Innovative Projects Realized

Safe Cities, Urban Politics and Social Policy in North America

This project will fund Emily Diemert, a Wilfrid Laurier University undergraduate student, to collect research on the intersection between safer cities initiatives and social policies in Mexico City. Emily will be an exchange student at the Tecnológico de Monterrey, in Mexico City while also gaining experience as a researcher on data collection, coding and analysis of public documents. Emily’s research will contribute to a larger project that examines the logics and practices of new safer cities initiatives in North America and how these influence and shape social policy development at the local level. Internationally, there is a growing focus on how cities are mobilizing to provide for safety, both in terms of social policy and security. The outcomes of this grant will include knowledge mobility across countries both between academic institutions as well as among government and non-governmental organizations working in the area of safety, security and social policy.

Printed Electronics Metasurfaces for Industrial Quality Control

This project aims to advance real-time quality control in printed and flexible electronics manufacturing through the development and simulation of resonant metasurfaces. The work supports the commercialization of the TRAQC system—an AI-driven, terahertz-based inspection platform designed for in-line defect detection and material characterization.
The research focuses on designing printable metasurface patterns made from different conductive materials and geometries to achieve a strong resonance at a particular frequency, corresponding to TRAQC’s single-frequency operating regime. Using electromagnetic simulations, the project will evaluate how manufacturing variations—such as ink conductivity, line width, and substrate type—affect resonance frequency and signal strength. The resulting simulation library will guide the fabrication of optimized structures compatible with scalable printing techniques like screen, flexographic, and inkjet printing.
By bridging advanced modeling with practical manufacturing constraints, this work will deliver validated metasurface designs and sensitivity maps tailored to industrial environments. These outcomes will strengthen TRAQC’s capacity to provide non-destructive, high-speed, and accurate quality control across the printed electronics sector—contributing to greener, more efficient manufacturing in Canada and beyond.

Etude de marché : Les sources d’approvisionnement stratégiques dans l’économie circulaire

Le projet consiste à réaliser une étude de marché pour aider Trolet, une jeune entreprise montréalaise spécialisée dans la revalorisation de chaussures usagées, à mieux comprendre et développer ses sources d’approvisionnement. L’objectif est d’identifier où et comment collecter davantage de chaussures ayant un bon potentiel de revalorisation, afin de soutenir la croissance de l’entreprise. Le stagiaire analysera différents marchés, partenaires et modes de collecte, puis testera des pistes concrètes pour améliorer l’approvisionnement.
Ce projet permettra à Trolet de trouver de nouveaux canaux d’approvisionnement, d’accroître le volume et la qualité des chaussures collectées, et de renforcer sa position d’entreprise innovante dans le domaine de l’économie circulaire.

Strategic Brand Transformation for AI-driven Healthcare Innovation

This project supports MedMe Health’s expansion into the U.S. market by improving how the company communicates its value as an AI-powered pharmacy platform. The intern will redesign MedMe’s website and create new marketing materials—such as videos, social graphics, brochures, and trade show visuals—to clearly explain the company’s products and AI capabilities to American pharmacies. Using design tools and AI-based creative methods, the intern will help make MedMe’s brand more accessible and engaging for new audiences. This work will benefit MedMe by strengthening its brand identity, supporting market entry, and improving how the company connects with potential partners and customers.

L2M – A Dual-Purpose Biotechnological Platform for Transforming Emissions into Sustainable Biomaterials

This project explores a flexible biotechnology platform that converts greenhouse gas emissions and industrial residues, such as methane and crude glycerol, into valuable biomaterials like PHB, using microbial cultures under high-density fermentation. During the internship, market research and interviews will be conducted to identify potential partners and early adopters, evaluate where the platform creates the most value, and define how it can operate as a viable business model within Canada’s emerging decarbonization framework.

Superconducting Quantum Circuits Laboratory – Sydney University

This project explores how to make quantum computers more reliable by implementing how we control and measure a special kind of quantum bit called a “cat qubit.” Quantum bits, or qubits, are the basic units of information in a quantum computer, much like bits in a regular computer. This research aims to find ways to manag these cat qubits using advanced experimental tools. As a Canadian student, I will collaborate with the Sydney Quantum Control Laboratory (SQCL) at the University of Sydney’s Nano Institute to implement and test these qubits in real experiments. By working together, the Canadian and Australian teams will combine their expertise to advance quantum technology and strengthen international research partnerships.

