Innovative Projects Realized

Caractérisation de MEMS RF à des températures cryogéniques

Des microcommutateurs MEMS RF ont été fabriqués sur une ligne de prototypage industrielle de 200 mm. Compacts et à très faible consommation énergétique, ils sont particulièrement adaptés aux environnements cryogéniques où la dissipation thermique doit rester minimale. Le projet vise à qualifier ces dispositifs et des matrices de commutation à très basses températures dans un frigo à dilution. Cette approche permettrait de remplacer les macro-relais actuels, dont la consommation énergétique entraîne une élévation de température.

Un premier stage Mitacs a permis d’identifier des MEMS fonctionnels, de développer un protocole et un banc de mesure adapté, ainsi que de concevoir et fabriquer les pièces nécessaires aux mesures cryogéniques. Le projet actuel poursuit ces travaux en validant la fonctionnalité et la disspation de chaleur de composants uniques et de matrices à quelques millikelvin. Ces étapes contribueront à la mise au point de solutions innovantes pour la commutation RF dans des systèmes quantiques.

Living on the edge: reducing species at risk data deficiency in the heart of Alberta’s most threatened ecological region – the Central Parkland

Located in the zone between Alberta’s grasslands and boreal forests, the Central Parkland natural subregion is an area of ecological transition, where many endangered species persist tenuously on the edge of their ranges, or have already been silently lost before conservationists understood what habitats and connections on the landscape were critical to their survival. In Alberta, only 5% of the Central Parkland’s natural vegetation remains, even less is protected, and virtually none has been restored. This project is intended to fill in gaps as to where Central Parkland affiliated species at risk and species of potential concern have been observed, survey sites within Alberta’s Capital Region to assess if those areas are still being used, and develop next steps for habitat conservation and restoration initiatives and recommendations.

As Canada’s only Zoological park located within the Central Parkland – a critically endangered ecological region – the Edmonton Valley Zoo and its conservation partners (SENSR, ABMI, University of Alberta) are working to conserve the endangered wildlife and wild spaces that call the Central Parkland home. By combining municipal collaboration with modern biodiversity monitoring sensor technologies, this project will strengthen environmental stewardship along Kisiskâciwani-sîpiy (the North Saskatchewan River) and provide practical tools to inform conservation across Alberta’s broader Central Parkland.

GraphRAG for Network Autonomy: A Framework for Proactive Telecom Operations

This project will design a new AI system to help Ciena’s Blue Planet division automatically understand and solve complex problems in communication networks. Currently, AI tools can only answer simple, fact-based questions. The research intern will develop a more advanced “GraphRAG” system that connects all network data—like equipment status and error logs—into a smart knowledge graph. This will allow the AI to answer broad, analytical questions, such as identifying the root cause of recurring network slowdowns across different regions.

The expected benefit for Ciena is a fundamental shift in its software capabilities, transforming its Blue Planet platform from a management tool into an AI-driven, proactive assistant for network operators. This innovation will provide a significant competitive advantage by reducing operational costs, improving network reliability, and enabling faster service delivery for their customers.

The Business of Development Aid: A Case Study of For-Profit Development Contracting in Timor-Leste

This project proposes the use of ethnographic research to analyze for-profit development aid programs in Timor-Leste by examining the everyday interactions of global and local contractors and the technologies of governance through which development work is shaped. The internship would function as an immersive 12-weeks training experience in anthropological research methods for Audrey Lefort. Dr. Laurentina ‘mica’ Barreto from the National University of Timor-Leste and Dr. Susanna Barnes from the University of Saskatchewan would supervise the intern as she 1) conducts participant observation in development-related settings and assists with semi-structured interviews, 2) analyzes development documents and tools, and 3) synthesizes the information gathered in a 10-15 page report and present her findings to the host institution. Her engagement with development professionals and community members would foreground the informal relational, and non-market practices of trust, reciprocity, and localized knowledge that influence development contracting in Timor Leste. This project is intended as a foundation for ongoing, interdisciplinary research collaboration between Canadian and Timorese scholars. Consequently, the internship would create opportunities for future co-authored outputs, collaborative grant applications, and student exchanges to support the existing relationship between the University of Saskatchewan and National University of Timor-Leste.

Manufacturer-Supported Product Analysis

This project will partner with an Alberta-based manufacturer(s) producing recycled-rubber products (e.g., recycled-rubber noise barrier panels, traffic barriers, fitness flooring, brake pads, and agricultural mats). The goal is for the Sustainability Scholar to work in partnership with the Alberta Recycling Management Authority (ARMA), the manufacturer and a municipal partner(s) to understand and align product performance (lab and field-testing data) with product information for public-sector procurement needs. The goal of the project is to create a repeatable framework for manufacturers using recycled materials to follow so that secondary markets for recycled materials are strengthened in Alberta.

