Innovative Projects Realized

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

29670 Completed Projects

2811
AB
4990
BC
801
MB
663
NL
825
SK
8841
ON
9197
QC
95
PE
568
NB
1088
NS

Projects by Category

Research into the Design and Development of Inclusive Digital Media Technologies

This project, a collaboration between Ryerson University and Pear Square, will be researching what would enable businesses and organizations to provide resources efficiently to students with disabilities. The outstanding issue is mainly a lack of standardized work flow methodologies that promote accessible development from the beginning stages of any project for large institutions. The research proposed for this project will be to formulate, test, and acquire feedback on experimental workflows that accommodate a variety of accessible digital media systems. The research conducted for this project will provide Pear Square with a comprehensive insight of how accessible systems can be used as a resource for assisting students with disabilities to reach their goals.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Alex Ferworn

Student:

Partner:

Pear Square

Discipline:

Business

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Toronto Metropolitan University

Program:

Accelerate

Predictive Control Approach for Converted Multi Zone Residential Buildings with Central HVAC Systems

The current project aims to study a novel energy management system for residential heating ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system. Independently controlled wireless air damping vents will adjust the air flow in different zones of the building allowing independent control of the temperature which results in enhanced thermal comfort and energy savings. The intern will collaborate with the partner organization on studying a unique state-of-the-art predictive model to control the damping factor of the vents within fully closed to fully open range. The partner organization will benefit from the expertise of both the supervisor and the intern in HVAC and thermo-fluids to achieve a more effective control strategy for the system.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Carey Simonson

Student:

Partner:

SenergyK Innovative Creations

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Other services (except public administration)

University:

University of Saskatchewan

Program:

Accelerate

Linking Animals, Social Justice and Social work

Speciesism – discrimination by species – is recognized by some moral philosophers as a social justice issue. It is a problem for animals and humans alike since studies show that how we treat animals is related to how we treat each other and to public health. We aim to raise awareness of speciesism among social workers – a group likely to respond to social justice issues – to see if they become more willing to advocate for animals. Animal advocates, social workers and I form the participatory action research team. We will develop and deliver an education module to BC social workers in focus groups and hold follow-up individual interviews. Raised awareness may lead to behavioural change in social workers and policy change in social work institutions and beyond. This project will expand the knowledge of Vancouver Foundation staff and assist in outreach activities to groups interested in human-animal relations.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Michael Young

Student:

Partner:

Vancouver Foundation

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Finance and Insurance; Health and Related Sciences & Technology; Other services (except public administration)

University:

Royal Roads University

Program:

Accelerate

Bio-Aggregate Based Construction Materials for Sustainable Farm Buildings

This research aims in utilizing agriculture wastes in production of sustainable eco-friendly construction materials for farms building. The mechanical and durability performance of the proposed eco-friendly construction material exposed to the aggressive agriculture environment will be evaluated. The research will investigate the effects of different factors mainly related to physical properties of used wastes and binding materials. This leading-edge research on reusing/recycling agro-wastes in construction materials will allow IRDA to economically and sustainably transform such wastes into a high-value product. IRDA will lead the research in this area focusing on developing and innovating sustainable smart building materials for farm buildings and various construction applications, with an anticipated measurable impact on the Canadian specifications for concrete.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Ahmed Soliman

Student:

Partner:

Institut de Recherche et de Développement en Agroenvironnement

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Agriculture; Education; Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Concordia University

Program:

Accelerate

Glucocorticoids and Oxidative Stress in Bipolar Disorder

This project is on understanding the biological processes that underlie Bipolar Disorder (BD). BD is associated with dysfunctional oxygen metabolism and energy production, leading to the excess production of reactive oxygen molecules, which damage or alter the function of brain cells. Because BD is also associated with increased stress response systems, the current study aims to examine the links between stress hormones and oxidative stress. In seeking to better understand the processes in which this disease operates, we hope to contribute to the development of improved biomedical treatments of BD. BC Mental Health & Addiction Services is an agency that seeks to further our understanding and treatment of psychiatric illness through multidisciplinary research collaborations. This internship provides an opportunity for the institute to strengthen partnerships with other departments, professionals, and mental health programs to deliver world-class research to the field.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Jun-Feng Wang

Student:

Partner:

BC Mental Health and Addiction Services

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences & Technology

University:

The University of British Columbia

Program:

Accelerate

Antigen tracking of the DepoVaxTM-R9F cancer vaccine using MRI

Immunovaccine Inc. is developing cancer vaccines using the company’s DepoVaxTM vaccine technology. DepoVax is a patented formulation that displays excellent tumor control and provides a long lasting and specific effect. The way by which this vaccine exerts its effect is unclear but the translational team at Immunovaccine is determined to discover its mechanism of action and why their proprietary DepoVax technology delivers superior responses in comparison to other vaccines. This project will aim to figure out, using preclinical models, how the vaccine’s components are being transported within the immune system and which cells are responsible for this transport. The vaccine components will be labeled so that it can be tracked using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the presence or absence of immune cells at the frontline of the immune system, like dendritic cells and macrophages. TO BE CONT’D

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Faculty Supervisor:

Kimberly Brewer

Student:

Partner:

IMV Inc

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Biotechnology; Health and Related Sciences & Technology; Pharmaceuticals

University:

Dalhousie University

Program:

Accelerate

The use of crickets (Gryllus sigillatus) in poultry diets and their antimicrobial potential to defend against necrotic enteritis

