Innovative Projects Realized

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

13270 Completed Projects

1072
AB
2795
BC
430
MB
106
NF
348
SK
4184
ON
2671
QC
43
PE
209
NB
474
NS

Projects by Category

10%
Computer science
9%
Engineering
1%
Engineering - biomedical
4%
Engineering - chemical / biological

Exploring the use of the Media Equation in children’s educational cybersecurity games

MediaSmarts’ vision is to ensure children and youth have the critical thinking skills to engage with media as active and informed digital citizens. This project will redesign one of MediaSmarts cybersecurity games to increase its effectiveness and engagement, through the use of Media Equation principles. The Media Equation is a communication and HCI theory on how humans respond to and interact with computers and new media. The project has three main objectives: to conduct an initial user study of the existing Jo Cool or Jo Fool game with children aged 9-11 years, to design and prototype a new game using Media Equation principles, and to conduct a user study assessing the effectiveness of the new game. By incorporating the results of our proposed research, MediaSmarts will be able to produce improved educational games that are more effective at achieving their educational goals.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Sonia Chiasson

Student:

Christine Mekhail

Partner:

MediaSmarts

Discipline:

Computer science

Sector:

Information and communications technologies

University:

Carleton University

Program:

Accelerate

Design and development of a domestic wood-pellet furnace for integrating with a steam-powered micro-turbine for large-scale CHP applications

Biomass combustion, which is a growing business, is used to generate heat and power. It is a very attractive system because it provides energy at cheaper price compared to oil and gas fuels and also emits fewer pollutants into the atmosphere. As the name implies, the combustion system is fired using renewable fuels such as forest and agriculture residues. To date, the biomass combustion systems developed locally, as well as internationally, have been used mainly where there are heat demands. However, Myera Group, a Canadian company, is gradually increasing its share in the energy market. The goal of the company is to deliver professional services to active industrial sections in this field, which enhances their thermal devices from those with limited applications (mainly producing heat) to devices capable of producing both heat and electricity from biomass. These services are believed to ultimately result in increasing the versatility of their systems and optimizing their design to be used in combined heat and power (CHP) applications. However, there are still several challenges to overcome in order to modify the design of the combustion system for CHP purposes and achieve its maximum best performance, which constitute the research objectives of the project.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Stefan Cenkowski

Student:

Kurt Hildebrand

Partner:

Myera Group Inc.

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Energy

University:

University of Manitoba

Program:

Accelerate

Assessing Social Cognition in Autistic Youths and Adults

The goal of the project is to develop a series of standardized, performance-based computerized assessment tools for use in the examination of social cognition deficits in ASD. Drawing on the available experimental literature a number of potential assessment tasks will be identified, reviewed and configured for computer-based administration to children / youth with ASD. Programming of assessments will be followed by pilot testing, evaluation and validation in ASD and control children/youth. Key findings from analyses will be used to formulate recommendations regarding subtest modifications, inclusion and additional measures

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Faculty Supervisor:

Geoffrey Hall

Student:

Ellis Freedman

Partner:

Multi-Health Systems Inc.

Discipline:

Psychology

Sector:

Education

University:

McMaster University

Program:

Accelerate

The impact of the physical and social environment on epigenetic modifications, telomere length and the development of breast cancer

Recent studies have shown that interactions between beings and the environment, including social practices and human behavior, have an impact on the susceptibility to develop chronic diseases such as cancer, through epigenetic modifications or telomere shortening. The term epigenetic applies to the modifications that regulate gene expression without modifying the DNA sequence. Furthermore, telomere is a repetitive region at the end of each chromosome to protect them against deterioration caused by aging, stress, environment, etc. The aim of this project is to determine how the chronic and acute stress interacts in our body increasing susceptibility to breast cancer. The psychosocial environment might influence the epigenetic modifications and/or telomere length, thereby increasing the risk of developing breast cancer. The main benefit for the partner organization is to increase the knowledge they have on breast cancer, mainly concerning the interactions between human beings and the environment, including social practices and human behavior.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Chantal Bouffard

Student:

Olivier Martin

Partner:

Myriad Genetics Canada Ltd.

