Innovative Projects Realized

Étude de marché pour une plateforme de découvrabilité de contenus culturels locaux (OuiTogether)

Réaliser une étude de validation de marché pour un projet de plateforme de découvrabilité de contenus culturels locaux. En effet, les contenus culturels et artistiques locaux, issues des artistes de nos territoires et des communautés ethnoculturelles de nos villes font face à des barrières de présence, de visibilité, de répérabilité, et de recommandation sur les plateformes de streaming. Les algorithmes de recommandation des plateformes dominantes favorisent les habitudes de consommation de contenus américains ou déjà populaires plutôt que des contenus culturels liés à la localisation territoriale ou à l’identité culturelle des utilisateurs. Il existe des barrières à la découvrabilité numérique des contenus culturels locaux qui affectent la mise en lumière des artistes locaux et la diversité des expressions culturelles. Cette étude nous permettra de disposer de données pertinentes permettant de documenter les tendances locales du marché de la consommation culturelle en ligne pour les entrepreneurs qu’ils accompagnent.

Business interns within cross-functional teams to develop and commercialize AI-powered solutions – Part 4

AltaML is an innovative company capitalizing on a major technological trend: artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, enabled by big data, are driving a fourth industrial revolution. AI will transform all industries, but traditional industries face challenges in implementing AI. AltaML has a unique business model to overcome barriers to adoption of AI solutions by industry, which is to bring the innovating startup together with the large organization, thereby bringing together rich datasets, AI talent with a playbook for industry application and the close collaboration of subject matter experts and AI experts–with a mindset for change. In addition to AI expertise, we bring agility that our large, corporate partners often lack, and which is so essential for innovation. With a strategic focus on AI adoption and product, AltaML works across industries as well as with the public sector using a co-development approach to create applied AI solutions as well as joint AI ventures. This rich, complex multisectoral environment provides the breadth that enables insights in one area to be applied in new areas, leading to ever increasing opportunities for innovation.

The project comprises internships in a variety of technical and business roles, which are: associate machine learning developer, business development associate, communications associate, finance associate, associate business solutions consultant, and project delivery associate. Outcomes will include algorithm creation and deployment, data visualizations, market research reports, sales collateral, competitive landscape analysis, feasibility analysis; key messages and content writing such as case studies and feature articles, financial model development, data analysis, financial reports and variance analysis, customer workflow mapping, business case reports, resource allocation plans, project update reports, and project plans.

Development of peptide formulations to treat antimicrobial resistant infections

Excessive use of antimicrobials results in the evolution of antimicrobial resistant microbes, and the infection caused by such microbes are known as antimicrobial resistant (AMR) infections. AMR infections are on the rise and has a negative impact on the quality of life, healthcare system and ultimately on the economy. The current proposal aims at the external activation of one’s immune system as an alternative to the use of antimicrobials to treat AMR infections. The objective is to develop a topical formulation that can trigger a controlled activation of immune cells, which will fight clear the microbial load and consequently, aid in the healing of infected wound. The formulation will consist of nanoparticles made up of bioactive peptides and a base material, which will be applied locally to clear the infections.

Rural Communities Foundation of Nova Scotia Vital Signs Report

The Vital Signs Research Project aims to understand how well communities in Nova Scotia are doing in different areas, like education, healthcare, jobs housing and the environment. We will gather information for the report from
surveys, interviews, and online sources to create a report that shows the quality of life of people living in Nova Scotia. By doing this research, we want to help make positive changes for communities in Nova Scotia and
suggest ways to make things better. The partner organization, which helps rural communities, will benefit from this research because it will provide them with important data and insights to support their work. They can use
this information to talk to policymakers and others about the needs of these communities and find ways to make life better for the people living there.

Evolution tectonique et métamorphique d’une portion de croûte à l’Archéen; exemple de la ceinture de roches vertes de l’Abitibi : implications sur les minéralisations aurifères orogéniques

Ce projet scientifique, qui se déroulera entre juin 2014 et mai 2016, comprend 8 blocs de stage Mitacs-Accélération répartis entre 3 stagiaires, en maitrise, doctorat et postdoctorat. Il vise à mieux comprendre la structure et le métamorphisme d’une portion de croûte archéenne, ainsi que les relations géométriques et chronologiques avec la mise en place des indices d’or orogéniques, en prenant l’exemple de la ceinture de roches vertes de l’Abitibi. Pour mener à bien ce projet, les trois études menées par les stagiaires prévoient des analyses structurales de secteurs clefs, des études pétrologiques fines, l’acquisition de données géochronologiques, et la compilation de données géologiques pré-existantes. Ces travaux se dérouleront en étroite collaboration entre l’UQAM, le MRNQ et deux partenaires miniers, Globex Mining Enterprises Inc. et Exploration Typhon Inc.

Evaluation of the Talk Today program delivered in a hybrid format to elite adolescent male hockey players and their support staff

The Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario Division (CMHA Ontario) created and implemented a season-long mental health and suicide awareness program to help educate, support, and raise awareness about mental health and the issue of suicidal ideation among elite male adolescent hockey players and their support staff. The McGill Sport Psychology Laboratory (https://www.mcgill.ca/sportpsych/) has partnered with CMHA Ontario to evaluate the effectiveness of their mental health and suicide awareness program. The evaluation will consist of two phases: (1) the distribution of an online survey to all individuals who have participated in an in-person on online training called “Team Up” (i.e., approximately 150 athletes and staff) and (2) individual interviews with 10 program supporters (e.g., mental health coach, mental health champion) who have been involved in the program for at least one season. Findings will provide information regarding the effectiveness of this innovative and new hockey-specific in-person or online suicide awareness training.

