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 cluster for Precision Medicine in Oncology

New therapeutic approaches are desperately needed for many types of cancer. This training cluster brings together five academic experts who will each mentor a trainee to establish a panel of novel cancer models in one of the following: glioblastoma stem cells, renal carcinoma cells, pancreatic tumor organoids, leukemic cells and tumor reactive T-cells – all directly isolated from cancer patients. The SGC is a not-for-profit organisation that seeks to catalyze the discovery of new medicines in partnership with industry and academia through open access research. As part of its “Epigenetic Chemical Probes” project, SGC has been developing inhibitory small molecules, called chemical probes (drug-like molecules), against proteins involved in epigenetic regulation in collaboration with its industry partners. The ‘primary’ cellular models which closely reflect the cancer in the patients will enable the testing of ~30 chemical probes per disease that selectively target proteins thought to ‘drive’ or maintain the cancerous state. In each disease the objective is to establish a correlation between response to drugs and the patient clinical history and/or tumor (epi)genetics for potential future patient characterization for more effective treatment. Trainees will address state-of-the-art cancer biology concepts such as cancer stem cells, epigenetics, cellular reprogramming and immunotherapy

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Faculty Supervisor:

Laurie Ailles;Mark Minden;Peter Dirks;Naoto Hirano;Gary Bader

Student:

Partner:

Structural Genomics Consortium

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Toronto

Program:

Accelerate

Long-Term Ecosystem Monitoring of the British Columbia Coast across a Gradient of Human Stressors – Year Two

Proposed developments (pipelines, super-tankers) along the coast of BC have the potential to negatively impact (shell)fisheries. Direct monitoring of fisheries can only detect negative impacts which have already occurred; therefore, indicator species (meiofauna) and environmental variables are monitored to detect disturbances before productivity is impacted. Our project will monitor intertidal ecosystems (numerous species and environmental variables) spanning the entire coast of BC, across a gradient of human impacts, long term. Multivariate models will be created to quantify human impacts, natural forces which structure these ecosystems, and potentially detect disturbances – natural or anthropogenic – before commercial species are impacted. The Hakai Institute will benefit from this research as they strive to protect BC’s coast through long-term monitoring. Our proposed project will elucidate long-term coastal dynamics, protect BC’s coast by detecting potential disturbances, help safeguard fishery productivity, and provide the detailed, long-term data required for crafting effective regulations.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Francis Juanes

Student:

Partner:

The Hakai Institute, part of the Tula Foundation

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Sustainability & the Environment; Environmental Science and Technology; Life Sciences (not health)

University:

University of Victoria

Program:

Elevate

Wild fish community composition and host-parasite infection rates relative to net-pen aquaculture facilities

The economically cost-effective methods of intensive open net-pen farming externalize the costs of waste treatment and clean water supply by drawing these critical ecosystem services from the nearshore marine environment. Salmon farms serve as point sources for organic nutrients (uneaten feed and salmon waste), parasites, and heavy metals. Salmon farms may have impacts on proximal wild species including increases in disease and parasite abundance and chemical and heavy metal contamination. This project will be examining the effect of proximity to salmon farms on the prevalence of parasites and disease in wild fish populations. This research will prove useful to Wild Canadian Sablefish Ltd. by providing knowledge for the conservation of economically important wild finfish populations and the ecosystems that sustain them.

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Faculty Supervisor:

John Volpe

Student:

Partner:

Discipline:

Earth science

Sector:

Agriculture

University:

University of Victoria

Program:

Accelerate

Long-Term Ecosystem Monitoring of the British Columbia Coast across a Gradient of Human Stressors

Proposed developments (pipelines, super-tankers) along the coast of BC have the potential to negatively impact (shell)fisheries. Direct monitoring of fisheries can only detect negative impacts which have already occurred; therefore, indicator species (meiofauna) and environmental variables are monitored to detect disturbances before productivity is impacted. Our project will monitor intertidal ecosystems (numerous species and environmental variables) spanning the entire coast of BC, across a gradient of human impacts, long term. Multivariate models will be created to quantify human impacts, natural forces which structure these ecosystems, and potentially detect disturbances – natural or anthropogenic – before commercial species are impacted. The Hakai Institute will benefit from this research as they strive to protect BC’s coast through long-term monitoring. Our proposed project will elucidate long-term coastal dynamics, protect BC’s coast by detecting potential disturbances, help safeguard fishery productivity, and provide the detailed, long-term data required for crafting effective regulations.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Francis Juanes