Discipline:

Medicine

Sector:

Life sciences

University:

Program:

Accelerate

Development of lighting system optimized for photosynthetic plant and algae growth

The photosynthetic performance of certain desirable plants and algae depend strongly on the exact spectrum and light/dark cycle of their illumination. Several modern and emerging technologies have the energy efficiency, and the spectral and temporal characteristics to provide optimal lighting in an amenable form factor. This project aims to compare the costs and benefits of using lasers, quantum dots, LEDs, and other competitive technologies in indoor agriculture processes and developing an optimized lighting system for indoor agriculture. Myera Group will benefit from the resulting insight into how to optimize its operations and cut costs of production, specifically in regards to the lighting system deployed in the production chain and its related maintenance, support, and power consumption costs.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Qiang Zhang

Student:

William Hildebrand

Partner:

Myera Group Inc.

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Energy

University:

University of Manitoba

Program:

Accelerate

The benefits of hemp protein supplementation during resistance training

Hemp powder is an increasingly popular supplement with body builders. Hemp contains many of the essential building blocks of proteins (i.e. amino acids) and also contains oil helpful to prevent swelling. It may also be beneficial for building muscle mass and increasing bone health. Despite these possible benefits, the effectiveness of hemp powder during a strength training program has never been assessed. Our study will determine the effectiveness of hemp for building strength and muscle mass, preventing inflammation and fatigue, and preventing the breakdown of bone during an 8-week strength training program. We will recruit 40 physically active men and women between the ages of 18-45. Half will be given hemp powder during the training program and compared to half taking soy powder. This research will provide new evidence about hemp benefits and will also allow the partner organization (Naturally Splendid® Enterprises) to increase the market for its hemp-based nutritional supplements.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Philip Chilibeck

Student:

Mojtaba Kaviani

Partner:

Naturally Splendid Enterprises

Discipline:

Kinesiology

Sector:

Agriculture

University:

University of Saskatchewan

Program:

Accelerate

Autonomous Modeling of High-Resolution X-ray Spectra Using Robust Global Optimization Methods

High-energy astrophysics is a young, fast-growing field that has opened a new window to the “invisible” universe. X-ray spectroscopy is a particularly powerful tool to discover the nature of highenergy sources, since their physical properties are inferred by comparing physical models to observations. Therefore, methods for fitting models to data are of crucial importance. The standard approach is via local optimization. However, these methods suffer from a number of limitations. At the U. of Manitoba, we are developing software based on evolutionary algorithms targeted to perform global optimization for X-ray spectroscopy. These advanced methods will be particularly instrumental for multi-parameter models and high-fidelity X-ray data. The project is also timely with the upcoming (early 2016) launch of the X-ray mission, ASTRO-H, led by Japan partnering with NASA, ESA and the Canadian Space Agency, and with the U. of Manitoba as an active member. This project will place the Manitoba in a leadership role by providing an innovative software package for the X-ray astronomy community, and is directly relevant to nQube Technical Computing, dramatically illustrating the capabilities of their optimization methods on challenging and high-profile model fitting problems.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Samar Safi-Harb

Student:

Adam Rogers

Partner:

nQube Technical Computing Corp.

Discipline:

Physics / Astronomy

Sector:

Information and communications technologies

University:

University of Manitoba

Program:

Accelerate

Genetic variation in 9p21, dietary patterns and cardiovascular disease risk

Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death in Canadians and expected to claim nearly 65 000 lives in 2015. Approximately 75% of these deaths are preventable by having a healthier lifestyle, including a better diet. Another risk factor is having a family history of heart disease, mainly because of inherited genetic risk factors. A healthy diet is twice as effective to reduce heart disease in people with high-risk genes. The aim of this project is to find the best diet to reduce risk of heart disease in people with high-risk genes compared to others. The partner organization, Nutrigenomix Inc., is a genetic testing company specialized in developing test kits for personalized nutrition. The company will benefit from this research by commercializing a genetic test panel specifically for cardiovascular disease risk. This test will allow healthcare providers to offer customized diets based on their clients’ genetic risk of cardiovascular disease.

