Innovative Projects Realized

The REACH Project: Digital Fabrication Lab (part 4)

The Digital Fabrication Lab (Fab Lab) is situated in a high-risk zone where many youths become get involved in local gangs or else have to leave the area in order to study or obtain formal employment. The FabLab’s mission is to design a solution that is compatible to the local practices and context on order to provide youth with other alternatives through reconstructing the social fabric of the community. U of T Reach researchers will work with the FabLab and ITESO’s Center for High Impact Social Innovation (CISAI) to: (i) research the state of social networks and activity hubs in fostering community engagement in the FabLab; (ii) research mechanisms for social network optimization to better reach those most vulnerable in the surrounding community; (iii) develop a social network optimization campaign; and (iv) develop metrics to calculate the costs of reach.

The REACH Project: Digital Fabrication Lab (part 3)

The Digital Fabrication Lab (Fab Lab) is situated in a high-risk zone where many youths become get involved in local gangs or else have to leave the area in order to study or obtain formal employment. The FabLab’s mission is to design a solution that is compatible to the local practices and context on order to provide youth with other alternatives through reconstructing the social fabric of the community. U of T Reach researchers will work with the FabLab and ITESO’s Center for High Impact Social Innovation (CISAI) to: (i) research the state of social networks and activity hubs in fostering community engagement in the FabLab; (ii) research mechanisms for social network optimization to better reach those most vulnerable in the surrounding community; (iii) develop a social network optimization campaign; and (iv) develop metrics to calculate the costs of reach.

The REACH Project: Digital Fabrication Lab (part 2)

The Digital Fabrication Lab (Fab Lab) is situated in a high-risk zone where many youths become get involved in local gangs or else have to leave the area in order to study or obtain formal employment. The FabLab’s mission is to design a solution that is compatible to the local practices and context on order to provide youth with other alternatives through reconstructing the social fabric of the community. U of T Reach researchers will work with the FabLab and ITESO’s Center for High Impact Social Innovation (CISAI) to: (i) research the state of social networks and activity hubs in fostering community engagement in the FabLab; (ii) research mechanisms for social network optimization to better reach those most vulnerable in the surrounding community; (iii) develop a social network optimization campaign; and (iv) develop metrics to calculate the costs of reach.

TRUST – Sustainable, fair and environmentally sound drinking water supply for prosperous regions with water shortages

TRUST is a joint research project among the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), University of Stuttgart and other research institutions and technology providers. The objective of the project is to develop innovative solutions and planning tools for drinking water supply in water scarce regions. The methodological approach includes satellite-based remote sensing and water balance modeling to develop an integrated water supply and wastewater disposal system. The project intendeds to create a sustainable model for improving access to safe drinking water, with local conditions and climate change considerations included. The project’s resulting models and technology is to be tested in the Lima/Peru region in the future. Preliminary tests are to be carried out in Germany to regionally verify the correlation between remote-sensing data and water quality issues, and ensure that the method can be transferred. TO BE CONT’D

Valorisation de particules fines provenant de sols contaminés traités : Reconstitution de la texture et amélioration des propriétés-physicochimiques de sols agricoles appauvris

Le projet de recherche a pour objectif la valorisation dans le domaine agricole de particules fines traitées (sables fins, silts et argiles) provenant de sols contaminés. L’objectif du projet consiste à fabriquer des produits pouvant servir dans le domaine agricole à partir de sols contaminés qui ont été préalablement traités. Le projet consistera plus spécifiquement à utiliser des sols décontaminés, préalablement traités afin de reconstituer une texture appropriée et améliorer les propriétés-physicochimiques de sols agricoles appauvris. Les particules fines traitées qui seront ajoutées aux sols agricoles devront jouer deux rôles : (1) apporter des oligo-éléments (métaux traces) et de la matière organique aux sols agricoles lessivés et appauvris et (2) favoriser la rétention des nutriments et oligo-éléments lors d’ajouts de fertilisants par les agriculteurs.

Avec ce projet de recherche, Northex tente de trouver une solution au problème de structure des sols et d’appauvrissement de ceux-ci en nutriments à cause de l’érosion…………………tbc

Le(s) rôle(s) de la communication stratégique dans le développement de startups : les priorités à mettre en place dans un contexte de démarrage

De nos jours, bon nombre d’entrepreneurs se lancent en affaires. Pourtant, la majorité des entreprises en démarrage créées ne se concrétise pas en succès. Dans la plupart des guides mis sur pied pour aider les entrepreneurs à percer dans le marché, très peu de place est accordée à l’importance des communications stratégiques (on entend par communication stratégique, toute communication réalisée dans le but d’atteindre les objectifs d’affaires de l’entreprise). C’est ici que mon mémoire prend toute son importance. Je vais chercher à déterminer l’apport des communications stratégiques sur le développement des entreprises en démarrage. Je me concentrerai sur le secteur d’activités des innovations technologiques. Cela se traduira en une meilleure connaissance du ou des rôle(s) des communications stratégiques dans le développement des startups, menant ainsi à une potentielle, voire éventuelle optimisation de son utilisation en contexte de démarrage d’entreprise.