Student:

Partner:

The Hakai Institute, part of the Tula Foundation

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Sustainability & the Environment; Environmental Science and Technology; Life Sciences (not health)

University:

University of Victoria

Program:

Elevate

En Route to 5G: Long-term Evolution (LTE) Enhancements for the Internet of Things (IoT) – Year Two

Cellular wireless communication has reached a level of coverage and reliability that it is considered a commodity. However, the dramatic increase in Internet traffic to and from wireless devices poses significant challenges for network operators. While the current growth of traffic is mostly due to consumers communicating more frequently and larger amounts of data over the wireless infrastructure, much of the future growth is predicted to come from non-human operated devices or so-called machine-to-machine (M2M) communication. M2M devices have mostly small amounts of data to communicate, but they will appear in massive numbers. This development is part of the vision of the “Internet of Things” that foresees Internet connectivity for almost everything we use in everyday life. The proposed project is a continuation of collaborative research between UBC and Sierra Wireless, a leader in the M2M space, with the objective to advance cellular wireless communication to support the IoT paradigm.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Lutz Lampe

Student:

Partner:

Semtech

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Information and Communications Technology

University:

The University of British Columbia

Program:

Elevate

En Route to 5G: Long-term Evolution (LTE) Enhancements for the Internet of Things (IoT)

Cellular wireless communication has reached a level of coverage and reliability that it is considered a commodity. However, the dramatic increase in Internet traffic to and from wireless devices poses significant challenges for network operators. While the current growth of traffic is mostly due to consumers communicating more frequently and larger amounts of data over the wireless infrastructure, much of the future growth is predicted to come from non-human operated devices or so-called machine-to-machine (M2M) communication. M2M devices have mostly small amounts of data to communicate, but they will appear in massive numbers. This development is part of the vision of the “Internet of Things” that foresees Internet connectivity for almost everything we use in everyday life. The proposed project is a continuation of collaborative research between UBC and Sierra Wireless, a leader in the M2M space, with the objective to advance cellular wireless communication to support the IoT paradigm.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Lutz Lampe

Student:

Partner:

Semtech

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Information and Communications Technology

University:

The University of British Columbia

Program:

Elevate

Applied Mineralogy for Enhanced Processing of Gold Ore from Artisanal Mining in the Arequipa Region, Peru – Year Two

The proposed research has the objective of applying detailed mineralogical research to aid the multidisciplinary development of high speed sensors for real-time ore sorting applications. MineSense Technologies Ltd. is a mining technology company that develops such sensors and while they have successfully demonstrated the application of its core technologies to distinguish ore from waste material, continuing goals are to increase the number of non-grade parameters that can be detected, and therefore increase the breadth of the application of their technology. To achieve this degree of detection, systematic mineralogical research has to be applied to determine the mineralogical variability of the bulk ore samples, and the best-suited sensors for individual ore classes, which are characterized by a particular mineralogical feature. This information will be integrated into the development of data analysis algorithms that will facilitate processing and interpretation of the sensor signals according to the desired sorting criteria.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Lee Groat

Student:

Partner:

MineSense Technologies Inc.

Discipline:

Earth science

Sector:

Natural Resources; Mining; Environmental Science and Technology

University:

The University of British Columbia

Program:

Elevate

Applied Mineralogy for Improvement of Sensor-based Sorting of Bulk Ores

The project focuses on gold deposits in the Arequipa region of southern Peru which are presently being exploited by artisanal and small-scale miners (accounting for 11-14% of Peru’s gold production). The proposed research includes a detailed mineralogical study of the gold mines and the ore concentrates, which have not been previously investigated. The objective is to help industrial partner Montan Mining Corp. (Montan) to develop a robust mineral processing flow-sheet for their mill in the region by providing detailed information about the ore concentrates and the mines. This information will allow Montan to increase the efficiency of gold recovery from various concentrates obtained from the small-scale miners and assist the miners in improving the efficiency and economics of their mines. The second part of this project includes a regional study on Montan’s exploration licenses, which will help to discover new gold deposits that can be processed by their mill.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Lee Groat

Student:

Partner:

Montan Mining Corporation;MineSense Technologies Inc.

