Innovative Projects Realized

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

30156 Completed Projects

2861
AB
5059
BC
812
MB
673
NL
842
SK
8957
ON
9368
QC
96
PE
579
NB
1120
NS

Projects by Category

Validation and feasibility of lower limb-based sensor for dual-task gait assessment

The aim of this project is to develop a wearable device, called ImpactSense, to help measure performance on walking tests specific to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and/or Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. The proposed research will investigate whether the sensor can be used to understand the: 1) effects of distracted walking, such as walking while counting backwards, and 2) use of walking aids, such as canes or walkers. Studies will include examining 3 populations: 1) healthy, young adults, 2) healthy, older adults, and 3) selected cases of people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and/or mild-to-moderate ADRD to see if the sensor is useful for doctors, therapists, and/or kinesiologists.,

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Faculty Supervisor:

James Tung;Arash Arami

Student:

Partner:

MEGA InTech

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Wholesale trade

University:

University of Waterloo

Program:

Accelerate

Addressing Canada’s Access to Information Act’s Midlife Crisis

The right to information, although central to today’s societies, is both currently undervalued and underperforming. The main reason for this is that changes in the informational landscape and in the role of the State in our societies has impacted on both the meaning of information, and the contours and extent of the right to information. These changes, however, have not been taken into account by most national freedom of information regimes and even less so by applicable international human rights standards.
This proposal seeks to assess these changes in the specific context of Canada. The research will analyse the main challenges identified by users, practicioners and scholars in relation to the now 40-year old Canadian Access to Information Act and its applicability and effectiveness in our current digital setting.
It will then systematize ongoing discussions and proposals concerning the review of the Act and contrast them with the new conceptual and policy frameworks for the right to information proposed by the intern/fellow in their doctorate thesis – a recalibration of the right to information requires addressing five key limitations of the current interpretation of the right to information in international law:
• A limited definition of public information;
• A focus on passive transparency;

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Faculty Supervisor:

Nandini Ramanujam

Student:

Partner:

Centre for International Governance Innovation

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Education; Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

McGill University

Program:

Accelerate

Agricultural Reclamation: Building Resilience for Turbulent Times

Reclaiming degraded land for food production is a major global challenge. The turbulent waves of extreme weather experienced across western North America over the past year continue to shake agricultural producers – farmers must contend with both extreme rainfall and drought while still maintaining financially and ecologically viable systems. This research project will determine the most financially viable agricultural methods for improving soil health and carbon sequestration on a degraded former horseracing track. Multi-year field trials will be conducted at the Sandown Centre for Regenerative Agriculture on Tseycum traditional land in North Saanich, British Columbia and the results will be shared with the wider agricultural community.

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Faculty Supervisor:

John Volpe

Student:

Partner:

Sandown Centre for Regenerative Agriculture

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Agriculture

University:

University of Victoria

Program:

Accelerate

Dreamcatcher Informatics: a Web-based and Mobile Information System to Support Land Management, Consultation, and the Preservation of History, Culture and Traditional Ecological Knowledge

The role of this internship is to assist in reaching the SSHRC goal for theDreamcatcher system of capturing cultural data, traditional ecological knowledge, and traditional land use in order to create as full of a historical, cultural, and economic record as is possible as well as strong land use management/consultation, water management, asset management, and public health systems. This information will inform cultural research, treaty negotiations, and community development. This goal will be reached by the intern: 1) in researching, collecting and editing the oral histories of members of MNCFN to populate the Dreamcatcher system,2) in researching the histories/lives of members of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation that have served Canada in military service and creating narratives for inclusion in the Dreamcatcher system, and 3) disseminating of the collected data through writing of articles and conference presentations

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Faculty Supervisor:

Donald Cowan

Student:

Partner:

8392692 Canada Inc

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Management of companies and enterprises

University:

University of Waterloo

Program:

Accelerate

Creating future-ready bus stops: Promoting equity, safety, and climate resiliency in future bus stop planning guidelines