Medventions Atlantic – NL – Winter 2026 – Anesthesiology

The Medventions Atlantic – NL program is based on the proven model from Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre which enables high-performing students and recent graduates from diverse academic backgrounds to engage directly with frontline clinical and innovation challenges. The interns are embedded within clinical environments to identify unmet needs, apply early-stage innovation thinking, and co-develop solutions with clinicians, patients, and administrators.

Open-source translational framework for AI-powered ultrasound-guided kidney interventions

This project aims to democratize access to advanced surgical navigation by developing an open-source, AI-enabled training and guidance system for ultrasound-guided kidney procedures. Built entirely within the free 3D Slicer platform, the system combines real-time tracking and deep-learning segmentation to help trainees and clinicians visualize kidney structures and plan safer, more precise punctures. The collaboration between Queen’s University in Canada and Cheikh Anta Diop University in Senegal will produce a scalable tool that supports equitable surgical training and safer care worldwide, reinforcing both institutions’ shared commitment to accessible medical innovation.

Influence of cryogenic treatment of microstructure evolution and mechanical properties enhancement of high strength AISI D2 tool steel

Cryogenic treatment will be considered as a promising process to attain better mechanical properties and higher wear resistance. Previous researches have shown very bright perspectives in achieving significant improvement in mechanical properties and wear resistance of tool steels However, a cohesive picture about what exactly modifies microstructure at cryogenic temperature does not exist. In addition, the influences of cryogenic process parameters on mechanical properties are not documented. Hence, the main objective of this research is to develop a method accounting for operating micro-mechanisms in microstructural evolution at cryogenic temperature. In addition, the developed knowledge and documentation during this project will help the industrial partner to implement the findings into its manufacturing process. The commitment and technical and operational contribution of the company is a clear indication of its interest to increase its technological level and produce high value added products.

Evaluation of Cryogenic Machining and High Pressure Cooling in Turning of Hard-To-Cut Materials

The main objective of this project is to investigate the performance of LiN-cryogenic technologY, as well as, high pressure cooling (HPC) in turning of hard-to-cut aerospace materials. The performance of cryogenic machining and HPC will be compared to flood coolant to establish the optimum conditions for each cooling technique, in terms of material removal rate, tool life, and surface integrity (surface finish, microstructure and residual stresses). Additionally, the performance of the MQL/cryogenic combined with Laser assisted machining (LAM), as well as, combined with MQL will be studied. The study will be carried out through experimental investigation, as well as, process simulation and modeling. Process modeling, through FEM and CFD, will help understand the fundamental aspects of the cryogenic machining (CM) process, and optimize the CM setup and cutting parameters to improve the productivity and the surface integrity of machined parts

Investigation of a novel Spatially-Sensitive Transmission Detector for real-time verification of radiation beams during Radiation Therapy

Unprecedented advances have been made in Radiation Therapy during the past two decades. High precision treatment plan is generated using sophisticated optimization methods, and treatment is delivered with complex intensity modulation techniques. Due to the complexity, the burden of Quality Assurance (QA) for modern radiotherapy has also increased dramatically. Many staff and machine hours are devoted to verify the integrity and accuracy of treatment plans before the start of a treatment course; however, no verification is performed subsequently for multi-fraction treatment provided over several weeks. Therefore, a small risk may exist in the current practice of radiation therapy. The proposed research project aims to refine a previously developed real-time QA system, which will require minimal user interaction and can verify the accuracy of dose delivery for each and every fraction of radiation treatment, and hence will reduce risk to the patient. A positive outcome of this project will allow the partner organization (iRT, Germany) to manufacture and market this unique QA system in the Radiotherapy community across the globe.

AI Submission Moderator Within Interactive Experiences

Goosechase is a Canadian platform that helps schools, nonprofits, and businesses run interactive, mission-based activities like onboarding, orientation, museum tours, and team training.

Today, creating these experiences and checking large numbers of photo, video, and text submissions is slow and manual, especially in education, where safety and privacy are critical. This project will build AI features that make that work faster, safer, and easier. The main focus is an AI Submission Moderator that reviews participant content in real time, explains why something was flagged, and sends uncertain cases to a human for review.

In parallel, we will lay the groundwork for an AI “Experience Coach” that suggests mission ideas and messages based on the organizer’s goals. To do this, we will create new data and machine-learning pipelines, run low-latency (fast) moderation on secure cloud systems, and add strong safeguards like single sign-on, audit logs, access controls, and clear retention rules.

The expected benefit to Goosechase is substantial: creators will spend less time on moderation and more time on teaching and engagement; schools and public organizations will gain a safer, more trustworthy tool; and the company will be better prepared for procurement in regulated markets. The work also produces Canadian-owned IP and supports growth and hiring in Canada.