Innovative Projects Realized

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

29670 Completed Projects

2811
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4990
BC
801
MB
663
NL
825
SK
8841
ON
9197
QC
95
PE
568
NB
1088
NS

Projects by Category

Examining favelas, media, and activism in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics

In the days leading up to the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, Brazilian favelas were heavily sensationalized in international mainstream media as state surveillance, increased policing, and the criminalization of poverty practices were increasingly enforced in favelas for the preparation of the Olympic Games. Yet, from within favelas was the emergence of a very different discourse. Through ‘favela media activism’, which represent the actions of residents to create awareness about social inequalities, problematize prejudice, and resist discrimination, favela residents have stood collectively to protest gentrification of favelas for the implementation of Olympic development projects as well as to challenge common stereotypes of favelas projects as well as to challenge common stereotypes of favelas (Custódio, 2016). These narratives are of particular significance because they provide insight into the ways in which favelas and the politics of favelas are largely contentious. TO BE CONT’D

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Faculty Supervisor:

Jeffrey Masuda

Student:

Partner:

Universidade Federal de Viçosa

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

University:

Queen's University

Program:

Globalink Research Award

Moving towards a more socially sustainable dairy system: Public attitudes to dairy system in Brazil

Animal welfare is a field of animal science that focuses on evaluating and bettering animal lives by investigating biological functioning, affective states, and ability to live naturally. Animal welfare is a measure that is emerging as a key social concern in animal agriculture and as a result, is becoming more prevalent in industry practices. Nonetheless, there is a significant disconnect between public expectations of animal welfare in dairy farming and actual practices that are occurring. If consumers continue to hold animal welfare in high esteem in dairy production and if the Brazilian dairy industry doesn’t change their practices to meet consumer expectations, the dairy industry may be regarded negatively by the public. To avoid such reaction, the Brazilian dairy industry should engage in discussion with the public to initiate a clear path towards establishing methods of care that correspond with public desires. TO BE CONT’D

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Faculty Supervisor:

Marina von Keyserlingk

Student:

Partner:

Federal University of Santa Catarina - to merge

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

University:

The University of British Columbia

Program:

Globalink Research Award

Toxicity of nanomaterials to Amazonian fish in different water types

The Negro and Solimoes rivers in the Amazon Basin house an incredible diversity of fish, up to 3000 species, and are critical to the economies and cultures of the communities through which they run. The waters of the Rio Negro are clear and black, with a high concentration of dissolved organic material but almost no dissolved salts. The waters of the Solimoes are quite turbid, with a high sediment load and dissolved salt levels more typical of a freshwater river. The unintentional release of toxins from large-scale mining and petroleum extraction industries is a major threat to the health of the Amazonian ecosystem but little is known about the bioactivity of toxins in the unique water types of the Negro and Solimoes rivers. TO BE CONT’D

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Faculty Supervisor:

Tyson MacCormack

Student:

Partner:

National Institute of Amazonian Research

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Agriculture

University:

Mount Allison University

Program:

Globalink Research Award

Understanding best practices for care transitions for patients from hospital to home

Care transitions, the experience for patients of being discharged from hospital to home, is not always well coordinated for patients and their families. This can result in lower quality of care for patients and unsafe situations. Little is know about these care transitions in Brazil. This project will conduct a search of the literature to understand what are the best approaches to ensure that patients experience the best transition possible when being discharged from the hospital. Results of the study will also be shared with decision-makers, health care providers, students, and instructors. The outcomes of the project will include the following: a final report describing the best practices for transitions from hospital to home; a one-page summary of the results to circulate to various audiences; and a presentation. The student will also be involved in discussions on future research in this area.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Nelly Oelke

Student:

Partner:

Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

University:

University of British Columbia - Okanagan

Program:

Globalink Research Award

Engineering Synthetic D-Proteins as Novel and Transformative Molecular Therapeutics Against Cancer Targets

Proteins can exist in two forms: left-handed (L) or right-handed (D); however, for indeterminate reasons life on this planet only uses the L-form. When studied in more detail, both protein forms possess identical physiochemical and biological properties. Yet, D-proteins show minimal proteolytic degradation and fail to elicit immune responses in animals, due to their unnatural arrangement for recognition in biological systems. Accordingly, the proposed project seeks to develop synthetic D-proteins as biopharmaceutical molecules. We will utilize a method of high-throughput selection, previously established for selection of antibodies, to isolate D-proteins to target cellular receptors involved in cancer. TO BE CONT’D

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Faculty Supervisor:

Jason Moffat

Student:

Partner:

Centre for the Commercialization of Antibodies and Biologics;University of Toronto

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Toronto

Program:

Elevate

NOWCASTING: Enhancing wind power forecasts using live observational data

The intern will develop and evaluate new algorithms to improve the accuracy of short-term wind power forecast. The algorithm will be fed with near real-time data (wind speed, wind direction, air temperature, power production, turbine availability) from wind farms in order to improve the forecast over the next 24h. Once the best algorithm has been selected, the intern will then apply this new algorithm directly into WPred’s IT infrastructure and will train WPred’s scientific staff to use the algorithm. With this project, WPred will position itself as a leader in short-term wind power forecast in Canada and on the international stage, allowing its clients (wind farms, grid operators, maintenance groups) to better optimize their respective operations and increase the profitability of the wind power industry.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Roland Malhame

