be allowed to resume on Mondays with or without penalty.

Project HYBRHIB (Hybrid Rigid-Hulled Inflatable Boat)

Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boats (RHIB) are one of the most versatile Inshore boats. These are the vessel of choice for law enforcement, rescue, security, Naval Forces and multiple marine industry and science sectors. The cost of fuel always impacts budgets, operations, and the ability to adapt to an ever-changing economy. To reduce carbon and other air pollutant emissions and noise, our project will research the technical requirements for an electric Hybrid RHIB and measure reductions in noise from electric propulsion.

Developing the local economies of food in northern Indigenous communities

Communities in Canada’s North face a series of complex barriers to food accessibility and sovereignty. The Dene community of Kakisa in the Northwest Territories is partnering with Wilfrid Laurier University to research and implement solutions to food security and sovereignty. Kakisa leadership and residents plan to leverage their community economic development arm – Noda Enterprises Ltd – to create a food hub, where food can be grown, harvested processed, and distributed in ways that build economic resilience while promoting cultural resurgence, and respecting traditional customs of harvest and food sharing. Through the project, Noda will also strengthen its overall economic viability while supporting the health and wellbeing of the community.

Arts’ Civic Impact: Researchers in Residence

In conjunction with Mass Culture and Emily Carr University of Art and Design’s Aboriginal Gathering Place, The Arts’ Civic Impact: Researchers in Residence, BC cohort focuses on developing a qualitative arts impact framework through a decolonized, Indigenous research lens for Indigenous focused, BC arts organizations in concert with four other researchers from across the country.

The BC Cohort will infuse the research with Indigenous protocols, way and knowledge to bring deeper engagement and understanding the complex relationship that Indigenous organizations and communities in the civil art and culture sector and how indigenous artists, filmmakers, ECU art/design/media alumni that have utilized cultural production to create other forms of value (social, ethical, communal, identity vs economic or state-sponsored, extractionist).