Caregiver Skills Training

Early intervention services for children with developmental delays, disorders, and disabilities are important, especially as early as possible in life, to provide the best chances for the child to thrive. Yet, children with these conditions do not receive timely care because relevant services are inaccessible due to long wait-times and high cost for families. The World Health Organization (WHO) Caregiver Skills Training (CST) is a low-cost evidence-based intervention, designed to address these issues. This project aims to facilitate CST implementation in Malaysia and Canada. We will first conduct interviews among participants in Malaysia and Canada to identify barriers and facilitators to implementing CST. We will then develop an implementation blueprint tailored to address barriers and leverage facilitators identified. Finally, we will foster a collaborative learning environment through the formation of an international network of stakeholders, “Early Intervention Global Group” to provide input and advice on the implementation blueprint.

5G-Based Real-Time Smart and Proactive Healthcare

5G network connectivity is important in the quest to revolutionize healthcare in Canada. This is because 5G
technology has the unique capability to support reliable high-speed data transfer. The technology also supports
increased amount of healthcare data that can be transmitted in real time. This project seeks to 1) explore the use
of 5G-enabled healthcare solutions in the community, and 2) understand how the implementation 5G technology
may affect vulnerable and remote populations. The project will explore how 5G can support data connections
between healthcare services and the community. Ethical and societal challenges of 5G data collection will be
investigated as well. Results from this project will help guide the implementation of 5G-enabled data collection
and analyses for healthcare improvement.

Advancing the Utility of Electrochemical Pressure Impedance Spectroscopy (EPIS) as a New Fuel Cell Diagnostic Technique

Fuel cells are versatile, low-emission alternative energy sources, but their optimization is complex due to their black-box nature. For fuel cells to perform at peak proficiency, each component requires a different level of hydration, yet these parameters are currently unattainable with conventional diagnostic techniques. In consultation with Greenlight Innovation, this project focuses on the further development of electrochemical pressure impedance spectroscopy (EPIS) to investigate water transport within operating cells. The initial results are promising and suggest that EPIS can be optimized to probe changes in the hydration state of fuel cell components. As a fuel cell test station designer and manufacturer, Greenlight Innovation would have the ability to incorporate this new technique into their products for widespread commercialization, to be marketed for fuel cell research and development for industrial and academic laboratories. Additionally, test stations already in the field can be remotely retrofitted with EPIS through only minor hardware adjustments. This would provide an additional diagnostic technique to current test station users. The goal is to improve the metrics by which fuel cells are measured by providing new methods to assist in the real-time probing of processes and failure mechanisms within operating cells.

Assessment and Mapping of the Drivers of Temperatures at Thermal Refuges on the Restigouche River Watershed with Management Implications for Climate Change

Critical river habitats are being affected by climate change, and so are the species that need them for survival. These habitats are called thermal refuges, or cold-water patches, and they protect aquatic species from thermal stress and mortality. Some of these species include Atlantic salmon and Atlantic sturgeon, and are found on the Restigouche River watershed. With climate change threatening to increase water temperatures, the need to protect these habitats is becoming increasingly important. These species have cultural and ecological importance to the communities that reside within the watershed. Our goal is to explore how different landscape characteristics create thermal refuges, more specifically confluence plumes, and how we can plan for conservation and management to ensure that they are protected for the species that use them for their survival.

Evaluation of National Physical Activity Initiatives

In 2007, ParticipACTION was relaunched in Canada with the goal of inspiring and supporting active
living and sport participation for Canadians. The focus of ParticipACTION is on social marketing
initiatives The objective of the proposed internship is to take advantage of data collected through
internal evaluations commissioned by ParticipACTION of two national campaigns – Teen Challenge,
and Sports Day in Canada, and address a number of knowledge gaps in the physical activity research field. First, what role can microgrants play in supporting community capacity to promote physical activity? Second, what role do large scale, one-off sporting and PA events like Sports Day in Canada perform in encouraging sport and physical activity participation? ParticipACTION will benefit from having a graduate trainee with research experience and competency in statistical analyses.
ParticipACTION does not currently have the capacity or the statistical expertise to conduct the work
being proposed. Findings from the described project will be used to inform the future planning and
delivery of the two initiatives. .

Détermination des mécanismes d’action expliquant les effets bénéfiques du sirop d’érable sur la santé métabolique

La production de sirop d’érable est un des moteurs de l’agriculture québécoise et plusieurs études indiquent que la consommation de cet agent sucrant naturel complet est à privilégier d’un point de vue santé métabolique comparativement aux sucres raffinés. Néanmoins, les agences de santé ne font aucune distinction entre les formes de sucres ajoutés, plaçant le sirop d’érable et le sucre raffiné dans une seule et même catégorie. L’objectif de ce projet est donc de mieux comprendre comment la consommation du sirop d’érable est moins dommageable que celle du sucre raffiné sur la santé métabolique afin de mieux en faire valoir les bienfaits auprès de la population et des instances gouvernementales. Pour ce faire, nous prendrons avantage d’échantillons biologiques récupérés d’une étude clinique récente où il fut observé que lorsque les sujets consomment le sirop d’érable à la place du sucre blanc, leur santé métabolique est améliorée par rapport aux effets occasionnés par la consommation de sucre raffinés.