Innovative Projects Realized

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

31132 Completed Projects

2940
AB
5159
BC
837
MB
685
NL
882
SK
9291
ON
9695
QC
97
PE
601
NB
1161
NS

Projects by Category

Prompt optimization method to maximize the accuracy and reliability of LLM outputs

Draft & Goal (D&G) is a Canadian artificial intelligence (AI) company developing a no-code platform that automates marketing workflows using AI agents for writing, search engine optimization, and fact-checking. The integration of large language models (LLMs) is central to their software solution: it allows non-technical users to harness advanced AI for content creation. However, unlike traditional software systems, LLMs are inherently non-deterministic and opaque, making their behavior difficult to predict or control.
Currently, D&G’s developers rely heavily on manual trial-and-error strategies to craft effective prompts (i.e., instructions input to the LLM) [1, 2]. This process is time-intensive, brittle, and often produces results that fail to generalize across domains or models [3]. The lack of systematic tools for prompt design leads to inefficiencies in development, higher operational costs, and limited scalability. Therefore, automating prompt optimization is critical for D&G’s ability to deliver consistent, high-quality outputs at scale.
Through this project, D&G aims to integrate data-driven methods for refining prompts, informed by execution feedback. The anticipated benefits include increased efficiency in product development, improved reliability of AI outputs, and a stronger competitive position in Canada’s growing AI software market. This project will also reduce costs and broaden accessibility of advanced AI tools for non-technical users.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Eugene Syriani;Ian Arawjo

Student:

Partner:

Recherches Super Nova Inc.

Discipline:

Computer science

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Université de Montréal

Program:

Accelerate

État des connaissances sur la vulnérabilité aux changements climatiques de l’approvisionnement québécois en énergies renouvelables

Les changements climatiques posent un défi croissant pour l’approvisionnement en énergies renouvelables au Québec. Au-delà de l’hydroélectricité, déjà bien étudiée, des filières comme l’éolien, le solaire, la biomasse, la géothermie et le gaz naturel renouvelable (GNR) demeurent sous-analysées. Pourtant, elles sont appelées à jouer un rôle clé dans la transition énergétique de la province. Ces filières sont exposées à divers aléas climatiques : modification des régimes de vent, vagues de chaleur, givrage des pales, sécheresses, inondations, feux de forêt ou encore événements météorologiques extrêmes. Ces perturbations affectent non seulement la production d’énergie, mais également la durabilité des infrastructures, les coûts d’exploitation et la sécurité des travailleurs.
Le projet proposé vise à dresser un premier état des connaissances sur la vulnérabilité des filières renouvelables québécoises face aux changements climatiques et à explorer des mesures d’adaptation. Pour ce faire, une revue exploratoire de la littérature scientifique et grise sera menée, combinée à l’analyse d’indicateurs de vulnérabilité adaptés au contexte québécois. L’accent sera mis sur l’identification des aléas climatiques pertinents, la classification des vulnérabilités selon le cycle de vie des technologies (conception, construction et installation, exploitation, maintenance, fin de vie), ainsi que la recension des stratégies d’adaptation recensées à l’international et applicables localement.
Les résultats

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Faculty Supervisor:

Adrian Ilinca

Student:

Partner:

Ouranos Inc

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

École de technologie supérieure

Program:

Accelerate

Functional genomic analysis of patient-derived pre-clinical models of renal cancers to identify novel therapeutic targets

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common form of kidney cancer. Its metastatic form (mRCC) remains incurable and resistant to chemotherapy and radiation. Current treatments targeting the tumor microenvironment offer limited benefit, highlighting the need for new strategies based on disease biology. ccRCC is difficult to target due to its cellular heterogeneity and limited understanding of its vulnerabilities.
Our lab’s single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) of patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models identified a subpopulation of cells with progenitor-like features capable of differentiating into multiple tumor cell types. These findings support the existence of cancer stem cells (RCC-CSCs) driving tumor growth, aggressiveness, and therapy resistance.
This project aims to identify essential genes for RCC development by targeting RCC-CSCs. From scRNA-seq data, we identified genes upregulated in RCC-CSCs and will perform a focused CRISPR-Cas9 dropout screen in patient-derived 3D organoid models to pinpoint genes required for tumor initiation and maintenance.
The screening will take place in Dr. Michael Boettcher’s lab at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, leveraging expertise in CRISPR functional genomics. Results will define RCC-CSC vulnerabilities and guide new therapeutic approaches for metastatic ccRCC, a currently incurable malignancy.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Yasser Riazalhosseini

Student:

Partner:

Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences and Technology; Biotechnology

University:

McGill University

Program:

Globalink Research Award

In vivo screening of interactions between glycans and immune cells

The proposed Research Plan is to evaluate the active targeting effect of glycan ligands for the delivery of conjugated lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) to human bone marrow CD34 + hematopoietic stem and pluripotent cells (HSPCs) and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) such as T cells and B cells. A reporter mRNA will be formulated into LNPs with or without glycan ligand conjugation. The activity of these LNPs will be assessed both in vitro and in vivo.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Matthew Macauley;Ratmir Derda

Student:

Partner:

48 Hour DIscovery

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Alberta

Program:

Accelerate

Co-creating digital tools to support learning communities

In Canada and worldwide, health systems are facing tremendous capacity pressures with aging populations putting increasing demands on health services. Caregivers play a vital role in supporting older adults at home. Caregivers often experience distress and burnout and need help navigating the health system. The overall goal of the project is to evaluate the feasibility of building a learning health community (LHC) for informal caregivers to share knowledge and acquire skills to support their caregiving journey, as well as codevelop navigation tools for supporting older adults to stay at home longer. We define a LHC as a community of learners who use tools to collect data and information for generating community knowledge in continuous learning cycles.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Claudia Lai

Student:

Partner:

Senior Support North Vancouver Island

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences & Technology

University:

University of Victoria

Program:

Accelerate

Caractérisation génomique et phénotypique d’Enterococcus cecorum : vers le développement d’un modèle d’infection expérimentale chez le poulet

Ce projet de recherche vise à mieux comprendre une bactérie appelée Enterococcus cecorum, qui cause des infections graves chez les poulets de chair. Depuis quelques années, cette bactérie est devenue l’un des principaux problèmes de santé dans les élevages avicoles, entraînant boiteries, mortalité et pertes économiques importantes pour les producteurs. Les chercheurs vont analyser les caractéristiques génétiques et biologiques de différentes souches de cette bactérie pour identifier celles qui sont les plus virulentes. Grâce à ces analyses, ils pourront développer un modèle d’infection en laboratoire, une étape essentielle pour tester des méthodes de prévention et de traitement de la maladie. L’objectif est de trouver des alternatives aux antibiotiques, afin de protéger la santé des animaux tout en respectant les meilleures normes d’élevage le tout dans un contexte de production durable. Ce projet contribuera à améliorer la santé des poulets de chair, à soutenir les éleveurs et à renforcer l’innovation scientifique au Canada dans le domaine de la santé animale.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Martine Boulianne

Student:

Partner:

Université de Rennes 1

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Education

University:

Université de Montréal

Program:

Globalink Research Award

Mitigating the risk of business value erosion associated with delayed or insufficient AI adoption

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are facing an inflection point in their digital journey, with artificial intelligence (AI) emerging as a foundational technology for operational efficiency, customer experience, and strategic differentiation. However, despite increasing awareness, a substantial number of SMEs remain hesitant or unprepared to adopt AI technologies, risking competitive stagnation or decline. This project addresses a critical and underexplored challenge: how can SMEs assess whether their core business value is at risk due to delayed or insufficient AI adoption?

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Faculty Supervisor:

David Mattie;Bobbi Morrison;Melanie McCaig

Student:

Partner:

Pictou County Partnership

Discipline:

Business

Sector:

Public administration

University:

St. Francis Xavier University

Program:

Accelerate

Vers un avatar pour l’interprétation en langue parlée complétée : innovation et accessibilité pour les personnes sourdes et malentendantes

1.
Le Service d’interprétation visuelle et tactile (SIVET) offre un service d’interprétation en milieu sociocommunautaire : langue des signes québécoise (LSQ), pidgin, oral support de signes, LSQ tactile (pour les personnes sourdes-aveugles). D’ailleurs, le SIVET est le plus important des quatre services régionaux d’interprétation au Québec et, malgré ses 80 interprètes, refuse en moyenne 120 requêtes par mois (statistiques internes). Pourtant, avoir accès à des services d’interprétation pour les personnes sourdes et malentendantes est essentiel pour garantir leur accès équitable à la communication, à l’information et aux services publics.
2.
Il y a quelques années, le SIVET a reçu des demandes de services d’interprétation en langue française parlée complétée (LPC)1, mais aucune de ces demandes n’avait pu être répondue par manque de personnel qualifié. Depuis, comme il n’y a aucun service en LPC disponible à l’extérieur du milieu scolaire, les usagers doivent aller chercher ailleurs ou demander des services d’interprétation dans un autre mode de communication qui n’est pas toujours adapté à leurs besoins (ex. interprétation orale ou en LSQ).
3.
En offrant un service d’interprétation, grâce à un avatar, en LPC, le SIVET pourra réduire la pression sur les demandes de service et mieux répondre aux besoins de sa clientèle.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Audrey Dupont;Mohamed Tarik Moutacalli

Student:

Partner:

Service d’interprétation visual et tactile

Discipline:

Computer science

Sector:

Other services (except public administration)

University:

College d’enseignement general et professionnel du Vieux Montréal

Program:

Accelerate

AgriSim

This project will create a realistic virtual greenhouse where robots can practice picking and pruning. It improves plant physics (bending, fruit detachment), models cameras and depth sensors to produce training data, generates many varied greenhouse scenes, and links simulated robots to Kinova’s control software for end-to-end testing. The result: faster, cheaper R&D, fewer risky field trials, better-trained AI for harvesting, and easier expansion into greenhouse automation markets.