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Faculty Supervisor:

David Jenkins

Student:

Sara Mahdavi

Partner:

Nutrigenomix Inc.

Discipline:

Food science

Sector:

Life sciences

University:

University of Toronto

Program:

Accelerate

Caffeine, genetic variation and athletic performance

Caffeine is among the most widely consumed performance enhancing substance used by athletes at all levels. However, studies that have investigated the effects of caffeine on athletic performance report inconsistent findings and the role of an individual’s genetic make-up in influencing how a person processes caffeine is becoming increasingly important. As a result, there is a need for a properly designed study to determine the effects of caffeine at varying doses on athletic performance that considers whether genetic variation modifies any of caffeine’s effects. There is currently no genetic test for athletes that provides actionable advice based on any aspect of nutrition and athletic performance. This project will result in the creation of such a genetic test for caffeine advice, which will directly benefit the partner organization, Nutrigenomix Inc., a developer of genetic tests for personalized nutrition that aims to become the leading provider of personalized nutrition information.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Greg Wells

Student:

Nanci Guest

Partner:

Nutrigenomix Inc.

Discipline:

Food science

Sector:

Life sciences

University:

University of Toronto

Program:

Accelerate

Development of court booking module and algorithm

OrbitHub is a web/mobile platform that helps its clients coordinate activities more efficiently and maximize the utilization of their resources and time. In addition to being a global social network, OrbitHub also offers tournament, league and ladder management functionality, as well as registrations, payments, rankings, court booking and more. This project aims to focus on leveraging the global social network data and geo data to efficiently link up similar-skilled sport players with under-utilized facilities so that players have a chance to play more while clubs/facilities can maximize their facilities’ usage.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Daniel Amyot

Student:

Partner:

OrbitHub Inc.

Discipline:

Engineering - computer / electrical

Sector:

Information and communications technologies

University:

University of Ottawa

Program:

Accelerate

PACTA: Automated text mining and analysis of business contracts

PACTA is a cutting edge SaaS contract management and analysis product designed for SMBs that proactively manages and tracks business contracts and obligations, thereby minimizing business risk and saving up to 9% of the bottom line. The objective for the full-time 8-month internship, in partnership with Dr. Lingras at SMU and Mitacs is to identify and implement automated text mining technologies and processes as well as analysis and testing tools into a business critical environment. The intern will gain first-hand experience working in an entrepreneurial environment and play a key part in product development, analysis and commercial application of cutting edge research.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Pawan Lingras

Student:

Gaurav Rao

Partner:

PACTA Inc.

Discipline:

Computer science

Sector:

Information and communications technologies

University:

Saint Mary's University

Program:

Accelerate

The effect of footwear on running economy following exercise-induced fatigue.

The research proposal is designed to examine the relationship between footwear, metabolic rate and lower limb muscle activity following exercise-educed fatigue. This randomized, controlled crossover design experiment will consist of three sessions. The first session is a familiarization session. The second and third sessions will be the same, except the exercise will be done wearing either traditional or minimalist footwear models. For the second and third sessions, participants will first complete a running economy test, and then run seven bouts of 1000 meters to induce fatigue. Following this fatiguing task, the participant will complete another running economy test. This study shall examine the differences in metabolic rate and muscle activity between footwear conditions, and furthermore, how fatigue effects these differences. The data collected will be used to identify any potentially injurious trends associated with each footwear model in an effort to provide insight for medical professionals with running clients.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Fabien Basset

Student:

Jason Frederick

Partner:

Pearlgate Physiotherapy Services

Discipline:

Kinesiology

Sector:

Sports and recreation

University:

Memorial University of Newfoundland

Program:

Accelerate

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