Innovative Projects Realized

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

13270 Completed Projects

1072
AB
2795
BC
430
MB
106
NF
348
SK
4184
ON
2671
QC
43
PE
209
NB
474
NS

Projects by Category

10%
Computer science
9%
Engineering
1%
Engineering - biomedical
4%
Engineering - chemical / biological

Clinical translation of carbohydrate nanomedicines for gene therapy

Nowadays, we are facing a lifetime risk to acquire cancer. Gene therapy has emerged as a promising and alternative approach for the treatment of several types of cancers as compared to chemo/radio therapy. For introducing these genes into the human body, a vehicle is necessary to protect them from degradation in the physiological environment and also to ensure that the new genes are directed to the desire sites. Sugar polymers are of great interest because they are able to mimic natural glycan’s in our body, ensuring its safety and biocompatibility. In this project, we plan to explore further a promising sugar polymer in cancer therapy, their effectiveness in a mouse model will be explored prior to clinical trials. Furthermore, we proposed the use of TRIOZAN a novel delivery system developed by Ovensa Inc. in combination with our novel sugar polymers. Additionally, a new chitosan-based polymer for delivery of gene therapies through the nose, will be designed to enhance the uptake in the lungs and brain and avoiding normal body clearance.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

Ravin Narain

Student:

Diana Diaz Dussan

Partner:

Ovensa Inc

Discipline:

Engineering - chemical / biological

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Alberta

Program:

Robust Aerodynamic Shape Optimization of Automotive Vehicles

The post-doctoral fellow will first develop novel approaches for the unsteady flow design environment. The use of real-world automotive geometries will allow the post-doctoral fellow to gain valuable insights of the challenges in this field, a firmer grasp of the transient flow over automotive vehicles in real-world flow conditions and the use of commercial-industrial level numerical tools. In addition, the post-doctoral fellow will work closely with professional engineers from FCA and understand the intricacies and challenges associated with automotive vehicles. During the two-year post-doctoral fellowship, the scholar will be able to attend professional development workshops to improve their presentation skills, attend academic and industrial conferences to present their work, and publish articles in peer-reviewed journals. In the long term, automotive vehicles with superior performance would reduce energy consumption whether fossil fuel or renewable based and hence it is in-line with Canada’s goal to be carbon neutral in the near future.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

Siva Nadarajah

Student:

Syam Vangara

Partner:

FCA Canada

Discipline:

Engineering - mechanical

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

McGill University

Program:

Design of High-performance LDPC-based Forward Error Correction Codes for Fiber Optic Communications Systems

As time goes on, we observe a significant growth for the high-speed error-free communication systems. This requires that the optical networks, as the major carrier for data transmission, increase their capacity to meet the current needs of the telecommunication industry. Forward error-correcting (FEC) codes, as the most effective solution to enhance the quality and reliability of data transmission, have been adopted in optical communication systems. Low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes, as a type of FEC codes, have been widely used in fiber-optic channels, due to their capacity-achieving properties. Spatially coupled (SC)-LDPC codes, as a subclass of LDPC codes, have been recently introduced and emerged as an excellent choice for the next generation of optical communication systems. In this project, we address current challenges in the application of SC-LDPC codes for the optical channels. To this end, we analyze the performance of SC-LDPC codes and propose new techniques for the design of high-performance SC-LDPC codes with a very low error rate. This in turn will result in more advanced highly efficient communication devices and networks, on which the society relies now more than ever.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

Amir Banihashemi

Student:

Sima Naseri

Partner:

Infinera

Discipline:

Engineering - computer / electrical

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Carleton University

Program:

Control Scheme for Smart Combiner in Large-Scale Solar Farms

The smart combiner is a new device which can help increase the energy yield of large solar farms. However, its control system needs to be well designed. This project aims at developing a new control scheme to best utilize the ability of smart combiners, increasing energy yield while ensuring control accuracy and good dynamics. To reach this goal, an emerging control technology, model predictive control, will be adopted and designed to achieve a high-performance control system for smart combiners. The controller hardware will be developed and applied to the smart combiner for validation of the proposed control scheme.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

Yunwei Ryan Li

Student:

Hao Tian

Partner:

Electronic Grid Systems Inc

Discipline:

Engineering - computer / electrical

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

University of Alberta

Program:

Investigation of the liquefaction potential for variably unsaturated tailings

As base and precious metals and natural resources for energy are extracted, mining operators construct tailings dams above ground to hold the liquid or “slurried” waste generated from mining activities. Several high-profile dam failures, including Mount Polley in Canada, highlight the potential risks of tailings dams to human life and the environment. The proposed research is a concentrated effort to develop a practical tool to measure saturation of tailings in situ and to understand the field and lab performance of partly saturated tailings regarding cyclic and static liquefaction. The development of a constitutive model coupling mechanical and flow behaviours of unsaturated waste will generate a quantum leap in the industry practices towards mine waste management, dam safety and the protection of public and environment.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

Ward Wilson

Student:

Feixia (Cherry) Zhang

Partner:

Klohn Crippen Berger Ltd

Discipline:

Engineering - civil

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Alberta

Program:

Obfuscation and Homomorphic Encryption in the Quantum Setting

Our research goals, which are a mix of theoretical and practical problems, are motivated by the practical near-term problem of delegating tasks to an untrusted remote quantum computer in a secure way. Toward this, we consider the notions of indistinguishability obfuscation for quantum circuits and quantum fully homomorphic encryption schemes. The former refers to algorithms that take a given quantum circuit and make it less intelligible, such that the new circuit still gives the same outputs as the original one. The latter refers to encryption schemes that allow a remote party to perform any arbitrary computation directly on encrypted data, without being able to decrypt it. Our goal in the project is to advance the current theoretical understanding of the above-mentioned notions and apply our results to the “secure delegation of tasks problem”, enriching the partner organization’s knowledge and products.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

William Weiss

Student:

Haim Horowitz

Partner:

AgnostiQ Labs

Discipline:

Other

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Toronto

Program:

Accelerate

Use of Nanocellulose for Treating Fines Dominated Oil Sand Tailings Deposits

Reclamation of oil sands fluid fine tailings (FFT) ponds is challenging due to the slow rate of natural consolidation of the suspended sediments generated during the extraction process. In order to reclaim tailings ponds, the shear strength of the sediments must first be increased to make the surface trafficable, at which point further reclamation work can be carried out on the surface of the ponds. This work presents an exciting opportunity to investigate the incorporation of nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) into oil sands FFT to improve the strength of the tailings and expedite the remediation timeline. Successful demonstration of the practical application of NFC for tailings strengthening would result in a new market for Canada’s forestry sector, while simultaneously helping to address the ongoing tailings remediation and reclamation challenges experienced by Alberta’s oil sands industry.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

Nicholas Beier

Student:

Umme Rima;Yunhai Zhang

Partner:

Performance BioFilaments

Discipline:

Engineering - civil

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

University of Alberta

Program:

Accelerate

Disruption of swine production and marketing in Ontario due to infectious diseases in swine and human populations: impact and mitigation strategies

The overall objective of the proposed project is to construct a simulation model that will estimate production impact of disruption in swine marketing in Ontario, and propose mitigation strategies that could minimize impact of such disruption on swine populations and swine producers. Such disruption could occur due to various reasons such as outbreak of human disease among abattoir workers, or due to border closure that occurs due to hypothetical detection of reportable foreign animal disease in Canada. In all of the latter situations, management of directly affected populations and populations under increased risk would fall under jurisdiction of appropriate federal and provincial agencies and organizations. Nonetheless, farms with no cases would be affected as well due to reduced capacity to process meat or to export pork. This would have negative effect of animal health and welfare and could have large negative impact on individual producers and rural communities. In order to determine possible impact of these situations, it is proposed to construct a simulation model that will mimic swine production cycle at the provincial level and to contain sufficient stratification so that all of the above situations could be incorporated.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

Zvonimir Poljak

Student:

Maggie Henry

Partner:

Ontario Pork

Discipline:

Medicine

Sector:

Agriculture

University:

University of Guelph

Program:

Assessment of Prototype Scour Data

As the adverse effects of climate change continue to mount in natural fluvial environments, the balance of river channel characteristics (e.g. ecosystem health and biodiversity, water quality, flow turbulence and riverbed geomorphology) becomes increasingly vulnerable. In fluvial environments, erosion and deposition of bed material can pose a significant risk to channel bank stability, riverbed degradation and stability of hydraulic structures. As a result, sediment-related processes in river channels are an area of significant interest to the hydraulic engineer. Hydraulic design with respect to sediment transport is carried out on the basis of empirical, physical and computational methods, and evaluation thereof is paramount for design optimization. In the proposed work, design methodology will be evaluated based on comparison with prototype measurements of scour (the removal of bed material in the vicinity of hydraulic structures). Detailed bathymetric data has been acquired by NHC at several field sites under varying hydrotechnical conditions, and comparison thereof will provide a basis for assessment of commonly-used scour estimation and design methodology, improvement of current industry practices and enhancement of present understanding of sediment-related processes.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

Ram Balachandar

Student:

Priscilla Williams

Partner:

Northwest Hydraulic Consultants Ltd.

Discipline:

Engineering - civil

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Windsor

Program:

Optimising Reptile Conservation Interventions: Testing the Impacts and Efficiency of Commonly-used Methods to Improve Outcomes

Many Canadian reptile populations are declining and need help overcoming the challenges of the modern world. For this reason, numerous organisations and community groups have become involved in conservation actions, often intervening to safeguard eggs and hatchlings from the threats posed to these early life sages (e.g., predators, degraded habitat, roads and traffic). This project brings together experts in conservation actions with leading researchers in reptile biology to examine how we can improve the success of ‘incubation and release’ conservation interventions. This research applies recent advances in our understanding of the biological impact of the incubation environment on hatchling behavioural and physical traits, as well as how maintaining natural social connections with clutch-mates can benefit hatchlings during reintroduction. Optimising a pre-existing conservation tool will not only serve to increase program success for those undertaking these actions, but will also work to recover and strengthen wild reptile populations, improving Canadian biodiversity.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

Jacqueline Litzgus;Christina Davy

Student:

James Baxter-Gilbert

Partner:

Georgian Bay Turtle Hospital

Discipline:

Biology

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Program:

CASI Platform, Environment pillar: Benchmarking the environmental and climate performance of Canadian Agriculture

By 2050, agri-food systems must produce enough to feed 9 to billion people, while reversing trends of environmental degradation caused in part by agriculture production. This is no small task, and underscores why countless sustainable agriculture standards, certifications, initiatives and platforms have emerged to encourage and measure the impacts of sustainable agriculture practices. While these approaches to encourage, measure and verify sustainability have merit, they can also cause confusion and overwhelm producers and actors along agri-food value chains as they decide what approach best aligns with their sustainability goals and can be integrated within their operation. The Canadian Agri-food Sustainability Initiative (CASI), a one-stop online sustainability platform, aims to mitigate this confusion and duplication, and ensure Canadian producers can effectively record and communicate their performance on sustainability benchmarks. This Accelerate Mitacs Internship will contribute to the development of CASI by conducting an environmental scan that will inform the development of the environmental sustainability pillar, facilitate engagement with key stakeholders, and contributing to the dissemination on the progress of the CASI platform.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

Ben Bradshaw

Student:

Lisa Ashton

Partner:

Wilton Consulting Group

Discipline:

Environmental sciences

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Guelph

Program:

Accelerate

New electrolyte design for Li-ion batteries based on metal-based anodes

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), as a promising method for energy storage, have been widely used in our daily lives, and the boosting development of electric vehicles and electronic devices requires LIBs with a higher operation voltage. However, their safety problems are always a threat because of the unstable Li salt and flammable organic solvents in the commercialized electrolytes. In this research project, new electrolytes will be designed and optimized by introducing new Li salts and non-flammable solvents, and investigations on the electrolytes will be made to further improve the high-voltage performance of LIBs. This research will benefit the industrial partner in the development and commercialization of the safe and high-performance next-generation electrolytes.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

Jillian Buriak

Student:

Jiankuan Li

Partner:

Nanode Battery Technologies Ltd.

Discipline:

Chemistry

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

University of Alberta

Program:

Previous
1…337338339340341342343…1,106
Next

Join a thriving innovation ecosystem.

Subscribe to our newsletter now!

Subscribe