Edmonton’s public transit (PT) system plays a prominent role in reducing transportation related GHG emissions. Encouraging more people to use PT is not only a structural intervention, but also behavioral, as individuals, especially those with access to other modes, have to make a conscious choice to travel by PT. This choice has become increasingly complex as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, with a heightened focus on personal health and growing concerns about social disorder in public spaces, including PT. Adding to this complexity, the increased frequency of extreme weather events have signaled the need to incorporate impacts of such events into the design and provisioning of transit infrastructure, such as bus stops. Through this project we aim to understand the experience of transit riders at bus stops in Edmonton. We will respond to this information through developing an enhanced bus stop design guideline that involves best practices for climate adaptation, safety, and equity to achieve the underlying goal of this research which is to improve the safety and comfort of bus stops through enhanced design guidelines.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Emily Grise

Student:

Partner:

City of Edmonton

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services; Public administration

University:

University of Alberta

Program:

Accelerate

The Online Climate Policy Crisis: Misinformation and Disinformation in the Digital Age

While climate change must be countered through effective mitigation and adaptation approaches at the global, national, and local levels, implementing effective policies to do so can only be accomplished through buy in by a critical mass of citizens. However, we know that to-date this remains a challenging prospect to accomplish both in the Global North and Global South. While countries in both regions face many different challenges in doing so,
there are also a number of shared roadblocks to attaining popular support for effective environmental governance. Beyond the types of challenges themselves, various states both experience their impacts asymmetrically, while simultaneously being equipped with different tools for treating them. As democracy is not a binary category of government but instead a multi-dimensional spectrum along which states are constantly struggling, it becomes pivotal
to seek to develop policies that deal with modern challenges while taking advantage of new technologies and techniques. This project aims to analyze the type of digital tools that exist which channel the types of information and misinformation that contributes to informing increasing numbers of people. How these information flows are managed and leveraged is pivotal for effectively governing in general, and specifically for environmental and climate
governance.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Ryan Katz-Rosene

Student:

Partner:

Centre for International Governance Innovation

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Education; Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Ottawa

Program:

Accelerate

Performance of self-tapping screw in mass timber subjected to moisture content change

This research addresses the issue of self-tapping screw (STS) failures resulting from the swelling of mass timber
products during the installation process or service. STS is a common type of fastener used for connecting timber
members. Since mass timber products are relatively new, there is a lack of specific design guidelines for STS in
the Canadian timber design standard, especially concerning moisture content changes. The objective of this
project is to comprehend and evaluate the force generated in the screw by wood swelling and the influence of
torque on the performance of STS under varying moisture conditions. The results will provide valuable data to our
industry partner for enhancing safety of mass timber structures. Furthermore, our research will make a significant
contribution to the wood construction sector, potentially influencing future revisions of the Canadian timber design
standard. Finally, the results of this project will help to enhance the overall performance of STS employed in mass
timber structures.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Zengtao Chen;Ying-Hei Chui

Student:

Partner:

Rothoblaas

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Wholesale trade

University:

University of Alberta

Program:

Accelerate

ReAct ReCreate ReVision: Youth Arts Advocacy for Cultural Justice

How can we open pathways for young artists from disenfranchised identities to connect and provide leadership to cultural processes and systems? How might we formally recognize their skills and contributions to culture, and further support them as developing artists and researchers? How can research creations sustain and grow community arts impacts, and promote more equitable access to arts opportunities? Traditional (policy/government/systemic) decision-making processes are opaque and non-inclusive, reinforcing existing models and power structures, and further marginalizing under-represented groups, especially youth. This project will explore these gaps and processes with young artists, to increase their access and opportunities to make critical contributions to cultural processes and systems.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Alia Weston

Student:

Partner:

Mass Culture Canada

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Arts, entertainment and recreation

University:

Ontario College of Art & Design University

Program:

Elevate

The New Economy: Empowering Business Through Organizational Thinking

Due to consumer demand for social and environmental responsibility, accountability and transparency, businesses are looking to redefine stakeholder value as more than just financial returns. This paradigm shift in business allows for progressive organizational thinking and the adopting of alternative forms of business organization that embed principles of corporate social responsibility. The proposed research will explore alternative business organizations, such as Certified BCorporations and Social Enterprises, to provide a snapshot as to how these models fit in existing businesses and how they will shape a new economy. In addition, the research will aim to identify aspects to consider when accounting for non-financial metrics and what mechanisms businesses need to ensure business continuity while also promoting positive social and environmental impact.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Ian Colquhoun