Environmental Impact Assessment in Edmonton’s North Saskatchewan River Valley

Edmonton’s North Saskatchewan River Valley and Ravine System (“the River Valley”) is a core component of the city’s open space network. In accordance with the City of Edmonton’s North Saskatchewan River Valley Area Redevelopment Plan, an environmental impact assessment is required for proposed development, such as utility infrastructure or parks amenities, in the River Valley. An update to the detailed technical guidelines for completing these assessments is required to better reflect current best practices in municipal environmental impact assessment, with a focus on addressing system-wide, cumulative impacts of multiple stressors on ecosystem functions in the River Valley. Through this project, the Sustainability Scholar will contribute towards environmental protection of the River Valley, a key biodiversity core area and regional biodiversity corridor, by helping to ensure that the potential environmental impacts of proposed development are assessed appropriately and communicated effectively to decision makers.

Emotion Vocabularies Used in Therapy: Investigating How Emotion Language Supports Adolescents’ Emotion Regulation and Mental Health

The proposed project examines how the words adolescents use to describe their emotions change over the course of psychotherapy and whether having a broader vocabulary for both positive and negative emotions is linked to better mental health outcomes. To address these questions, the study will analyze text- and video-based conversations from approximately 1,500 adolescent–therapist pairs delivered through the Talkspace online psychotherapy platform. This research project will benefit both participating institutions by strengthening collaboration between research teams at Princeton University and the University of Guelph, advancing shared expertise in emotion-language and adolescent mental health research, and generating high-quality research outputs including a peer-reviewed academic manuscript, a conference presentation and doctoral student’s dissertation.

Multi-Sensor Validation and Scaling of Machine Learning Models for Contrail Detection and Flight Attribution using Integrated Ground-Based and Satellite Observations

This proposed research project aims to tackle the significant climate impact of aviation contrails by creating a high-quality “ground truth” dataset to improve how we detect and predict them. By extending Western University’s extensive Global Meteor Network of ground cameras to European ground-based camera systems and improving current machine learning models, the project will help solve the “flight matching” problem – accurately identifying which specific flights create warming contrails. This collaboration offers a powerful synergy: Western University benefits by transforming its astronomical camera network into a world-leading tool for climate monitoring, while TU Delft gains the essential ground-based machine learning algorithms to extend the use of their current cameras. Ultimately, this partnership equips researchers with the specialized skills and validated models necessary to lead global initiatives in reducing aviation’s contribution to climate change.

Investigation of Commotio Cordis using patient specific Finite Element Models

The proposed project would like to investigate Commotio cordis, which is a rare event that can cause cardiac arrest due to sudden impacts to the chest. Specifically, this project aims to research strain patterns on patient specific finite element models. The expected benefit to the participating institutions will be developing of a new approach to research Commotio cordis, development of new FEA techniques, and new skills to share with home institutions. By working together, the institutions will develop new approaches to understand Commotio cordis and improve safety for athletes.

Dynamics of Live Streaming Commerce in Supply Chain Management

This project studies how live streaming commerce, a fast-growing way of selling products through real-time online video is changing supply chain management. Unlike traditional e-commerce, live streaming creates sudden spikes in customer demand that existing supply chains often struggle to handle efficiently. The research aims to understand how these new sales models affect inventory management, logistics, product quality, and revenue sharing, particularly in the Canadian context where distances are large and logistics costs are high. By comparing live streaming–based supply chains with traditional e-commerce systems, the project will identify practical hybrid strategies that combine the speed of live streaming with the reliability of existing infrastructure. The expected benefit for participating institutions includes actionable insights to improve supply chain responsiveness, reduce operational risks, and support data-driven decision-making for digital commerce strategies, helping organizations remain competitive in rapidly evolving global markets.

Validation clinique d’un système de rétroaction musicale et visuelle pour la correction de la marche chez les enfants atteints de paralysie cérébrale

Le projet de recherche proposé vise à participer à la validation clinique de MusiGAIT, un système de biofeedback musical et visuel conçu pour aider des enfants vivant avec une paralysie cérébrale à améliorer leur marche. Ce système transforme certains mouvements, notamment la flexion excessive du genou lors de la phase d’appui, en signaux sonores et visuels afin de rendre la rééducation plus compréhensible, motivante et engageante. Dans le cadre de ce stage, la stagiaire participera à l’organisation et au déroulement de séances expérimentales en milieu clinique et contribuera à la collecte de données de marche, incluant la cinématique, l’activité musculaire, la perception de l’effort et la douleur. Elle prendra également part à l’évaluation de l’efficacité des différentes modalités de biofeedback proposées ainsi qu’à l’analyse de l’utilisabilité du système et de la satisfaction des enfants et des cliniciens à l’aide de questionnaires et d’entrevues. Les avantages attendus de ce projet sont une meilleure compréhension de l’effet du biofeedback sur la correction de la marche, la validation scientifique du système MusiGAIT et une contribution directe à l’amélioration des outils de réadaptation pédiatrique, tout en permettant à la stagiaire de développer des compétences en recherche clinique et en analyse du mouvement.

Joint Communication and Sensing Using Intelligent Retro-reflective Surfaces

This project explores a new approach to indoor localization using retroreflective Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS). Unlike conventional RIS that actively steer signals, retroreflective RIS naturally send radio waves back toward their source while still allowing programmable control. This creates stable and energy-efficient signal paths that can significantly improve positioning accuracy in cluttered or dynamic environments.
The project develops models and algorithms to understand how these surfaces can be used for remote localization and angle of incidence estimation. The goal is to enable low-cost, scalable, and reliable localization solutions for future wireless networks.