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Faculty Supervisor:

David Meger

Student:

Partner:

Kinova Robotics

Discipline:

Computer science

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

McGill University

Program:

Accelerate

TASTE Ukraine: Tradition, Adaptation, Sustainability, and Transitional Eating among Ukrainian Diaspora in Scotland

TASTE Ukraine is a project that is inclusive as it seeks to centre the voices of the Ukrainian diasporic community in a way that can be built upon with other marginalised communities, and lead to evidence that can inform policy and practice. It seeks to lean from, and influence, food, culture, and behaviour and can contribute to strengthening food security, and inter-community bonds. The teams interdisciplinary approach links sociology, anthropology, cultural studies, and food systems practice. We will connect academic and non-academic stakeholders.
Scotland has seen a recent and sizable growth in its Ukrainian community, with as many as 29,000 arrivals joining earlier waves. Food is central to maintaining cultural identity, yet migrants often struggle to reproduce familiar dishes in a new food environments. At the same time, migrant cuisines can diversify host diets and open routes to more sustainable choices.
There is little practical evidence on how Ukrainian foodways in Scotland could be adapted to be both culturally authentic and lower impact, or how access to ingredients, retail options and logistics shape what is possible across different migration waves. This is the gap TASTE Ukraine addresses.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Marko Zivkovic

Student:

Partner:

University of Aberdeen

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Education

University:

University of Alberta

Program:

Globalink Research Award

Bioaccessibilité cutanée et pénétration dermique des métaux dans l’analyse des risques sur la santé humaine pour évaluer la performance de la phytoremédiation comme technologie de réhabilitation du projet minier Matawinie de Nouveau Monde Graphite (NMG).

Nouveau Monde Graphite (NMG) a mis sur pied un projet visant l’exploitation et la transformation du graphite au site minier du projet Matawinie à Saint-Michel-des-Saints. NMG cherche à incorporer la phytoremédiation à son plan de réhabilitation minier. Il s’agit d’une technique permettant de stabiliser les métaux dans le sol à l’aide d’un couvert végétal. Ceci permet de réduire les risques de contamination des eaux souterraines et de surface. (Thomas et al. 2022) Le projet de recherche permettra de déterminer si la phytoremédiation réduit également les risques sur la santé humaine en évaluant la bioaccessibilité (métaux solubles dans la sueur) et la pénétration cutanée des métaux. Les enfants et travailleurs étant ceux exposés le plus souvent au sol, il est crucial de favoriser des technologies limitant les impacts sur la santé humaine. Pour ce faire, des échantillons de sols issus de phytoremédiation et des sols témoins seront prélevés sur le site et caractérisés. Des tests de bioaccessibilité avec deux sueurs synthétiques seront réalisés et des tests de perméation transcutanée seront réalisés avec la fraction bioaccessible et une membrane synthétique imitant la peau. (Marin Villegas & Zagury, 2023a).

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Faculty Supervisor:

Gérald J Zagury

Student:

Partner:

Nouveau Monde Graphite (Saint-Michel-des-Saints)

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Mining

University:

Polytechnique Montréal

Program:

Accelerate

Timber and hybrid floor human induced vibration

Timber is a sustainable alternative to concrete and steel, offering a lower carbon footprint and benefits such as high strength-to-weight ratio, ease of prefabrication, and rapid on-site assembly. However, timber floors have low mass and limited stiffness, making them prone to vibrations that can reduce occupant comfort. Steel beams, particularly the innovative Deltabeam system, enhance load-carrying capacity and control deflections in hybrid timber–steel floors. This project will use finite element modelling to study how Deltabeam–CLT floors respond to human-induced loads, identify potential serviceability issues, and explore ways to improve performance. The internship will support international collaboration and contribute to safer, more comfortable, and sustainable mass timber buildings.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Sardar Malek

Student:

Partner:

Griffith University

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Education

University:

University of Victoria

Program:

Globalink Research Award

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Mitacs — Return on Innovation

Mitacs is funded by the Government of Canada, the Government of Alberta, the Government of British Columbia, Research Manitoba, the Government of New Brunswick, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Government of Nova Scotia, the Government of Ontario, Innovation PEI, the Government of Quebec, the Government of Saskatchewan, and the Government of Yukon.