Student:

Partner:

WPred Inc

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

École Polytechnique de Montréal

Program:

Accelerate

Probiotics Alleviating Depressive Symptoms (PADS)

Recent evidence shows there is extensive and direct communication between the brain and gastrointestinal tract, where nutrients are absorbed, and that intestinal microbiota have a role in healthy brain function. This study aims to look at the effects of probiotics, live bacteria that inhabit the gut and can help improve your health, on the mood, cognition, and sleep of depressed patients. We hypothesize that by increasing the integrity of the gastrointestinal wall, probiotics reduce the amount of toxins leaking out into the bloodstream, thus reducing overall levels of inflammation, which are increased in the brains of depressed patients. If shown to be effective, these results could have a major impact for those seeking antidepressant treatment and allow them to use basic nutrition to help improve their symptoms and an lead to an increase in the development and demand of more natural treatment approaches.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Roumen Milev

Student:

Partner:

Lallemand Health Solutions Inc (Montreal, QC)

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Agriculture; Manufacturing; Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Queen's University

Program:

Accelerate

Innovative cooling methods for high-heat-flux microprocessors

The biggest limiting factor barring increased performance in today’s ultrafast computer systems is the ability to effectively remove the substantial heat generated by the microprocessors. The difficulty lies in the fact that such a large heat load emanates from a relatively small area of the system. The main objective of this project is to investigate and develop novel methods of cooling high-heat-flux processors. The expected results of this work are an increase in the amount of heat removed from processors and, thus, an improvement in the performance of processors and computer systems as a whole. This project will provide the intern with the opportunity to work on one of the most relevant contemporary problems of thermal engineering in the technology sector. Furthermore, the partner organization will benefit from the project by increasing the performance of their ultrafast computer systems.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Laurent Mydlarski

Student:

Partner:

Hypertechnologie CIARA Inc

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

McGill University

Program:

Accelerate

Time-Dependent Effects On Vertical Shafts Used In Micro-Tunneling applications In Queenston Shale – Year two

Micro-tunneling technique is a feasible means to construct pipelines and tunnels in different types of ground including Queenston shale. However, this shale exhibits time-dependent deformation behavior, generally known as the rock swelling, which produces additional stresses on underground structures. These stresses may exceed the allowable tensile or compressive strength of concrete of the pipeline or the tunnel liner, which in-turn may result in cracks in these structures. It is suggested here to investigate induced stresses in vertical shafts constructed in swelling rock and their impact on the stability of these shafts. Employing PLAXIS computer program, a numerical analysis approach is proposed to calculate induced stresses on vertical shafts used in micro-tunneling applications. The results of the numerical analyses will aid in adopting suitable construction procedure that minimize the induced stresses in vertical shafts. Recommendations in this regard will be provided to micro-tunneling contractors to mitigate the influence of induced stresses.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Hesham El Naggar

Student:

Partner:

Ward and Burke Microtunnelling Ltd;Western University

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Construction and infrastructure

University:

Western University

Program:

Elevate

Time-Dependent Effects On Vertical Shafts Used In Micro-Tunneling applications In Queenston Shale

Micro-tunneling technique is considered a feasible means to construct pipelines and tunnels in different types of ground including Queenston shale. However, this shale exhibits time-dependent deformation behavior, generally known as the rock swelling which produces additional stresses on underground structures. These stresses may exceed the allowable tensile or compressive strength of concrete of the pipeline or the tunnel liner, which in-turn may result in
cracks in these structures. It is suggested here to investigate induced stresses on vertical shafts constructed in swelling rock and their impact on the stability of these shafts. A numerical analysis approach is proposed to calculate induced stresses on vertical shafts used in micro-tunneling applications. TO BE CONT’D

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Faculty Supervisor:

Hesham El Naggar

Student:

Partner:

Ward and Burke Microtunnelling Ltd;Western University

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Construction and infrastructure

University:

Western University

Program:

Elevate

Evaluation of Surface Modification Strategies for Enhancing Passive Water Collection

In this project, we will develop nanostructured coatings for panels that collect water from moisture in the air. Water is the most important resource for humanity, yet many parts of the world do not have access to potable water due to their environmental and economic limitations. Collaborative development with SkyTap Technologies and the Gates Research Group at Simon Fraser University will design nanomaterial-based structures to more effectively collect water from moisture without using external energy sources. The structures created in this project will be utilized for creating a renewable way to harvest potable water in areas with limited access to energy and water.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Byron D Gates

Student:

Partner:

SkyTap Technologies Inc

Discipline:

Physics

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

Simon Fraser University

Program:

Accelerate

Identifying transportation mode based on smartphone sensor data using machine learning tools and statistical methods

Detecting an individual’s transportation mode has an invaluable role in applications, by allowing the application to be aware of user’s current context, and modify their functionality accordingly. There has been numerous research in this area, each using a different approach and achieving different outcomes. The goal of this internship to better understand the state of the art technology in classifying modes of transportation (e.g. walking, biking, driving) using the data from smartphone sensors such as GPS or accelerometer, and subsequently leverage this to provide a better behavioural analysis platform for academic research, particularly in public-health and social science domain.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Michael Horsch

Student:

Partner:

Ethica Data Services Inc

Discipline:

Computer science

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Saskatchewan

Program:

Accelerate