Student:

Partner:

Conscious Brands

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Management of companies and enterprises

University:

Western University

Program:

Accelerate

From Theory to Practice: SANISAND Model for Cyclic Liquefaction – Numerical Implementation, Automatic Calibration, and Application

This research project is dedicated to advancing seismic analysis practices for geological structures. The primary objective is to develop a suite of reliable and user-friendly modeling tools to enhance our ability to predict and mitigate the effects of earthquakes, particularly focusing on soil liquefaction. This involves robust numerical
implementation of an advanced sand constitutive model into several state-of-the-art and practice numerical modeling software programs, an intuitive automatic calibration tool for model parameters, and a repository of practical applications for achieving a reliable simulation of the seismic displacements resulting from liquefaction. The project is divided into four tasks, each contributing to the overall goal of improving seismic resilience and the safety of critical infrastructure. The research is not only significant for advancing the state of practice in the analysis of seismic-induced liquefaction of granular soils but also in bolstering the competitiveness of Canadian engineering on a global scale and training future experts in the field. Ultimately, the aim is to empower engineers and researchers to make informed decisions, leading to safer communities and more resilient infrastructure.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Mahdi Taiebat

Student:

Partner:

BGC Engineering Inc (BC)

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Construction and infrastructure; Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

The University of British Columbia

Program:

Accelerate

RPB1 promoter and UTR regulation

This research project focuses on regulating the levels of the catalytic subunit RPB1 of RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) in complex eukaryotic organisms. Dr. Svejstrup’s lab has engineered a degradable cell line to rapidly adjust RPB1 levels, allowing the exploration of regulatory elements in the POLR2A gene. The aim is to identify promoter regions sensitive to the reduction of RBP1 protein. Simultaneously, the project aims to uncover specific regulatory elements in the 3’UTR region of RPB1 mRNA by developing a luciferase assay. The results will offer crucial insights into modulating RPB1 levels, expanding our understanding of molecular cascades involved in transcriptional regulation. This project aligns Dr. Svejstrup’s expertise in transcription regulation with Dr. Mallette’s in chromatin structure, cellular senescence, and cancer defenses. The methodology, including the luciferase assay, holds potential applications in biotechnology. A primer design for CRISPR–Cas 9 will also be developped, enabling precise gene editing. The in-depth understanding of transcriptional regulation may lead to therapeutic interventions, particularly in personalized medicine and in neurological disorders.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Frédérick A. Mallette

Student:

Partner:

University of Copenhagen

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Education

University:

Université de Montréal

Program:

Globalink Research Award

Showcasing the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of electrifying small businesses

Emissions from the buildings sector account for over half of Toronto’s greenhouse gas emissions, of which about one quarter is attributed to the city’s ~32,000 small commercial buildings. To meet the City of Toronto’s Net Zero by 2040 target, these buildings must be retrofitted and electrified. Small business owners are uniquely positioned for decarbonization with high monthly fixed costs for fossil fuel connections compared to commodity costs and the relatively-simple heating systems common in these buildings. However, there is currently limited financial and technical support available to business owners for these types of projects and the lack of existing demonstration projects and case studies is a significant roadblock, which limits uptake of this type of retrofit. The proposed project seeks to develop a replicable model for electrification retrofits of small commercial buildings that can be easily adopted by businesses across the region. A comprehensive risk assessment will be undertaken and potential technical, regulatory, and financial barriers that might hinder the adoption of low-carbon solutions will be identified. This will be accomplished through characterization of the city’s small commercial building stock, targeted demonstration projects in two local small businesses, as well as surveys and interviews of additional small building owners.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Jennifer McArthur;Helen Stopps;Helen Stopps;Jennifer McArthur

Student:

Partner:

City of Toronto

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences & Technology; Public administration; Utilities

University:

Toronto Metropolitan University

Program:

Accelerate

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