Discipline:

Earth science

Sector:

Natural Resources; Mining; Environmental Science and Technology

University:

The University of British Columbia

Program:

Elevate

Developing an Indigenous-led ‘conservation economy’: Ecosystem service synergies and trade-offs from shellfish aquaculture in British Columbia’s Great Bear Sea

Without careful management, the growing number and intensity of human activities can negatively affect ecosystem health and cause conflict between users. Recognizing the need for integrated management, the Province of British Columbia and 18 Coastal First Nations collaborated to develop an integrated spatial Marine Plan for the North Pacific Coast. A critical part of implementing this plan is to closely evaluate interactions between key marine uses, especially in light of global environmental change. With special focus on shellfish aquaculture, this project will use novel methods to evaluate the economic and ecological consequences associated with proposed zoning and management. Working with the Central Coast Indigenous Resource Alliance, we will quantify, map, and value ecosystem services, and potential synergies and trade-offs among them, across the BC Central Coast. These results will be used to inform current and alternative marine management scenarios.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Natalie Ban

Student:

Partner:

Central Coast Indigenous Resource Alliance

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

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

University:

University of Victoria

Program:

Elevate

TARGETING CANCER TUMORS USING A NATURALLY REFINED PARASITE HOST ANCHOR PROTEIN

In this project we will combine knowledge from two different research fields, namely parasitology and cancer biology, to develop a novel approach to target a variety of cancer tumors with high specificity. The malaria parasite P.falciparum has evolved a protein (VAR2CSA) that allows infected human blood cells to bind a sugar structure called CSA on cells of the placenta. We have recently discovered that the same CSA structure is also expressed on human cancer cells and is associated with advanced cancer stage. We propose to take advantage of this interaction to transport and deliver chemotherapies directly to the tumor environment. Using engineered versions of malarial VAR2CSA (rVAR2), our partner developed a variety of rVAR2 Drug conjugates (VDC). Using our expertise in preclinical studies, we will screen and characterize this panel of VDC in cancer cell lines and mice models and move this novel technology towards clinical utility.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Mads Daugaard

Student:

Partner:

Kairos Therapeutics Inc

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

The University of British Columbia

Program:

Elevate

Evaluation and Development of Oyster and Seaweed Culture on the Eastern Shore, Nova Scotia

Bill and Stanley Oyster Company recently took over mussel aquaculture leases, that hadn’t been used by farmers for the past few years, on the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia. Taking advantage of the infrastructures already in place, the company started to grow oysters in suspended cages to test the sites potential for aquaculture. The company also expressed an interest in diversifying their crops and wants to develop seaweed culture as a new cash crop. This project has two general objectives. First, develop a monitoring program for the oysters which will serve as a database for decision making for R&D to optimize their oyster culture. Second, monitor the growth and seasonality of local seaweeds of economic value already growing on-site and start to develop seaweed culture.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Neil Ross

Student:

Partner:

Bill and Stanley Oyster Company;Aquaculture Association of Nova Scotia

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Agriculture; Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Dalhousie University

Program:

Accelerate

Mechanism Studies on Soil Erosion around Defective Sewer Pipes

Sinkhole and ground surface collapse frequently occur in urban areas such as highway, roads or around buildings. Usually the failure process in rather sudden without much evidence or obvious signs. This catches people by surprise and results in accidents, injuries or even death in some cases. From current studies and case analysis, most of the sinkholes in urban area are attributed to leaking of water supply lines or sewer pipes. The mechanism is summarized as the soil loss around defective sewer pipes, and this erosion void further evolved to the ground collapse or sinkhole. Through both numerical and experimental modelling, this study will be conducted to investigate the detailed mechanism of soil loss around defective sewer pipes and the quantitative effects of various factors on the sinkhole formation. Therefore the sinkhole or ground collapse can be predicted based on the combination of various influencing factors, which can provide guidelines for the practical remediation and detection.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Dave Chan

Student:

Partner:

Zhejiang University

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Education

University:

University of Alberta

Program:

Globalink Research Award