Generating macrophages from cultured embryonic stem cells

Macrophages are a type of white blood cell of the immune system that engulfs and digests cellular debris, foreign substances, microbes and cancer cells in a process called phagocytosis. They are often involved in development of inflammation, but in some settings can have the opposite effect. Much research is dedicated to investigating how macrophages develop and behave to generate better, more effective treatments for various diseases. This often involves growing macrophages in culture from precursor cells from mouse bone marrow. However, this method is crude, yielding cells that differ substantially from “real” macrophages, and requires the repeated use of animals. To eliminate this, as well as to develop more biologically relevant methods, we are investigating an alternative – the treatment of embryonic stem cells in culture with various development factors to produce macrophages that mirror the biology of “real” macrophages more closely. TO BE CONT’D

Breeding Waterfowl Use of Restored Wetlands in the Cariboo Region of British Columbia

The intern will be conducting surveys of breeding waterfowl at nine wetlands previously restored by Ducks Unlimited Canada. Wetlands provide abundant ecosystem services and are threatened by modification from environmentally damaging human activities that have reduced their quantity and function. Waterfowl are highly dependent on wetlands for many stages of their lifecycle and Ducks Unlimited Canada helps waterfowl by restoring wetlands. This study provides direction for future wetland restoration decisions by helping clarify what wetland size and vegetation cover types are most beneficial to breeding waterfowl in the Cariboo region of British Columbia. By identifying the most effective wetland sizes and vegetation cover ranges, this study will help guide wetland restorationists and managers at Ducks Unlimited Canada in site selection and planning of future wetland restoration proje

Analyse exploratoire des utilisateurs d’une plateforme de commercialisation en ligne d’assurance vie

Le projet vise à utiliser des techniques analytiques avancées sur les données des visiteurs d’une plateforme web dédiée à la commercialisation d’assurance vie en ligne. Cette analyse offrira à l’entreprise partenaire et ses clients l’opportunité de mieux comprendre les utilisateurs de la plateforme. Cette compréhension accrue permettra à l’entreprise partenaire de raffiner ses communications et actions marketing destinées aux utilisateurs en les personnalisant. Les nouveaux renseignements accumulés permettront également d’apporter des améliorations à la plateforme, aux produits d’assurance et aux processus de vente. Ces bonifications sont primordiales dans le contexte de l’organisme partenaire qui est une entreprise en démarrage opérant dans un marché extrêmement compétitif.

Soil productivity and soil health status following restoration of pipeline corridors on Agricultural Land Reserve cropland in northeastern British Columbia

Oil and gas exploration and development in northeastern British Columbia contributes to the Province’s economy, but also results in disturbance of cropland due to construction of pipelines within the Agricultural Land Reserve. Currently, there is no long-term monitoring of cropland productivity on reclaimed pipeline footprints. The proposed research addresses priorities of the British Columbia Oil and Gas Research and Innovation Society (BC OGRIS) by assessing and quantifying the long-term impacts of pipeline construction on cultivated ALR lands. This is consistent with the 2018 interim report of the BC Minister of Agriculture’s Advisory Committee for Revitalizing the Agricultural Land Reserve and the Agricultural Land Commission, which recommended immediate action to mitigate the impacts of oil and gas activity in the ALR. TO BE CONT’D

NeighbourPLAN Co-Design Planning Project

Both researchers will conduct independent projects using multiple data collection methods to evaluate GreenUP’s NeighbourPLAN project based on participants’ sense of well-being and belonging and what the perceptions are among participants towards sense of place and the built environment including green spaces. Rosa’s research will be evaluating sense of belonging and place and whether the participatory planning activities have activated new meaning in places. Laura’s research will assess the nexus between participants’ interaction with green spaces and the level of engagement in the NeighbourPLAN, measured through each participant’s recorded perceived wellness. The expected benefits to GreenUP from both projects include an evaluation of the GreenUP program efficacy in achieving sustainable community engagement in participatory urban planning processes in Peterborough. GreenUP

Durham Region Climate Change Modeling (DRCCM)

projections across their watersheds and lower tier municipalities. Leveraging previous modeling that was completed five years ago, they have established a suite of climate variables they would like to update based on the latest science, and hope to access existing regional climate model outputs through online portals or academic experts and undertake post-processing and analysis (in other words – they do not plan to undertake new primary modeling). The Region is highly interested in establishing a clear and plain language approach towards obtaining and assessing climate conditions in the form of a guidance document alongside their updated climate projections. In this regard, they hope to share the developed methodology with other municipalities in Southern Ontario to promote best practices and consistency.