The production of chicken requires a large amount of protein, and producers currently use antibiotics to help keep chickens healthy. However, there is a leading trend to reduce the amount of antibiotics used today, and with the growing population there is a need to find alternative protein sources. Insects, like crickets, could be a solution to both of these problems. Crickets have shown antimicrobial capacity and are high in protein, so they maybe able to reduce feed cost, while also reducing the need for antibiotics. This research aims to investigate the potential of this emerging feed ingredient, which will benefit the poultry industry and Canadian consumers.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Stephanie Collins

Student:

Partner:

Chicken Farmers of Nova Scotia

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Agriculture

University:

Dalhousie University

Program:

Accelerate

Réduire le taux de rejet des sondages effectués avec des panels Web : Évaluation de la validité discriminante de la technique de rejet des erreurs de réponses liées au temps de complétion versus l’expérience des panélistes

La professionnalisation des répondants résultant du recours aux panels web dans les sondages entraine un intérêt accru pour contrôler les erreurs de réponses. Une récente étude révèle que jusqu’à 25 % des questionnaires sont rejetés pour d’apparents motifs d’erreurs de réponses. Ce constat représente un épineux problème, car il mine la confiance envers les résultats des sondages et engendre des coûts et délais pour remplacer les questionnaires rejetés. Nous proposons une étude confirmatoire descriptive adoptant un paradigme pragmatique pour valider la méthode de détection des erreurs de réponses liées au temps de complétion des sondages. Cette étude a pour but de discriminer les résultats liés à l’expérience des panélistes des erreurs de réponse liés à un manque d’effort des répondants.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Jean-François Guertin

Student:

Partner:

Element 54

Discipline:

Business

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Université de Sherbrooke

Program:

Accelerate

Knowledge mobilization: Local community engagement, sustainability and adaptive governance

Knowledge mobilization is a complex process aimed at generating and disseminating information and expertise. It relates to decision-making in a complex and uncertain environment and requires the development of multiple networks to integrate different institutions and steer their resources. Managing such dynamic social-ecological networks can be addressed as a matter of adaptive governance which integrates the processes of generating multi-level social learning and preserving community heritage. The research theoretical framework is based on the concepts of local knowledge mobilization and social learning. Ecomuseums can be considered as an integral part of community governance and a bridging organization that responds to local needs while mobilizing and disseminating community knowledge and contributing to sustainable development.
My aim is to focus on local knowledge mobilization and the role of ecomuseums in adaptive community governance. TO BE CONT’D

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Faculty Supervisor:

Amber Fletcher;Glenn Sutter

Student:

Partner:

Friends of the Royal Saskatchewan Museum

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Arts, entertainment and recreation

University:

University of Regina

Program:

Accelerate

Media/Communication Repertoires of Canadian Small Businesses Owners

This research aims to identify different kinds of Canadian small firms on the basis of their owner/managers’ communication behaviour and media preferences. This is in contrast to past practices which identified similarities and differences among SMEs on the basis of sociodemographic variables. Communication behaviour and media choices of SME owner/managers is a key characteristic in shaping purchasing behaviour and communication preferences. The research considers the communication behaviours, beliefs, and attitudes of SME owner/managers in terms of patterned repertoires. The analysis of media repertoires is a useful way of identifying structured patterns of media use and communication behaviour across channels and platforms. On the basis of survey and focus group data, this research aims to identify key media repertoires for Canadian SMEs and produce one or more personas, or model representations of users or customers, for each repertoire.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Charles Davis

Student:

Partner:

Agency59

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Toronto Metropolitan University

Program:

Accelerate

Ships and Whales in Gitga’at Territory: Assessing behavioral response

As whales recover from the past centuries of whaling and as global trade compels shipping traffic to increase, we expect negative whale-ship interactions such as fatal strikes and noise disturbance to become an increasingly serious issue. To develop cost-effective and broadly applicable methods of assessing the risks of ships to whale feeding grounds, I propose to work with the partner organization to initiate a land-based visual survey of whales and ships within a fjord system of northern British Columbia that is slated for increased shipping traffic. I will analyze the data we collect to assess the risk of ship strikes and compare the behavioral response of two whale species, humpback whales and fin whales, to passing ships. The methods we develop will inform mitigation measures in our study site and facilitate similar studies elsewhere.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Natalie Ban

Student:

Partner:

World Wildlife Fund Canada (Toronto, ON)

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Life Sciences (not health); Environmental Science and Technology; Aboriginal Affairs

University:

University of Victoria

Program:

Accelerate

Bacterial biofilms – Phytochemicals, efflux pumps and food safety applications

The partner organization is designing novel dispensing equipment for liquid products to be used by quick-service restaurants. A food safety concern related to the R&D of this equipment is the potential health hazards associated with the formation of bacterial biofilms within the dispensing system. Biofilms are complex bacterial communities that grow on surfaces contacting liquids. The risk for consumers is that these biofilms could shelter practices to remove biofilms will be established. Because bacteria within biofilms are resistant to conventional disinfectants, non-conventional antimicrobials derived from plants (like essential oils) will be used. The partner organization will benefit from the practical applications of plant antimicrobials, not only in biofilm removal and the safe operation of the dispensing equipment, but also in the improved detection of pathogens.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Rafael A Garduno;Vasantha Rupasinghe

Student:

Partner:

AC Dispensing Equipment Inc

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

Dalhousie University

Program:

Accelerate